《American Tax Officer》 Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The New Identity "A United States Tax Bureau Inspector, intriguing!" In front of the mirror, a man was intently examining his appearance. His skin tone was slightly yellow, simr to Asians, but his eyes were blue, thanks to his father being Caucasian and his mother of Asian descent. Although he looked mostly Asian, his mixed heritage still left subtle traces on his face, making his overall appearance unique and charismatic. His name was David. He had transmigrated into this body ten minutes ago The original owner of the body was an Inspector from the Las Vegas branch of the United States Tax Bureau. Don''t underestimate this identity. The renowned United States politician Benjamin Franklin once said, ''In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.'' And the world recognized four deadliest sins. They are trafficking drugs in China; counternarcotics in Mexico; prohibition in Russia; and tax evasion in the United States. From this, one could see how powerful this department was. And in fact, the United States Tax Bureau did have power ample enough to scare people to death. They had their own army, weapons. The most chilling fact was that their weapons and equipment were not the least bit inferior to the most elite forces of the United States Navy and Army. Beyond that, the Tax Bureau also had its own courts,wyers, judges, and other facilities. If they suspected you of tax evasion, they could take you in for questioning without any procedure, even freeze your bank ounts, and ultimately send you to prison. Even if you were a state governor, Cab minister, or even the President, you couldn''t escape. This might sound a bit sci-fi and ridiculous. After all, the United States is a country that advocates democracy, freedom, and freedom of speech, so how could it tolerate such tant behavior from the Tax Bureau? But in truth, from removing Presidents to destroying themon people, such is the power bestowed upon the Tax Bureau by the United States Constitution! When facing the FBI or CIA and their injustice towards you, you could resort to thew to fight back against them. But when facing the Tax Bureau, The Tax Bureau would tell you that they held the right to interpret thew! The United States Tax Bureau, that''s how overbearing it is! "I think I''m up for this job!" David''s smile grew brighter. In his previous life, he had been a police officer, skilled at investigating cases and capturing criminals. And in this life, he had be an Inspector of the ''Dongchang of the United States,'' the Tax Bureau, with power and authority. Wouldn''t that be even better? "Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding... ding-ding-ding..." The ssic iPhone ringtone interrupted David as he was smugly admiring himself. He walked over to the desk, picked up the phone, and pressed the answer button: "Mo Ning Nisen." "Mo Ning David, I''m downstairs at your ce. Hurry up ande down; we''re starting our operation today!" David walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and drew back the curtains. Shielding his eyes from the ring sunshine, he looked down to see a ck Volvo already parked downstairs. "Just a minute, I''ll be right down." David swiftly got dressed in his formal attire, holstered his service weapon at his waist, and hurried downstairs where he opened the car door and got into the front passenger seat. "Got you a hot dog from the old town; picked it up on my way!" Nisen, full name Nisen Martinez. He was a Caucasian man in his thirties, with somewhat naturally curly hair, tidy and short, giving off a sense of texture. As a former member of the United States Marine Corps, he had a robust build and solid muscles, like a sturdy stele. Like the police forces, the United States Tax Bureau too adopted a partner system. The so-called partner system involves pairing up two people, with the main principle being to support each other in dangerous situations and to implement a mutual supervision duty. After all, the Tax Bureau''s power was too great. It was inevitable that some inspectors with ulterior motives would abuse the name of the Tax Bureau tomit crimes under the guise of authority. The existence of this system significantly prevents such phenomena from urring. Currently, Nisen and David are partners in the same group. "Thank you!" David turned around, about to ept the hot dog that was handed to him, but the lines of information floating above the other person''s head froze his extended hand in mid-air. [Name: Nisen Martinez.] [upation: Inspector at the United States Tax Bureau.] [Monthly Ie: 7,800 US dors.] [Ie Sources: Fixed monthly sry, bonuses...] [Expenditure Details: On December 3, 2021, a tip of 600 US dors at the Strip Club in the main district, consumption of 128 US dors at Sam''s Restaurant on December 4, December 5...] [Tax Due: None.] [¡­] "Is this... the system?!" David had read many novels and knew that many of the protagonists had systems or golden fingers as a BUG. But when this thing appeared to him, he was still taken aback. However, he quickly tried to calm his emotions. To confirm his guess, he immediately turned his head to look at a passerby not far away. [Name: Sam Johannes.] [upation: Courier.] [Monthly Ie: 3,800 US dors.] [Expenditure Details:...] [Tax Due: None.] [¡­] "Indeed..." After David''s confirmation, he was sure that this was indeed his golden finger! Under the observation of this golden finger, he could unabashedly view these targets'' personal information. From now on, no one would be able to keep tax matters secret in front of him. And they wouldn''t be able to evade taxes under his very nose either! But that''s not even the most important thing. The most important thing was that, before the previous month, on December 3, 2021, The US Congress officially passed a policy called the ''ck Tax Bill.'' The bill explicitly stated, From now on, no matter what activity you engage in¡ªbe it robbery, prostitution, drug trafficking, or any such activity¡ªall the profits must be fully taxed to the Tax Bureau. This bill was officially issued from the Washington D.C. Headquarters to all the local branches of the Tax Bureau across the country, bing the top priority task to be implemented. In order to motivate the 140,000 employees of the Tax Bureau nationwide, The headquarters in Washington D.C. also offered various rewards for raises and promotions. And now that David had such a golden finger, wasn''t the opportunity to rise meteorically at hand? "What''s wrong, David?" Nisen, curious, looked at David who was alternately dazed and smiling and asked. "Nothing... Today is truly a wonderful day!" Of course, David couldn''t tell him about the golden finger and justughed it off. "Maybe... Let''s start work!" Nisen didn''t waste any more words, started the car, and drove toward the main road not far away. Las Vegas. A miracle city built on the desert, its streetwork is like a hugebyrinth, intersecting and unique, spectacr. Along the way, an ocean of neon lights, all sorts of casinos, hotels, and stores have everything you could wish for. Chapter 2: Chapter 2: I Can Be the Chief Tax Officer Too From one end of the street to the other, people in bizarre and unique costumes could be seen shuttling through the streets. Some were dressed as movie characters, while others wore their own unique outfits, disying endless creativity and individuality. But do not be deceived by the glitzy facade of this city. Besides being a world-famous gambling city, it also has another title that sends shivers down the spine. City of Sin! For a long time, this city has been one of the United States'' cities with the highest crime rates. ording to statistics. In this city, for every 100,000 residents, there are 763 violent crimes, including 4696 robberies and 9296 cases of malicious wounding. And the worst mass shooting in American history also took ce in this city. One could say this. While the gambling industry has turned this city into a paradise, it has also thrown it into the depths of hell. Of course, this is a good thing for the National Tax Bureau. Because the more crimes there are, the more tax revenue the Bureau can rake in with its new tax policies. As for the adverse effects of crime, that''s your FBI and the local police''s responsibility, what does it have to do with the National Tax Bureau? ... "Wait a minute, Nisen... What are we doing at the Encar Casino?" Watching Nisen bring the car to a stop, David couldn''t help but ask. "Haven''t you heard about the robbery of Encar''s cash transport vehicle seven days ago?" "I''ve heard, the Encar Casino seems to have lost a million US Dors in that incident." "Yes, that''s a million US Dors. If we can find that money, ording to the tax rate, that''s nearly 400,000 US Dors in tax revenue!" Having said this, a gleam shone in Nisen''s eyes. As for David, he finally understood his partner''s intent. Indeed. Just as Nisen said, finding that money, based on the Bureau''s tax rates, would mean nearly 400,000 US Dors in tax revenue. That was a substantial achievement! "But Nisen, Chief Tax Officer Lewis assigned us the African-American zero-dor shopping case at Caesar Pce Shopping Center, wouldn''t it be..." "Hear me out, David!" Nisen interrupted sharply, with a piercing look, "The African-American zero-dor shopping incident at Caesar Shopping Center involves too many people, too messy. It''s tough to crack." "Even if we could crack it, do you think the reward we get would be more than these 400,000?" "You know I''ve been in this Inspector position for five years, and Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi is about to be transferred. This is my chance, brother, help me out!" Inspectors at the National Tax Bureau, seemingly powerful, are actually the lowest rank in the system. Above the Inspector are the Chief Tax Officer, Deputy Tax Investigator, Tax Investigator, Deputy Branch Chief, Branch Chief, Deputy City Bureau Chief, City Bureau Chief, Deputy State Bureau Chief, State Bureau Chief. Reaching the level of State Bureau Chief. Even the Governor would have to bow and scrape, using a Chinese phrase, lowering his wine cup with a smile on his face when meeting. The Bureau''s power is simply too vast. With money, authority, and guns, no one wants to be targeted by such a fierce tiger. And being promoted to State Bureau Chief, the next opportunity for advancement would likely lead to a post at Washington D.C. Headquarters. Reaching that stage, one would truly hold power over wind and storm within the United States! Of course. Let''s not even talk about a transfer to Washington D.C. Headquarters. Nisen could hardly even dare to dream about the position of Tax Investigator, let alone aspire for the position of Chief Tax Officer. However, all this hinged on securing the taxes from this very case! David fell into deep thought. He quite agreed with what Nisen said. The ck Zero-Dor Purchase case required a tremendous amount of energy to handle. And even if they managed to crack it, the tax revenue collected might not be as substantial as from this robbery case. But there was one thing, the position of Chief Tax Officer¡ªif Nisen could do it, he certainly could too! But unlike Nisen... His aspirations weren''t limited merely to the position of Chief Tax Officer! The ck Tax Bill represented a sort of major blood transfusion for the National Tax Bureau to some extent. Under the impetus of this bill, a major shake-up of survival of the fittest would inevitably ur. Some would lose their positions while others would skyrocket to the top. And with this golden finger for tax collection in his hand, David was bound to be one who would rocket upward! When the time came, vying for the highest seat of power at the Washington D.C. Headquarters and bing the helmsman of the most powerfulw enforcement agency in the United States wasn''t out of the realm of possibility! Of course. It was still too early to think of all this now. What he needed to do at the moment was to stand out among the ck Tax Bill and the 140,000 inspectors nationwide, which was the most important! "The FBI and local police have been investigating this case for so long and still haven''t found anything. Do you have any leads?" Nisen, who had been somewhat worried, visibly rxed upon hearing David''s words and replied, "We did find something. Let''s go meet with them inside!" ... The moment they stepped through the doors of the casino, both David and Nisen, regardless of their thoughts, could not help but be excited, as if every muscle cell in their bodies had been invigorated. Yet neither of them found this unusual. They had been in Las Vegas for so long. They both knew very well that these casinos release a substantial amount of oxygen inside to keep the gamblers engaged and tireless in their y. Inside the casino, there were no windows at all, the bright, dazzling lights reflecting off the multi-colored chips and smooth tables. The golden decorations and luxurious seating throughout made the entire environment look incrediblyvish, while the sounds of people''s tense and excited voices asionally erupted around them. "Hello, gentlemen, how may I assist you?" While they were still taking in their surroundings, a middle-aged man dressed in a ck suit approached them unnoticed. From his pocket, Nisen produced a badge from the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch and stated, "We are inspectors from the National Tax Bureau Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch!" Upon hearing they were from the National Tax Bureau, a flicker of fear passed through the middle-aged man''s eyes. In an instant, he had reviewed all his recent tax affairs. Only after assuring himself that there were no tax omissions, did he finally rx and inquire, "Gentlemen, our casino has not evaded any taxes, and of course, neither have I personally!" "You misunderstand, there was a robbery at your casino a while back, and I wanted to have a word with the person in charge of that case!" "Hmm?" The middle-aged man was taken aback. In his mind, weren''t robbery incidents supposed to be handled by the police and the FBI? Since when did the National Tax Bureau start dealing with these matters? "Is that a problem?" "No, please follow me!" Though confused about the situation, as he was dealing with officials from the National Tax Bureau, the floor manager didn''t dare to offend them and quickly led Nisen and David deeper into the casino. Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Stop Pretending Three individuals passed through the casino hall in session, entered the internal passageway, and arrived at a ck iron door. The lobby manager lifted a cover on the iron door''s handle and keyed in a code; the next second, the door clicked open. But the scene that appeared left Nisen and David dumbstruck. Before them, they saw a vast amount of US Dors piled neatly on tables and shelves everywhere. Although David and Nisen did not know the exact figure, it was presumably in the tens of millions. The casino really lived up to its reputation as a gold mine! "Anthony,e here!" Hearing the lobby manager''s call, a somewhat short-statured man halted his counting task and turned to look towards the door. At the sight of Nisen and David, a flicker of caution crossed his eyes. From the two men''s posture and demeanor, he had deduced that they were definitely affiliated withw enforcement. Could it be¡­ the FBI? [Name: Anthony Taylor.] [upation: Encar Casino vault staff.] [Monthly Ie: 10,000 US Dors.] [Monthly Grey Ie: 300,000 US Dors.] [Details of Grey Ie: On December 26, in collusion with Paul Wolf, Holt Dous, and Warren Doyle, robbed the Encar casino cash transport vehicle, totaling 1 million, pocketing 300,000 US dors.] [Specific Details¡­] [Tax Due: 188,000 US dors.] "So he is the inside man..." Surprised at the information that surfaced above Anthony''s head, David was slightly amazed but quickly came to terms with it. The route of the Encar casino cash transport vehicle wasn''t fixed on a daily basis, nor was there a fixed departure time. Without an inside man to leak information for an outside coboration, the robbers wouldn''t have had such an easy job. But it had to be said, this Anthony certainly had some ability, managing to clear himself of suspicion in front of both the casino and the police. "Manager David, these two are...?" Lost in thought, Anthony already approached, feigningposure as he scrutinized Nisen and David. "My name is Nisen, an inspector from the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch, and this is my partner David!" "National Tax Bureau!?" First, Anthony was surprised, then rxed, and finally, confusion arose. He had thought his suspicions hadn''t been fully cleared and that the FBI had sent someone for further investigation. But he didn''t expect it to be the National Tax Bureau. At that moment, he felt somewhat bewildered. "Mr. Anthony, may we have a word in private?" "Of course!" The three of them subsequently moved to a rest room. Anthony asked first, "Gentlemen inspectors, may I know how I can assist you?" "It''s like this, we came to talk to Mr. Anthony to inquire about the cash transport vehicle robbery that happened seven days ago!" "The cash transport vehicle robbery case!" Anthony paused, then responded, "I''ve already exined the specifics to the police department thoroughly, oh, forgive my boldness, but isn''t this kind of matter outside the jurisdiction of the National Tax Bureau?" "The robbery itself is none of our business, but the amount stolen in the robbery is!" This time it was David who spoke. Now that we know this guy is the mole. He was determined to get his hands on that nearly $400,000 in taxes! "Hmm? What do you mean?" Anthony looked at David, stillpletely bewildered. "Perhaps Mr. Anthony isn''t too up-to-date with the news. A month ago, our Congress passed a ''ck Tax Bill,'' which stiptes that from now on, whether it''s drug trafficking, smuggling, prostitution, including the current robbery, they all have to pay their full tax amount to our National Tax Bureau..." After hearing David''s exnation, Anthony was somewhat bbergasted. He didn''t pay much attention to current affairs and was not very clear about such legition being passed. But you say legitimate industries should pay taxes to the National Tax Bureau, that''s normal. But drug trafficking, smuggling, prostitution, robbery, all of these have to pay taxes to the National Tax Bureau? That seemed a bit too outrageous! "Did you get that, Mr. Anthony?" Anthony got a grip on his emotions and yed innocent in reply, "Clear, but gentlemen Inspectors, if you want to collect this tax, shouldn''t you be going after the robber?" "Mr. Anthony, I didn''t say we wouldn''t go after the robber, why so nervous?" Nisen narrowed his eyes with a meaningful look at Anthony. "Alright then, what do you want to ask?" "Sofia Ne, Jill Ne, you should know them, shouldn''t you?" Upon hearing these two names, a barely perceptible change shed in Anthony''s eyes, and then he replied with feigned nonchnce, "Sofia is my ex-wife, Jill is her brother, what about it?" Nisen pulled out a document from inside his suit and said, "We''ve checked, and these two sisters lost a lot of money in the futures market a month ago. Did you know?" "Is that so!" Anthony seemed somewhat surprised, then calmly replied, "Inspector sir, as you know, she is my ex-wife, we''re not on good terms, I honestly didn''t know about this!" "We also found out that of the money your ex-wife and her brother owe, $200,000 came from high-interest loans, which means they really needed the money!" Although Nisen didn''t spell it out directly, his implication was clear. And that was: you, Anthony, definitely have a motive tomit the crime! "Inspector sir, what are you implying, that I was involved in this robbery?" "You should know, the police station has already proved my innocence. Although the National Tax Bureau has a lot of power, you can''t just nder aw-abiding citizen!" Anthony became emotionally agitated, continuously defending himself. "Mr. Anthony, believe me, our National Tax Bureau isn''t like that bunch of useless people at the police station. We have our own authority, systems, and methods. We can find out more things than you could ever imagine!" "You either confess honestly or I can guarantee that you won''t be able to spend even a cent of your million!" With his promotion at stake, Nisen was also beginning to y hardball. "What honest confession, I don''t understand or know anything, I only know that I am innocent!" "Innocent, are you sure?" The two men, who were still in the midst of a heated argument, turned their gaze to David at the same time. "If you''re unwilling to speak, then perhaps I should go and have a chat with Paul Wolf, Holt Dous, Warren Doyle, what do you think?" Upon hearing this, Anthony''s expression changed dramatically. And Nisen, while not understanding who these people were, clearly noticed the shift in Anthony''s demeanor and cast a suspicious nce at David. "Who are Paul Wolf and Holt? I don''t know them!" "Mr. Anthony, Paul Wolf, a regr at your casino, you even introduced him to a loan shark, how could you not recognize him?" David smiled lightly and continued, "As for Holt, a junkie from the old city''s slums, Warren, a gang member from the 10th district..." This information was not fabricated out of thin air, but clearly recorded on the panel of the ''golden finger.''" Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Why Should I Pay Taxes? Upon hearing this information, Anthony was unable to maintain theposure he had just a moment ago; his fists clenched unconsciously, andrge beads of sweat continuously slid down his forehead. It would have been one thing if the Tax Inspectorate had only found out about his ex-wife and brother-inw. But now they had even dug up information on Holt, Warren, and even the nitty-gritty details of a few of his co-conspirators. Everyone knew how formidable the IRS was, and today, he had finally experienced it firsthand¡ªindeed, they were nothing like those idiots at the police station! "Inspector sir, as a casino employee, I have to deal with countless people every day, and it''s inevitable that I''ll forget some faces," "But now that you mention it, I do remember them, three friends involved in the robbery. Please give me a bit of time to talk to them and see if they are clear about the matter!" Anthony was well aware that the people from the IRS were not to be trifled with. They wielded great power; even the President was afraid of them. Moreover, now that they held so much evidence, continuing to resist would not end well for him. So, he was prepared topromise. Of course, he was ready topromise, but he couldn''t make a unteral decision; he had to discuss it with his co-conspirators first. "Agreed!" David nced at his watch and then said, "But I need a result before five o''clock this afternoon, Mr. Anthony. You are a smart man and should know what to do." "Don''t worry, Inspector sir, I understand!" ... In front of Encar Casino. With the manager''s escort, Nisen and David walked out and got into the car. "David, did you investigate this case?" Nisen couldn''t wait to blurt it out. From Anthony''s behavior just now, it was certain that Paul, Holt, Warren, these names weren''t just made up on the spot! These individuals were most likely Anthony''s co-conspirators! Otherwise, he wouldn''t be so flustered! But Nisen was a bit perplexed; he had gone through great lengths and had only found issues concerning Anthony''s ex-wife and brother-inw. How did David uncover the details about these three associates? "I did look into it and was lucky to find some clues," David said with a smile, not denying it. "Well, you''ve really kept me in the dark, I didn''t expect you to have your sights set on this case too!" "But tell me, how did you find out the details about those three guys?" That was what Nisen was most eager to know. "You have your methods, and I have mine!" "This... ok..." Nisen hesitated to speak further but seemed to understand the implication and finally decided not to pursue the matter further. In the IRS system, each Inspector has their own tax investigation methods. These methods might involve a lot of unsavory and even illegal activities. So it was understandable that David didn''t want to disclose them. Of course, the IRS didn''t care about that; as long as the tax revenue was secured without causing a big fuss, the means didn''t matter! ... On Fremont Street in the old town district, outside a bungalow. Rushing from Encar Casino, Anthony frowned slightly upon hearing the deafening musicing from inside the house. "Fucking blissfully unaware when there''s a crisis at hand!" Anthony cursed and kicked the door open. At this moment inside the house, a dozen men and women were still immersed in the music,pletely unaware of the intrusion. It wasn''t until the music stopped the next second that these people began toe to their senses. When they realized that Anthony was the one who had caused all this trouble, they immediately started cursing him on the spot. "Bang!" Anthony had no patience for them; he picked up the gun from the table and fired a shot at the ceiling, instantly sending everyone scrambling for cover. "Get the fuck out of here, all of you!" No one dared to stick around, and they immediately leapt towards the door. Soon, the only person left was a ck man lying on the sofa. Anthony walked over and kept pping the man''s face, relentlessly calling, ''Wake up''. Just then, two men walked in through the door. One was somewhat skinny, the other was wearing a checked shirt and looked somewhat fierce, with a bulging waist. "Anthony, you called us here in such a hurry, what''s the situation?" The man in the checked shirt asked. "Get Holt awake first!" The man in the checked shirt nced at Holt on the sofa, then without another word, went into the washroom. A couple of minutester, he came out with a bucket of water, went over to Holt, grabbed his head, and shoved it into the bucket. "Cough cough cough¡­" After a fit of violent coughing, Holt struggled to throw off the man in the checked shirt''s arm, looking around in a daze. "Anthony, Warren, Paul, what are you guys doing here!" "Snap out of it, we''ve got a big problem!" Upon hearing Anthony''s words, both Warren and Paul''s expressions darkened, and Holt, still in a confused state, also began to sober up somewhat. "Anthony, what''s going on?" Anthony first walked to the door to close it, then came back, lowered his voice, and said, "The armored truck heist has been exposed!" "What, the cops found out?" All three were shocked, asking in unison. "No, it''s the IRS people!" Hearing those three words, IRS, their minds momentarily short-circuited. But quickly, Warren was the first to snap back, both relieved and incredulous in his response, "We robbed armoured truck money, what the hell does it have to do with them?" Anthony spread his hands helplessly and replied, "It does have to do with them, here''s the thing¡­" Anthony then recounted the matter concerning the tax evasion legition, one by one. After listening, all three were dumbfounded. They had risked everything to n this heist, and now that they finally got their hands on the money, you''re telling me we have to pay taxes to the IRS? This was just too absurd! "I''m not fucking paying, why the hell should I!" Warren, a gang member and a native of Mexico, not a born-and-bred citizen of the United States, had a vtile temper and didn''t have aplete understanding of the IRS. All he knew was that this money was something he risked his life to rob, and now someone else wants a cut? Not even if the supreme god himself showed up! "Why? Because they can freeze our ounts at any time, send armed men to take us down at any time!" Anthony nced at Warren, who waspletely oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. "Don''t be rash, Warren. This situation is indeed outrageous and frustrating, but this is the United States, and the IRS is not to be trifed with. If they are onto us, our best bet is topromise," Paul, a true-born American, was well aware of the power of the IRS and was ready to throw in the towel. Chapter 5: Chapter 5: The FBI is like a younger brother to the IRS The uninterrupted remarks of the two made Warren fall silent for a moment, but the defiance on his face showed that he had not fully intended topromise. It was then that Paul spoke again, "Anthony, in that case, how much of this million we stole do we need to hand over?" "I''ve checked. The new ck taxw and the normal tax rate levied by the National Tax Bureau are the same. Out of this million, we need to pay nearly 40 percent!" "40 percent..." Warren and Holt''s faces turned the color of liver, and as for Warren, his expression darkened to the extreme. 40 percent. That meant they had to give nearly 400 thousand to the National Tax Bureau out of the million they had stolen! And the most important thing was. They had risked their lives for this heist. And the National Tax Bureau, with ease, was going to take half of the haul, which pained them physically and caused an extreme sense of injustice mentally. "If ites to it, let''s just off that inspector!" Warren could no longer contain his frustration and, gritting his teeth, drew the gun he had tucked at his waist. This action also scared the three, including Anthony, half to death. Off a National Tax Bureau inspector? What a joke! That would be like a death wish for someone who already has one foot in the grave! "Don''t be rash, Warren. In the United States, you can kill cops, FBI agents, even CIA operatives, but you can''t touch people from the Tax Bureau¡ªthey will retaliate against you like mad!" "Yeah, Warren, you really can''t mess with the people from the Tax Bureau. Haven''t you heard about what happened with DEA Kiki Investigator?" He was fine up until then. Upon hearing about Kiki Investigator, Warren, who was previously in a rage, suddenly calmed down, and even a flicker of fear crossed his eyes! Being Mexican, of course, he had heard about the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) Kiki Investigator. The investigator was, in the 1980s, captured by a drug lord while on a mission to investigate them, and was tortured inhumanely for over 30 hours. When DEA got wind of this, theyunched a furious retaliation that caused the biggest drug cartel to copse overnight, with the rest of the drug lords dead or captured. Ever since then, DEA has been the nightmare of every Mexican drug lord and criminal. Warren might not fully grasp how formidable the National Tax Bureau is, but the name DEA was etched deep in his bones. "Hold on... what does this have to do with DEA?" Warren set aside the fear in his heart and quickly asked. "What I''m telling you is, DEA isn''t even a big yer among our U.S.w enforcement agencies, not even close to FBI or CIA!" "And as for the National Tax Bureau (IRS), let alone DEA, even the FBI and CIAbined might not be able to hold a candle to them!" "Just think, if meddling with DEA''s people caused the biggest Mexican drug organizations to crumble overnight, what would happen if you messed with an inspector from the Tax Bureau!" Upon hearing Anthony''s exnation. At that moment, Warren felt a chill down his spine, but still incredulously asked, "Can''t be that bad, right? After all, it''s just the Tax Bureau..." "Warren, our United States Tax Bureau is different from your country''s and other countries''. The federal constitution grants them the power to collect taxes by force." "Once they set their sights on you, aside from paying taxes, there is no other way out, and every American knows this very well..." The implication of Anthony''s words was. You, Warren, are not an American, so of course, you don''t know the strength of the Tax Bureau. "Yeah, Warren, you must have heard of Al Capone, right?" "He was the biggest mafia godfather in the United States at the time, untouchable by cops and FBI, and even the President had no way to deal with him!" "But do you know how he was eventually sent to prison?" Paul followed up, while Warren listened intently with a serious face. "It was abined effort of several FBI departments and the President inviting the United States Tax Bureau into action. The Bureau sent an undercover agent who gathered evidence for three years before finally sending Al Capone to prison on charges of tax evasion!" "As long as the National Tax Bureau doesn''t have anything on us, it''s fine, but now that they do, we''d better just pay our taxes honestly. Resisting them won''t do us any good!" Warren fell silent. He might have had a hot temper and an aversion to paying taxes, but he was not foolish enough to think about using extreme measures like murder to solve the problem. After all, US Dors are good, but you need to be alive to spend them! "Alright, the people from the National Tax Bureau have given us an ultimatum, don''t dy it, get the money ready!" Although Warren did not answer directly, Anthony could see his decision and thus made his own decision immediately. ¡­ The National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch is located at 67 Monarch Avenue. It covers an area the size of a football field and is divided into five levels, both above and below ground. The first floor is the tax reception hall, the second the cafeteria, the third the inspectors'' offices, the fourth the offices for the bureau director and deputy directors, and the fifth the conference rooms. At this moment, the third floor was bustling. Arge number of criminals were being brought in by inspectors for continuous tax interrogations. In the west side of the third floor, within a connected office space, Nisen back propped his legs on the desk, twirling a pen through his fingers and thoughtfully asking, "It''s already 4 o''clock, you think those guys haven''te up with other ideas?" "Don''t worry, they can''t pull any tricks!" David, who was leisurely sipping his coffee, wasn''t the slightest bit worried. He had so much information on these guys that if they refused toply, he could arrest them right away and slowly find their assets or just freeze their ounts. Anyway, he had plenty of ways to make these guys cough up the tax money! It was just a matter of whether they were wise enough to understand that. "Inspector David, these gentlemen say they want to see you!" While the two were talking, a call came from behind them. Turning around, it was the tax reception staff from the first floor, followed by four individuals wearing hats, sunsses, and masks. Upon seeing these four, David and Nisen immediately perked up. Despite the heavy disguises, they recognized them as Anthony, who they had met not long before! And since these four people had arrived, it meant that they were most likely ready topromise! "Inspector David, it''s me!" Anthony, fearing he might not be recognized, spoke up to remind him. "I know, speak up!" "Here''s the thing, we can pay the tax, but we need a promise!" "Let''s hear it!" "We hope this matter won''t reach the ears of the police department or the FBI. We don''t want to go to prison!" Upon hearing this, David and Nisen couldn''t help but exchange a smile. Then David turned to say, "Mr. Anthony, I think you should have familiarized yourself with our Off-the-Books Taxation Act, right?" Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Crediting Three Hundred and Ninety Six Thousand US Dollars "I have a general understanding now." "In our bill, there is a clearmitment from our National Tax Bureau: no matter what illegal activities you are engaged in, as long as you pay your taxes, we will keep it confidential. As for arresting you, that is a matter for the police and the FBI, not within our jurisdiction!" "Good, that puts my mind at ease!" Anthony was very satisfied with this response and turned to nce at Paul behind him. Without a word, Paul picked up the briefcase, walked up to the table, set it down, undid the sps, and flipped it open, revealing neat stacks of US dors inside. "Inspector, ording to your National Tax Bureau''s tax rate, this here is three hundred and ny-six thousand US dors, please count it!" Anthony''s tone clearly betrayed some pain when he mentioned the three hundred and ny-six thousand US dors. David and Nisen, on the other hand, were different. Their eyes zed over at the same time, and their hearts were equally delighted. It had only been a month since the ck Tax Bill passed Congress. In that month, most of the inspectors at the Lake District National Tax Bureau Sub-Bureau were still collecting data and evidence on criminals. As for the ck tax that had been sessfully collected, it was very little to none. But now. They had just collected a full three hundred and ny-six thousand USD in ck tax. This amount of tax was definitely enough to cause a sensation throughout the entire National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau! They were delighted, but the two of them did not lose their heads; they immediately took out the cash counting machines they were equipped with and began to verify this treasury revenue. Within the National Tax Bureau. One needed to reach the level of Chief Tax Officer to be equipped with a private office. And the third floor was where all the inspectors worked; the noise from the cash counting machines soon attracted the attention of several inspectors nearby. They came over with puzzled expressions, and when they saw the stacks of US dors that David and Nisen were counting, their faces instantly showed shock. Seven or eight minutester. Nisen was the first to stop his actions. One minuteter, David also stopped and said, "I''ve got neen thousand six hundred on my side!" "I''ve got two hundred thousand!" "It''s a match!" David pulled open the cab and took out a form resembling a receipt. This was the National Tax Bureau''s tax bill. Once the inspector verified the tax amount, they would sign it, hand it over to the taxpayer, and thus the taxpayer would have proof of their tax payment. David first signed his name on the tax bill, then handed it to Nisen. After Nisen had also signed his name, they finally gave it to Anthony. "Mr. Anthony, thank you for your cooperation; you may go now!" Anthony nodded, said nothing more, and, with Paul, the three of them turned and left. At that moment. An inspector who had been watching for quite a while couldn''t hold back any longer and asked, "David, Nisen, what''s the deal with this tax? Three hundred ny-six thousand; who are these people and how did you collect it?" Although the other inspectors did not directly ask, it was clear from the curious expressions on their faces that they too were eager for an answer. "Why ask so many questions, Gordon." Nisen''sment silenced the other inquisitive inspectors for a moment, leaving them unsure what to say. After the introduction of the ck Tax Bill. The current National Tax Bureau was like a broad road that had suddenly appeared, with everyone wanting to use this road to climb higher. And to climb the fastest and highest, of course, one must have significant tax achievements to show. As for how to quickly garner tax achievements, that would depend on the tactics of each individual inspector. Now, Nisen and David had managed to secure such arge sum of undered tax, clearly having found their own secret recipe, which they naturally wouldn''t easily reveal. They would do the same if it were them. Ignoring what these people were thinking, David picked up the desk phone, "Mary,e to my station, there''s some tax money to be deposited!" A few minutester. A blond-haired, blue-eyed woman past thirty came over. She was the tax deposit officer of the bureau, Mary. "Inspector David, I''m here to take the tax deposit!" "Right here." David pointed at the briefcase, and it was only then that Mary realized it was neatly packed with stacks of US dors, which left her momentarily stunned. Ever since the undered tax act had passed. The bureau had received a fair amount of undered taxes. However, most of the amounts were only a few hundred or a few thousand US dors, and thergest was only barely ten thousand. But now, although she didn''t know how much was in the briefcase, a rough estimate made it clear that there were definitely hundreds of thousands! "We''ve tallied it, there''s a total of three hundred and ny six thousand US dors in here!" "Three hundred and ny six thousand US dors!" Mary finally snapped back to reality, but she was still profoundly shocked. Three hundred and ny six thousand US dors! This was by no means a small sum, and the ck taxes received by their Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch for the entire month did not add up to as much as David had just collected. "Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi!" Just as the atmosphere on the scene was getting a bit tense, someone from behind yelled out, causing everyone to turn their heads in unison. They saw a man in a ck suit with a square face, striding urgently through the crowd to David''s side. The first thing he did upon arriving was to fixate his gaze on the US dors in the briefcase, even reaching in to flick through them. "Alright Mary, deposit it!" "You two,e to my office!" After dropping these two sentences, without any dy, Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi turned and walked away. David and Nisen exchanged a nce, not saying much and followed as instructed. Compared to the noisy third-floor inspector''s office, the fourth-floor management area was much quieter. The two of them walked down the long corridor and arrived at the door marked ''Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi'', pushing the door open and entering. The office was bright and modern, filled with sleek lines and geometrical designs, with arge transparent ss window serving like an invisible frame that encapsted the street scenes outside. Although Nisen had been to this office many times before. But once again entering here, his gaze couldn''t help but wander. Because he knew that everything here could very well belong to him in the not too distant future! Of course, he wasn''t the only one with such thoughts. David, standing beside him, was filled with longing for the office as well. Working here was not only a symbol of status, but most importantly it meant being far from the noise on the third floor, which would greatly improve efficiency when handling affairs! "As far as I know, it should be quite difficult to secure hundreds of thousands of undered taxes from a zero-dor purchase case involving a ck person, right?" As the two harbored their own secret ambitions, Liu Yi behind the office desk spoke up. Both of them, of course, understood. The Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi before them was questioning the origin of that undered tax they had just processed. Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Indian Tribe ``` For other inspectors, they could simply tell them, "none of your business" and move on. But Liu Yi was their superior, and naturally, they still had to exin things to him, as it wouldn''t be wise to offend one''s boss. Nisen organized his words a bit and said, "Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi, this tax, of course, wasn''t collected from those ck people, but from a group of robbers who had recently hijacked the Encar Casino''s cash transport van." Upon hearing this, Liu Yi''s eyes widened intensely, his facial muscles quivering as if he had been hit by an invisible force. About a minute passed. He finally came back to his senses and asked in shock, "are you saying that this protection money was collected from the robbers who hijacked the Encar Casino''s cash transport van?" "Yes!" Once confirmed again, Liu Yi''s mouth twitched. He had heard of the robber of the Encar Casino''s cash transport van, and had even considered initiating an investigation, but ultimately he gave up on the idea. Why? The reason was simple! The case had already been investigated by the local police, and even the FBI had sent agents, but they couldn''t find any clues. It wasn''t that their inspection methods at the National Tax Bureau were inferior to those of the police or the FBI. On the contrary. The National Tax Bureau could make the world tremble not just by armed taxation; their inspection methods were certainly among the top of the top. However, Liu Yi felt that this robbery case was a bit tricky, and even if they wanted to investigate, they wouldn''t be able to find anything out in the short term. Now, the Washington D.C. Headquarters had set protection tax collection targets for all the major district sub-bureaus across the country. Those who couldplete them within the stipted time would naturally get a raise and a promotion. Those who failed would suffer some punishment. So he thought, instead of spending time and effort investigating this robbery, it would be better to look into something more readily actionable. Like the zero-dor purchase cases involving ck people. The amount of tax collected might be less, but it wasparatively quick and straightforward. Those ck men, being quite uneducated, would naturally cough up the taxes obediently after a brief interrogation and some lessons. But Liu Yi never dreamed that this seemingly tricky case would be cracked by Nisen and David, and they had even cleanly collected three hundred and ny-six thousand US dors in protection money. Happy surprisese too suddenly! Stabilizing his emotions, Liu Yi asked with curiosity, "What''s the background of this group of robbers?" "They were insiders, Anthony from their vault, along with a few aplices!" "As expected, insiders!" Liu Yi suddenly realized, and then quickly thought of something else, asking "But if these insiders could evade the investigation of the police and the FBI, they must be quite capable; how did you manage to find them out?" If they could evade the investigation by the police and the FBI, these insiders must have intelligence and psychological quality far beyond the average person. And yet these two were able to make these people so willingly hand over the taxes, which means they must have grasped something critical about the other party, making Liu Yi even more curious. This time, Nisen did not respond but instead looked towards David. "Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi, it''s a long story, but I think you wouldn''t want to know the process!" The tone of David''s response left Nisen somewhat astonished. However, David understood Liu Yi, and he knew that the Chief Tax Officer was a smart man, who would grasp the key points after hearing his words. Sure enough. Upon hearing this response, Liu Yi did not press on with more questions but just looked at David with a meaningful gaze. He too had worked his way up from being an inspector. ``` It''s clear that sometimes inspectors resort to extreme and even overstepping methods to raise tax revenue. Of course, he doesn''t care about this. After all, their current targets are not just anyw-abiding citizens. Now, they are targeting criminals. Do these guys have human rights? Of course, they do! But that''s under the condition that you honestly pay your taxes! Then, not only will the National Tax Bureau treat you nicely, but they will also worship you like a father! Don''t pay? Well then, to put it rather bluntly, even if your arms and legs were removed, would you dare go to the police station to seek justice? However, to put it bluntly. Though the National Tax Bureau may act omnipotently, the United States media is not vegetarian. Should this matter truly explode into a scandal, it would affect not only the National Tax Bureau but also him as the Chief Tax Officer. Therefore, as David said, he need not know too many of the details of this matter. In that case. If something unexpected really happens, he would also be able to clear himself of any involvement to the greatest extent! This David, he really knows how to consider his leadership''s position! And, judging from Nisen''s tone, David is the ''main force'' in securing this illicit tax. Not bad, not bad! For a moment, Lewis felt a surge of appreciation for this inspector under hismand. "Although you have handled this case very well!" "Still, I asked you to investigate the Zero-Dor Purchase case of ck individuals. Do not take such liberties again. You understand?" Both men certainly understood Lewis''s words¡ªthat they were being told not to take unteral actions anymore! Nisen nodded his head to show he understood, his lips moving back and forth for a while before he ultimately clenched his teeth and said, "Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi, the sess of this case has given me a lot of confidence. I would like to request to investigate Ditter''s case!" Upon hearing the name Ditter, David''s facial expression immediately froze, and Lewis''s pupils shrank sharply. Ditter, full name Ditter Omaha. He''s a Native American, currently operating a dozen bars, nightclubs, and other entertainment venues in the Lake District. Operating bars is a legitimate business. But in his venues, he also runs various contraband items including flour and ''fairy water.'' After the passing of the ck taxw. Their National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau had conducted an investigation. They found that Ditter''s venuesbined, had a monthly gray ie of at least Three Million US dors. Therefore, Ditter was a target that the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch was very eager to take down. But there was a tricky point. Ditter belonged to the Omaha Family, which is thergest Indian Tribe in Las Vegas. His uncle, Chief Gael Omaha, was even the chieftain of this tribe. In the United States, Native Americans are a very special existence. They may not have as much influence as the Jewish people, but in terms of privileges granted by the federal constitution, they far exceed any other group. They can enjoy tax exemptions, have priority in operating casinos, and even have reservations, where they possess nearly absolute power. With these advantages, that Chief Gael Omaha dominates Las Vegas single-handedly, even mayors and council members are on brotherly terms with him. So although the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch really wanted to take down this Ditter, they exercised extreme caution due to the power of the Indian Tribe. Chapter 8: Chapter 8: The Black Community "Nisen, I''m finding that you might be a bit presumptuous!" Lewis was bing dissatisfied. What sort of background did Dieter have, and who were you, a mere inspector, to investigate him? If something serious were indeed provoked, let alone Nisen, even he, the Chief Tax Officer, might not be able to withstand it. The Omaha Family had far too deep roots in Las Vegas. If they could be taken down so easily, then their National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch would have acted long ago! Chastised like this, Nisen''s face alternated between shades of green and purple. ording to the partner system of the National Tax Bureau. Although this tax affair of Three Hundred and Ny Six Thousand US dors could be ounted as half his achievement. But from Lewis''s expression just now, it was clear he knew that the main credit for this tax evasion case rested on David''s shoulders. Fearing that his own merit wouldn''t be enough for promotion, he had bitten the bullet and volunteered to investigate Dieter''s case, only to be so unmercifully rejected. "Chief Tax Officer Lewis... " "Enough, don''t say more!" Nisen still felt unwilling, but before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Lewis, who then looked at David, saying, "David, you handled this case so cleanly and decisively. I presume the case of the ck Zero Purchase Participant won''t be too much for you all, right?" "Piece of cake." David understood the meaning behind Lewis''s words. He wanted him to keep an eye on Nisen, ensuring he didn''t cause any trouble, while investigating this current case as per the previous assignment. "Good, then go on!" ... "Shit, we just received such a huge sum of tax money, and not only does this Lewis barely praise us, but he also won''t let us get involved with Dieter''s case!" On the way back, Nisen, who was driving the car, was seething, asionally pressing down hard on the elerator, venting his frustration. "Don''t think too much about it. I''ve heard that the Sub-Bureau Branch is preparing to form a special task force to investigate Dieter''s case. It''s normal that they don''t want us involved!" David could understand Lewis, to be honest. To tell the truth, if he were in Lewis''s shoes, he wouldn''t allow these two to meddle in that case either. After all, they were about to be transferred. If, at this crucial moment, their career paths were affected because of the Omaha Family affair, it would be a loss not worth taking. Moreover, speaking of which. It''s true that the National Tax Bureau wielded significant power, but that was only as an institution itself. They were merely the most basic inspectors within this institution. When facing the likes of Anthony, these robbers, or other ordinary people, they naturally exuded authority. However, when really up against a family like the Omaha Family, they were still somewhatcking. But different from Nisen, David wasn''t disheartened. He had the ''golden finger'' on his side, and no matter whom he wanted to investigate or whatever case it was, who could escape him? What he needed to do now was to brush up on some ''experience points'' first. Once his abilities were fully recognized by Lewis and the leaders of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, even if he didn''t take on Dieter''s case, he believed those leaders would end up begging him to do it! "Sigh¡­" Nisen sighed helplessly, lightly pressing the gas pedal to slow down the car until it came to aplete stop at the side of the road, and said, "Let''s leave it at that for now, David. See you tomorrow!" David nced outside, and without realizing it, they had arrived at the base of his building. He nodded and got out of the car. The next morning. As instructed, the two arrived at 236 Richard Avenue. This is a ratherrge ckmunity in the Lake District of Las Vegas, with tens of thousands of ck residents. Upon stepping through the entrance, a foul stench hit their noses, causing both David and Nisen to feel extremely ufortable. ncing around, they noticed that themunity was incredibly dirty, disordered, and shabby to the extreme. Trash littered the ground; flies buzzed around; many dpidated buildings looked ready to copse; walls were covered in graffiti; roads were pitted and uneven, with puddles and sludge everywhere. "Oh shit, these damned cks, not taking care of their ownmunity, are nothing but parasites!" Nisen couldn''t help but curse aloud at the environment. Although David didn''t say anything, his impression of these ck people fell another notch. Actually, sometimes you can''t me everyone for being so prejudiced against ck people; there are obvious reasons. Of course, it''s not to say that all ck people are societal parasites. Take, for instance, the former President of the United States, Obama, as well as figures like Jordan and Kobe Michael Jackson; they represent the elites among the ckmunity. However, they make up a very small part of the ckmunity overall. As for the majority of ck people... well, those who understand, understand! Putting his thoughts aside, David took out a document from his pocket and after carefully reviewing it for two minutes, he finally found a direction, and both men started walking. As they ventured deeper, the traces of ck people gradually became more numerous. Some were ying basketball, some were smoking marijuana, and others were gathered together, talking about who knows what. But when they saw David and Nisen, they couldn''t help but stop what they were doing and observed the two with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "Asian monkey, what are you doing in ourmunity?" After staring for a while, a thuggish ck youth spoke up provocatively. It might have been due to racial suppression. Despite being on his home turf, he still didn''t dare to act rashly towards Nisen, who was White, and instead chose David, who looked easier to bully, for his provocation. [Name: Sidorf Fahl.] [upation: Zero Purchase Participant.] [Monthly Ie: 4600 US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 9th, participated in looting an iPhone Store on Crystal Shopping Street, obtained an iPhone13, profit 600 US dors; On December 23rd, participated in looting a Nike store in Macy''s Department Store, profit 300 US dors...] [More Details...] [Tax Due: 460 US dors.] After checking the information that appeared above this guy''s head, David, who should''ve been angry, revealed a slight smile. ording to the information they had received, they were supposed to be looking for someone called ''Osborne'' today, who was said to be the ringleader of a Zero Purchase scheme. But unexpectedly, this young fellow in front of them was also a participant in Zero Purchase. This was somewhat of an unexpected gain! Since that was the case, there was no need for pleasantries! David put away his smile, stepped forward toward Sidorf, and soon came face to face with him, asking amiably, "What did you just call me?" Such a stance stunned the initially cocky Sidorf. Generally speaking, this is a ckmunity, filled with their own people, and the person confronting him was Asian, not likely to dare cause trouble. Yet not only did David seem intent on causing trouble, but he also dared to confront him face to face. This wasn''t something the average person would dare to do. Chapter 9: Chapter 9: If My Companion Dies, I Shall Not Die With Him Could it be... This Asian monkey has some background? "What''s the matter, you lookin'' for trouble?" "This is our hood, if you''re lookin'' for trouble, think about whether you can walk out of here!" Before Sidorf could regain his senses, the ck locals didn''t care for the subtleties, each one started to mor. "No, no, no, I didn''t mean to look for trouble, I just wanted to hear what he called me just now!" The jeering from the crowd, along with David''s slightly submissive demeanor, made Sidorf let his guard down and return to his previous arrogance, "Asian monkey, what about it?" "What?" David leaned in a bit, pretending he hadn''t heard clearly. "I said, Asian, monkey, aow...." Sidorf hadn''t finished speaking when he suddenly found himself on the ground, clutching his stomach and screaming in agony. David withdrew the fist he had swung. IRS inspectors, are not just about auditing skills. Before being hired, they also have to go through variousprehensive trainings, just like cops. So that punch was certainly powerful, even though it didn''t cause internal injury, it would take at least ten or eight minutes for the person to recover! The ck locals around them were all stunned,pletely unprepared for this sudden turn of events. It wasn''t until some timeter that someone finally yelled, "Fake Yau, you dare hit someone in our neighborhood, brothers, grab your weapons and kill ''em!" Following this call to action, the cks around pulled out clubs and other weapons, unanimously surrounding David. But the very next second. A gunshot rang out, freezing everyone in their tracks. "Bang!" "I dare anybody to move!" Nisen fired a shot into the air before moving in front of David, eyeing the group of cks who were ready to pounce. "Having a gun makes you a big shot, huh? Come on, show ''em what you got!" The ck man who had just called for grabbing weapons was not the least bit intimidated and was all set to show his force again. And as he spoke, from the houses around, several ck people rushed out, some brandishing handguns and othersrger, more lethal firearms like rifles and submachine guns. In any other country, such a scene would have been unimaginable. But in America, it seemed quite reasonable. After all, America does not prohibit guns; practically every household has at least one. In such a situation, most people would have been scared to death, but Nisen and David were still rtively calm. Thisposure, of course, came from the power of the IRS backing them up! Let alone these minor Karamis, even the Omaha Family in Las Vegas that has immense power wouldn''t dare to kill an IRS inspector in broad daylight! In the major TV news, one sees daily reports about police officers, FBI agents being killed, but have you ever heard about an IRS inspector being murdered? However, speaking of which, some higher-ups in the IRS might actually hope to see that kind of scene. Because if an IRS inspector were to be killed, then the IRS could deploy troops, letting the whole of America experience the armed shock and awe of the IRS! For the newly introduced ck Tax Bill, this would undoubtedly be a perfect deterrence and publicity stunt! Unfortunately, all Americans are aware of how formidable the IRS is, hence why so far, nobody has dared to take that risk. "Well, are you scared now?" These ck men weren''t gangsters or extremists, just swindlers who carried out petty frauds on a daily basis - they certainly didn''t dare to kill someone at the drop of a hat. Observing that they now held the advantage, they simply intended to well and truly teach Nisen and David a lesson. "The ones who should be afraid, might just be you!" "Hahahahaha..." The ck men burst into raucousughter. But theirughter faded quickly because they realized David had taken out an unrecognizable badge. "You... are you cops?" Their expressions changed; unable to distinguish the IRS badge from a police badge, they instinctively assumed they were police officers. "No, we''re from the IRS!" "IRS!" The three words hit them like a tidal wave. All the ck men involuntarily stepped back, and those holding guns started trembling uncontrobly. What did this feeling resemble? It was like the ancients hearing about the Jinyiwei or Dongchang, they all were acutely aware of the terror the IRS could inflict, hence their profound fear! "Now, put down the guns!" The lead ck man, drenched in sweat, yelled; then, forcing a smile, he said, "Gentlemen, I think... there has been a misunderstanding!" "If it''s a misunderstanding, then get lost!" From their fingerprints, it was clear that many among them were engaged in fraudulent activities, so technically David did have the right to tax them. But his main goal today was dealing with the zero-dor purchase case, and he didn''t want to stir up more trouble, preferring to resolve that matter first. Otherwise, Lewis would once again use them of ''not sticking to their proper jobs''. The ck men were somewhat incredulous; just moments before, they had been threatening IRS agents with guns! That was the IRS, and they''re just letting them go so easily? For a moment, the ck men were looking at each other, but none dared to actually leave. "I told you to scram, are you deaf?" "Yes, yes, yes, we''re leaving now..." Nisen''s firm words made the ck men realize that the IRS agents truly didn''t want to tangle with them any longer, and so they scattered like fleeing for their lives. However. Just as Sidorf, who had somewhat recovered, was trembling and thinking of leaving too, David stopped him. "You, on the other hand, can''t go!" Sidorf turned pale, shaking, he responded, "Sir... I was blind, please don''t hold it against me..." "Take me to Osborne!" Hearing this, Nisen cast a puzzled nce at David; in such a bigmunity with so many people, how would David know for sure that this guy knew Osborne? "I... sir, I don''t know any Osborne!" Although Sidorf didn''t know what the IRS wanted with Osborne, he was sure it wasn''t good, and naturally, he didn''t want to be the messenger of misfortune. David ced his hand on Sidorf''s shoulder, looking down at him and said, "On the 28thst month, you and Osborne just robbed a luxury store together; surely you haven''t forgotten about him so quickly, have you?" Hearing this,rge beads of sweat continually slid down Sidorf''s forehead. He didn''t understand how the IRS agents could know about this. What puzzled him the most was that from the way these two men approached, it was clear they weren''t specifically targeting him - so why did they know about his involvement in the robbery and the matter with Osborne? Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Stock up on Whatever is Missing "What, not willing?" "Willing, willing, as long as the two gentlemen can overlook my past mistakes, I am willing to do anything!" When you''re under someone''s roof, you don''t have much choice but to bow your head. Sidorf, now, couldn''t care about anything else and only thought of saving his own skin. A deadrade is better than a dead monk, as they say. Following Sidorf''s lead, David and Nisen walked down the road and entered a narrow alley,ing to a stop in front of an old residential building at the end. "He''s up there!" David nodded slightly, signaling to continue leading the way. The three of them walked up the stairs, the corridor dark and quiet, with only asional footsteps and the sound of doors opening and closing on each floor breaking the peaceful atmosphere. Soon, Sidorf led the two men to a door on the fourth floor, from inside which there were bursts of discussion. "Caesar Pce Shopping Center is out of the question now, they''ve hired a lot of security guardstely, it''s hard to pull off a job!" "Crystal Shopping Street is no good either; those damned white folks have gotten smarter, with security already in ce right outside the stores, we get busted before we even make a move!" "Deca Department Store''s security hasn''t beefed up, it''s just that they are too close to the police station, which makes it a bit risky..." Inside the room at that moment, the couch was piled with various items, including old newspapers, magazines, empty drink bottles, and half-eaten fast food containers. The floor was strewn with clothes, toys, and some unidentifiable items, almost leaving no ce to step. On the couch, several people were engaged in conversation, seemingly unconcerned with their surroundings, or perhaps used to this way of life, and they were speaking rather loudly, as if they didn''t care if outsiders could hear them. "So, overall, Deca Department Store is still the easiest target, even if it''s close to the police station, as long as everyone sticks to the limit as before, we should be fine!" After listening to the analysis of the others, a ck man with a somewhat mature look sitting by the window spoke in a deep voice. And hearing his words, none of the others present showed any disagreement, clearly epting his opinion. "Same old rules, let''s share our respective needs!" The mature-looking ck man continued to speak. "It''s winter now, and it''s getting colder. My family needs an air conditioner!" "My son was just born; I want some good quality baby form..." "As Victor said, it''s getting colder, my family reallycks clothes. I need some that can keep us warm..." "My familycks a washing machine..." The conversations of the ck men left David and Nisen, who were still standing outside listening, speechless. It seemed as though these ck men treated the major department stores as their own backyards, taking whatever they were missing directly from the shelves. David had no patience to continue listening; he gave Sidorf a look. Sidorf, though reluctant, had no choice but to knock on the door. "Who is it?" "It''s me, Sidorf!" Hearing Sidorf''s name, the people inside showed no wariness and immediately opened the door. But when they saw there were more people than just Sidorf at the door, the ck man immediately became apprehensive and asked, "Sidorf, who are these guys?" "This..." Sidorf shrank back, instinctively looking towards David. "Internal Revenue Service inspectors!" Upon seeing the badge David disyed, the ck man who opened the door looked somewhat astonished, not really understanding what the IRS would want with them. "What, you''re not weing us?" "No no no,e in!" Although confused, one did not simply offend folks from the Internal Revenue Service; the ck man quickly invited David and Nisen inside. And upon their entry, the group of ck men who had been talking suddenly turned their curious and puzzled gazes all upon them. [Name: Osborne Marlow.] [upation: Zero Purchase Organization Leader.] [Monthly Ie: Nine Thousand One Hundred US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 9th, participated in a raid at Crystal Shopping Street''s iPhone Store, acquired an iPhone 13 PRO, profiting eight hundred US dors, on December 23rd, participated in a raid at Macy''s Department Store''s Nike shop, profiting four hundred US dors...] [More details...] [Tax Owed: Nine Hundred and Ten US dors.] ... [Name: Augusto Ditch.] [upation: Zero Purchase Participant.] [Monthly Ie: Four Thousand Eight Hundred US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 9th, participated in a raid at Crystal Shopping Street''s iPhone Store, acquired an iPhone 12 PRO, profiting five hundred and fifty US dors, on December 23rd, participated in a raid at Macy''s Department Store''s Nike shop, profiting two hundred US dors...] [More details...] [Tax Owed: Four Hundred and Eighty US dors.] ... [Name: Barren Dominique.] [upation: Zero Purchase Participant.] [Monthly Ie: Five Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 9th, participated in a raid at Crystal Shopping Street''s iPhone Store, acquired an iPad Air 4, profiting five hundred US dors, on December 23rd, participated in a raid at Macy''s Department Store''s Nike shop, profiting four hundred US dors...] [More details...] [Tax Owed: Five Hundred US dors.] [...] As these people sized him up, David also used the golden finger feature to scrutinize them and, unsurprisingly, found that all present were the core members of the Zero Purchase movement. But what made him feel somewhat imbnced was the fact that he was a bona fide civil servant with a monthly sry of only around seven to eight thousand US dors. Among those present, with the exception of the leader Osborne, some of the other members had already surpassed his ie. This truly reflected the saying, "Committing arson or murder earns you a golden belt!" "Dokku, who are these two...?" "These two gentlemen are inspectors from the Internal Revenue Service!" Hearing that they were from the IRS, the ck men who had been curious and wary instantly tensed up, many already rapidly going through their tax affairs in their heads, trying to think of any issues with their taxes. But soon, many of them rxed. Most of those present were unemployed vagrants and naturally did not have issues with paying taxes or tax affairs. With this in mind, it was either the IRS had made a mistake or they were here for the few among them who had jobs. Perhaps these few who were employed had overlooked some tax affairs. "Inspectors, may I ask what brings you here, what would you like to ask us?" Sitting by himself on the side, Osborne came over, extending his right hand while trying to understand the reason for their visit. However, David didn''t pay him any heed and instead walked over to the spot where Osborne had been seated, and sat down unceremoniously, acting as if he was not an outsider. Seeing this, Osborne''s eyebrows furrowed. The IRS inspectors not showing any courtesy¡ªit seemed like things were not that simple! Chapter 11: Chapter 11: We are Good Citizens "You all know what our National Tax Agency does, right?" David''s words left the ck people present exchanging puzzled nces. Of course the National Tax Agency dealt with tax matters; who didn''t know that? After a moment''s contemtion, Osborne replied softly, "Of course we know, Inspector Sir!" "Good, since you know what our National Tax Agency does, then we also know what you do!" The hearts of the ck people present skipped a beat. The National Tax Agency knew what they did? Could it be that they were targeted for their recent series of Zero Purchase Incidents? Impossible! No sooner had this thought appeared in their minds than it was instantly dismissed by the group. The National Tax Agency was indeed formidable but their Zero Purchase activities fell under public security cases, far from the jurisdiction of the National Tax Agency! "Inspector Sir, we don''t quite understand..." "It''s very simple. Here''s the thing, on the 3rd ofst month, our Congress passed a bill, which stiptes that from now on, all illegal activities like robbery, fraud... including your current Zero Purchase behaviors, will be subject to a certain amount of tax payable to our National Tax Agency. Do you understand now?" As the words fell, the ck people present all widened their eyes and opened their mouths in disbelief, standing frozen as shock rippled through the air. From now on, they''d have to pay taxes to the National Tax Agency for illegal activities such as robbery, fraud, including their current Zero Purchase actions? If this weren''ting from David, an inspector of the National Tax Agency, they would never believe such an outrageous turn of events. After all, the National Tax Agency was a legitimate state institution, so why leave those office workers and enterprises toe and pluck the wool from their side gigs? In other words, you represent thewful while we represent the uwful; how could we mix the two? "Inspector Sir, is there really such a matter?" Osborne was the first to snap back to reality. Although their Zero Purchase activities weren''t as dangerous as drug trafficking, they were still risking their lives. Even if the National Tax Agency was powerful, it couldn''t just swindle a share of the loot with a few words; did they take him for a fool? David just shrugged and said, "It''s not your fault that you don''t pay attention to politics, but with the inte so advanced these days, it shouldn''t be hard to check our National Tax Agency''s official website with a smartphone." With the discussion reaching this point, the group was inclined to believe what was said. As David imed, although they didn''t pay much attention to politics, there was no way that inspectors from the National Tax Agency would dare to fabricate such a matter. They might believe it, but reporting their hard-won takings for taxes as if baring their own flesh¡ªhow could they ept that? So at this moment, most people turned their gaze to Osborne, hoping that their ''leader'' would say something. After some hesitation, Osborne seemed toe up with an idea and yed innocent, "I understand, Inspector Sir. But there''s one problem: all of us here arew-abiding good citizens, with no ie from illegal activities!" His strategy was simple: deny any illegal ie adamantly. The National Tax Agency might be fearsome. But to make usations, evidence was needed; without it, they couldn''t just force confessions, right? America was still considered a country that valued human rights after all! Especially their ckmunity, which in recent years had increasingly taken the moral high ground due to racial discrimination issues; Osborne believed the National Tax Agency would be wary and not dare to take drastic measures against them. "Indeed, Inspector Sir, we''re all good citizens; we don''t have any illegal ie!" "Inspector Sir, I know that in recent days the Zero Purchase incidents in Las Vegas have been getting out of hand, but they''ve got nothing to do with us!" Osborne''s words gave direction to the others, who started echoing his sentiment. If today''s visitor had been any other inspector, they might have had little recourse against these shameless protests, other than slowly interrogating them back at the station. Unfortunately for them, they had encountered David today. To be precise, it was these Davids with their golden touch! So, in his eyes, their denial equated to nothing more than a clown''s performance! David barely smiled, then turned his gaze to Osborne and said slowly, "On the 9th ofst month, at Phon Shop number one in West District of Crystal Shopping Street, you looted an iPhone 13 Pro andter sold it to your familiar fence, Cavaha, profiting 800 US dors." "On December 23rd, you took part in a raid at Macy''s Department Store and got a pair of AIR JORDAN 19, which you sold to another fence, Noihaus, for a profit of 400 US dors." "And on the 25th..." "From when our new taxw went into effect until now, a total illegal ie of 9,100 US dors; now, tell me, are you aw-abiding good citizen?" As David meticulously recounted each date and detail, Osborne''s face, once calm and innocent, turned, and his heart was hit by a torrent of shock. It might be normal for the National Tax Agency to find out that he was a Zero Purchase Participant. But knowing every detail of his month''s activities, every item obtained, their value, and, most absurdly, even the identities of his fences, was utterly baffling. Not just Osborne. Nisen, who had stood by silently watching David''s performance, also appeared surprised at this moment. The information on this group of Zero Purchase Participants had been prepared by the agency long ago. But only the initial information indicating they were involved in Zero Purchases, and theirrge numbers, was provided to the agency. There was no detail about the items they had acquired in their operations, the profit made, let alone information on the fences, which would be even harder to uncover. While everyone''s thoughts were different, David turned to a ck man on his left and said, "Augusto, you were involved in the raid at Crystal Shopping Street on December 9th, where you got an iPhone 12 Pro, profiting 550 US dors." "Then on December 23rd, during the raid at Macy''s Department Store, you obtained a pair of Air Force 1s, making a profit of 200 US dors." "..." "From the 3rd ofst month when our ''ck tax''w came into effect until today, you''ve earned a total illicit profit of 4,800 US dors, correct?" When Augusto, the man called out, heard the specific details about himself, his eyes bulged as big as brass bells, filled with disbelief. Because David was spot on; these were the items he had looted during this time. Although he never calcted the exact ie for this period, it wasn''t far off from the figure of 4,800 US dors. Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Zero-Yuan Purchase Is Not Illegal Before the crowd could regain theirposure, David turned his attention to another ck man: "And you, Barren..." Ten minutester, everyone in the room had lost theirposure, looking as if they had seen a ghost. Because, during that time, David hadid bare the details and ie of each person present. Had the IRS''s auditing capabilities reached the point where they could detect even the slightest clue? It was terrifying... However, to be fair, people like Osborne were still okay, since they thought that David could only obtain such detailed information because he had the powerful national machinery of the IRS at his disposal. Only Nisen, who was from the IRS, knew that the agency didn''t actually have such detailed information about the Zero Purchase Participants. That is to say, all this information had been uncovered by David alone! But how was that possible! Just investigating the detailed information of even one person would be incredibly difficult, let alone a whole roomful of people! First, there was the Encar embezzlement case, and now this Zero Dor Shopping incident, in a short time, Nisen felt increasingly mystified by his partner. "What''s the matter, good citizens? Don''t you want to say something?" David''s voice,ced with irony, finally snapped the shocked ck people out of their reverie. But at this point, they still felt reluctant to ept the situation. I struggled and risked getting beaten or shot, and it wasn''t easy to loot these profits, and now the IRS shows up at the door asking for a share. That''s just too bullying! "Inspector, since you already know everything, there''s no point for me to argue. Yes, we have participated in many Zero Purchase incidents, but..." Here, Osborne''s tone became drawn out, his expression calm as if he had thought of a countermeasure, and he slowly said, "ording to the newws introduced in 2020, Zero Purchase incidents, as long as they don''t exceed 950 US dors, are not considered illegal, which means, what we did does not count as illegal earnings, so naturally we do not have to pay taxes to the IRS!" Osborne didn''t want to use this policy against the IRS. Firstly, by mentioning this policy, it would confirm their identity as Zero Purchase Participants. Who knows if the IRS wouldmunicate with the police. If so, they would be targeted by the police, and although they couldn''t be arrested, their future activities certainly wouldn''t be as smooth. However, at this point, to avoid being fleeced by the IRS, he had to reluctantly resort to this. "Yeah, we may be Zero Purchase Participants, but every time we looted, our profit did not exceed 950 US dors, and thew states that''s not a crime!" "Haha, Mr. Inspector, it''s not that we don''t want to pay taxes to the IRS, thew doesn''t allow it!" "..." The ck men in the room began to feel smug. However, upon hearing this, David didn''t rush to say anything. Instead, he looked at the group of ck men, who were smug and thought they had found a solution, with the look one gives a fool. Strictly speaking, there was a bit of truth to what they were saying. That is, ording to currentw, their Zero Purchase activities that didn''t exceed 950 US dors did not amount to a criminal act. This would be astonishing in nearly any country in the world, but in America, it was almost a matter of course. This issue actually dates back to 2014. At that time, because the California prisons were overcrowded, a new rule was introduced stating that for Zero Purchases under 950 US dors, the most one would face was a misdemeanor charge. If the confession attitude was good, just attending some educational programs andmunity service activities were enough to go home, without the need to go to prison. By May of 2020, in light of the George Floyd case where he was killed by police brutality, the entire ck poption of America erupted in protests. Taking advantage of the chaos, ck people looted numerous stores, which overwhelmed the police and prison systems across the country. In the end, thew previously only in effect in California was applied across all states, and what''s even more absurd is that even the misdemeanor charges were dropped. This means, as long as your Zero Purchase doesn''t exceed 950 US dors, it''s not considered a crime. This was probably also a form ofpensation for the George Floyd incident, to help quell the nationwide anger among ck people. However, the regtion on Zero Purchases was introduced in May 2020. The IRS''s ck Tax Act was introduced on December 3, 2021. Therefore, when creating and introducing the ck Tax Act, the IRS''s top officials had already considered the legal conflicts and loopholes concerning Zero Purchases. David took out his phone, entered the official IRS website, found the ck Tax Act, turned to section 236, then turned the screen towards the ck men, and said, "ording to section 236 of the ck Tax Act, regarding Zero Purchases and our tax policy, it is exined here that, regardless of the amount, it takes precedence over the tax policy!" "What does that mean?" The ck men, who had been feeling joyful, suddenly sensed trouble and asked with furrowed brows. "It means that although your Zero Purchases under 950 US dors do not vite thew, you still have to pay taxes to the IRS!" "This... this can''t be!" The ck people finally understood but most of them found it hard to ept. "Mr. Inspector, what if we refuse to pay?" One of the ck men retorted, with a touch of anger. "Refuse to pay?" David''s expression turned cold as he said chillingly, "We will freeze all your ounts. Moreover, all your federal aid, unemployment benefits, and various other benefits will be stopped!" "No, by what right can you stop our federal aid and unemployment benefits? These are benefits provided by the state; you don''t have that authority!" Most of the ck people present were either unemployed or out of work, and other than Zero Purchases, their most important source of ie was federal aid and unemployment benefits. Hearing that these ie sources would be cut off was akin to them losing their lifeline. "Heh." David sneered, "By what right do we stop your federal aid and unemployment benefits? It''s because you bastards don''t want to pay taxes!" "Where do you think your federal aid, unemployment benefits, and other benefitse from?" "It''s the taxes collected by the IRS that are then allocated to you!" "If everyone were like you, avoiding taxes and not wanting to pay them, where would the moneye for all the benefits the state offers you?" At this, the ck men present were left speechless. They might not have wished to pay taxes, but they couldn''t deny the logic in David''s words. After all, the IRS was America''s coffers, and without its allocations, not just their welfare, but the entire society''s benefits would vanish. Chapter 13: Chapter 13: But those are our beloved friends and family! David continued, "So don''t think about it as if we''re taking your taxes as if it''s cutting your flesh. We''re taking your money and then giving it back to you in the form of relief funds and unemployment benefits!" "Think about it, you can receive 400 US Dors in relief funds every week, but how much do you need to pay in taxes? That''s not hard to calcte!" It''s often said thatnguage is actually an art. After hearing David''s words, Nisen couldn''t help but admire him. Strictly speaking, from the perspective of tax inspectors like them, the collection of taxes and the distribution of relief funds and such are not rted at all. After all, the job of an inspector is just to chase down tax affairs. As for distributing relief funds and social welfare, those are matters for the higher-ups, the Treasury Department, and Congress. But how would these uneducated ck folks understand that? By saying this, David firstly secured the moral high ground in the eyes of this group. In addition, "We collect your taxes so that we can give you relief funds and other benefits." What more could youin about? With that said, the ck folks indeed no longer resisted or felt dissatisfied as before. Just as David had stated, America gives them 400 US Dors in relief funds per week, which adds up to 1600 US Dors a month. For them, that was not a small sum. And how much did they need to pay in taxes? At most, each person would only need to pay a few hundred US Dors, and anyone with a bit of sense would do the math, so of course, they weren''t fools. "Okay..." Osborne seemed somewhat helpless, but then seemed to recall something, "If we pay the taxes as you requested, then your IRS won''t mess with us anymore, right?" Though the ck folks were beginning topromise, their main concern was the same. The IRS is, after all, a formal government agency¡ªwho knows if they would collude with the police, take their taxes, and then continue to hassle or keep a close eye on them. "You can rest assured on that!" "ording to the ck Tax Act, as long as you pay taxes to us, the IRS is obligated to keep your information confidential." "Let alone the police department, even the FBI has no right to inquire!" "Of course... if you inadvertentlymit an offense that falls into the hands ofw enforcement, then that''s none of our business!" David exined methodically. And this response seemed to greatly satisfy Osborne and the others. Since they were paying taxes, the IRS would keep their identities confidential and not interfere with their activities, so they had nothing to worry about! "Good, then we''ll pay the tax!" David nodded in satisfaction, then continued, "I know that every time you decide to take action, you bring along many subordinates, or friends and family. I hope you can call them over to make their own contribution to our nation''s tax revenue!" Just a few people in this room, even if they collected all their taxes, it would only amount to a few thousand US Dors. This amount of money was obviously not significant to David. So securing these folks was only his first step. His real purpose was, in fact, to leverage these folks to reveal their subordinates and then through those subordinates, to draw in even more... leading to a significant umtion of tax revenue. That would make his trip worthwhile! "This..." The ck folks immediately began to feel troubled. Their constant sess with zero-dor shopping relied on their numbers; otherwise, they probably would have been taken down by security before even entering the stores. And indeed, many of their friends and rtives often participated in their zero-dor shopping schemes. But... If they were found by the IRS, they could only consider themselves unlucky. However, those were their beloved friends and family. How could they betray them? "Let me put it honestly to you!" "With the ability of the IRS to find you and investigate you so thoroughly, we can also locate your friends and rtives, it''s just a matter of time!" Upon hearing David''s words, the ck folks felt a jolt in their hearts. Right. If the IRS could scrutinize them so intensely, surely they could uncover the others involved in zero-dor shopping. It was just that they were focusing on the core members first. But... For them to betray their friends and rtives as snitches, they found it difficult to ept at the moment. The corners of David''s mouth lifted slightly as he said, "You don''t need to wear that expression, doing this is actually to your benefit!" The ck folks were somewhat speechless. So you''re telling me that betraying my friends and rtives brings benefits? It would be surprising if they didn''t stab me in the back! "ording to the IRS tax rate, illegal ie not exceeding 9275 US Dors is taxed at 10 percent." "And Section 391 of the ck Tax Act clearly stiptes that those who contribute to illegal ie will receive certain tax relief." "That means, instead of paying the original tax rate of 10 percent, if you made a contribution, it might be reduced to 9 percent, 8 percent, 7 percent..." David was not deceiving them. When the ck Tax Act was originally formted, the drafting team had thought of this approach. Granting certain tax concessions to criminals so they would cooperate actively could lighten the inspectors'' load, enabling the IRS to efficiently collect taxes. It was beneficial in every way. Of course, if these ck folks were really stubborn and did not want to snitch, it also wasn''t much of a problem. He had his golden finger, and as long as they had participated in the zero-dor shopping, who could escape his grasp? It would just take a bit more time. But then again, knowing these profit-minded people, the moment they heard about tax relief, they would definitely not miss the opportunity! As expected by David, The moment they heard there was a chance for tax relief, the ck folks, who were initially very reluctant to snitch, all lit up. Betraying their own friends and family was of course undesirable to them. But if there were benefits involved, that was a different story. After all, David had also mentioned that even if they didn''t betray them, the IRS had its ways to find their friends and rtives. Rather than that, it would be better for those friends and rtives to ''die'' at their own hands! They believed that if their friends and rtives knew, they wouldn''t me them too much. With the tempting thought stirring in their minds, Osborne couldn''t help but inquire, "Inspector sir, what I want to know is, what exactly constitutes the contribution you mentioned?" "With your zero-dor shopping, generating about 5000 US Dors in tax revenue for us could decrease the individual''s tax rate by one percentage point, with a floor of no less than 5 percent." Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Another hundred thousand US dollars credited "$5,000 per percentage point..." It was not only Osborne who was instantly disappointed, but the rest of the ck people as well. To afford the $5,000 in taxes, they would need to sell out at least 10 individuals. But for their tax deduction to be only 1 percent, that felt rather low to them. David saw the disappointment in the crowd andforted them, "You have to realize, this one percent isn''t just a one-time thing, it''s recorded in our IRS files, and for each of you, it''s permanent!" "Permanent!" Osborne eximed in surprise and pursued, "Does that mean, as long as we get the tax deduction, we''ll enjoy this one percent off every month from now on?" "Exactly!" Upon receiving confirmation, Osborne, along with the others, immediately became overjoyed. Their Zero Purchase scheme wasn''t a one-shot deal, but something they nned to continue operating in the future. And likewise for the IRS taxes¡ªit wasn''t a one-shot affair either, certainly something they would need to pay every month going forward. So don''t underestimate this one percent. But umted over time, it could save them a lot of money. Quite the bargain! "Alright, Mr. Inspector, we''ll do as you ask, but¡­ this might take some time!" "That''s fine." "This ce is too small. Let''s do this, we''ll call people over to the basketball court, and have you, Mr. Inspector, exin it to them there. No problems, right?" Osborne could summon the rest of his crew, but convincing them to honestly pay their taxes would require a bit of intimidation from the IRS. "No problem, go ahead!" "Great!" Osborne and his men didn''t dally, quickly leading the cks in the room out with a flurry, and in a short while, only David and Nisen remained on the scene. And at this moment, Nisen, even as the cks had left, was still in a daze. When he arrived today, he thought it would surely be a tough "battle," but he hadn''t anticipated things going this smoothly. What surprised him even more was that apart from Osborne and hispanions'' easypliance, there were other unexpected gains. Though he didn''t know how many other Zero Purchase Participants Osborne could bring in, given therge poption in this ckmunity, it certainly wouldn''t be just a few! If that were the case, this case of the ckmunity''s Zero Purchase scheme might very well be another sensation after yesterday''s armored car case, causing another stir throughout the bureau! "Let''s go, Nisen." The call snapped Nisen out of his reverie. He fixed his gaze on David and, hesitating to speak while his face was filled withplex emotions, eventually chose not to say anything. He really wanted to know how David got hold of suchprehensive information on the Zero Purchase Participants, but remembering that even Lewis hadn''t been able to get a word out of David, he eventually gave up on the idea. ... The location of the basketball court was on the same route David and Nisen had taken when entering, so the two made their way there without difficulty. They waited for about half an hour. Then, from the right side of the road, Osborne led a group of more than a dozen ck men towards them. Soon after, the core members of the Zero Purchase Participants who had been in the house arrived on the scene with their own entourages. Quickly, the entire basketball court was filled with people. A rough count suggested that there were at least two to three hundred people present. Seeing so many people, both David and Nisen felt a surge of excitement. Based on the ck tax of 400 US Dors per head, thebined amount from everyone present would be at least in the tens of thousands of dors. While these tens of thousands seemed much less than the 396,000 dors from yesterday, one must remember that events like hijacking the cash transport vehicle were one-shot deals, and you wouldn''t expect them to happen again. After all, no matter how bold Anthony and his crew were, they surely wouldn''t dare to do it a second time, would they? Do they really think the casinos, the police departments, the FBI are here just for show? But these African Americans before them were different. Zero Dor Shopping wasn''t a one-time event; it was a means of survival for these people. Maybe not every day, but definitely several times a month. In other words, every month, these individuals could potentially generate ie from ck taxes in the tens of thousands for the Internal Revenue Service when looking at the bigger picture. This was far more valuable than the 396,000 dors! "Everyone, please quiet down and let the inspectors from the IRS say a few words!" When they arrived, these African Americans were roughly informed about the situation, but naturally, they were all dissatisfied upon hearing that they would have to pay taxes to the IRS. So upon reaching the scene here, although they didn''t dare show any disrespect to David or Nisen, they looked at the two with various displeased and dissatisfied expressions. "Cough cough!" David cleared his throat and said, "I believe you are mostly aware of the situation, but let me go over it again, this is how it is..." "..." The African Americans at the scene were numerous and diverse, some of them quite defiant, as if they had nothing to lose. So initially, many of them were unwilling to pay taxes; some even imed they didn''t get anything of value from their Zero Purchase activities in order to evade taxes. However, as David used the inspection function of his golden finger to pin down the crimesmitted by these ringleaders during this period, along with their profits, they all wilted. In the end, it was quite simple. Just like how they dealt with Osborne and others before, by freezing their ounts and threatening to stop issuing benefits such as relief and unemployment aid, all African Americans had toply honestly. "Alright, it''s gettingte; let''s get your money ready and head out. Our division''s location is at 67 Monarch Avenue, don''t go to the wrong ce!" After giving the final directive, David walked towards themunity exit with Nisen, leaving behind a group of African Americans with lingering fears. Of course, the most anxious of all were Osborne and those core members who had been inside the house. It seemed that when David told them that the IRS could dig up the details of their other friends and family members who participated in the Zero Purchase activities, he wasn''t bluffing at all. Otherwise, when those few individuals had stepped forward earlier, David wouldn''t have been able to list off as if on cue all the stores they had looted and the goods and profits they had obtained. But fortunately, they had followed David''s instructions and brought their friends along, thereby securing some tax breaks for themselves. If they had waited for David toe to them, they wouldn''t have gotten anything at all! For a moment, Osborne and those core members felt extremely grateful for the decision they had just made. "What are you standing around for, didn''t you hear what the inspector said? Hurry up and prepare the taxes you need to pay; let''s go to the IRS and be good citizens!" Osborne''s shout made the African Americans at the scene disperse in an instant. Chapter 15: Chapter 15: This Scene is Spectacular National Tax Bureau Lake District Sub-Bureau. When he returned there, the ck people had not yet arrived. As soon as he entered the tax hall, David called out to a receptionist at the service window, "Debbie, get anyone avable to pause what they''re doing and help me prepare some forms." At the service window, the plump woman named Debbie was momentarily stunned, then hastily asked, "Inspector David, how many forms do you need?" "Two or three hundred, they''ll be here soon, hurry up!" After dropping that remark, David headed towards the third floor without looking back, leaving Debbie still in a daze. Upon reaching the third floor, where the inspectors'' offices were located, the area was just as noisy and busy as ever; all the inspectors were preupied with their own cases. David arrived at his work area and, while sorting tax tickets, he called out to a few people not far away, "Bucky, Sherwood¡­ can you spare a hand?" The system at the Tax Bureau was such that a Chief Tax Officer led a small team consisting of four groups, which meant eight inspectors. And the few he had just called out were his squad members. ording to regtions, when faced with a case that required a substantial amount of work, it was permissible to ask for assistance from other members of the squad. Today, the number of Zero Purchase Participants alone was two to three hundred. Such a workload, if left to David and Nisen alone, would probably take three days and three nights to deal with, and they still might not get through it all. Hence, David naturally needed their help. "Sure, what''s up?" "I don''t have a problem with that." "¡­" The squad members were quite forthright, promptly setting aside their tasks, ready toply with whatever was asked of them. "Chief Tax Officer Liu assigned me that Zero Purchase case, remember? Nisen and I have already dealt with it, but there''s a bit of a crowd¡­" Hearing this, Bucky and the others seemed somewhat surprised. Zero Purchase cases may seem undemanding, and that group of ck folks weren''t exactly the most vicious of criminals, but as inspectors, they knew that it was precisely these sort of scammers who hovered on the edge of thew that were the most troublesome. Though these scammers would not dare to confront the National Tax Bureau head-on, once they heard they were being taxed, they were sure to wiggle out of it and kick up a fuss. Without dragging them in and employing scare tactics like the tiger bench or chili water, one couldn''t expect them toply willingly! Yet there David was, having not even brought back a single person, apparently resolving the situation with just a short trip out? And from David''s tone, it sounded like he had settled matters with more than just a few Zero Purchase Participants¡ªhow had he managed that? "Is there a problem?" Seeing that his colleagues were taking too long to respond, David stopped organizing the documents and turned to look at them. "No¡­ no problem¡­" It took a moment for them to snap back to reality. But then, as if they remembered something, a look of realization appeared on their faces. The three hundred and ny-six thousand US dors from yesterday, although David hadn''t told them where it came from, the staggering amount soon becamemon knowledge through inquiries made afterward. It was said to have been collected from the robbers who had hijacked the cash transport vehicle from Encar Casino! Those robbers were highly intelligent; even the casino, the police department, and the FBI couldn''t track a single clue to them, yet they ended up falling into David''s hands. Comparing these events, the fact that David efficiently took care of the Zero Purchase Participants didn''t seem all that surprising anymore. However, considering thisd''s ''remarkable exploits'' over the past couple of days, had he actually found some sort of knack? In the midst of their myriad thoughts. Having parted ways with David on the third floor, Nisen returned and announced, "Mary and her department are ready!" David nodded and continued to organize tax invoices and other documents. About half an hourter. Amotion in the hallway drew the attention of the entire Inspector''s Hall, their expressions shifting from sideways nces and curiosity to shock, and finally, to silence so deep you could hear a pin drop. Leading the way was Debbie, followed by a long line of ck people, each holding a white form in their hands. Even though they had reached the vicinity of David and the others, the queue showed no sign of ending¡ªthe entrance of the corridor seemed to harbor an uncountable number of people still. "What... what''s going on?" "Why are there so many people?" "Who... who are these people?" After a good while, the inspectors on-site finally snapped out of their astonishment, but their faces still registered utter disbelief. Though they didn''t yet know the identities of these individuals, the forms in their hands confirmed they were all there to pay taxes! What they found even more unbelievable was the fact that. A rough count from the corridor to David''s office location already tallied dozens, who knows how many more were gathered beyond the unseen hallway! Out of a desire to understand just how many people there were, several inspectors couldn''t care less about protocol; they put down their work and quickly headed toward the corridor''s entrance to see for themselves. Seeing such a situation, Bucky and his colleagues were stunned for quite some time. Then, he immediately rushed to Debbie and asked hastily, "Debbie, how many more people are downstairs?" Debbie nced at David and said, with a lingering fear, "I''m not sure about the specifics, but there should be at least two or three hundred..." "Two or three hundred people!" Bucky and the others nearly lost their footing and fell to the ground. Suddenly, they recalled David''s earlier remark. ''There might be a slightlyrger crowd''! At the time, they thought at most there would be a few dozen people. But now, it was two to three hundred people¡ªhow could this be considered ''slightlyrger''? It was as if he had brought back all the Zero Purchase Participants from the entire Lake District! "Inspector David, here''s my nine hundred and ten US dors," Osborne, standing at the front, handed over an envelope and said meekly, "Also¡­ the brothers all need to support their families; could you perhaps process this a bit faster¡­" "Of course." David turned around to look at Bucky and the others, who understood that addressing the matter at hand was the priority. They quickly suppressed their various emotions and called over some of the ck people to their stations to proceed with the processing. While David and his team were busily at work. At the elevator entrance, the doors of the elevator descending from the fourth floor opened, and six or seven men stepped out in a hurry, among them was Lewis. Lewis and hispanions first nced at David and the others, busy as they were, and then at the unending line of people in the corridor, their bewilderment deepening. After a moment, a Mediterranean white man spoke up, "It seems the report from my subordinates was urate; indeed, several hundred people havee." "Several hundred people..." Next to Lewis on his right, a man with thick eyebrows in a suit pondered before saying, "Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi, where did you get so many people from?" Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Half a Month鈥檚 Assessment Period "Who am I supposed to ask if you''re asking me?" Lewis muttered to himself but, as a superior, he still pretended to understand and said, "This must be that Zero Purchase case!" "Zero Purchase case, wow, it looks like all the Zero Purchase Participants in our entire Lake District are here today!" The Mediterranean white man''s words made everyone''s heart tremble slightly. It''s not hard to deal with Zero Purchase Participants; what''s hard is to catch them all at once, a difficulty that could be said to be as high as the sky. "Wait a second..." The thick-browed man in a suit seemed to have noticed something and asked, "Chief Tax Officer Lewis, which team in your squad is handling this Zero Purchase case?" "Nisen and David''s team." "David!" With that, the rest could no longer remain calm. They were well aware that David had just solved the Encar Casino robbery case the day before, creating the biggest revenue for the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch since the enactment of the cklist taxw. Just one day had passed, and another big case was solved? Not to mention these people. Even Lewis himself waspletely baffled. David had been under hismand for several months, but he had always been justpliant, never showing any remarkable ability! How had he suddenly soared to great heights the moment the cklist taxw was passed? Could this kid really have such a talent for fighting crime and collecting taxes from criminals? "Chief Tax Officer Lewis, there are indeed too many people today, and I see your subordinates are too busy. How about it, do you need my team to give you a hand?" The thick-browed man in a suit asked with a smile. "No thanks, Chief Tax Officer Hector. How could I ept when your team is so busy? There are indeed more people now, but my team members are capable of handling it properly!" On the surface, Lewis was politely declining, but if you listened carefully, you could even detect a hint of pride in his tone. The National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch has ten Chief Tax Officers and ten teams. Since the cklist taxw officially came into effect, the team led by Hector had been leading the pack in performance this past month. While Lewis''s team had not been at the bottom, they had been hovering around seventh or eighth ce. Finally, having solved two major cases in the past two days, they could now hold their heads high! He also knew that Hector''s offer to help was not out of pure kindness. There was an unspoken rule in the National Tax Bureau: if you ask another team for help or support, you naturally have to share some of the credit with them. Now, as long as these Zero Purchase Participants were recorded and the tax invoices issued, all the credit would belong to his team. Why would he want to share the credit with others? "Fine, as you wish!" Hector felt slightly annoyed, turned his head, and called out, "Scott, McLaren, Fernando,e to my office!" Watching the named inspectors with their dejected looks, Lewis couldn''t help but silently mourn for them in his mind. Without a doubt, Hector must have seen his own team''s consecutive sess in cracking major cases these past couple of days while his team had not had much sess and decided to seriously motivate his inspectors. "Motivate them all you want, there are only two days left in the assessment period anyway!" After the enactment of the cklist taxw, ording to instructions from Washington D.C. Headquarters, each Sub-Bureau Branch''s assessment period was every half a month. And the next assessment period would be in just two days. Yesterday they collected three hundred and ny-six thousand US dors in unreported taxes, and although the data hasn''t been tallied today, with so many people here, a hundred thousand US dors is definitely in the bag! In other words, their tax performance for this half-month assessment period is likely to be around five hundred thousand US dors. Such performance is enough to secure the top spot for his team in the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. And maybe not just that... It could even be possible that they are the top in the entire Three Divisions Branch of Las Vegas. After all, during thest assessment period. The highest tax achievement was only one hundred and thirteen thousand US dors from the National Tax Bureau Avenue Sub-bureau Branch. Even if in this half-month, all the major sub-bureaus had basicallypleted their reviews and tracking of criminal profiles, it would only double at most; it surely couldn''t surpass their team''s five hundred thousand, right? Thinking of this, Lewis felt a wave of satisfaction. No matter how David managed to close this Zero Purchase Participant case, once things settled down, he decided he would definitely need to give proper praise! ... Three hourster. After the efforts of all eight inspectors on the team, the work on this group of Zero Purchase Participants was nearing its final stage. "My count is twenty-three thousand six hundred US dors." "I have sixteen thousand three hundred and eighty US dors." "My count is..." Listening to his teammates reporting their figures and holding the calctor, David kept adding the numbers until he hit the ''='' key, and a ''139010'' figure popped up. "One hundred thirty-nine thousand and ten!" This figure wasn''t much different from David''s initial estimate. And hearing this number, Bucky and others lit up with glows like fireflies. "Mary, double-check it. If it''s correct, we can go ahead and add it to the inventory!" "Got it!" Mary immediately started counting with the cash counting machine, along with the inventory department personnel. Soon, the result came out. She gave David a nod indicating the number was correct, and then proceeded to take the money for inventory storage. "By the way David, Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi mentioned earlier that once we''re done, we should all head to his office!" Hearing the reminder from a teammate, David didn''t show much surprise. Although today''s tax revenue was nowhere near yesterday''s, the impact made today was definitely several times greater than yesterday''s. He believed that by now, except for those up in Washington D.C. Headquarters on a business trip like the director and deputy director, everyone in the bureau would know about this matter. "Then let''s go!" Upon reaching the fourth floor to Liu Yi''s office, David first knocked on the door and, after hearing the words e in" from inside, he led everyone in spiritedly. Unlike his usual stern demeanor, Liu Yi''s face was noticeably softer today, and his brows betrayed a faint sense of joy; anyone could see that he was in a great mood. "Chief Tax Officer, you wanted to see us?" Liu Yi nodded slightly and said, "Nisen, David, you''ve handled this case well; you''ve made our team proud!" While he praised both Nisen and David, his main attention lingered on David because he knew that this case went smoothlyrgely due to David, who was probably the main contributor. Next, Nisen didn''t object nor show much change in expression, indirectly confirming Liu Yi''s guess. David didn''t becent from the praise and responded with his usualposure, "Thank you for the praise, Chief Tax Officer. It''s only our duty!" Chapter 17: Chapter 17: The Island Nation Car Theft Gang Lewis abruptly changed the subject, "By the way, have the tax revenues been tallied today?" "They have, totaling one hundred and thirty-nine thousand and ten." The joy in Lewis''s brows deepened, and after a pause, he nodded and said, "Alright, I''ll take the initiative and carve out eighteen thousand from it, to be equally distributed among the six people in Bucky''s team, is that okay?" "Of course, it''s fine!" David was well aware that although everyone was part of the same team, not everything was done on a voluntary basis. For today''s case, people had set aside arge amount of work and spent a lot of time, so it was only fair to offer them some sort ofpensation. As he was still deep in thought, the six members of Bucky''s team on the side were over the moon with joy. The reason they had cooperated so diligently with David''s work was, of course, in the hopes of sharing in some of the tax performance after the fact. Eighteen thousand US dors. If divided among the six people, that would mean three thousand US dors in tax performance per person. Considering their current efficiency, this amount would usually take them several days of work, but now they had earned it in one afternoon, which was aplete win. ... In the time that followed, Lewis continued praising David without stinginess, of course, also wanting to use him as an example to motivate the other team members. However, there was one thing that Bucky and the others couldn''t stop thinking about. They had assumed that with the Zero Purchase case being so sensational, Lewis would definitely ask David in detail about how exactly the case waspleted. But unexpectedly, Lewis didn''t mention any of the specifics, which left several of them wanting to speak up but hesitating to do so. "Alright, you''ve sessfullypleted the Zero Purchase case, I hope you continue to strive hard!" Lewis opened a cab below and pulled out an envelope, pushing it toward David, saying, "This is your new case, go ahead and acquaint yourself with it!" Without saying much more, David grabbed the envelope and, along with the others, promptly left the office. Once back at his workstation, he immediately tore open the envelope and pulled out arge stack of documents. "Hmm? Asian faces?" Looking at the Asian faces in the documents, Nisen, observing from the side, appeared rather surprised. However, David didn''t get distracted and continued to review the documents. About twenty minutester, he finally understood what this case was about. These individuals, to be precise, were people from the Ind Nation. They were also a gang, mainly involved in car theft, and they especially targeted luxury cars. Their crimes were mostly concentrated in the Lake District, which was under their jurisdiction, which is why the Lake District Sub-Bureau''s inspection system had zeroed in on them. "This gang of car thieves won''t be easy to find..." Having read the documents, Nisen, with his chin propped in his hand, fell into contemtion. These people were difficult to locate because, unlike the previous group of Zero Purchase Participants, whose information and addresses had already been identified by the taxation bureau''s system. This time, however, the car thieves on the documents had very little specific information avable; there were just names, and many had only a photograph. Las Vegas had a poption of over six hundred thousand, with the Lake District alone ounting for more than two hundred thousand. Finding a group of car thieves among so many was challenging, not exactly looking for a needle in a haystack, but certainly quite difficult. "What about you, do you have any leads?" Seeing that David did not echo his sentiment, Nisen quickly turned to look at him and noticed David appeared to be in thought, which prompted him to ask. David took one of the documents and pointed, saying, "Look, ording to the police reports, there have been dozens of car thefts in the Lake District this past month, but if you look closely at the identities of these reporting individuals..." Following the direction of David''s finger, Nisen soon noticed the names of the reporters, and when he saw the word ''tourist'' in parentheses next to them, his eyes lit up. "You mean to say, this gang of car thieves doesn''t just target anyone, they specifically go after tourists?" "ording to the information, this gang of car thieves has been active in Las Vegas for several years, a group of people from the Ind Nation, surviving here for so long naturally has some survival tactics." Las Vegas, a mnge of diverse characters andplex forces, has people with considerable clout. If this group of Ind Nation people dared to provoke some of the local powers, they probably would have been long gone numerous times over, not to mention making a living here for so many years. Their tactic for survival, naturally, was to only target tourists. These peoplee from all over the world and can''t stay here for many days. Even if they suffer some losses, at most they would just chalk it up to bad luck and wouldn''t take any drastic actions. In other words, they are rtively easy to bully! Nisen nodded, understanding the implication of David''s words and then asked, "If they only target tourists, that narrows down the scope considerably!" David picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number, "Jonathan, I need thetest check-in lists of tourists from Grande Castle, Horseshoe Bay, Aria, these hotels, but mind you, include those with car rental or purchase deals!" About an hourter. The bureau''s intelligence staff delivered the required documents to David, who carefully reviewed them. Just for today, there were up to fifty tourists involved in car rentals or luxury car services. Although there were many people, it was a significant narrowing of scopepared to searching for a needle in a haystack. "Interested in checking it out tonight?" "I have no problem with that!" Despite the main credit for solving the two big cases falling on David, as a partner, Nisen too had gained a great deal of recognition, so he was quite motivated now. ... As night fell, the entirety of Las Vegas seemed to light up; the luxuriant neon lights and dazzling billboards shone through the darkness, illuminating every corner. Various casinos, hotels, and entertainment venues along the streets flickered continuously with lights. In the heart of the Lake District, the streets were bustling, luxury sedans, sports cars, and sightseeing buses moved back and forth between locations, while fireworks burst in the sky from time to time, adding brilliance to the city that never sleeps. At this moment, in the parking lot of Grande Castle Hotel, a Volvo was parked in one spot. Inside the car was Nisen who, while eating a hamburger, watched the surroundings warily and asionally lifted his wrist to check the time. A few minutester. The right side car door suddenly opened, giving him a start. However, upon seeing the person was David, heined slightly, "You scared me, weren''t we agreed on eight o''clock? Why did youe sote?" Chapter 18: Chapter 18: The Collision "I got held up preparing some things," Actually, David had intentionally arrivedte, to give Nisen the impression that he had been investigating through special channels. Otherwise, if he really caught the car thieves, he wouldn''t be able to exin the source of his information. "So, any findings?" "Half an hour ago, two Asian-looking guys acting all sneaky came by, but they didn''t match the photos in our files. I''m not sure if they''re the car thieves we''re after. To avoid spooking them, I didn''t do anything!" David nodded and didn''t say much else. Instead, his gaze began to sweep around the surroundings, and he also started using his "golden finger" ability to scan the passing crowd. The two of them staked out the area for quite some time until, an hourter, David finally said, "Nothing unusual here. Let''s go check out the Aria Hotel." Nisen didn''t waste any words and immediately started the car. The Aria wasn''t far from the Grande, about 3 kilometers away, and in less than ten minutes, they arrived there. Just as they were about to enter the parking lot, they saw a Bentley exit through the gate. However, less than 10 seconds after the Bentley had left, a white Toyota also followed out. Nisen, perhaps because he was focused on driving, didn''t notice anything unusual. However, when David looked through the half-open car window and saw the person in the passenger seat, his expression changed dramatically. [Name: Nakamura Ota.] [upation: Car thief.] [Monthly ie: 26,000 US dors.] [Ie details: On December 11, stole a Porsche 911 in the Crystal Shopping Street, sector 4, made a profit of 5,000 US dors. On December 21, stole a Rolls-Royce Phantom at the Horseshoe Bay Hotel, made a profit of 6,000 US dors. On December 30...] [More details...] [Taxable amount: 2,600 US dors.] "Turn around, follow that white Toyota!" "Huh?" Faced with David''s sudden shout, Nisen stepped on the brake and felt a bit stunned. "The guy we''re looking for is in that car!" Upon hearing this, Nisen immediately came back to his senses and hurriedly turned the wheel to give chase. The two vehicles, one after the other, soon arrived in front of a casino in the Lake District. The Bentley stopped first; after parking, a middle-aged man and a woman dressed in a gown got out and both entered the casino. "That''s... McAllister!" Meanwhile, Nisen, parked not too far away, recognized the man at a nce. Indeed, he was the English tourist they had information on from today. He didn''t have time to think further. At that moment, the door of the white Toyota they were following opened, and a short-statured man with an Asian face got out, holding a device resembling a remote control in his hand. "He''s about to make his move!" Nisen was about to get out of the car when David pulled him back, "Don''t rush. This isn''t our business. Besides, after he seeds, we''ll have more tax revenue!" Nisen was startled at first, but then he quickly realized. Right. "I''m a tax inspector for the IRS, what''s car theft got to do with me?" And after he catches his prey like a mantis stalking a cicada, we swoop in as the oriole does next, to collect the taxes. Wouldn''t that mean more tax revenue for us?" With that in mind, Nisen wasn''t in a hurry anymore and just quietly watched the guy''s performance from a distance. But the very next second, he witnessed a sight that left him dumbstruck. He saw the guy walk around the Bentley with a device simr to a remote control, and after a circle, he pressed a button, and the door just automatically opened. "What... what is this thing?" Nisen wasn''t very familiar with the technology of car thieves, but in his mind, wasn''t car theft supposed to involve tools like lock picks, hydraulic cutters, or some sort of master keys? How did he just fiddle with the thing and the door automatically opened? And that''s a Bentley! The anti-theft system in such luxury cars definitely isn''tparable to ordinary cars. "It''s a decoder. Once some hackers or professionals input specific programs, it can decode the security of specific vehicles." David wasn''t very surprised; he had seen plenty of thieves using decoders to steal cars in his previous life as a police officer. "A decoder, huh? That seems high-tech. I really didn''t expect car thieves to use high-tech methods these days..." "Stop dazing out, they''re leaving. Follow them and see where their nest is!" While the two were talking, Nakamura Ota had already started the Bentley and was driving away. Seeing this, Nisen also collected his thoughts and followed no rush. Ten minutester. After taking a turn at a traffic light, Nakamura Ota in the Bentley furrowed his brows as he noticed the ck Volvo following behind. He then pulled out his phone and dialed a number: "Kameda, did you notice a ck Volvo when we left Aria?" "A ck Volvo... I didn''t really pay much attention!" A male voice came through on the other end of the phone. "This car seems to have been following us since we left Aria. I thought it was a coincidence at first, but it has still been tailing me after I seeded. I suspect we''ve been spotted!" There was silence on the other line for a while before the voice said, "Don''t head back to ''headquarters'' just yet. Lead them on a wild goose chase. I''lle to back you up, give me your exact location now!" "I''m on Caesar Shopping Center Avenue, heading toward the old town area..." "Good, I know the ce!" ... David and Nisen were unaware of Nakamura Ota''s situation at the time, but after tailing for about fifteen minutes, they began to sense something was off. They realized that their quarry had been driving in circles and didn''t seem to have any destination in mind. Nisen frowned, "This guy is quite vignt; it looks like we''ve been spotted!" David, although not responding, also looked somewhat helpless. After all, they were just inspectors, not good enough in surveince. Perhaps this was a job better suited for the FBI guys. "Forget it, let''s take action. I refuse to believe we can''t get him to talk!" With that, Nisen stepped on the gas, trying to get ahead and block the other car, but what he didn''t expect was for an ident to ur the very next second. They heard a loud ''bang'' as their vehicle was suddenly hit, and although Nisen instinctively hit the brakes, both were left dazed by the unexpected impact. And what angered them even more was that, right after the ident, the Bentley in front of them suddenly sped up and immediately vanished from their sight. Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Chief Smith "Saory, saory, extremely saory, are you guys okay?" From the side, an Asian male emerged from the car that had hit Nisen and David, looking quite panicked as he came over to check on the two men. By this time, David had snapped back to his senses, but when he focused on the man standing in front of the car, he was instantly enraged. [Name: Ono Yutaro.] [upation: Car thief.] [Monthly Ie: 26,000 US Dors.] [Ie Details: December 11, stole a Porsche 911 in Crystal Shopping Street District 4, profiting 5,000 US Dors, December 21, at Horseshoe Bay Hotel stole a Rolls-Royce Phantom, profiting 6,000 US Dors, December 30¡­] [More Details: ¡­] [Tax Due: 26,000 US Dors!] "Fuck¡­" David thought to himself, why on earth did they get hit out of the blue. Turns out, this guy was the aplice who had been in a car with Nakamura Ota just before. It seemed that Nakamura Ota had realized he was being followed and called this aplice to create an opportunity for his escape. But this was just what David needed. He had thought that letting Nakamura Ota get away would require some extra legwork, but now that this guy had willingly delivered himself into their hands, it was just as well! "Fake Yau, how the hell do you drive!" Nisen hadn''t realized yet that the man before him was an aplice of the other side and had already stepped out of the car to scold him furiously, while the other party didn''t dare to retort and could only keep apologizing and showing weakness. Meanwhile, David had pushed open the car door and stepped out, walking up to the man named Ono Yutaro and grabbing his head to smash it against the car hood. "Bang!!!" "Ah!!!" A loud noise followed by a scream hadpletely bewildered Nisen, but he quickly came to his senses. He thought David was venting his anger at letting the car thief escape, so he immediately looked around to see if anyone was taking pictures. After all, they were tax inspectors for the IRS. Being caught on camera assaulting someone in public would certainly bring big trouble. Fortunately, the area was a back alley with no people around, which allowed Nisen to breathe a sigh of relief. "How does it feel to be hit, not very pleasant, right!" David picked up Ono Yutaro, staring straight at his contorted face. At first, Ono Yutaro was thoroughly dazed by the smack, but upon hearing David''s words, he regained his senses and angrily retorted, "Damn, what do you mean by that, I''m going to sue you for intentional injury!" "Really?" David was amused and replied sarcastically, "Then how do you exin obstructing public duty, hit-and-run, stealing cars¡ªhow do you ount for those!?" Nisen, who had been looking around, whirled his head back upon hearing this, first ncing at David, then studying Ono Yutaro intently. Ono Yutaro was taken aback at first, then his eyes began to show panic, before he forced himself to respond calmly, "What hit-and-run, what stealing cars, I don''t know what you''re talking about!" "You don''t know?" David continued with mocking humor, "You and your aplice just stole a Bentley at the entrance of the casino, have you forgotten that already?" "Fine, if you''ve forgotten that, then surely you haven''t forgotten the Porsche 911 you stole on December 11 at Crystal Shopping Street, right?" "And do you also forget about the Rolls-Royce Phantom at the Horseshoe Bay Hotel on December 21st?" Upon hearing about the Bentley earlier, Ono Yutaro realized that he might have been caught in a trap, but the fear in his heart became insurmountable upon hearing about the Porsche and the Rolls-Royce. His background had been investigated so thoroughly, it seemed, this was no coincidence¡ªhe had been targeted byw enforcement for a long time! At this moment, he regretted his rash decision toe here and cover for Nakamura Ota. This was like amb walking into a tiger''s den! "Damn you..." As the conversation reached this point, and judging by Ono Yutaro''s expression, Nisen waspletely convinced by David''s words. He too walked over and furiouslynded a punch on the other man. It had always been them, the tax bureau, bullying others; when had anyone dared to bully the tax bureau, not to mention deliberately ramming their car! Even though there was no serious harm done, such provocations definitely could not be tolerated! "Stop hitting, officer, stop, we''re friends with Chief Smith. Please spare us this once..." After being repeatedly beaten, Ono Yutaro could not take it anymore, and while begging for mercy, he invoked the name of a chief of police. Hearing the name Chief Smith, Nisen and David exchanged looks. The chief of police was no small yer; by administrative level, he was on par with Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi. They had not expected to uncover a police chief while investigating a gang of car thieves. Nisen pulled David aside and whispered, "Do you think what this guy''s saying is true?" David pondered for a moment and replied, "Since he dares to say this, there must be some connection. And considering this gang has stood in Las Vegas for so many years, if they didn''t have some backing, they probably would have been wiped out long ago!" Nisen nodded in agreement, then said, "So, what do you want to do?" A slight curve appeared on David''s lips, "My thought is, if we can implicate this police chief, that would be perfect!" "That''s exactly what I was thinking!" Nisen also revealed a lecherous smile, corruption and bribery involving a police chief was big news, indeed! And if they could secure this chief''s dirty money, it would certainly make waves throughout the entire bureau! After discussing, both men returned to Ono Yutaro''s side, with David being the first to speak, "You say you''re friends with Chief Smith, is that true?" "That''s absolutely true; he and our boss are tight!" Ono Yutaro, thinking that the name Chief Smith had intimidated his opponents, immediately and emphatically assured them. "If that''s the case, then first take us to see your boss!" "Ah¡­" Ono Yutaro''s face fell, and he was very reluctant. "Without seeing your boss, how can I confirm this is true? You could be tricking me, after all, I could also im I am sworn brothers with Worship Lamp!" Leaving aside the matter with Chief Smith, David was determined to collect the gang''s dirty money. And to ''catch them all in one'', the simplest and most effective method was to have a face-to-face conversation with their boss. "This... all right then..." With no alternative, Ono Yutaro had to capitte, but just as he was about to get into his own car, he was stopped by David, "Don''t bother with your car, get in ours!" Nakamura Ota had already fled, and in order to avoid repeating the mistake and causing unnecessary trouble, they needed to proceed with more caution this time. Chapter 20: Chapter 20: What does it have to do with you if I steal a car? ""Alright then..." Ono Yutaro dared not say much, obediently got into the Volvo, and then started to give directions to the two men. Under his guidance, and after a journey of about twenty minutes, the three men arrived at the entrance of an auto repair shop located in the old town district. The sign at the entrance of the factory was somewhat rusty, with the words ''Ind Nation Auto Repair Factory Town'' inrge characters. Five of the characters had neon lights installed, which shone bright red under the night sky, while the other two were dim, perhaps due to aging circuits or some other reason. Inside the factory, several old cars were quietly parked on the repair bays, with workers busily fixing them up, the air filled with a pungent mix of paint and oil smells. "Eternal Taro, what''s going on here?" Seeing the three men walk in, an Ind Nation man covered in grease, who had been squatting in front of a car with its engine hood up, stood up and eyed David and Nisen warily. At that moment, the other workers in the repair shop also stopped moving, looking first at the bruised and swollen Ono Yutaro, then at Nisen and David, which immediately made the atmosphere somewhat tense. Quite a few workers had even quietly grabbed tools like wrenches and crowbars. "Everybody, don''t be nervous, these two are colleagues of Chief Smith, they''re here to meet our boss!" Up to now, Ono Yutaro still didn''t know the real identities of Nisen and David, still thinking they were police officers. Hearing this, the atmosphere at the scene finally eased a bit, but many still looked at the two with doubt and hostility. "Inoue, go inform the boss!" Since they were colleagues of Smith, they must be police officers, so of course, these people didn''t dare to act rashly and could only let their bosse out to see what the other party wanted to discuss. Seven or eight minutester. At the staircase entrance of the repair shop, an Asian man in his thirties with a crew cut walked down. His steps were steady and vigorous, and he exuded a restrained yet grim aura, dressed in a neat kimono, with the cor slightly open, revealing a wolf head tattoo. In his left hand was a sexy woman in a tight leather coat with bangs, and on his right was Nakamura Ota, whom David had seen before. "Eternal Taro, what''s all this about?" Seeing Ono Yutaro''s condition, Nakamura Ota was stunned. Weren''t you supposed to be backing me up? How did you end up looking like a pig''s head? Without giving much of an exnation, Ono Yutaro only made an expression as if wanting to cry but being unable to shed tears, and finally, turned his pleading gaze towards the man in the kimono. [Name: Miyano Masho.] [upation: Car theft gang leader.] [Monthly Ie: 276,000 US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 3rd, profited 30,000 US dors through a subordinate''s theft of an Aston Martin; on December 5th, profited Two Thousand US dors through a subordinate''s theft of a Maybach; on December 9th, profited 70,000 US dors through a subordinate''s theft of a Lamborghini.] [More Details...] [Tax Due: 76,440 US dors.] While David was sizing up the information about the other party, Miyano Masho also made a gesture to a subordinate at the door, who immediately pulled out a button and pressed it, causing the iron shutter door to slowly lower. This situation made Nisen feel uneasy, and while reaching for his service weapon at his waist, he also looked towards David. But David still remained calm at this moment. First, they now had two guns on their person, and as far as they could tell, the opposite party hadn''t produced any firearms yet. Even if a fight did break out, they might not necessarily be at a disadvantage. Second, Miyano Masho was savvy enough to maintain a good rtionship with the police department, clearly he was among the more clear-headed. Knowing they were from thew enforcement agency, it was unlikely that he would dare tomit such a foolish act as silencing them permanently. The reason for this behavior was probably to intimidate them, in order to gain some psychological advantage in the uing negotiations. "Officers, don''t be nervous. Our line of work, after all, isn''t exactly above board, so it''s better to be careful to prevent eavesdropping," said Miyano Masho in a tone of reassurance, his voice slightly hoarse. David pped his forehead, feigning sudden realization, "Oh right, Mr. Miyano, I need to correct one thing, we are not cops!" "You''re not cops?" Miyano Masho''s expression instantly chilled, while Nakamura Ota, Ono Yutaro, and others first looked at David with surprise, then their expressions gradually turned icy. David took out the tax emblem and faced the crowd, "To be precise, we are Inspectors from the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District!" "National Tax Bureau? Screw you, I thought you were cops. What the hell does the National Tax Bureau have to do with my car theft¡ªfollowing me around like a dog!" eximed Ono Yutaro, a car thief who was oblivious to the ck Tax Law matter. At this moment, he felt yed, and after having been beaten up, was nearly exploding with rage, cursing continuously. But before he could go on, the next second he felt a piercing pain on his cheek, and then he staggered to the ground. When he came to his senses, he spat out two teeth, enduring the severe pain. Meanwhile, David, who was standing by, withdrew his fist and casually wiped it. "Damn it, you bastard dare to strike!" "Brothers, grab your tools, let''s kill them!" "..." No one expected that on their turf, in front of so many of their people, David would dare to hit someone¡ªit was simply too brazen! Suddenly, people from the Ind Nation grabbed wrenches and crowbars among other tools and surrounded them. Seeing this, Nisen didn''t care anymore and directly pulled out his service weapon, pointing it at the crowd and warned, "I''m warning you, take one more step and I''ll shoot!" "If you''ve got the guts, shoot, let''s see how many bullets you''ve got!" Although Nisen''s gun deterred many, there were still some brash individuals who slowly closed in. "Everybody, hold it right there!" Just as the atmosphere was about to explode, Miyano Masho''s shout stopped everyone in their tracks. He stared at David and said, "We don''t seem to have any beef with your National Tax Bureau, why are you targeting us?" David met his gaze and said, "True, we at the National Tax Bureau don''t have any beef with you, but, orders are orders." "Orders are orders?" Miyano Masho was somewhat baffled. "It''s like this: on the 3rd ofst month, the America Congress passed aw known as the ''ck Tax'' Law..." As David exined the situation step by step, Miyano Masho and the others began to understand some of what was happening, but at the same time, they were left dumbfounded. Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Are You Afraid of Being Deported? ck taxw? So, the purpose of David and hispanion''s visit today is to make them pay taxes? But what kind of joke is that? They''re engaged in car theft, an illegal activity, not some legitimate business. Are they also supposed to pay taxes to the Internal Revenue Service? At this moment, neither Miyano Masho nor any of the other Ind Nation people could ept this logic. It gave them a sense of ''the absurd opening the door to more absurdity until the absurdity isplete''. Because in their country, an official body like the Internal Revenue Service would never deal with criminals in an official capacity. Regardless of what these people were thinking, David continued to speak, "Alright, I''ve stated my purpose foring here. Do you have anything to say?" Miyano Masho''s gaze narrowed into a slit as he said darkly, "What if we don''t pay?" "Don''t pay?" David''s expression turned cold, and he said without any emotion, "Every person here will have their ounts frozen, and any assets of value will be liquidated by us until the owed taxes and penalties are paid in full!" "Furthermore, as a punishment for defiance, we will detain you for trial, and after your sentence, you will be deported and forever barred from setting foot in America!" The IRS''s power is enormous, and these car thieves are Ind Nation people; dealing with them is simply too easy. Not to mention freezing and liquidating their assets, just the threat of deportation was enough to unsettle them. After all, they hade here with great difficulty, simply wishing to seek their fortune and survive on thisnd of capital. As expected. Upon hearing that not only would their ounts be frozen but they would also be detained and deported, many of the Ind Nation people present panicked. Among these people, many had families to support. From the tone of David''s voice, it was clear that if they were indeed deported, it wouldn''t just be targeting individuals; whole families would suffer the same fate. No one wanted to return to the Ind Nation with their tails between their legs after having taken root in this city. Faced with such a threat, Miyano Masho was seething with anger, but he still suppressed it and retorted, "America is a country that respects human rights. Are you sure you can do this?" David was amused by this remark and said sarcastically, "Yes, America does respect human rights, but first, you have to be Americans, second, you must bew-abiding citizens, andstly, you shouldn''t owe the IRS any taxes. Only then can you talk about human rights!" Miyano Masho was already furious, and upon hearing this, he nearly crushed his back teeth together. He, of course, realized that David was mocking them for being just a bunch of Ind Nation people and car thieves who had no right to speak about human rights with the IRS. But after thinking it over, he really had no way to counter. Since ancient times, the word for government is made of two mouth characters. David, acting under the g of the IRS, naturally stood on the moral high ground, bing the side of justice. Meanwhile, their involvement in illegal activities naturally made them the opposite side. Miyano Masho calmed his emotions a bit and gave a look to the leather-d woman beside him. She nodded in understanding and then turned to walk towards the stairway. Finally, he turned to David and said, "Our brothers have crossed oceans toe here, engaging in risky business and hardly making any money after dealing with both ends. Each month there''s hardly anything left. Why don''t you go after Dieter and his likes? They are the ones truly valuable to you!" "You don''t need to divert me here," David retorted. "Dieter is within our Lake District, and we surely won''t let him go, but we won''t let any of you off either!" David was of course aware of who Dieter was¡ªhe was the Dieter of the Omaha Family. This guy was merely trying to gauge the IRS''s stance towards the Omaha Family to find a point of contention. David wasn''t blind to such petty schemes. Miyano Masho was stunned. He had thought that by bringing up Dieter, David would show some trepidation. If that were the case, then he would indeed have grounds to argue. ording to the ck taxw, a person like Dieter would be the most obliged to pay taxes, and yet the IRS wasing after them instead of him, wasn''t that simply bullying the weak and fearing the strong, oppressing the honest folk? It would also serve as a counter-irony towards the IRS. But what Miyano Masho didn''t expect was that David didn''t take Dieter seriously at all and even imed he wouldn''t let him off. This was a level of brazenness that was anything but ordinary! Keep in mind, Dieter was not only influential in the Lake District but also a member of the Omaha Family! What status did the Omaha Family have? They were Native Americans who enjoyed various privileges in Las Vegas and their family had close rtions with mayors, congressmen, and other officials. Could the IRS really touch them? And would they dare to? "Also, you say your brothers are hardly making any money despite risking their lives. Do you think we are that easily fooled?" Miyano Masho was taken aback before responding, "What do you mean?" David pointed at Ono Yutaro, who was still covering his face, and said, "In this past month alone, he has made over 20,000 US Dors inmissions from car theft." "And him!" David pointed at Nakamura Ota and continued, "He also received over 20,000 US Dors inmissions." "And him, him... him..." When David had arrived here, he had already examined all the Ind Nation people present with his golden finger. Let''s not even talk about Nakamura Ota and Ono Yutaro. The rest of the Ind Nation people, through this line of work, made at least 10,000 US Dors a month, with some earning as much as 30,000 or 40,000. Such ie, even in a highly developed country like America, certainly qualified as high earners, nowhere near the pittance Miyano Masho imed they barely scraped together each month. Hearing their ies so clearly enumerated, the Ind Nation people at the scene felt surprised but also a bit more afraid. The more detailed the IRS''s investigation of them, the more it signified that the IRS truly had the power to manipte them at will! And as David just said. The IRS could freely freeze their ounts and assets; now that their ie information had been so precisely investigated, those ounts and assets certainly couldn''t be hidden. If they really went against the IRS head-on, they might all end up like fish on the chopping board. Unconcerned with what these people were thinking, David continued, "Look, every one of you has earned a fortune on thisnd, and now it''s just about paying some taxes. What''s there to be unwilling about?" Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Bribery "For those of you making over 9,726 US dors and less than 37,650 US dors, you only need to pay a tax rate of 15%, which isn''t too excessive, is it?" "We''re not preventing you from making a living, but in America, everything must be done ording to ourws!" Upon hearing the 15% tax rate, the people from the Ind Nation calcted carefully. In other words, for every ten thousand they earned, they would have to pay a tax of 1,500 US dors, for twenty thousand it would be 3,000 US dors, and for thirty thousand, 4,500 US dors... Overall, this amount of money was indeed not unbearable, but still, they felt a bit of pain and reluctance to simply hand it over obediently. "What if it exceeds 37,650 US dors?" The one who asked this, Miyano Masho, as the head of the gang, naturally had an ie iparable to his underlings. Although he had no immediate ns to pay taxes to the IRS, he still wanted to understand what the tax rates would be at his level. David replied, "For ies over 37,650 US dors and under 91,150 US dors, ording to our IRS tax rates, it''s 25%." "For ies over 91,150 US dors but under 190,150 US dors, it''s 28%." "For ies over 190,150 but under 413,350, it''s 33%." "For ies over 413,350 US dors, a uniform rate of 39.6% applies..." Miyano Masho''s face immediately darkened. As ie rose, so did the tax rates in a steep climb. That meant for his level of ie, the tax rate would be 33%. This was more than double his subordinates'' rate. Moreover, ording to the enforcement regtions of the ck Tax Law, this wasn''t just a one-time deal. Once he was recorded in the IRS system, he would have to pay taxes honestly every month from then on, unless he kicked the bucket or truly had no ie. But no matter how you looked at it, wasn''t this all just a massive grudge to bear? Miyano Masho, who was originally not keen onpromising, became even more determined in his thinking after hearing such high tax rates. "Bang bang bang..." Just as the atmosphere at the scene had be slightly calmer, a series of knocks suddenly came from outside the door. Miyano Masho''s eyes lit up, and he signaled to one of his underlings, "Ogawa, open the door!" As the underling took out a remote control and pressed it, the iron shutter door that had been pulled down began to rise slowly. Soon, everyone noticed that there were two people in police uniforms standing in front of the door, and behind them, there was a police car parked. [Name: Wade ir.] [upation: Officer at the Las Vegas Lake District Sub-bureau Branch.] [Monthly Ie: 6,936 US dors.] [Monthly Illicit Ie: 7,000 US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 3rd, earned 1,000 US dors by sheltering a group of robbers. On December 9th, obtained 800 US dors by erasing a criminal''s record. On December 22nd, gained benefits of 1,500 US dors by protecting a car theft gang in the Lake District.] [Further Details: ¡­] [Taxes Due: 700 US dors,] ¡­ [Name: Balk Descott.] [upation: Officer at the Lake District of Las Vegas.] [Monthly Ie: $7,102 USD.] [Illicit Monthly Ie: $7,000 USD.] [Ie Details: On December 3, protected a gang of robbers to profit by $1,000. On December 9, erased a criminal''s record to profit by $800. On December 22, sheltered a Lake District car theft ring to benefit by $1,500.] [More Details: ¡­] [Tax Due: $700 USD.] "These two corrupt officers, they must be the subordinates of that Chief Smith who Ono Yutaro mentioned before!" David was sizing up the personal information that appeared above the two men''s heads. Meanwhile, Miyano Masho, who had been hoping for something better, seemed a bit displeased when he saw the two officers and said, "Officers Wade, Balk, where is Chief Smith?" "The Chief is busy with official duties, that''s why he sent us to handle this!" The two officers nced at the scene and then at David and Nisen standing in the middle, furrowing their brows slightly. The so-called "official duties" keeping Chief Smith busy were nothing but an excuse, of course, as in reality, he knew how troublesome the tax bureau could be and didn''t want to face it personally. And they certainly didn''t want to deal with the auditors either. Those inspectors wielded incredible power; they wouldn''t just go after people but even dogs passing by with any tax issues would get bitten. While they were police officers, they would prefer to keep a respectful distance where possible. But today, they had no choice. Firstly, their boss, Chief Smith, didn''t want to show up himself and had delegated the task to them. Secondly, they had indeed epted a good amount of protection money from this group of people from the Ind Nation, and if they didn''t show up this time, why would the others be willing to pay next time? They truly couldn''t avoid it! Wade and Balk pushed through the crowd, pulling Miyano Masho aside to ask, "What''s the situation now?" "These two tax bureau guys said we must pay taxes, or they''ll freeze all our ounts and assets and then deport us!" Miyano Masho was slightly angered and his tone carried a hint of grievance. Wade and Balk didn''t find his words exaggerated or surprising; the tax bureau indeed had the power to do all that, and such forceful and tyrannical actions were consistent with their usual style. Wade asked, "So what do you want us to do about it?" Miyano Masho didn''t hesitate and said, "I don''t want them to trouble me and, of course, I don''t want to pay taxes!" Hearing this, the two officers were speechless. To avoid hassle from the tax bureau, the best choice was naturally to pay taxes promptly. But if you didn''t want to be troubled and also didn''t want to pay taxes, then not just them, two low-ranking officers, even if their boss came, he might not be able to settle the matter. "I know this is a difficult situation for you," Miyano Masho said, "but if you help me resolve it, I''m willing to pay double the protection money every month!" He was indeed making a considerable offer to persuade them to sort out the matter for him. Of course, his so-called considerable offer was nothingpared to the taxes he would have to pay to the government every month. Double the protection money was tempting to both Wade and Balk. After pondering for a moment, Wade said, "Here''s the deal, I''ll go talk to those two inspectors, and perhaps... we can bring them into the fold. But you know, tax bureau inspectors have a lot of power and tend to be quite arrogant. If we really want to get this sorted, it might cost a fair bit..." Miyano Masho was somewhat interested and asked, "Are you confident?" He had thought about bribing David and Nisen, but David had been too imposing just now, and he couldn''t figure out what kind of person this inspector was. Acting rashly like that might lead the other party to think he was insulting them and could potentially add a charge of bribery to his troubles, which would be a loss far outweighing any benefit. But if Wade was the one to talk, that could be different. Chapter 23: Chapter 23: What a Grand Gesture The police station and the Tax Bureau both belong to America''sw enforcement agencies. Both sides would naturally try to show some respect to each other, which also makes reaching a deal more likely. "Confident we are not, but I think, money, as long as one is normal, they should like it!" "Fine, then go ahead and negotiate with him!" Miyano Masho gritted his teeth as he said this, while his heart continually bled. All he hoped was that the Tax Bureau wouldn''t be too greedy! Having received the go-ahead, Wade no longer said much and approached David and hispanion with a friendly expression, extending a hand: "You''re with the Tax Bureau, right? I''m an officer with the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch in Las Vegas, my name is Wade, and this is my partner Balk." "I''m David, and this is my partner, Nisen!" Although David knew that the other was a corrupt officer, as the saying goes, a smiling face is hard to punch. He also shook hands with the other party amicably. "Talk over there for a bit?" "Sure." The four men went to a tea table inside the factory and took their seats. Wade skillfully poured a cup of tea for David and Nisen and began slowly, "David, Nisen, I have no intention of interfering with the Tax Bureau''s enforcement, but I think... there might be a misunderstanding with this matter..." As David heard these words, his eyes narrowed slightly, but he wasn''t very surprised. Although he hadn''t heard the conversation between the other party and Miyano Masho, given that they had epted protection money, it was natural they wouldn''t just stand by idly. Now these words, though spoken quite diplomatically, were clear to both David and Nisen as having the intention for them to back off. David pretended to misunderstand and responded, "Misunderstanding... what do you mean?" Wade took a sip of tea and borated, "The Japanese nationals here in Las Vegas don''t have it easy earning their keep, and they generally cooperate with our police. They''re like half-decent citizens. So, my thought is, this matter might be something we can talk over, and they are willing to pay a certain price..." David was amused by these words. A gang of car thieves now counted as half-decent citizens? So any criminal who pays you protection money gets to enjoy the privileges of good citizens? "Price? What price are they willing to pay?" This time Nisen was the one asking. Wade turned to look at Nisen and prefaced, "Let me just say, I''m only the messenger. The rest has nothing to do with me!" After all, not knowing the temperaments and limits of the two men before him, it seemed best to first clear his own name. He didn''t want to give them any handle to grab. "Let''s hear it then." "Here''s the thing, they say they''re willing to pay 30,000 US Dors, would that be enough for you to let them off the hook?" Having said this, Wade fixed his gaze on David and Nisen, wanting to see any change in their expressions. But he quickly realized that while Nisen seemed somewhat surprised at the mention of 30,000 US dors, David only showed a hint of a yful smile, with no sign of being enticed. Wade''s brow furrowed slightly as he continued, "They can also ept 50,000 if necessary!" He had thought this amount would tempt them, but though there was a spark of interest in Nisen''s eyes, David remained unmoved, deepening the concern in Wade''s expression. From the information received previously and the current conversation, he had ascertained that among the representatives from the Tax Bureau, David was the decisive one. If he couldn''t handle him, this problem likely wouldn''t be resolved! "Final offer, 100,000, that''s the highest limit they can ept!" This was certainly not the highest limit Miyano Masho was willing to offer, but Wade wanted to see just how much David really wanted. Or perhaps¡­ he didn''t want anything at all! "Tsk, tsk¡­ one hundred thousand, that''s no small sum!" To be honest, if it were before he had the "golden finger," David might have truly been tempted. After all, we are talking about one hundred thousand US dors, not a small amount! But now, with the golden finger in his possession, as long as he didn''t make any major mistakes or let others catch him at fault, his rise to the top was clearly in sight. Compared to that, the one hundred thousand dors was not even worth mentioning. Moreover, taking this money would mean giving the people from the Ind Nation and the likes of Wade and Balk here leverage over him. He was intent on climbing higher and naturally couldn''t afford to leave behind such vulnerability. Wade detected a hint of sarcasm in David''s words, but still tentatively asked, "So, what does Inspector David suggest?" "Officer Wade, are you aware that openly bribing an inspector of our country''s tax bureau can result in a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, ording to our taxws?" You should know that even for a murder charge, in the United States it only starts at ten years. But bribing a tax inspector starts at a minimum of twenty years, which says a lot about how strictly the constitution entrusts the tax bureau. Wade was instantly dumbfounded. Are there really people in this world who don''t like money? That''s one hundred thousand dors! The two of you probably couldn''t earn that in half a year''s work! However, Wade quickly regained hisposure, and his expression darkened. Openly bribing? Are there other people at the scene? If you don''t want it, just say so, why the hell are you trying to scare me! Although he was very annoyed, he still dared not confront David and could only exin, "I told you before, I was just passing the message on their behalf, where is there any bribery!" "Alright, Officer Wade, since you im you are just passing messages, I will not pursue this matter with you¡­" Upon hearing this, Wade felt somewhat helpless. He had realized that David really was an unusual case, with no interest in money at all! If that''s the case, he didn''t have many good options to help these people from the Ind Nation! Just when Wade was about to stand up and report the conversation to Miyano Masho, David''s voice sounded again: "However, we will have to pursue other matters!" Wade stopped in his tracks, perplexed, and asked, "What do you mean? What is it that you need to pursue us for?" "I know that your rtionship with this group from the Ind Nation is not ordinary, and we have also found out that every month they pay you a certain amount for protection. Previously, our tax bureau didn''t handle such matters, but as you know, the new ck Tax Bill hase into effect, so¡­" Originally, David had every intention of dealing with Chief Smith, but since that guy hadn''t shown up, he decided to start with his two underlings first, serving as a warning to others. Wade was no fool and clearly understood the implications, bing instantly furious in his rebuttal, "Inspector David, I respect your tax bureau, but don''t think I''m easy to push around by ndering me like this!" "Inspector David, we''ve never taken any protection fees. Don''t think your tax bureau can nder the police just because you have authority!" Balk, who was seated nearby, could no longer stay silent. They hade here today, and now, not only had they gained nothing, but he was also implicated? This was absolutely unreasonable! Chapter 24: Chapter 24: No Choice but to Pay Taxes However, what he said was quite clever, directly pulling out the "police" as a big banner. He refused to believe that David was truly determined to oppose the entire police force! Nor did he believe the National Tax Bureau had evidence of their eptance of protection fees! "I''m ndering you?" David smiled and said, "On December 3rd, at Caesar Shopping Center, you profited 1,000 US dors by protecting a group of robbers." "On December 9th, within your station branch, you cleared several individuals of illegal firearms possession records, making a profit of 800 US dors, and on December 22nd, you received a protection fee of 1,500 US dors from this current group of car thieves." "..." "Do I have that right?" "Or is this also nder on my part?" After hearing these words, both Wade and Balk initially revealed shock on their faces; then gradually, their expressions turned into sheer terror. After a moment, the two turned to look at each other, their eyes meeting, reflecting their inner fear and unease. They simply couldn''t understand how David knew so much about their eptance of bribes. Even more outrageous was the fact that, over the past month, almost every payment, even down to the exact amount of money involved, was known in such detail. Could it be... the National Tax Bureau had been secretly investigating them all along? But how could that be possible! The ck Tax Act had only just been passed; the focus of the National Tax Bureau should be on targeting those criminals, not their police station! "We don''t want to target your police force, but since the ck Tax Act has passed Congress, it is now thew of thend, and we mustply with and uphold it. Therefore, this action is only aimed at the issue, not the person, and we hope you can understand!" Before the two could recover from their shock, David imposed another round of ''righteous pressure''. "Inspector David, I don''t know where you got this information from, but what you''re saying could potentially create opposition between your National Tax Bureau and our police force. I hope you will think thrice!" At this point, Wade had no better options. All he could do was to evoke the police force, hoping David would not escte the situation. "As I''ve said before, the ck Tax Act is thew, and any illegal ie notplying with the taxation provisions of the ck Tax Act is uwful. It doesn''t matter if it''s your police station. Even if it were the FBI, the Department of Homnd Security, or even the CIA here, it would all be the same!" Hearing David throw thew in his face as a means of suppression, Wade''s anger intensified as he retorted, "So what you''re saying is, you want to arrest the two of us?" "Not just the two of you, perhaps¡­ we might also have a talk with your Chief Smith!" "Chief Smith..." Once again, Wade and Balk were stunned. Could it be... the National Tax Bureau had not only investigated the two of them, but Chief Smith as well? If that were the case, things would be troublesome¡­ If their chief were implicated, it would involve many more people. Should such a significantmotion be picked up by the media, even the slightest hint could lead to the entire Lake District Police Station Branch facing public scorn. "Alright, it''s gettingte!" David looked at his watch and said, "I expect these car thieves to bring the money to our branch tomorrow and pay the taxes owed." "As for you¡­ out of respect for the police force, we will give you time to carefully consider!" "However, I hope this matter can be resolved peacefully. I don''t want any conflicts with your police force!" As for those criminals, David could be utterly merciless, but with these police officers, to avoid creating a bacsh, he could not press too hard. After all, the police force is an indispensable entity in any city. And sometimes, to bring in tax revenue from criminals, the National Tax Bureau also requires some cooperation from the police force. Watching David and Nisen leave, Wade angrily smashed his teacup to pieces and cursed, "Look at their arrogance, thinking they can do whatever they want with the ck Tax Act in hand!" "ording to the provisions of the ck Tax Act, as long as there is any illegally obtained ie, the National Tax Bureau has the authority to take action against anyone, even the President. We really can''t resist or refute that..." Balk was angry, of course, but even more so, he felt helpless. The National Tax Bureau was already powerful, and now with the ck Tax Act having passed Congress, it''s like they''ve been handed a powerful sword. Even if this issue blew up, it would ultimately be the police that suffered. Firstly, their eptance of bribes was indeed a fact. Secondly, it''s well known that without the National Tax Bureau''s tax collection, who would provide social welfare? Who would pay for the construction of cities, facilities, public transportation? Who would pay to maintain the navy fleets, the army that protects our homes and defends our country? When the police force shes with other departments, the public is likely to support the police because without it, there would be chaos and no public order. But if there''s a conflict with the National Tax Bureau, don''t even think about it, the public will definitely support the National Tax Bureau without hesitation. After all, as important as the police department is, it doesn''t distribute money to the public. But the National Tax Bureau does indeed give out money. As to what''s more important, any citizen would make their choice. Unsatisfied, Wade nced at Balk and said, "So what you''re saying is, we should just surrender meekly?" "Of course not, we should let Chief Smith handle this matter. If he decides topromise, then anything more we say is useless," Balk suggested. Hearing this, Wade fell silent. And at that moment, Miyano Masho and others also approached. Although Miyano had not heard the contents of the conversation between the two parties, from the expressions on Wade Balk''s faces and Wade''s angry teacup-smashing action earlier, he knew it couldn''t be good news. He braced himself and asked, "How did it go, Wade, Balk?" Balk replied, "Miyano, we''ve done everything we could. Take your men to the National Tax Bureau tomorrow and pay the taxes you owe!" "What!" Even with his expectations set, Miyano Masho was still somewhat angry and unwilling to ept it as he inquired, "Is there really no other way? If it''s a matter of money, I can ept even 200,000 or 300,000 dors!" "This isn''t about money at all. Miyano, as your friend, let me warn you, you can''t afford to mess with the National Tax Bureau. If you want to survive here, it''s best to do as they say!" "But..." "Alright, it''s time to go!" Balk didn''t give Miyano another chance to speak. It''s not just about others now; their own situation was dire, and they couldn''t afford to worry about anyone else. Chapter 25: Chapter 25: The Car Thieves Are Here ``` Late at night, in a coffee shop not far from the Lake District Police Station Branch. A white male sat in the corner of the coffee shop. His cheeks were gaunt, his cheekbones prominent, giving him a shrewd and tough impression. His gaze, focused and profound, seemed absorbed in pondering some important matter. When the waiter brought his coffee, he ceased his thoughtful motions, gently stirring the beverage and savoring the rich fragrance and vor, his expression gaining a touch of tranquility. After about seven or eight minutes, two people entered the caf¨¦¡ªit was none other than Wade and Balk,ing from the repair shop. "Chief Smith..." "Let''s hear it!" "Yes..." Wade organized his thoughts and briefly ryed the recent events. After finishing, he stood to one side, daring not to take a deep breath. Having heard the tale, Smith''s gaze slowly darkened. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Are you saying that Inspector David, knows like the back of his hand, every single transaction you''ve received in the past month?" "Yes, I suspect that the IRS has already started a covert investigation on us, or they wouldn''t have such detailed information!" "Impossible!" Without even thinking, Smith immediately dismissed the idea. As someone at the level of a police chief, he naturally had his own connections. If the IRS were really about to move against them, it was impossible that he hadn''t caught wind of it. After all, if the IRS really wanted to investigate them, they couldn''t have gathered so much information in just a day or two. Wade clenched his teeth and said, "But Chief Smith, he has such detailed information about us..." "That just means he did his own research, unrted to the IRS!" Smith interjected sharply before Wade could finish. "His own research..." Wade Balk was taken aback. If it were as Smith said, then they could breathe a sigh of relief. The IRS was like a massive weight, leaving them gasping for air. But if the IRS had no intention of taking action against them and all the information came from David''s own investigation, that would be much easier to handle. But then again. Without the vast resources of the IRS, how did David manage to investigate and obtain such detailed information about them? This was something the two of them could not fathom. Smith sipped his coffee and continued to inquire, "What else did he say?" "He also said that we must pay the taxes, or he''ll personallye talk to you..." "Toe talk to me, he''s got nerve!" Smith, already with a cold demeanor, seemed to grow even more ice-cold upon hearing this. "So what do we do, Chief Smith?" After another period of thought, Smith finally responded, "You don''t have to worry about this matter for now; I''ll handle it!" Wade and Balk exchanged looks but said nothing further. After all, David gave them a break and, unlike the car thieves, did not demand they pay taxes by tomorrow, so there was no need to rush. ... The next morning. Since the case involving the car thieves had taken him to deal with it the night before, David arrived bright and early at the office to clock in. And when he got there, Nisen had already arrived much earlier, even offering him a hot dog from the old town with eager diligence. ``` To be honest, although the Encar robbery case was perfectly solved, David still harbored some resentment towards it. After all, even though they were partners, they could also bepetitors. Especially since Lewis was about to be transferred soon. But after the robbery case, the Zero Purchase case, andst night''s car theft, he hade to terms with it. With David''s outstanding abilities, he knew he just couldn''t match up. This was clear to many people at the office, and their boss, Lewis, was even more aware of it. When the time came and Lewis was transferred, the likelihood was that David would be the one rmended. Therefore, it was better for him to just y the role of a good partner. By sticking with the partner system, not only could he share in the credit for solving cases, but once David got promoted, based on their rtionship, he would inevitably help him out as well. With the added credit from the cases they solved, the position of Chief Tax Officer would be his before long, it was just a matter of sooner orter! This morning, the third-floor Inspector''s office space was still bustling, with people forced toe in to pay taxes, and criminals just brought in for interrogation. Overall, all the Inspectors were working as hard as they could, hoping to improve their performance figures before the assessment period arrived tomorrow. However, David and Nisen seemed out of sync with the atmosphere on the scene. While the other Inspectors were working themselves to the bone, these two were different: one was ying solitaire on theputer, and the other was leisurely sipping coffee. In other words, they were cking off! Soon, someone who couldn''t stand it any longer came over. Bucky, who had just dealt with some criminals, came over and asked puzzled, "David, didn''t Lewis give you the car theft gang case yesterday?" "Yeah," David replied without looking up from his card game. "Then you''re still so... leisurely." "Just killing time, the taxes won''t run away!" "The taxes won''t run away, but if you don''t go collect them, do you think people wille forward to pay on their own?" Bucky muttered to himself, about to go back to his business, when he saw a group of peopleing down the corridor, led by Debbie. The car theft gang, including their boss Miyano Masho, consisted of more than twenty people. Though not as many as the Zero Purchase Participants from yesterday, they still made quite an imposing sight. Such a scene quickly drew the attention of many Inspectors, who all stopped what they were doing, curious to see whose ''masterpiece'' it was. But soon, they showed expressions of surprise. Because the direction the group was heading in was towards David''s office. Could it be... After yesterday''s Zero Purchase case, had David solved another case? But how was that possible! It had only been one night, you can''t travel that fast even by ne! Many Inspectors on the scene began to question their life choices. They all stopped what they were doing and slowly moved towards David, wanting to figure out if things were as they suspected. "Inspector David, they say they''re looking for you!" Receptionist Debbie had alreadye to David''s side, pointing at Miyano Masho and the others behind her. "Alright, Debbie, leave it to me to handle!" David turned to look at Miyano Masho with interest and asked, "So, Mr. Miyano?" Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Totaling over sixty US dollars (Please follow) Miyano Masho frowned, but still said, "I''ve checked, and ording to your ck Tax Act, as long as we pay taxes, your National Tax Bureau is responsible for protecting our identities and secrets, even the FBI has no right to ess them, right?" David smiled and replied, "Of course, once you''ve paid your taxes, we won''t disclose anything about you, not just to the FBI, even if the President were to ask, we''d still say ''noment''!" Miyano Masho was of course extremely reluctant to pay such arge amount of taxes, but hearing this did provide him with some constion. "I''ve also found out that people who contribute to your ck Tax Act get a certain tax reduction, right?" David first nced at Miyano Masho, then at his cohorts behind him, and replied, "There is such a regtion, but from what I see, all your people are here, and that doesn''t count as making a contribution." "I''m not talking about my people." David became somewhat interested and asked, "What do you mean then?" "In the Lake District, there are more than just our group involved in theft, I know another group that specifically targets tourists'' possessions!" "Oh? Who are they?" "Bangguo People!" Paying such arge amount of taxes, Miyano Masho was, of course, feeling very disgruntled. But what made him feel most aggrieved was that, as far as he knew, another gang doing the same business had not yet been approached by the National Tax Bureau. And that gang consisted of Bangguo People. The two groups had arrived in Las Vegas at almost the same time, and they had fought over territories and interests for a long time. Several lives had been lost due to the conflicts, and finally, under Smith''s mediation, things had calmed down. Afterward, Smith set boundaries for the two groups. They, the Ind Nation people, could only target tourists'' vehicles. While the Bangguo People group was restricted to targeting tourists'' belongings. Now that his Ind Nation group had been approached by the National Tax Bureau, he naturally couldn''t bear to see the Bangguo People still roaming free! "Bangguo People..." After pondering for a moment, David said, "Prepare detailed information for me. If it''s useful, starting next month, you will receive a tax reduction!" As for the Bangguo People group, David was not sure if the bureau''s intelligence division had already investigated them. He would need to verify this with Lewis. Miyano Masho nodded, then waved at his subordinates behind him, and a ck fabric bag was brought forward. "Here is my seventy-six thousand four hundred and forty US dors, count it and see if it''s correct!" ... Watching the conversation between Miyano Masho and David as well as the bundles of cash now appearing, the inspectors gathered around, each with wide eyes. It seemed their guess was right, David had indeed cracked another case. And with over seventy thousand US dors revealed, plus the crowd of people behind, it was foreseeable that this was definitely no small sum! At that moment, everyone was not only puzzled but also filled with immense envy. On the fourth floor, in Lewis''s office. Because the assessment period was imminent, Lewis was exceptionally busy, constantly dealing with various forms rted to the team. Just then, the phone on his desk rang. He picked it up with some impatience, "What is it?" "Chief Tax Officer, Inspector David..." "What!" When Lewis heard that another big group hade to pay taxes, he was dumbfounded and incredulous. No way, the car theft case had just been assigned to David the day before, how could it be solved today? He had never dealt with that gang of car thieves, but could they really be that easy to negotiate with? Impossible! These criminals were sly and difficult, one after another. Even if they knew about the might of the National Tax Bureau, getting them to honestly pay taxes was akin to cutting their own flesh; they wouldn''t hand it over so easily. Moreover, they were Ind Nation people! The National Tax Bureau''s deterrent effect on them was far less than that on the zero down payment group of old ck. First, there was the Encar Casino loan case, then the zero down payment case, and now, this car theft case. This young man, how was he doing it? Lewis felt like he could no longer see through David. "After work is over, have hime to my office!" ... The car theft gang had only about twenty people, and under the operations of David and Nisen, in just over an hour, all the individuals'' files had been registered, and all the tax receipts had been issued. David picked up the calctor, added the amounts together and said to Nisen, "I have ny-two thousand two hundred and sixty US dors on my side." Afterpleting his calctions, Nisen also replied, "I have thirty-three thousand six hundred and eighty-nine US dors." "Together... that makes one hundred and twenty-five thousand nine hundred and forty-nine US dors!" Despite anticipating it, the inspectors, who were all ears, still felt a shiver in their hearts upon hearing this amount. In the Encar Casino loan case before, David and Nisen had earned three hundred and ny-six thousand US dors in tax achievements. The subsequent zero down payment case added another one hundred and thirty-nine thousand dors. With this current sum of one hundred and twenty-five thousand nine hundred and forty-nine, that made for over six hundred thousand US dors! In one assessment period, ounting for over six hundred thousand US dors, this was not just unprecedented in their own office but even if youbined the tax achievements of therge district and Newtown District Sub-Branch for this assessment period, they probably couldn''t match that! "The figure is correct, then I''ll take it in, David!" As everyone was absorbed in thoughts, Mary, who was overseeing the count, announced with a smile, "All good!" Seeing that David''s work was finished, an inspector who had been observing said, "David, Chief Tax Officer Lewis wants you to drop by his office!" David turned to look at the man, nodded, put away the extra materials back into the drawer, and then headed towards the elevator. Watching David''s retreating figure, the inspector who had called out to him turned his head, spoke suggestively to Bucky, "Bucky, what do you think?" "With such a tax achievement in hand, unless he makes a big mistake, once Lewis''s transfer is confirmed, David has a good chance for that position!" Bucky''s expression wasced with both envy and a tinge of disappointment. Before the ck Tax Act was enacted. If you were to ask who in the team was most likely to seed Chief Tax Officer Lewis, it would naturally be Bucky and Nisen. Besides being the most senior, they were also the most capable. But with the enactment of the ck Tax Act and David''s recent outstanding achievements, it seemed that prospect was moving further away. There was no way around it, the ck Tax Act was inherently a ruthlesspetition where the capable rise to the top and the ipetent are weeded out. No one else could be med, only their ownck of ability. Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Quan Zhentai of Bangguo People The inspector joked again, "Well, it looks like we need to hurry up and butter up the new boss..." Bucky, "..." ... Over here, after David arrived at Lewis''s office, he immediately began to report on today''s gains. When Lewis heard that another few hundred thousand US dors had been ounted for, the corners of his mouth twitched naturally, eventually transforming into delight. However, after the delight, he could not endure anymore and started to subtly probe David, wanting to know how David kept solving these cases repeatedly. Of course, David couldn''t say it was the assistance of the golden finger, so he justughed it off and yed dumb. In short, the underlying message was four words - refusal to answer! Seeing David''s reluctant stance, Lewis had no choice but to refrain from pressing too hard, merelyplimenting him a few times before preparing to let him go. Just as he was about to leave, David seemed to remember something and asked, "By the way, Chief Tax Officer, ording to the car theft gang, there is another gang from Bangguo in the Lake District. They are also involved in theft. Do we have any information on them at the office?" Lewis pondered for a moment and replied, "I haven''t heard of them. If you want to investigate, then go ahead. The assessment period starts tomorrow, and I don''t have time to arrange cases for you at the moment." "Understood!" ... Upon returning to the third floor office, David discovered that there was a set of documents alreadyid out on the desk. He found out from his colleagues that it was sent by Miyano Masho''s group. Without further thought, he opened and began to review it. In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed, and David hade to understand some information about the Bangguo gang. The gang was not small, consisting of about twenty people. Their leader was a man named Quan Zhentai. Just like Miyano Masho''s group, this gang also specialized in targeting tourists. And ording to the documents, because they dealt in items that were easier to sell and valuable to tourists, their overall ie was even slightly higher than that of the Ind Nation people. David stood up and said to Nisen, who was not far away, "I''ll be leaving first. Tonight at 8 PM, let''s meet up with these Bangguo people!" "Tonight?" Nisen was momentarily stunned; he did not expect David to be as decisive as ever, but still replied, "Okay, see you then!" The assessment period was tomorrow. Although their ounts had already amassed more than six hundred thousand dors in tax achievements, who would everin about having too much of that? If tonight''s operation against the Bangguo people went well, then by the time of tomorrow''s assessment, they would have at least another few hundred thousand US dors added to their tax sess. Then no doubt it would be even more impressive! ... Night, where a bright moon hung high. Senaco Street, this quiet and deserted road, was one of the least popted streets in the Lake District of Las Vegas, with few pedestrians and old trees stretching their lush branches on either side, casting mottled shadows on the sidewalk under the moonlight. Most of the shops on the street were closed, with only the asional few still open, emitting a faint glow. The reason was simple: this street was known for poor public safety, attracting all kinds of riffraff. Come nightfall, robberies and other criminal incidents would frequently ur. Over time, this resulted in the current state of the street. However, at the end of the street, a tavern named "Bangguo People" was brightly lit, with Asian facesing in and out from time to time. "Is this the ce?" Outside the tavern, a ck Volvo was parked, with David and Nisen sitting inside. "ording to the information from Miyano, this is it. They use an auto repair shop as a front, and a tavern as another front, quite interesting!" While saying this, David got out of the car and strode confidently towards the tavern. And Nisen didn''t dare ck off, immediately following suit. The pub''s interior had an ancient charm, with dim yellow lighting flowing over the wooden furniture, enveloping the space in an atmosphere of warmth and nostalgia. The bar was adorned with various aged spirits, and the sparkling crystal sses shimmered enticingly under the light. Behind the bar, a server was silently polishing sses, but upon seeing Nisen and David enter, he couldn''t help but size them up. [Name: Jin Guangyao.] [upation: Thief.] [Monthly Ie: 29,800 US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 3rd, stole 30,000 US dors from a tourist in room 1208 of Horseshoe Bay Hotel and earned a share of 3,000 US dors. On December 9th, at the Begio Hotel, stole a Rolex from a tourist and profited 2,000 US dors¡­] [More Details: ¡­] [Tax Payable: 2,980 US dors.] ¡­ [Name: Sun Zhunyi.] [upation: Thief.] [Monthly Ie: 30,100 US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 5th, at Crystal Shopping Street, pickpocketed a tourist''s wallet and received a bonus of 1,000 US dors. On December 8th, at Crystal Shopping Street, pickpocketed another tourist''s wallet and profited 1,500 US dors¡­] [More Details: ¡­] [Tax Payable: 3,010 US dors.] ¡­ [Name: Park Jungying.] [upation: Thief.] [Monthly Ie: 32,230 US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 9th, at Kaser Bar, stole a gold ne and wallet from an inebriated tourist, profiting 5,000 US dors. On December 13th, at Dove Tavern, drugged a tourist and stole 2,000 US dors¡­] [More Details: ¡­] [Tax Payable: 3,023 US dors.] ¡­ [¡­] After scanning the server named Jin Guangyao with his "golden finger," David scanned the other people in the pub. It turned out that Miyano Masho''s information was indeed urate. This pub was the headquarters of those Bangguo People, and most of the people here, their true identities were thieves, with only a very small part being clueless individuals genuinely here to have a drink. However, to be fair, these people were much more interesting than Miyano Masho''s group from the Ind Nation. Likened to Miyano Masho''s group, they mostly dealt with car thefts. But this bunch did home burries, had some who doubled as pickpockets on the streets, and even utilized seduction to inebriate targets for theft. In short, they employed a multifarious array of theft methods, making them incredibly hard to guard against. But, it must be said, from David''s observations, this group''sbined ie was indeed much higher than that group of Ind Nation people. The Ind Nation bunch had several members earning less than ten thousand US dors monthly, whereas the current group all had a baseline ie above twenty thousand US dors. Seeing but a fraction of their operations, one could believe that their leader named Quan Zhentai must also be raking in an even more lucrative ie! "Friend, would you like something to drink?" At that moment, the server named Jin Guangyao behind the bar spoke up. Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Youre Not Here to Drink (Please Follow) David walked over and took a seat on the high stool at the bar, responding indifferently, "Whiskey." Jin Guangyao turned to Nisen and asked, "And what about you, friend?" "Tequ, easy on the ice." Though Jin Guangyao''s true identity was that of a thief, his bartending skills were actually quite decent, dazzling with an array of impressive moves. Soon, the whiskey and tequ, heavy with the scent of alcohol, were served up. David took a light sip and praised, "Not bad at all, with skills like these, if you fullymitted yourself, I believe the ie they could bring you might not be any less than your other ''profession''!" The previously calm Jin Guangyao''s expression changed instantly upon hearing this, and he asked with a frown, "Friend, what do you mean by that?" David put his ss down and said expressionlessly, "It means nothing, I want to meet your boss, Quan Zhentai." Jin Guangyao''s gaze sharpened as he replied, "You''re not here to drink!" With that, he turned off the music in the bar and made a gesture towards his scattered aplices, before addressing the genuine patrons, "Sorry everyone, my establishment is closing early today, I''ll treat you another day!" The customers who hade to drink showed understanding and soon began to leave. Before long, the bar was left with only David, Nisen, and this Bangguo gang of thieves. "Who exactly are you?" The group stared intently at David and Nisen, looking like they might resort to violence at the slightest disagreement. David didn''t answer immediately. Instead, he lightly lifted his jacket at the waist to reveal the gun holstered beneath. Only then did he say, "I told you, I want to see your boss, Quan Zhentai!" Upon seeing this, the Bangguo people furrowed their brows slightly. In America, almost no one is unfamiliar with firearms. And many among them noticed that the gun holstered on David''s waist was a Glock 19 model. This type of gun is not avable in regr gun stores. Because it is the standard issue for police departments, the FBI, and otherw enforcement agencies. That is to say, the two men before them were either policemen or FBI agents, or perhaps from some otherw enforcement agency! Facing government officials, and specifically being asked for their boss by name, the unable-to-cope Jin Guangyao immediately picked up the phone and dialed a number, "Brother Tai, there''s a bit of a situation at the bar. ''Official'' folks are asking to see you." About 15 minutes passed. An SUV pulled up in front of the bar, the door opened, and an Asian man with sses, looking somewhat refined, stepped inside. "Brother Tai." "Brother Tai..." "..." With his arrival, the gathered Bangguo people greeted him one after another. Meanwhile, David utilized the Golden Finger''s function and began ''scanning'' Quan Zhentai. [Name: Quan Zhentai.] [upation: Gang Leader.] [Monthly Ie: 348,000 US dors.] [Ie Details: December 3rd, profit of 20,000 US dors from the share of theft carried out by his subordinates, December 4th, profit of 18,000 US dors from the share of theft carried out by his subordinates, December 5th¡­] [More Details: ¡­] [Owed Taxes: 111,920 US dors.] "Indeed..." David had already deduced that Quan Zhentai''s illegal ie must be more than Miyano Masho''s had been before. Now, it seemed that this was indeed the case. It was a full seventy-two thousand US dors more than Miyano Masho. "Brothers, where have we offended you to warrant such a grand gesture as your visit?" Quan Zhentai''s English was very good, andpletely devoid of a Bangguo ent. Combined with his schrly appearance, anyone unaware of his identity would never believe he was the leader of a gang of thieves. "Don''t misunderstand. We have no previous quarrel." As he spoke, David produced his tax badge and exined, "We are inspectors from the National Tax Bureau. Here''s the thing, on the 3rd ofst month..." The Bangguo people present were initially astounded to hear that it was individuals from the National Tax Bureau. But as the conversation continued, they were utterly dumbfounded. From now on, whether engaging in smuggling, fraud, robbery, drug trafficking, or their current thievery, they were all to uniformly pay taxes to the National Tax Bureau? How could this be so outrageous? Such conduct, akin to a mafia collecting protection money, could really be performed by an official government institution? The Bangguo people simply couldn''tprehend it. Quan Zhentai felt the same. In a probing tone, he asked, "You im to be from the National Tax Bureau, do you have identification?" He still couldn''t believe that an official institution could implement such a policy. Moreover, as someone in his line of work, he was naturally very suspicious. With the myriad of scams out there, he was also afraid that David and Nisen were just there to deceive him. "You needn''t doubt us. If you don''t believe us, you can check the National Tax Bureau''s official website on your phone, the ck Tariff Bill is right there on the homepage." "Moreover, as long as you agree to pay taxes, you cane to our National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch tomorrow for filing, which can''t be faked." Hearing this, no one doubted David''s identity any longer. However, the money they''d earned through back-breaking efforts had been hard enough to part with when they had to pay protection fees to Smith every month. Now with the National Tax Bureau also wanting a slice of the pie, how could they agree to this? After pondering for a moment, Quan Zhentai offered a forced smile and said, "Inspector, my bar has all the necessary documents, and I''ve also been paying the full amount of taxes every month, so I don''t really see how this ck Tariff Bill rtes to me!" He knew that if the National Tax Bureau had approached him, they must have be aware of the illicit activities he was secretly involved in. But America was a nation that valued human rights. As long as there was no sufficient evidence, he had nothing to fear! David stood up from his stool, his gaze piercing as he stared at Quan Zhentai and said, "Quan Zhentai, do you think the National Tax Bureau woulde looking for you without being aware of your details?" Quan Zhentai spread his hands in a gesture of innocence and replied, "Inspector, I really don''t understand. And all these brothers of mine, though they may be unemployed, arew-abiding good citizens!" "Is that so?" David chuckled and pointing at Jin Guangyao, he said, "On the 3rd ofst month, your brother here, in room 1208 at Horseshoe Bay, stole thirty thousand US dors from a tourist. He profited three thousand dors from the heist, the rest went to you and was shared with other members." "On December 9th, in the Begio Hotel, he stole a Rolex from another tourist, making a profit of two thousand US dors." "There''s more on the 11th..." "..." Hearing how his secrets from the past month had been revealed one by one, the concerned Jin Guangyao''s face changed dramatically. And beside him, Quan Zhentai also lost his look of innocence, reced by a face full of gloom. Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Establishing Authority But before they could think too much, David''s finger pointed to another person in the room and said, "And him!" "On December 5th, on Crystal Shopping Street, he pickpocketed a tourist''s wallet, making a profit of 1,000 US dors." "On December 8th, on Crystal Shopping Street, he pickpocketed a tourist''s wallet, making a profit of 1,500 US dors, on December 11th..." "..." The man who had been named, like Jin Guangyao before him, immediately had a drastic change in expression. However. David showed no sign of stopping; his hand pointed to the woman named Park Jungying and said, "She''s the same." "On December 9th, at Kaser Bar, she stole a gold ne, wallet, and other items by getting a tourist drunk, making a profit of 5,000 US dors." "On December 13th, at Dove Tavern, she stole 2,000 US dors in cash by getting a tourist drunk." "..." After exposing Park Jungying''s dirty secrets, David turned to Quan Zhentai and mockingly said, "Is this what you call a good citizen?" Quan Zhentai''s face darkened, and he had nothing to say. He didn''t know how the other party had managed to investigate his subordinates so thoroughly. But one thing was for certain. Since the other party could investigate his subordinates in such detail, then as their boss, his own background must have been thoroughly checked as well. Could the tax authority be this terrifying! Without any warning, they had managed to get a grip on his whole gang! After some reflection, Quan Zhentai tentatively said, "Inspector, in all of Las Vegas, there are at least eighty, if not a hundred groups involved in illegal activities." "Honestly speaking, our group is not even worth a fart inparison, why bother making things difficult for us?" "How about this, I have some connections with Chief Smith, could you please see his face and let us off the hook?" What was he paying Chief Smith so much protection money for? Naturally, it was to deal with situations like this. In his view, Chief Smith was also a significant figure in the Lake District; it shouldn''t be the case that David would be so unamodating. Hearing this, David and Nisen couldn''t help but look at each other and then both burst outughing. Forget about Smith, what could his police department count for in front of the tax authority? And to expect the tax authority to give face was simplyughable! Moreover, David and Nisen had long ago decided that they would have Chief Smith ''cough up'' some of his ill-gotten gains to the tax authority. Why would they give him face now? David''s smile faded, and he pulled out his mobile phone and passed it to Quan Zhentai. Quan Zhentai was baffled and asked, "What does this mean?" "Didn''t you say you were well acquainted with Chief Smith? Call him, and let''s see if he dares to tell me in person to let you off the hook!" He believed that the incident with the car theft gang yesterday and the matter of the two policemen, Wade Balk, must have reached Smith''s ears by now. Yet, until today, the guy hadn''t dared to as much as fart. Would he dare to intervene in Quan Zhentai''s case? David really didn''t think so. "This..." Quan Zhentai and the others were stunned. They had never imagined that not only would David dismiss their plea, but he wouldn''t even give face to Smith. As far as they were concerned, Smith was not merely a chief, his connections were intricate andplex behind the scenes. It was said that he was even the white glove of some big shot. Otherwise, among the many chiefs in the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, he wouldn''t be the only one bold enough to openly collect protection fees. "What, you don''t dare to make the call now?" Quan Zhentai had sobered up and replied, "I have my own phone!" After saying this, he walked to one side. Regardless, the call had to be made, or else the protection fees would be for nothing. Besides, he also wanted to know what Smith would tell him to do after he informed him about the situation. Meanwhile, in a luxurious room on the 10th floor of the Begio Hotel, Smith wasfortably lying on the bed, enjoying the massage from the seductive blonde behind him. Just then, the phone on the table rang. He reached for it, and when he saw the caller ID, his gaze became instantly sharp. After a few seconds of silence, he stood up from the bed, lit a cigarette, walked over to the ashtray, and answered the phone, "This is Smith." "Chief Smith, this is Quan Zhentai. We''ve run into a bit of trouble, two inspectors from the National Tax Bureau..." A momentter, after hearing the whole story, a sinister look crossed Smith''s face. Miyano Masho yesterday, and now Quan Zhentai today ¡ª though the National Tax Bureau seemed to be just carrying out their duty, they were also challenging his authority! After all, these people paid him protection fees every month. And if he couldn''t do something about it, how would they feel? They would undoubtedly bear resentment towards him! But when he thought about the words of that person this morning, he felt a helplessness in his heart. ording to that person, the ck Tax Legition had only recently passed in Congress, and the National Tax Bureau''s nationwide collection of ck tax was not going smoothly. Therefore, they were eager to make an example, to deter the criminals across the country. Thus, he had been cautioned not to oppose the National Tax Bureau during this time or be caught in any predicament; otherwise, they might make an example out of him! Thinking this, Smith gritted his teeth and said, "Got it, just do as they say!" Back at the tavern, Quan Zhentai was petrified on the spot,pletely unable to believe the words he heard over the phone. After a good while, he snapped back to reality and questioned, "Chief Smith, the taxes the National Tax Bureau wants to collect are not a small amount, and once we''re on file, from then on, every month..." "I know, I said to do as they tell you, are you deaf?!" "..." At this point, Quan Zhentai was seething. So in front of us, you act all high and mighty, untouchable. But now, in front of the National Tax Bureau, you don''t even dare to let out a peep, huh! "Zhentai, if it were any otherw enforcement department, of course, I would try my best to help you, but in America, the National Tax Bureau is not to be trifled with, understand?" "And it''s not just you; Miyano Masho''s crew has also been ''recruited'' by the National Tax Bureau. Everyone''s in the same boat!" Realizing that his tone might have been a bit harsh, Smith''s voice softened a bit as he reassured. "What, Miyano Masho and his gang have been targeted by the National Tax Bureau too?" Quan Zhentai was stunned by this news; he hadn''t been aware of this. "Yes, this morning they already went and paid their taxes at the National Tax Bureau. Alright, hand the phone to Inspector David, I want to have a few words with him!" Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Is This What You Call Giving a Favor? The people from the Ind Nation also went down, which bnced Quan Zhentai''s feelings somewhat. He no longer dared to waste words and immediately walked up to David, handing over the phone, "Detective Smith wants to have a word with you!" "Oh?" David was somewhat surprised, but still wanted to hear what the other party had to say, so he answered the phone, "Chief Smith, is it? This is David!" "Hello, Inspector David, here''s the situation. I know that your National Tax Bureau is vigorously pushing the ck Tax Bill. Although I am not part of the National Tax Bureau, I am also a member of thew enforcement department and naturally offer my full support to my colleagues in the Bureau. I have already instructed Quan Zhentai to cooperate fully with you!" The voiceing through the phone left David silent. Originally, he thought that with the issues of Wade and Balk, coupled with the current situation of the people from the Bangguo, it would definitely make the Chief quite unhappy. But now, whether the Chief was upset or not was still unknown, yet he seemed to know his ce quite well! However, that made sense... Although Smith held the position of Chief, it was only in the small territory of the Lake District where he could unt his authority. How could he dare to confront the National Tax Bureau? Especially when the National Tax Bureau was vigorously pushing the ck Tax Bill! David collected his thoughts and politely replied, "Then, I thank you, Chief Smith, for your assistance. However... it seems your subordinates also fall within the scope of the ck Tax Bill. I hope you can be even more ''profoundly aware'' of the situation!" At the Begio Hotel, upon hearing these words, the veins on Smith''s forehead couldn''t help but throb, and his face bore an angry expression. Why did he order Quan Zhentai to cooperate with the National Tax Bureau? It was to get on David''s good side. But now, not only did David not appreciate the gesture, the confrontational words seemingly directed at his subordinates, in truth, were aimed at him, which he clearly understood! He suppressed his anger and said, "Inspector David, we all belong to thew enforcementmunity, is there really a need for this? Besides, I even gave you a favor!" David sneered coldly in response, "Ha, I already came knocking, and you call this a favor, Chief Smith?" The other party seemed to have given him a favor. But in reality, even if Smith hadn''t spoken up, this group of Bangguo people, under his strong pressure, would have no choice but to pay their taxes. So to speak, this so-called favor was nothing more than a forced act of going with the flow. If the other party really wanted to give him a favor, he could direct those uwful forces that had not yet been approached toe to him and pay their taxes. That would be a real favor! Moreover, this guy, aside from epting bribes from people from the Ind Nation and Bangguo, certainly took bribes from other forces too. Although it wasn''t clear how much he had taken in bribes, it was definitely not a small amount! How could David let such a ''fat piece'' go? Furthermore, this guy, after all, took bribes everywhere from nefarious individuals, aplete corrupt official. David didn''t report him, but collecting a bit of ck tax from him to contribute to national construction and repay society didn''t seem excessive, did it? "Inspector David, the National Tax Bureau has its jurisdiction, but we have our jurisdiction too. Are you sure you want to do this?" David gathered that what Smith meant was, the National Tax Bureau, with the ck Tax Bill, could impose taxes on us now. But don''t forget, the police have significant power too. Could you, David, really guarantee that one day you won''t fall into our hands? However, David was not at all afraid of this threat. First, he took no dirty money, and second, he hadn''t done anything illegal or against discipline. If the other party really wanted to target him, they would have to see if the National Tax Bureau would agree! Furthermore, as long as he found that Smith, a scan with the "golden finger" would enable him to grasp the evidence of this guy''s crimes. Then, it would be anyone''s guess who would get the upper hand! David retorted with a sneer, "Chief Smith, I don''t want to do this, but I have no choice. The ck Tax Act is like a tightening curse hung over my head, constantly spurring me on. I can only strictly enforce thew!" "Fine, if you insist on going your own way, then we''ll just wait and see!" At the Begio Hotel, Smith mmed his phone on the ground, his face contorted with rage. He had already verified that the information about Wade and Balk epting bribes was not on file at the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch; it was allpletely controlled by David. This meant that as long as David said he would not pursue him, then the matter would be considered closed. Yet, David had to press him with this ck Tax Act, invoking the nationalw, which was purely an attempt to target him. Why seek such a righteous reason? ... At the tavern, David returned the phone to Quan Zhentai and then said, "You should know what to do now, right?" Quan Zhentai was of course not willing, but he didn''t have the courage to voice his refusal, so he tacitly epted the situation. "Prepare the money by nine o''clock tomorrow morning ande to our National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch!" David knew the other party wouldn''t dare to y any tricks, so he said no more, patted his shoulder, and calmly left under the various gazes of those present, together with Nisen. After getting into the Volvo, Nisen couldn''t help but take a deep breath. Despite having a few cases already under his belt, beforeing here, he still didn''t think they could handle these Bangguo people in just one night. But to his surprise, under David''s offensive, these Bangguo people, like the citizens of the Ind Nation the day before, had been forced into surrendering. Of course, the detailed information that David had acquired tonight once again whetted Nisen''s appetite, but he was discreet and did not ask any further questions. However, that being said, they now had over 600,000 US Dors in tax performance in hand. If these Bangguo people were to add to that total tomorrow, it would be over 700,000. One evaluation period, one team of two inspectors, wrapping up over 700,000 US Dors in tax performance¡ªit would be hard not to stand out! Recalling the past few days'' events, starting with the Encar robbery case, followed by zero-dor purchases, car thieves, and now the Bangguo people, all the cases had been neatly concluded. This gave Nisen a sudden sense of unreality. This f*cking mentioned just one of those cases for instance: if it were up to another inspection team, solving one within an evaluation period would be considered pretty good. And they had cracked four in just these few days? Nisen grinned, already daydreaming about tomorrow''s performance review meeting. "What are you smiling about?" In the passenger seat, looking at Nisen who wasn''t starting the car and was just grinning foolishly, David also nced sideways and asked. "Nothing much, I''m just thinking about tomorrow''s performance review meeting..." "Oh..." David smiled and replied, "That doesn''t need much thought. Our team being number one in overall tax performance is a sure thing, now we just have to see how things turn out for Main Street District Sub-Branch and Newtown District Sub-Branch!" Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Is this a bit too much? "We''ll find out tomorrow¡­" Nisen didn''t say more and immediately started his car and left. ... The next morning, it wasn''t even 8 o''clock yet when David arrived at the office. The reason he came so early was mainly to prepare the required tax documents and files before Quan Zhentai and his people arrived. The assessment period meeting was scheduled for noon. In other words, as long as hepleted the filing of those people''s funds and materials before noon, the tax performance would be counted in this assessment period. After drinking a cup of coffee, time swiftly moved to 8 o''clock. At this time, inspectors started to trickle into the third floor workspace. But just as everyone was preparing to start the new day''s work, they found a group of people emerging at the passage. The appearance of this group attracted the attention of many people on the scene. However, when they saw clearly the direction in which this group was headed, many of them revealed surprised expressions. Because the group was headed towards David''s workspace. This early in the morning, could it be¡­ these people were here to pay taxes too? But didn''t David just deal with that group of Inders yesterday? It''s only been one night, where did he find this new group of people to settle with? This efficiency in handling cases, not even a rocket is this fast! It''s outrageous! At this moment, quite a few inspectors began to doubt their lives, and to understand the situation more clearly, they moved closer to David''s workspace, eager to hear the details. Over here, watching Quan Zhentai and others arrive, David showed a satisfied expression and said, "You''re quite punctual!" Quan Zhentai, uncertain, asked with a nk expression, "Inspector Sir, may I ask you a question?" "Go ahead!" "Is the reason we were approached rted to that group of Inders?" Afterst night, Quan Zhentai felt more and more that something was off. It was true that the Tax Bureau had extensive powers, but he did not believe that they could have obtained such detailed criminal information on them. Moreover, after a night of research, he found something in the provisions of the ck taxw. ording to the provisions of the ck taxw, if the Tax Bureau approached someone, any behavior that included informing or meritorious conduct would result in a certain amount of tax reduction. Taking into ount the news Smith told him, that Miyano Masho''s group had been approached by the Tax Bureau before them, it was very debatable. Miyano Masho''s group was not onlypetitors but also enemies of the Bangguo People. And with the tax reduction provision, they definitely had the motive to ''betray'' them! Moreover, because they all worked in the same industry, the Inders had a lot of information on the Bangguo People, which allowed the Tax Bureau to get so much evidence against them! "I''m sorry, but ording to the regtions of our Tax Bureau, we must keep taxpayers'' identities confidential. I cannot divulge that information!" You have to admit, Quan Zhentai had some brains. Indeed, the reason David could approach him was with the information provided by Miyano Masho. But what he didn''t know was that the many pieces of evidence against his gang were obtained through a bug called the Golden Finger! "Inspector Sir, as I understand it, your ck taxw has a provision for informing and meritorious conduct. I''d like to know what kind of tax relief is avable?" "As for the illegal activity of theft¡­" A few minutester, after understanding the tax relief policy, Quan Zhentai showed an expression of heartache and indignation. This tax mitigation is not a one-time thing butsts for a lifetime. If the conditions were met, the umted savings would be substantial. But what a pity it was that damned Miyano Masho snagged such a great deal! The more Quan Zhentai thought about it, the more frustrated he became. Why hadn''t the National Tax Servicee to them first? Had that been the case, he could have betrayed that cursed group from the Ind Nation and reaped the benefits! "What, do you have a target in mind to report?" Quan Zhentai thought for a moment but ultimately shook his head, "Not at the moment..." In Las Vegas, the people he knew best were naturally those from the Ind Nation, but he had missed that opportunity, and he was not familiar with and dared not rashly denounce other forces. "Then let''s start filing..." "..." Listening to the conversation between David and Quan Zhentai and watching the taxes being withdrawn one by one, the surrounding inspectors could finally confirm. These people were indeed here to pay taxes! In just two or three days, this was already the fourth case David had resolved, which seemed a bit too exaggerated... While the inspectors were shocked, they also couldn''t figure it out, with some already picking up their phones to inform their superiors and report another explosive incident. ... On the fourth floor, in Liu Yi''s office. "673,300 US dors, truly an unbelievable tax achievement!" Liu Yi looked at the assessment form he had justpiled, his face beaming with smiles. But just then, the ring of thendline interrupted his thoughts. He picked up the receiver, "What''s the matter..." "..." A minuteter, the previously beaming Liu Yi''s eyes widened, his lips slightly parted, even trembling, as if he had heard something inconceivable. ording to the news from the other end of the phone, David had resolved another case and was currently on the third floor processing and recording it. Could it be... the Bangguo thief case he mentioned yesterday? Yes. ording to reports from below, there were about 20 people, all of whom had Asian faces. What else could it be if not the Bangguo case! But how could this be possible! David, this guy, had resolved the group from the Ind Nation in just one day, which was already astonishing, but this Bangguo group was even more outrageous, almost settled overnight! How did he do it? "Giggle giggle giggle..." Before Liu Yi could sort his thoughts, a knock at the door forced him to set aside his reflections, to which he responded, "Come in!" The next second, four or five men entered through the door. And these were none other than the other Chief Tax Officers from the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. "Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi, your Inspector David has cracked four major cases in just a few days. Isn''t his efficiency a bit outrageous?" The first to speak was Hector, who obviously had also received the news from the third floor and could not sit still any longer,ing to probe for information. Although the other Chief Tax Officers did not speak immediately, they also stared at Liu Yi with bewildered expressions. Because in their eyes, as David''s superior, Liu Yi must know some details about these cases. "This kid''s efficiency in solving cases is indeed high, but there''s nothing to be done. Who can help it if he''s gifted and capable? I think he might just be born for the ck Tax Code!" Chapter 32: Chapter 32: The Center of Attention Lewis certainly understood the underlying meaning of the other party''s words, but since he himself was not too clear about it, he could only give such an ambiguous answer. However, his reply clearly did not satisfy Hector, who continued to press, "Lewis, even with talent, this is still too outrageous. All of our Inspectors want to understand the details, it should be very helpful to them. Can you disclose any information?" Hector''s words were very clever. He didn''t directly say he wanted to know, but instead, he used the excuse of the curiosity of the Inspectors in the department. Lewis, if you weren''t willing to share, it would mean that you were being too selfish! Now, tell us whether you''re willing to talk or not! Unfortunately, it''s the same old story; Lewis himself didn''t understand, so how could he exin the reasoning? "As the Chief Tax Officer, there are some things you guys understand that I shouldn''t inquire, If you want to know, you can ask Inspector David yourself!" "..." Upon hearing such a response, Hector and the others were somewhat at a loss for words. "All right, the assessment meeting is about to begin, everyone should head back and get ready!" Seeing Lewis issue the order for them to leave, even though everyone still wanted to pursue the matter, they had to turn and depart. Lewis, looking at the tax performance charts he had painstakingly created, shook his head helplessly, then picked up a crumpled paper ball and tossed it into the waste bin! The chart summarized the tax performance for robberies, zero-dor purchases, car theft gangs, and more, but unexpectedly, a gang of thieves from the Ind Nation had also arrived today, thus necessitating the creation of a new report. ... Two hourster, after David had dealt with thest person from Bangguo, he took out hisputer and started auditing the overall taxes. "My part is... $163,200." "Mine is $52,000." "Together, that makes $213,500!" This figure did not surprise David too much. Under the scrutiny of his ''Golden Finger'', he had already discerned the ie level of this group from Bangguo, which was overall slightly higher than that of the Ind Nation people. Just Quan Zhentai himself was required to pay over $110,000 in taxes. Add on the various henchmen, and reaching a total of $213,500 was naturally quite normal. "Log it into the database, Mary." "You got it!" Mary and her team cheerfully started counting, and before long, their tally matched the amount calcted by David''s side. Subsequently, they transported the tax money for storage. Time quickly advanced to noon. After lunch, all the Inspectors from Headquarters, some taking the stairs and others the elevator, all convened on the fifth floor of the meeting room. The total number of Tax Inspectors in Headquarters was eighty. Including the Chief Tax Officer, Deputy Tax Inspector, Tax Investigators, and other executives, the count was nearly one hundred. Fortunately, the entire fifth-floor area was used for the meeting room and could amodate so many people. Once David and the other Inspectors were all seated. At that moment, Lewis and the other Chief Tax Officers made their entrance and took seats in the front row. Then, four more individuals entered. Two of them were Deputy Tax Inspectors from the department, and the other two were Tax Investigators. As the Director and Assistant Director were both at Washington D.C. Headquarters for training and other duties, the actual management of the department was currently in the hands of these two Tax Investigators. Aftering in, three of them took their seats in the front row, while a ck man in his forties dressed in a suit took the stage in front of therge screen. His name was Gusin Shelby, one of the department''s two Tax Investigators. "Good afternoon, everyone. It''s time for our bi-monthly assessment again. Next, based on the data submitted by the various Chief Tax Officers, I will report on the work performance of the different teams!" Gusin signaled the screen controller, and soon the screen disyed lines such as ''First Team,'' ''Group 1234 Tax Performance.'' "The first squad, in this assessment period of half a month, collected a total of $48,200 in unreported taxes; the first group ounted for $21,000, the second group $13,000..." "Not bad, it''s a full double the performance of thest assessment period, which was $22,000. Let''s give them a round of apuse for encouragement!" Following Gusin''s lead, thunderous apuse filled the room. Just then, the screen operator switched the disy to the second squad. Gusin continued, "The second squad, over this half-month assessment period, collected $37,000 in unreported taxes; the first group ounted for $11,000, the second group for..." "Overall, also very good, let''s continue with a round of apuse for encouragement..." "..." The first month after the ck Tax Law had passed was marred by inadequate intelligence and training, leading to all the teams'' performance being dismal. But thankfully, after the experience of the first assessment period, the Inspectors found some experience and feel, resulting in the tax performance of this second assessment period soaring to double or even triple the previous figures. Time flew by, and within the blink of an eye, an hour passed. Now, the highlight finally arrived! "Next is the data for the seventh squad..." The seventh squad was the team led by Lewis and also the one to which David and others belonged. David, however, seemed rtively calm, while Nisen, Bucky, and other team members, despite mental preparation, were still noticeably anxious at this moment! "The seventh squad, during this assessment period, achieved a tax performance of $886,800!" As soon as this figure was announced, the atmosphere on the floor went still, and everyone looked at the seventh squad with eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and shock. The other six squadsbined didn''t even reach $300,000 in performance, although the data for squads eight, nine, and ten were yet toe. But it was evident that, even if those three squadsbined, they would at most contribute about $400,000, which still wasn''t even half of the seventh squad''s sum. In fact, not only was the floor of Inspectors and Chief Tax Officers taken aback. Even Gusin on the stage was unsettled when announcing the number, but he still pretended to be unaffected and continued, "Group one of squad seven has a tax performance of $13,000, group two, $812,000..." When the number $812,000 was heard, all the Inspectors involuntarily turned their gaze towards David. As for the other two groups, their figures weren''t even registered. "Let''s give them an apuse, especially for the second group of the seventh squad!" In the previous six squads, Gusin had mostly glossed over the groups, never specifically emphasizing any one group for des. But for the seventh squad, due to David''s group''s standout performance, he specially highlighted it in front of the whole department. Chapter 33: Chapter 33: The Shock at the Major Street District Police Station The thunderous apuse echoed throughout the conference room, and Gusin gave plenty of face, signaling for everyone to stop only after a full minute had passed. "Team seven, squad two, you are the example that our whole bureau should learn from. I hope that when the next assessment period starts, everyone will aim to match the standard set by team seven, squad two. Okay, next is team eight..." With the dazzling achievement of over 800,000 dors in tax contribution from team seven in front, people barely paid attention to the data from the three smaller teams that followed. It was only after more than half an hour, when team ten''s data had been announced, that Gusin turned to the operator and asked, "Are we ready with the data from Downtown District Sub-Branch and New City District Sub-Branch?" "It''s all set, the data has been sent over and is being received; it will take about three minutes!" Upon hearing this, a sense of tension appeared on Gusin''s face. Likewise, people present like Lewis, Hector, and most of the inspectors felt the same. Since the introduction of the ck Tax Act, Washington D.C. Headquarters had established an assessment period every half month. And this assessment was not only within their own bureau but was a joint evaluation involving all three sub-bureaus of Las Vegas. The higher-ranked and higher-achieving sub-bureaus would receive not justmendations, but substantial rewards as well. During thest assessment period, because the Downtown District Sub-Branch achieved the first ce in tax contributions across the city, all inspectors, chief officers, and tax investigators received a handsome sry bonus. Moreover, they also received an allocation of 200,000 dors in public funds. With that money, the inspectors from Downtown District Sub-Branch could apply to use these public funds for purposes such as bribing informants or purchasing intelligence leads. This way, they would naturally achieve twice the result with half the effort in the next assessment period. While everyone was lost in thought, the data from the two major sub-bureaus seemed to have been received. With the operation conducted by the controller, the image on therge screen changed. Upon opening, the title above read: ''New City District Sub-Branch Assessment Period Data.'' Looking down from the title to the ''Total Tax Achievement'' behind the numbers, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Because it disyed ''493,000 US dors.'' Currently, their Lake District Sub-Bureau alone, with just David''s team, had already reached over 800,000. Together with the other nine teams, the total was nearly 1.3 million US dors. The total tax achievement of the New City Sub-Branch was a mere 493,000, not even half of theirs. They were simply not on the same level! But the relief onlysted for a moment, as Gusin, Lewis, and the inspectors present tensed up again. Las Vegas is divided into three major districts, with Lake District and Newtown District having roughly the same GDP. As for the Downtown District, it is the most prosperous, with the strongest economic strength, and the highest GDP. To say it''s not an exaggeration, even whenbined, Lake District and Newtown District barely equal the Downtown District. The reason is simple. Las Vegas has over 200 casinos, and just the Downtown District alone contains more than a hundred of them. Not to mention other hotels, cultural tourism projects, and so on. And there''s another point¡ªDowntown District Sub-Branch was the one that imed first ce in tax achievementsst period, and as a result, they received a sum of public funds. With this financial boost, no one knew how far their tax achievements could go during this assessment period. Under the tense mood of everyone, the controller opened the data about the Downtown District. When they saw the total tax achievement listed below, everyone felt a sense of relief. It seemed that things had not gone beyond their expectations after all. The Downtown District Sub-Branch''s tax achievement was only 1.03 million US dors, still a good distance away from their bureau''s total of over 1.3 million. "Haha, fantastic!" "Wrigley, extremely Wrigley!" "Nice, nice!" When Gusin had announced the data for each team, truth be told, many inspectors were a bit annoyed at being overshadowed by David''s team. But now, that annoyance was transformed into gratitude. With their bureau achieving the top tax contributions across the city, firstly, they would receive a sry bonus, and secondly, the bureau would get a sum of public funds. This way, they could apply to use public funds for the new assessment period, thus allowing for smoother tax enforcement work. ¡­ While the Lake District Sub-Bureau was still reveling in excitement, concurrently, at 77 Kegley Avenue in the Downtown District, the local IRS sub-branch was located here. Just like the Lake District Sub-Bureau, the Downtown District Sub-Branch also upied a five-story building. However, it featured a grand porch on the ground floor where four marble columns supported the roof, creating an imposing presence. The main entrance was a pair of silver automatic doors that swung open and closed to wee a steady stream of taxpayers. From the ground to the top floor, numerous windows allowed natural light to fill the building. These windows were neatly arranged, like a series of mirrors reflecting the bustling traffic below. At this moment, in the fifth-floor conference room in front of therge screen, a blue-eyed, blond middle-aged man with a beaming smile said, "Alright, the data from Lake District and New City District have been sent over, let''s take a look, shall we?" His name was Keanu Alderson, one of the two tax investigators of the Downtown District. At his cue, the screen controller opened a document, revealing the title ''New City District Sub-Branch'' at the top. Below the title was the data for New City District''s assessment period. Seeing the figure of 493,000 US dors, whether it was Keanu on stage or the chief officers and inspectors below, all maintained a calm, as-if-expected demeanor. "493,000, not bad. After an assessment period of development, Newtown District has indeed achieved significant results. Now, let''s see the achievements of Lake District!" Quickly, the document for Lake District Sub-Bureau was opened. But when they saw the number 1.389 million US dors, everyone''s eyes widened in disbelief, and a dead silence fell over the room¡ªyou could hear a pin drop. Keanu on the stage was also stunned for a while before turning his head to the controller and asking urgently, "Is this Lake District''s data? Are you sure you haven''t made a mistake?" The controller was shocked too but responded without hesitation, "Inspector Keanu, this is the data sent from Lake District Sub-Bureau itself; how could I mistake it?" "Call them immediately to confirm, see if they entered the wrong tax achievement!" Keanu still couldn''t believe it. And truthfully, neither did the other chief officers and inspectors at the scene¡ªthey all found the tax achievement hard to believe. Chapter 34: Chapter 34: National Rankings You should know thatst evaluation period, the tax performance of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch was only around a hundred thousand US dors. Now it has skyrocketed to over 1.3 million; even a rocket isn''t that fast. This has to be a mistake! Our Newtown District is such a huge area and even with the assistance of public funds, we only managed to gather around 1 million ¨C how could Lake District possibly surpass us by so much! It must be that their bureau''s statisticians got the data wrong when publishing it! In the midst of these thoughts, the screen controller had already returned from outside and spoke with an incredulous look, "Inspector Keanu, I confirmed it three times with the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch; their data isn''t wrong ¨C it really is over 1.3 million!" "What!" Keanu''s lips parted slightly, but for a moment he was unable to make a sound. His face was filled with astonishment and disbelief, as though he were transfixed by an invisible force. Other than him, the other tax investigators, chief tax officers, and inspectors at the scene all wore the same expressions! The Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch''s data wasn''t published incorrectly? They genuinely achieved over 1.3 million dors in tax performance? How the hell did they aplish this! Impossible, impossible, utterly impossible! A massive sense of disparity swept through the hearts of all the inspectors from Newtown District as they were not only incredulous but also utterly baffled. ... Meanwhile, at the National Tax Bureau New City District Sub-Branch. The tax investigators, chief tax officers, and inspectors here, upon seeing the tax performance figures sent by the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, were all simrly dumbfounded and disbelieving. If this 1.3 million-dor tax performance were imed by the Newtown District Sub-Branch, although they would be just as surprised, they certainly wouldn''t be shocked to such an extent. After all, the Newtown District had ''big business and property'' and had also received public funds, so a 3 to 5 times increase in tax performance would not be out of the ordinary. But for this 1.3 million-dor tax performance to show up for Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch was a bit too ridiculous. Just how much did the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch achievest evaluation period? Even with Viagra, it shouldn''t be this fierce! Moreover, Lake District and Newtown District''s economy and GDP are both on the same level, yet Newtown District barely managed to gather nearly 50 thousand dors in tax performance during this evaluation period. But Lake District rather brashly went and doubled their achievement two and a half times! Absurd, far too absurd! For a moment, the inspectors from New City District Sub-Branch began to question their lives. ... Over at the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District. At that moment, the excitement among the folks had somewhat subsided, reced by an expectant demeanor. Having secured the title of Las Vegas Top-performing Tax Bureau Branch, everyone''s bonuses were pretty much assured. So now, the allocation of public funds was what everyone was most interested in. As previously said, as long as there was public funding, it could be used to bribe informants, purchase information, and such, which for every inspector was a very beneficial thing. About ten minutester. Keanu, who had gone out earlier, had returned and addressed everyone, "I''ve confirmed with the city bureau, with this sharp increase in tax performance, the corresponding public funds will also increase. The total amount has reached 350 thousand dors!" "350 thousand dors!" Upon hearing this figure, the nine chief tax officers sitting at the front row had eyes red with envy. This sum of public funds was not to be divided equally. ording to the National Tax Bureau ck Tax Case rules, the more remarkable and contributing squads were eligible for arger share of the public funds. There''s no need to talk about Lewis''s group; they contributed arge portion of the bureau''s tax performance this time, so naturally they were destined to take the lion''s share of the public funds. The remaining smaller portion would then have to be fought over by the other nine squads. "This time, Squad Seven has made the most significant contribution to our Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, therefore their share of the public funds will be 150 thousand. No objections, right?" Upon hearing this, Hector and the other chief tax officers showed expressions of envy, jealousy, and reluctance. The public funds amounted to 350 thousand dors and Squad Seven was taking away a third of it ¨C of course they wanted to object, but what could they do, since Squad Seven had the highest tax performance? After all, this public funding was more or less earned through their efforts, so they could only reluctantly ept it. At this moment, the happiest people were not David and Nisen, but Bucky and the other five members of Squad Seven. With such a considerable sum of public funds allocated to Squad Seven, once the new evaluation period began, even without the duo of David and Nisen, they were confident they could achieve the number one tax performance of the entire bureau in the next evaluation period. In short, being part of Squad Seven, they really basked in glory this time. "Since no one has any objections, then it''s decided. The remaining public funds will give Squad One 40 thousand, Squad Two gets..." Apart from Squad Seven, the remaining 200 thousand dors in public funds was distributed by Keanu ording to each squad''s tax performance for this period. The squads with higher tax performance were allocated more. And vice versa. Such a method of allocation also served to motivate the inspectors in the room. Many had already quietly resolved to strive for more tax performance in the new evaluation period. That way, if public funds were allocated to the bureau in the next evaluation period, they could naturally get more. Just as many thought this evaluation period was drawing to a close, and were prepared to hear Keanu say the word ''adjourn'' before getting up to leave. Unexpectedly, Keanu changed the subject, saying, "Sorry folks, I''ll need a little more of your time. I just received a notification from the head office. For this evaluation period, the supeputer at the headquarters has alreadypiled a list of national data. Let''s take a look, shall we?" At these words, the interest of everyone in the room was immediately piqued, including David! Before this evaluation meeting had even started, he had already anticipated that his receipt of over 800 thousand dors in tax performance would likely tower over the whole city. But as for the national level, he hadn''t really thought about it. Still, this was perfect; he too wanted to see where his achievement of over 800 thousand dors in tax performance would rank nationally. "David, what do you think, could our data for this evaluation period be among the top ranks nationwide?" Next to him, Nisen asked eagerly. For him, this was indeed something to look forward to. If they made it onto the National Tax Bureau''s national leaderboard this time, it would be visible to the entire National Tax Bureau system. Maybe thanks to this opportunity, they might gain the appreciation of the higher-ups at the head office and find a fast track to sess, right? Nisen''s thoughts were wonderful, but the words that followed from David were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head. David pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Ranked at the top? That''s unlikely!" Chapter 35: Chapter 35: The Lake District Is Ranked Only 146th? Nisen was somewhat taken aback and did not expect David to be so resolute in his denial. He then asked, "Why is that?" "Where do you think the city of Las Vegas ranks in America in terms of economy and GDP?" "Which aspect are you referring to?" "Of course, the aspects of the economy and GDP!" "If you''re talking about the economy and GDP... it''s probably outside the top 30!" In terms of notoriety among American cities, Las Vegas could absolutely be at the top. But when ites to the economy and GDP, this city seems somewhat insignificant in America. The reason is actually quite simple. Las Vegas originally was nothing but a desert vige where not even birds would poop, onlyter developing through relying on tourism and the gambling industry. But to this day, the economic pirs of this city are still just gambling and tourism. It naturally can''tpare with industrial cities like Houston and Chicago, let alone financial cities like New York and San Francisco. "Since you know that, let me give you an analogy!" "For instance, a prostitute in Las Vegas makes 200 US dors per client." "But in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, because of the cost of living, it might be 400 or even 800 US dors!" "And the inspectors there, when theye to collect taxes, naturally can take in more as well." "The same goes for other industries, you understand now, right?" Hearing David''s exnation, Nisen had an epiphany at that moment. That''s true indeed. The environment of a city is different, which determines the difference in taxation. Just like the prostitute case David mentioned, resolving one such case in Las Vegas might bring in a tax achievement of 100,000 or 80,000 US dors. But in big cities like Los Angeles and New York, it might be 200,000 or 300,000. Therefore, it isn''t that their performance isn''t outstanding enough, but rather that the city of Las Vegas has limitations, naturally making it impossible topete with big cities like New York or Los Angeles. "Fuck, if only I could be transferred to New York!" Nisen''s mind filled with disparity, and he could not help butin. "Don''t worry, there will be an opportunity!" As the two whispered to each other, the data sent from the headquarters had been received, and a table appeared on therge screen. At this time, everyone present could see. Ranked first in the nation was the Manhattan District, New York Branch, with a tax achievement total of 22.23 million US dors! Such an astronomical figure made the onlookers gape in astonishment. Initially, everyone thought that their own bureau''s 1.3 million was pretty good. But oncepared with the Manhattan District, New York Branch, it was likeparing molehills to mountains! Besides the Manhattan District, the bureau ranked second nationwide was also from New York, the Brooklyn District Branch, with tax achievements of 15.39 million. Third was the Queens District Branch, with tax achievements of 14.66 million. Fourth was the Brown District Branch, with tax achievements of 14.44 million. Fifth was the Stan Ind District Branch, with tax achievements of 12.26 million. The top five nation-wide were all monopolized by the five major branches of New York, reflecting the robust strength of this world''s number one city. As for the sixth to ninth spots, they were dominated by severalrge districts of Los Angeles. Following them were the district branches of other major cities like Chicago, Phdelphia, and Houston. The ranking list of tax achievements for the period under assessment at the Internal Revenue Service basically aligns with the ranking of American cities by GDP. The higher the GDP ranking of a city, the higher the tax collected by the bureau''s local branch, and the higher its ranking. As the list scrolled down, the crowd finally spotted their most anticipated target. ''Rank 146: Las Vegas Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, total tax achievement, 1.389 million US dors!'' "My hair, our bureau only ranked at 146!" Although having been prepared psychologically, seeing themselves ranked beyond 146th ce, Nisen''s mood plummeted to rock bottom. David, on the other hand, remainedposed, clearly unaffected by the ranking list. "Okay, switch to the next one." Having found their own bureau''s ranking, Gusin no longer had the heart to continue looking and quickly instructed the screen operator to switch to different information. One minuteter. Therge screen disyed another set of data. This data was titled: "IRS Second Assessment Period National Inspectors Data." "Hm? There''s this data too?" Gusin had just mentioned that they received a data set from the headquarters, and everyone thought it was just a simple tally of each bureau''s tax achievements. But unexpectedly, it was so detailed that even the inspectors'' data waspiled, which took everyone by surprise. "ording to the information I received, this data set is just a prototype. It is said that the headquarters ns to create an internal leaderboard for inspectors." "This leaderboard will be posted on our intr, updated every assessment period, and by then, everyone can log in at any time to see their own or colleagues'' tax achievement stats from around the country." Gusin''s revtion once again stunned many in the room. An intr leaderboard for inspectors? Avable for everyone to view at any time? But soon, people understood the headquarters'' intent. Since the release of the Self-ck Tax Act, the headquarters had been relentless in pushing them, dangling various incentives for pay raises and promotions, all topel them to do whatever it took to raise tax revenue. And now, by introducing this leaderboard, the goal was to further force them into outdoing each other. Imagine this. The entire IRS system could view this leaderboard at any time, and your data was on it, with some bringing in tens or hundreds of millions in tax performance each assessment period. And you''re just managing 30 to 50 thousand, not to mention potential ridicule from others, you wouldn''t be able to stand looking at it yourself! In order to increase efficiency and strive for a higher ranking, everyone would have to work harder and be more diligent. Realizing this, the inspectors present began to feel a sense of professional anxiety. David was the exception. With a cheat code up his sleeve, tax performance was not a concern for him. "Alright, let''s first take a look at the situation with this leaderboard!" Snapped back to reality by Gusin''s reminder, the crowd was also eager to see how exceptional the top-ranking inspectors on the list were. The first ce came with no surprise, belonging to inspectors from Team 1, Group 1 of the Manhattan, New York Branch, named Kelly Orsey and Brown Soros. "Brown Soros?" Upon seeing this name, David who was sitting quietly repeated it in his mind, his expression thoughtful. In America''s financial world, there was a legendary figure named George Soros, a Jewish man who had stirred up countless turmoils in many countries, amassing untold wealth from numerous nations. It was also unknown whether this Brown Soros had any connection to that financial titan, or if it was just a coincidence of sharing the same surname. Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers Among the Inspectors "6.36 million, shit, how the hell did these two guys manage that?" Nisen wasn''t too concerned about the surname issue, but rather more focused on their performance ranking behind their names. He couldn''t quite understand it. Even with New York''s high economic level, it shouldn''t be possible for two inspectors in a group to achieve a sky-high performance of 6.36 million dors. A whole team, maybe! Could these two really be that outstanding? David too snapped out of it and looked intently at the big screen, only then spotting their performance achievement behind their names, indeed 6.36 million! The shock he felt inside was no less significant. He had thought that the Manhattan Branch had managed to achieve more than 20 million dors in performance thanks to the efforts of the whole office. But unexpectedly, it was just two inspectors from one group who had contributed nearly a quarter of that. Yet that wasn''t the biggest surprise for him. In his subsequent observation, he discovered that aside from the New York Manhattan Branch, a pair of inspectors from a group in the Long Beach District Branch in Los Angeles had also achieved a high performance ranking of 4.36 million dors. There were also teams from Chicago, from Houston, from Washington, and others, all exceeding 4 million dors in performance! And his performance of over 800,000 dors only ranked 89th out of all the country''s inspection teams. It seemed that among the 140,000 inspectors nationwide, there really were some hidden dragons and crouching tigers. However, David didn''t get too disheartened. Even if others had higher performances now, with a tool like his "golden finger," he would catch up with them or even surpass them sooner orter! Unless... There were others among them with the same kind of cheat as his. But was that possible? He didn''t think it was very likely! But right now, the priority was to secure the rights to handle a major case as soon as possible. Like the kind of big case Dieter was involved in. ording to the National Revenue Service''s intelligence, this guy''s illegal ie was over three million US dors a month. But that was only what the intelligence had uncovered ¨C there was certainly much more that hadn''t been investigated. No matter what, if he could collect the taxes on this guy''s illicit ie, the minimum would be 1.2 million US dors, which is more than half the total amount of the four cases he had previously cracked! ¡­ While David was pondering this, at the same time, in the meeting room of the Washington D.C. National Tax Bureau, which could amodate hundreds of people, Branch chiefs and deputy chiefs, who hade to the head office for training due to the passage of the tax evasionw, were also watching the brand new national performance ranking list. Sitting in row 10, seats 4 and 5, were a middle-aged man and woman. The man''s name was William Spacy, and he was the chief of the Las Vegas Lake District Sub-bureau Branch. The woman was Megan Harrison, the deputy chief of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. At this moment, their eyes on the big screen first showed shock, confusion, iprehension, and other expressions. After a good while, William turned his head and asked Megan, "What''s the deal with Group 7, Team 2 that they raked in over 800,000 in performance?" Although he had been very busy with work at the head office, he was still somewhat aware of his bureau''s performance. Just a few hours ago, Gusin had reported to him the assessment period''s performance, and when he heard that the total was over 1.3 million, he simply couldn''t believe his ears. Not until Gusin assured him repeatedly did he finally ept the fact. Originally he thought that the reason for such a significant breakthrough in performance this assessment period was due to thepetent leadership of Gusin and the collective determination of the various teams and individual inspectors below. But now that the data was out, he realized that it wasn''t the inspectors who had stepped up their game. It was just Group 7, Team 2 that had actually done it! Megan was also shocked, but she replied truthfully, "I do know Nisen from Group 7, Team 2; Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi is supposed to be transferred to Detroit to be a Deputy Tax Inspector, so the chief position for Team 7 is one for which he''s one of the candidates." The Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch has eighty inspectors. Some were new faces that had been temporarily recruited following the recent passage of the tax evasionw. As the deputy chief of the bureau, she naturally couldn''t know every single inspector, but she was familiar with those qualified for promotion like Nisen. "Do you mean that he worked hard to boost performance this time in order to secure his promotion?" "Maybe..." A month had passed since the tax evasionw was enacted, but there was still a lot of follow-up work to be done, especially in the days leading up to the assessment period. And because they hade to the head office, both of them had instructed the bureau not to disturb them unless it was something very important; they could make decisions on their own. So Megan wasn''t very clear about the specific details. "Call back and ask for a detailed ount of what''s going on!" In the national branch performance rankings, their Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch was ranked 146th, which wasn''t all that notable. But that an inspector from their bureau could make it into the top hundred was something quite extraordinary indeed. After all, there were 140,000 inspectors nationwide. In that crowd, it was already remarkable to get into the top thousand, let alone the top hundred! So William''s thought was, if Group 7, Team 2 really had such exceptional ability, then it wouldn''t be amiss to give Nisen the chief position directly as a reward for bringing honor to the bureau this time! ¡­ Twenty minutester. Megan returned with a peculiar expression on her face. Seeing Megan''s odd demeanor, William asked, "What happened?" "I asked in detail, and the main contributor of the over 800,000 in performance wasn''t Nisen, but another inspector in the same team, David!" "David?" William was surprised at first, then his mind raced through the faces of inspectors in the bureau, but after searching through them, he still couldn''t recall any impression of this person. "Yes, Chief Tax Officer Lewis said that David is extremely outstanding, and that hepleted the four cases that resulted in the over 800,000 in performance in just four days!" "Four days, can it be?!" William was taken aback, as he had also risen from the ranks of inspectors. Even for legal citizens with tax issues, when you approach them, there are document listings, warnings, and obstructions ¨C it''s normal to spend ten days to half a month on such issues, let alone these cunningwbreakers. They go through a lot of trouble to obtain their money illicitly, and forcing them to pay taxes is far from a simple matter. Now David hadpleted four cases in four days, which was equivalent to one case per day. This efficiency was simply too ridiculous. Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Found a treasure this round Megan reaffirmed, "Yes, and this inspector only started three months ago. This time, we might have really struck gold!" "Only started three months ago..." William was once again astonished. For a newly employed tax investigator to be familiar with the National Tax Bureau''s regtions, procedures, and case handling methods within three months was already quite impressive. Not to mention solving so many cases in session. It seemed that Megan''s ''struck gold'' was not an overstatement. Pushing aside the clutter of thoughts, William asked, "Since the credit for these four cases primarily lies with this David, what do you think about the vacancy left by Lewis''s transfer?" After a moment of contemtion, Megan replied, "Based on performance, over 800,000 in tax revenue merits a promotion to Chief Tax Officer. However, David is only 25 years old, way too young, and besides, his experience is also somewhatcking..." William nodded in agreement. Nationally, those who can be Chief Tax Officer around the age of 30 are already considered rare talents. As for those under 30, they are absolutely exceptional, likely not exceeding 30 people within the entire investigative system! Megan added, "However, we are in extraordinary times. If David can continue to deliver such impressive performance before the next assessment period arrives, an exceptional promotion wouldn''t be an issue!" "Right, in these extraordinary times, if he can continue to perform outstandingly, he could serve as an example for tax investigators across the country. The municipal bureau is very likely to approve it!" When ites to the reassignment of someone to the level of Chief Tax Officer, strictly speaking, the real decision-making power lies with the municipal bureau. As the leadership of a sub-bureau branch, they only have the right to rmend. But generally, as long as the candidate rmended by the sub-bureau branch has sufficient qualifications and performance, and no other major integrity issues, the municipal bureau usually approves it. The issue with David now is that he has sufficient performance but not enough experience. However, we are right in the middle of the expansion phase of the ck Tax Act. As long as the performance is exceptional enough, the experience aspect can actually be overlooked. ... The meeting for the assessment period at the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch had already adjourned. And David was still unaware that he was just a step away from the position of Chief Tax Officer. At that moment, he was with the other seven members of his team inside Lewis''s office. "The Deputy Director just called me from Washington D.C., expressing great satisfaction with our bureau''s performance this time, especially with your performance, David. She even said that when I''m transferred..." As he spoke, Lewis suddenly remembered something, and his voice trailed off. Then, he instinctively looked towards Nisen and Bucky. Indeed, the two Chief Tax Officer candidates seemed to have caught the implication in his words, and their expressions turned somewhat ugly. "Ahem..." To avoid further hurting these two, Lewis skipped the topic and continued speaking to David, "This time, our team has secured 150,000 US dors in public funds. David, just say if you need anything. After all, it was you who fought for it!" "To speak frankly, Chief, I actually do need to use the public funds!" As Lewis said, he had fought for the funds, and he wasn''t about to turn them down. Additionally, showing that he needed funds was also partly to provide an exnation for cracking other cases in the future. Otherwise, solving big cases so easily over and over again would only raise more and more suspicion. "Well then, I''ll allocate 50,000... no, make it 70,000 US dors to you. Is that enough?" Hearing Lewis''s words, Bucky and a few other inspectors all showed pained expressions on their faces. The public funds amounted to 150,000 US dors. And David was taking away 70,000 of that, leaving the remaining three teams with a maximum of just over 20,000 each. ``` But there was no other way. After all, it was them who had secured the funding. Without them, they wouldn''t even have $200, let alone the $20,000 they now had. The inspectors could only console themselves with this thought. "It''s enough, Chief Tax Officer!" Indeed, $70,000 wasn''t a small amount. In order not to cause dissatisfaction among other inspectors, David readily agreed to it. Lewis replied, "Alright, let''s settle on that. These past few days I''ve been busy with the performance assessment period and haven''t had the chance to sift through cases in the intelligence department. Tomorrow, I''ll allocate new cases to you!" David hesitated for a moment but ultimately held back his words regarding Dieter''s case. Since the other party hadn''t taken the initiative to ask him to handle the case, the implication was clear. However, looking at it from another perspective, this seemed to be a natural response. After all, Lewis was about to leave for his promotion to Deputy Tax Inspector. And Dieter was no ordinary person. If the case against him was mishandled leading to a protracted battle, it could dy the appointment. And who knew what trouble could arise from tackling Dieter given the Omaha Family''s influence? So, it made sense that Lewis would prefer a stable approach to securing tax achievements, even if it meant having fewer aplishments. "Let it be, just wait a bit longer..." David thought to himself that after all, Lewis would be leaving after the next assessment period, and from what he had heard, the Deputy Director seemed to have the intention of promoting him. If he could solve more cases during this period, perhaps it really would be his turn to move up. When the time came, if he yed his cards right, using Dieter''s case as a means to establish authority seemed to be a good choice! ... The next day, David went to the office and received a new case file from Lewis. Opening the file, he saw 5 photographs of sensuous women, which left him somewhat puzzled. However, as he reviewed the subsequent information, he began to understand the situation. ording to intelligence obtained by the department, these 5 women were part of the "Fairy Jump" Gang. They were different from the people of the Ind Nation and the Bangguo People. Ind Nationers and Bangguo People targeted tourists, whereas the Scam Gang preyed on everyone, locals and tourists alike, without discrimination! And as per the information, the gang''s monthly crime proceeds were at least a staggering $400,000 US Dors. "What do you think, shall we take action now?" After reviewing the information, an eager Nisen looked at David, ready to spring into action. He had realized that he was unlikely to fill Lewis''s soon-to-be-vacated position; once David became Chief Tax Officer, they would no longer be constrained by the partner system. In other words, if David cracked a case in the future, the lion''s share of tax achievements would be attributed to him. Therefore, while he still could, he intended to ride on David''s coattails to im as many tax achievements as possible. "Do you have any leads on this gang?" "Well... no!" Nisen scratched his head awkwardly. They had only received the case today, and apart from the general information provided, they had no other leads. ``` Chapter 38: Chapter 38: National Rankings Go Live David spread his hands, resigned, "I don''t have anything yet, so let''s not rush. Take some time to look into it before we act!" He had realized that his current rate of solving cases was indeed a bit too astonishing. Therefore, he decided to slow down a bit and pretend to investigate for a few days first. This way, he could also dispel the suspicions of many. Nisen nodded and replied, "Alright then..." ... Three dayster, Nisen''s Volvo was parked downstairs at David''s ce. Right after that, he picked up the phone. It was about seven or eight minutes. David came down, and as soon as he had pulled open the car door and sat down, Nisen anxiously handed over his phone, saying, "Take a look at this!" David took the phone, and what caught his eye were the words "Tax Authority''s Achievement List." Looking down the list, he saw two familiar names, Kelly Orsey and Brown Soros. And behind their names was the tax achievement figure of "2.296 million US dors!" "Hmm? What''s this about?" He had already heard about the tax achievement list at the assessment meeting three days ago from Gusin. But back then, Gusin said that after the list wasunched, it would be updated once per assessment period. But it''s not the assessment period yet! Nisen immediately exined, "This list has just beenunched on the internalwork by the head office. ording to theirtest exnation, the list won''t update once per assessment period. Instead, from the time it goes live, as soon as tax achievements are sessfully recorded, they will be updated in real-time on this list!" David was somewhat surprised, then replied, "So, you''re saying Kelly Orsey and Brown Soros''s tax achievements listed here were received in these three days?" "Exactly!" David now understood, but to receive over two million in tax achievements in just three days was a bit monstrous for this duo from the Manhattan, New York Branch. If you calcted the average amount, 2.29 million in 3 days would be 4.58 million in 6 days, and 9.16 million in 12 days... After one assessment period, wouldn''t that amount to over ten million! What kind of beasts were these! Continuing down the list, the second ce still featured familiar names, Trollope Alger and Bemy Hardy. This was the audit team from the Los Angeles Long Beach Branch. In the previous assessment period, they earned a high tax achievement of 4.36 million, ranking second nationwide. In these three days, they also had over 1.6 million US dors booked. Apart from these two teams, there were also thirteen audit teams on the list that had broken the million mark in tax achievements. This made David question his life a bit. He had a system, but what methods were these people using to achieve such high efficiency? "David, I think we should take action now!" Nisen''s tone was somewhat urgent. It would have been fine if this list hadn''t gone live, but now that it had, and with the tax achievement data being updated in real-time, he felt a bit embarrassed. After all, during thest assessment period, they had beenuded among the national top hundred! Yet in these three days, because they were in the process of collecting data, not a penny in tax achievements was recorded, which meant their current tax achievements were still a big fat zero, cing them tens of thousands of ranks below. This was something everyone in the national audit system could see; plummeting from the top hundred to tens of thousands below was indeed too humiliating! David''s eyes narrowed, and he wore a contemtive expression. He had nned to ck off for another day or two before starting work. But now that the list hade out, it also stirred hispetitive spirit. Though limited by regional factors, he couldn''tpare with those audit teams from Manhattan and Los Angeles, it wasn''t as though just anyone could ride roughshod over him! He had to maintain a firm hold on the top hundred ranking! That was helpful both for the impressions of the higher-ups at the head office and for the leaders of his own branch! Gathering his thoughts, David asked, "What have you found out?" Nisen looked slightly embarrassed and replied, "I''ve only found out that this gang often hangs out in Horseshoe Bay, Begio, and Caesar Resort." "Also this" Nisen pulled out a small card from the inside of his suit. David took it and saw that it was simr to the little cards often slipped under hotel doors in the middle of the night back in his previous life in China. It had a contact number on it and a fiery-sexy woman illustration. "Not bad!" David smiled and changed the subject, "Let''s go, to Caesar Resort!" ... Caesar Resort, situated at the border between the Lake District and rk County. The resort''s architecture was unique, predominantly white and light gray, with a European style that was low and exquisite,plementing the surrounding environment. It also boasted the city''srgest artificialke, making it a location by the mountains and water. Additionally, there were golf courses, spa centers, gyms, and various other facilities to provide the ultimate luxury experience for vacationing tourists. In the parking lot, Nisen felt like a pig in the midst of a cabbage patch as he parked his Volvo amidst a collection of luxury cars. But David didn''t seem to be thinking about that at all and walked straight into the lobby. "Good day, sir, how may I assist you?" The front desk at this five-star hotel wasn''t just pretty with a sweet voice, her smile was immensely weing. It made one feel an urge to shout, "Give me the most expensive room you have!" And indeed, that''s exactly what David wanted to do as he pulled out his card and said, "Give me the Presidential Suite!" These words stunned Nisen standing by his side. We agreed toe here to work on a case, and now you''re opening a Presidential Suite? Wait a minute... As far as he knew, the Presidential Suite here cost upwards of ten thousand US dors a night! Although David had received a sizable bonus for his outstanding tax performance during the evaluation period, money shouldn''t be thrown around like this! "Certainly, sir!" In such a hotel, the receptionist seemed desensitized to the wealthy, and she took the card without further question. In the meantime, Nisen hurriedly asked in a low voice, "David, what are you doing?" "I''m working on a case!" "Working on a case?" "Didn''t you say that the Scam Gang often operates out of this hotel? So, let''s do a ''sting operation''!" Nisen was taken aback again. A sting operation... it didn''t seem like a bad idea. But the prerequisite was to have solid evidence of their tax evasion! Otherwise, even if they were caught this time, they could make a fuss and be difficult to handle afterward. "Wait a minute, David..." Nisen gathered his thoughts and asked, "Even if we are to perform a sting operation, spending over ten thousand to open a Presidential Suite... isn''t that a bit too extravagant?" David shot him a disdainful look and said, "Extravagant? What do you think our official funds are for?" Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Who is the Fatty Lamb? Lewis had transferred $70,000 US Dors over, and he was worried about having nowhere to spend it¡ªspending it or not, the money would still be gone! "What?" Nisen''s brain short-circuited a bit. Were you actually using hard-earned public funds like this? Just this $10,000 plus dors alone¡ªif it were up to him to use, he could have bought so much intelligence information! It was just too wasteful! "Good morning, sir, your personal butler sincerely at your service!" While the two were still whispering to each other, a calm and dignified man approached. He was dressed in a finely tailored tuxedo, the delicate ck fabric smooth as silk, its elegant lines outlining his upright figure. Shiny silver buttons were arranged in an orderly fashion on the front of the tuxedo, making a striking contrast with the shirt''s pristine white, and around his shirt cor was tied a silky ck bowtie, disying the professional caliber and elegant demeanor of a five-star hotel butler. "Can we check in now?" "Of course, please follow me!" The butler gestured politely and led them to the elevator, pressed the button, and the three of them made their way to room 5188 on the 5th floor. The tuxedo-d butler took out the room card and slowly opened the door to the presidential suite. What came into view was a spacious and luxurious space. The room was carpeted with thick red rugs, soft andfortable underfoot; expensive oil paintings hung on the walls,plementing the furniture and decorations within the room. The center of the suite was a huge living room, furnished with luxury sofas and chairs, and a giant crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the entire space. On one side of the living room was a spacious dining area, with a rectangr dining table and matching chairs that could amodate many people at once. In his past life as well as this one, it was the first time David had stayed in a suite of this caliber, which made him take a few extra nces. "Gentlemen, it''s breakfast time. Would you like to eat something?" After thinking for a moment, David said, "Bring me a Wellington beef steak, medium-rare!" "I''ll have the same!" Nisen followed suit, but after speaking, he seemed to remember something and added, "Oh, by the way, what''s the oldest vintage of Lafite you have here?" "Sir, the oldest Lafite we have is from 1992!" The butler''s response left Nisen slightly disappointed; he had wanted a whole bottle from 1982. Nevertheless, heposed himself and replied, "Then let''s go with a bottle of the ''92, let it breathe for 15 minutes first!" "Very well, sir¡­" After responding, the butler did not immediately turn to leave, but looked at the two men with a suggestive nce. David then came to his senses and quickly took out a hundred-dor bill from his pocket and handed it over. In America, gratuities were not just a cultural practice, but had even been written into thew. However, generally speaking, a tip of $5, $10, or $20 would suffice, giving $100 at once like David did was notmon. It wasn''t that he was trying to show off; as the saying goes, it was public funds after all, so not using it would be a waste! "Thank you very much, sir!" The butler was very pleased with such a generous tip, thanked them respectfully, and then turned and gently closed the door. David turned to Nisen, and with a smirk said, "Weren''t you just talking about luxury? Now you''ve gone for a ''92 Lafite. You sure know how to enjoy yourself!" Nisen gave a sheepishugh and replied, "We''ve already spent the money; wouldn''t it be a huge loss not to enjoy it properly?" "Well, enjoy as much as you want. We have the whole day today!" It was morning now, and no one would choose to seek out that kind of fun at this time, plus it could arouse suspicion from the gang. So, David nned to take actionter that evening. ... Half an hourter, two Wellington steaks and a well-aerated ''92 Lafite had been delivered. It must be said, the quality of the steak at this five-star hotel was quite high, tender and melting in the mouth. Paired with the superb taste of the ''92 Lafite, only three words upied their minds! Delightful! Under theirbined efforts, the bottle of Lafite was quickly emptied, perhaps due to the year''s precipitation, the wine had a strong kick, making both feel somewhat dizzy. But it did not matter, they had plenty of time that day. Taking a nap wouldn''t bete! After all, it was only the morning still! The beds in the presidential suite were very soft andfortable, and when the two awoke, it was already evening. Both David and Nisen were somewhat reluctant to part with the taste of the Lafite but, with work impending, they dared not drink more and settled for a Japanese meal to fill their bellies. After taking a bath and watching some TV, the time quickly moved on to nine o''clock. Everything was ready, and David picked up the small card and dialed one of the numbers on it. Meanwhile, about five kilometers away from Caesar Resort, in a bungalow. Four men and five women were seated in the living room on couches, some ying cards, a pair engrossed in a chess game, and a few watching TV. Mobile phones, peanuts, beer, and other items were scattered on the table. "Doo-doo-doo¡­" As everyone was preupied with their activities, the ringing of one of the mobile phones caused everyone to stop what they were doing and fall silent. Sitting on the left, a mixed-race girl with dark skin tinged with white picked up the phone, pressed the answer key, and uttered in a voice difficult for men to resist, "Hello!" "May I ask, what services do you offer?" "Yes, sir, may I know your current location?" "I am at Caesar Resort, room 5188!" Because it was on speakerphone, when they heard this room number, the expressions of the four men and five women all lit up. Being frequent visitors of the resort, they clearly knew what kind of room 5188 was. It was the presidential suite! This meant that the person on the other end was a fat sheep, and if they could handle this fat sheep, they would definitely make a killing! "Okay sir, what style do you prefer?" "What styles do you have?" "We have blondes with blue eyes, Asians, Euro-African mixes... If describing them doesn''t satisfy you, we can send photos for you to select!" "Alright, send them over to take a look then!" "Certainly, please wait a moment¡­" Over at Caesar Resort, David''s phone quickly received five photos. Indeed, they were the same five women provided in the intel from their agency''s intelligence department. He spoke into the phone, "Then let''s go with number 3!" "Very well, sir, we offer a selection of designated clothing services, do you require thedy to wear any special attire?" "ck stockings!" Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Two Actors Each with Their Own Scheme "Alright, sir, see you in half an hour!" After the phone call ended, an Asian woman immediately entered one of the rooms. In another room, a man came out and licked his lips, saying, "I asked, the customer in room 5188 even tips a hundred bucks, definitely a fat sheep, and most importantly, an Asian!" Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly became energized. In America, despite constantly shouting slogans of racial equality. The fact is, there is no equality among the races. First and foremost, the Native Americans are not to be trifled with; they have too many special rights, and even if theymit a crime, thew enforcement agencies hardly dare to mess with them. Thene the whites, who need no introduction as they have always dominated every aspect of this country. After them are the cks. The cks indeed had a hard time in the past, not being treated as humans in various ways. But as times have developed to the present, this race has gradually be united. If they are provoked, it immediately results in strikes, protests, vandalism, and looting, and not long ago, the Floyd incident made the whole of America restless. So, this race has also be problematic to provoke. At the bottom and easiest to manipte are the Asians! Whether whites or cks, every so often, you can see various protests and demonstrations on the streets, but have you ever seen Asians taking to the streets? Thus, to these people, they not only caught a fat sheep this time, but also a sheep that is at their mercy! But what they didn''t know was that the fat sheep they thought they had was about to be their relentless nightmare! ¡­ At Caesar Resort, inside room 5188. "Giggle giggle giggle..." David looked at his watch; it had been exactly half an hour since the call, and those people were indeed punctual. He looked at Nisen with an expression that was somewhat yful, "The show is about to start!" "It''s all on you now!" With augh, Nisen walked into a side room. David walked to the door and opened it, only to see an Asian woman with a tall figure and blunt bangs, standing upright in front of the door. Looking further down, her legs were long and proportionate, tightly wrapped in ck stockings, with red high-heels on her feet, making her overall appearance even more enticing. After sizing up her figure, David''s gaze moved to the top of her head. [Name: Yang Yezi.] [upation: Scam Artist.] [Monthly ie: Ny Two Thousand and Five Hundred US dors.] [Ie details: On December 5th, extorted thirty thousand US dors in cash from a tourist from New York at Horseshoe Bay Hotel through a scam, earning a profit share of eight thousand dors, on December 9th, in Begio Hotel Room 9111, extorted five thousand US dors from a tourist from Los Angeles using the same scam...] [More details...] [Tax payable: Two thousand three hundred and fifteen US dors.] "Truly a profitable business..." After seeing this woman''s ie details, David couldn''t help but feel a sense of amazement. But on the other hand, since she alone has a monthly ie of ny thousand dors, the other four women probably aren''t far behind. And her aplices, if one were to estimate by extrapting... He felt it should definitely be higher than the $400,000 stated in the intelligence report. "How about it, sir, does this satisfy you?" "Of course, pleasee in!" The woman named Yang Yezi entered the room without any guard. David, meanwhile, closed the door, walked over to the table, picked up two sses of red wine that had been prepared earlier, approached her, and said, "Miss, would you like a drink?" Yang Yezi did not decline, but picked up the wine ss with a light smile. In the following time, she did not hurry to get to the main topic but started to chat casually with David. David,mitted to ying his role to the fullest, didn''t reveal his identity to avoid startling the snake, but also started to y along with her. In this way, the two of them, each with their own agenda, chatted for about half an hour. Taking advantage of the alcohol, Yang Yezi edged closer and closer to David, eventually leaning her entire body against him, constantly rubbing against him¡­ "Hold on a second..." David stopped her various seductions and asked, "It seems you''ve forgotten something, how much money do I need to spend for a night with you..." "No!" Before David could finish, Yang Yezi''s slender fingers blocked his lips and she said sincerely, "David, you''re very handsome, and I feel like we get along very well. Your Asian heritage makes me feel close to you, I don''t want money to ruin what we have..." About David being handsome, that was not something Yang Yezi said insincerely, the truly insincere part came afterwards. They, as scam artists, also required a level of skill. If they talk about money, it always remains a transaction. With some targets who weren''t afraid of making a scene, they might just call the police straight away, making it difficult to resolve the situation smoothly. Once she entered, she first closed the distance between them through chatting, and then with such affectionate words, which could create a resonance and emotion in the target. In this way, when people waiting to create a disturbanceeter, the target would feel a sense of guilt. The thought was, she''s getting intimate with me because of my charm, not because of vulgar money! And now that she''s been caught by her husband, what''s wrong with spending some money to quell his anger? This move had never failed Yang Yezi and her team! At this moment, after hearing such words, David couldn''t help but find it somewhat amusing. If he didn''t know the woman''s true identity, he might have actually been moved by such passionate words! Nevertheless, the act must go on. David pped his thigh and pretended to be touched in response, "You''re absolutely right, we shouldn''t let vulgar things like money taint our emotions..." "What a disgraceful pair..." Nisen, watching the two actors through the crack in the door, almost diedughing. They''re actually ying the emotion card now! He wondered what kind of face the woman would make when her identity was revealedter. But before Nisen could continue to sneer, the following scene turned him green with envy, wishing he could take the stage himself. Because in the living room, David and Yang Yezi were rapidly progressing. Inside the living room, David, who was getting quite the ''rubbing,'' was puzzled; when in hell would this woman''s aplice take their ce? If they didn''t take over soon, he might have to ''make a sacrifice for his country.'' "Bang!" Just as he was silentlyining, luckily, a sudden loud noise at the door allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief! Chapter 41: Chapter 40: Two Actors Each with Ulterior Motives "Okay, sir, see you in half an hour!" After the call ended, an Asian woman immediately entered one of the rooms. In another room, a man emerged, licking his lips and said, "I asked around, the guest in room 5188 even tips a hundred dors, truly a fat sheep, and most importantly, an Asian!" Upon hearing this, everyone''s spirits were visibly lifted. In America, despite the constant chanting of slogans about racial equality, racial equality, in reality, the races are anything but equal. First and foremost, the one you don''t want to mess with are the Native Americans, who have far too many privileges. Even if theymit a crime,w enforcement tends to think twice before taking action against them. Next would be the whites, which need no introduction as they dominate every facet of this country. Thene the cks. cks had it really tough in the past, treated as less than human. But as time progressed to the present, this race has gradually be united. If they are upset, immediately there are strikes, protests, vandalism and looting. Moreover, the recent Floyd Incident has turned the whole of America upside down. So now, this race has also be difficult to provoke. The ones at the bottom of thedder, the easiest to manipte, are Asians! Whether it''s whites or cks, you can see them marching and demonstrating on the streets from time to time, but have you ever seen Asians doing the same? For this reason, these people believe that not only have they caught a fat sheep, but also one that they can ughter at will! What they didn''t know was that the fat sheep they thought they had was about to be a lingering nightmare! ... In room 5188 of Caesar Resort, "Giggle, giggle, giggle..." David looked at his watch; exactly half an hour had passed since the call, those people were indeed punctual. He nced at Nisen, his expression somewhat amused, "The show is about to start!" "It''s all on you now!" With that, Nisen walked into an adjoining room. David approached the door and opened it, only to see a tall Asian woman with straight-across bangs standing elegantly before him. Looking further down, her legs were long and well-proportioned, tightly wrapped in ck tights, and her feet were in a pair of red high heels, making her overall appearance even more enticing. After taking in her figure, David''s gaze shifted to above her head. [Name: Yang Yezi.] [upation: Scam Artist.] [Monthly Ie: Ny Two Thousand and Five Hundred US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 5th, at Horseshoe Bay Hotel, by scamming a tourist from New York, obtained thirty thousand US dors in cash, personally profiting eight thousand; on December 9th, in Begio Hotel Room 9111, by scamming a tourist from Los Angeles, profited fifty thousand dors...] [More Details...] [Tax Owed: Two Thousand Three Hundred and Fifteen US dors.] "This truly is a profitable business..." After reviewing the woman''s ie situation, David couldn''t help butment with a hint of awe. But then again, since just her monthly ie reaches ny thousand dors, the other four women probably don''t do badly either. And then there are her aplices. If one were to estimate by extraption... He felt that the amount should exceed the $400,000 indicated by the intelligence unit''s data. "How about it, sir, does this satisfy you?" "Of course,e on in!" This woman named Yang Yezi entered the room without any hesitation. David also closed the door, went to the table, picked up two sses of red wine that had been prepared earlier, approached her, and said, "Miss, would you like a drink?" Yang Yezi did not refuse and picked up her ss with a light smile. In the following time, she did not rush into the main topic but instead started a casual conversation with David. Since David wasmitted to ying his part well, he did not reveal his identity immediately to avoid startling the snake but instead engaged her in a pretense of sincere interest. In this way, the two, each with their own ulterior motives, chatted for about half an hour. Yang Yezi, pretending to be emboldened by the wine, gradually leaned closer to David and eventually nestled in his arms... "Wait a moment..." David stopped her movements and asked, "It seems you''ve forgotten something; we haven''t talked about money..." "No!" Before David could finish, Yang Yezi''s delicate fingers pressed against his lips, and she said sincerely, "David, you are very handsome, and I feel like we get along very well. Your Asian heritage makes me feel close to you. I don''t want to ruin our rtionship over something as vulgar as money..." Regarding David''s handsomeness, it wasn''t insincereing from Yang Yezi. What was insincere followed. Those in the scamming business also need a degree of skill. If money were discussed, it would always be a transaction. Some targets who aren''t afraid of making a scene might just call the police, which would make things difficult to settle. Upon her arrival, she first used casual conversation to bridge their connection and then with such affectionate words, she aimed to evoke sympathy and stir emotions in her target. With this approach, when her aplice arrived to cause a scene, the target would feel a sense of guilt. She''s cozying up to me because of my charm, not because of vulgar money! And now if her husband identally caught us, what''s wrong with spending a bit of money to cool his anger? This tactic had never failed Yang Yezi and herpanions! At this moment, hearing such words, David couldn''t help but find it somewhat amusing inside. If he hadn''t known her true identity, he might have really been moved by her passionate words! But regardless, the act must go on. David pped his thigh, feigning emotion in his reply, "You are so right, we shouldn''t let something as vulgar as money tarnish our affection..." "What a pair of dogs..." Nisen, who was peeking through the crack of the adjoining room''s door at these two actors, could barely contain hisughter. This is just absurd, they''re even ying on emotions now! He wondered what kind of expression the woman would have once they revealed their identities. Before Nisen could continue to mock, the next scene filled him with envy, making his insides twist with jealousy; he wished he could take over himself. Because in the living room, David and Yang Yezi had already ''rapidly'' advanced their interaction. In the living room, David, entangled in a ''friction'', was quite baffled. Why hadn''t this woman''s aplice taken their position yet? If they didn''t arrive soon, he might really have to ''sacrifice himself for his country''. "Bang!" Just as he was secretly grumbling, fortunately, a sudden loud noise at the door came as a relief! Chapter 42: Chapter 40: Two Actors Each with Ulterior Motives "Alright, sir, see you in half an hour!" After ending the call, an Asian woman immediately entered one of the rooms. She needed to do some makeup and change her clothes. Meanwhile, in another room, a man stepped out and licked his lips as he said, "I asked, the guest in Room 5188 even tips with a 100-dor bill. Definitely a fat sheep, and most importantly, an Asian one at that!" Upon hearing this, everyone immediately became spirited. In America, Asians are considered the easiest to handle! So, in their eyes, they didn''t just catch a fat sheep this time, but also one that was theirs for the ughtering! But what they didn''t know was that the fat sheep they believed in was about to be their relentless nightmare! ... At Caesar Resort, inside Room 5188. "Giggle, giggle, giggle..." David looked at his watch. It had been exactly half an hour since the phone call, and those people were indeed punctual. He nced at Nisen, his expression somewhat yful as he said, "The show is about to start!" "It''s your turn now!" After dropping that line with a smile, Nisen walked into the side room. David went to the door and opened it, finding a tall Asian woman with bangs standing gracefully in front of the door. Looking down further, her legs were long and well-proportioned, tightly wrapped in ck stockings, and she wore a pair of red high heels that made her overall appearance even more alluring. After sizing up her figure, David''s gaze shifted to the top of her head. [Name: Yang Yezi.] [upation: Scam Artist.] [Monthly Ie: Ny-two thousand and five hundred US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 5th, at Horseshoe Bay Hotel, extorted thirty thousand US dors in cash from a New York tourist using the honeytrap scam, profiting eight thousand dors from the split; on December 9th, at Begio Hotel Room 9111, extorted fifty thousand US dors in cash from a Los Angeles tourist...] [More Details¡­] [Tax Owed: Twenty-three thousand and one hundred and fifty US dors.] "What a profitable business..." After examining the woman''s ie situation, David couldn''t help but feel impressed. But thinking about it, if she alone earns ny thousand a month, the other four women probably aren''t far behind. And her aplices, if one were to estimate by extraption... He figured it must be much higher than the four hundred thousand dors reported by the intelligence department. "What do you think, sir, am I to your satisfaction?" "Of course, pleasee in!" This woman named Yang Yezi entered the room without any guard. David then closed the door behind her, went to the table, picked up two sses of red wine he had prepared earlier, approached her, and said, "Miss, would you like a drink?" Yang Yezi didn''t refuse, epting the ss with a light smile. In the time that followed, she didn''t rush to get to the main topic but started small talk with David. And David, holding the belief that if one is to y a part, they must y it well, didn''t reveal his identity right away to avoid startling the snake, and yed along with her pretense. In this way, both harboring their own schemes, they chatted for about half an hour. Yang Yezi pretended to lean on David, moving closer step by step under the influence of alcohol... "Wait a minute..." David stopped her actions and asked, "It seems you''ve forgotten something, we haven''t discussed money yet..." "No!" Before David could finish, Yang Ye''s delicate fingers sealed his lips, and she said with a sincere face, "David, you are very handsome, and I feel like we have a great connection. Your Asian heritage makes me feel close to you. I don''t want to ruin what we have over something as vulgar as money..." As for David being handsome, that wasn''t against Yang Yezi''s true feelings. What really went against her feelings was thetter part of her statement. Even scam artists need to have some skills. If the subject of money came up, it would always be a transaction. If they encountered a target not afraid of making a scene, things might end up with the police getting called and a difficult situation to resolve. As soon as she entered, she used conversation to close the distance between them, and then with such affectionate words, she created a sense of empathy and emotion in the target. With this approach, when the people waiting to create a scene arrived, the target would feel a sense of guilt. They were drawn to ''deep conversation'' with me because of my charm, not because of that vulgar money! And now that the husband has caught us by ident, what''s wrong with spending some money to calm him down? This tactic had never failed Yang Yezi and her group! At this moment, David also found it rather amusing upon hearing such words. If he hadn''t known the woman''s true identity, he might have been really moved by such passionate words! But regardless, the performance had to go on. David pped his thigh as if moved, and responded, "You''re absolutely right, we shouldn''t let something as vulgar as money taint our affection..." "What a pair of dogs..." Inside the side room, Nisen, peering through the crack of the door at these two drama kings, could hardly contain hisughter. This is turning into a real emotional affair! He wondered what kind of face the woman would make once they revealed their true identities. But before Nisen could continue mocking them, things were already heating up in the living room. In the living room, David was puzzled; the woman''s aplice was taking too long to show up. If they didn''t appear soon, he might really have to ''make a sacrifice for the country''. "Bang!" Just as he was inwardly bemoaning his luck, a loud noise at the door came as a relief! "Fake Yau, you bastard, how dare you seduce my wife, I''m going to kill you, kill you!" The first to enter was an Asian man who kicked the door open and charged in. He was followed by three burly men. On the couch, Yang Ye appeared somewhat panicked and quickly moved away from David, covering her head as she walked to the other side. Quickly, the Asian man rushed up to David, while the other three men positioned themselves to the east, south, and west, as if to prevent David from escaping. "Fake Yau, I''m going to kill you, you bastard!" The Asian man seemed even more enraged and instantly pulled out a revolver from his waistband. Seeing this, one of the men rushed over in a panic, continuously shouting ''Don''t do anything rash'' and the like. "Don''t stop me, this bastard dared to seduce my wife, even if Jesus came, I would still kill him!" "Don''t, don''t, don''t, Xi¨¡ngchu¨¡n... let''s talk this out, don''t do anything that''ll lead to death!" Watching the two''s coordinated routine, David found it amusing but didn''t interrupt their performance. Chapter 43: Chapter 41: No More Pretense, Im Laying My Cards on the Table The two of them went back and forth like that, one furious, one persuading, for quite a while, until the burly man finally dragged the Asian man to the side, exchanged a few whispers, and then returned to David. But faced with David''s calm demeanor, as if he were merely a spectator, the burly man was taken aback. Catching a cheater, huh? So you''re just going to act as if nothing''s happened? "Ahem..." The burly man decided to put aside his questions and began, "Buddy, how could you stoop to seducing someone''s wife? Now, what do you think we should do about this?" Without offering an exnation, David responded with amusement, "Well, what do you think I should do?" The burly man pretended to be troubled, "My friend here really loves his wife, and it took me quite some effort to calm him down. This is tough to handle..." "Tough to handle? Then don''t handle it at all!" "Bro, what do you mean by that!?" The burly man''s face darkened instantly and the two others by his side also moved closer, all wearing unfriendly expressions. Looking at David''s nomittal stance, the burly man suggested, "Since you''re the one at fault here and you don''t seem like someone short of cash, how about you pay up a hundred thousand or eighty thousand dors to soothe my buddy''s wounded heart, and we''ll call it even?" "Sure thing!" The three were taken aback, not expecting the scapegoat to agree so readily. But before they could rejoice, David''s next words stunned them. "However, I believe it should be you paying us!" "Fake Yau, what the hell do you mean, are you messing with us?" David lost interest in ying their game and looked toward the side room, shouting, "Enough with the act,e out and do your job!" Following thatmand, Nisen strode out confidently. The group hadn''t anticipated that besides David, there was another aplice present. And when they saw the tax badge Nisen unted, they were shocked, thinking they had encountered the police! "Everyone, no need to panic, we are inspectors from the Revenue Service!" "The Revenue Service!?" Upon hearing "Revenue Service," their reaction was even greater than when they saw the badge; but soon, they settled down. The IRS might be fearsome, but they primarily handled tax audits, not criminal matters like theirs¡ªthat was the police''s jurisdiction. "Turns out you''re inspectors from the Revenue Service. We are blind to have not recognized you, sorry for the misunderstanding. We''ll be on our way..." At this point, the scam artists had yet to realize that David and Nisen hade specifically for them and were still under the impression that it all was a coincidence. But what could they do? They couldn''t afford to mess with the IRS, so they resigned themselves to their bad luck. "Hold on a second, who told you that you could leave?" The men halted their movements, looking anxiously towards David who had spoken. The biggest of the men clenched his teeth and finally reached for his wallet, pulling out a bunch of US Dor bills and cing them on the table, saying, "Mr. Inspector, please forgive our impertinence, let this serve as an apology..." "Keep your money, we came to find you guys on purpose today!" "On purpose?" The men were a mix of shocked and scared, but mostly baffled. "It''s quite simple. You see, on the 3rd ofst month, the American Congress passed a bill that deres..." A few minutester, the five were standing there gobsmacked. A ck Tax Bill? From now on, robbery, drug trafficking, smuggling, including their current extortion practices, all had to be duly taxed by the Revenue Service? Is this for real? The IRS is a serious government agency; how is this any different from them extorting us? After a moment, Yang Yezi was the first toe to her senses, ring at David furiously and said, "You''re ying me!" The words had reached this point. Even a fool would have understood by now that David had deliberately set them up! To think she had just been sweet-talking with David! This bastard had really messed things up big time! David looked at her with disdain and said, "Aren''t you also ying me?" "You..." Yang Yezi''s face flushed, at a loss for words to retort. "Inspector, you''re conducting a sting operation!" The big man had also realized what was going on. David replied with disdain, "So what if I am, do you n to call the police or sue us?" The five of them looked extremely ufortable. Call the police? That would be like walking into a trap! The big man, Costi, pulled out his wallet once again, extracted all the US Dors from it, about 2,3000 or so, ced them on the table, and said, "Inspector, the market is not great for us right now, please show us some mercy and let us off the hook!" David narrowed his eyes and rebuked, "Curtis, on December 5thst month at the Horseshoe Bay Hotel, you extorted a tourist from New York and obtained 30,000 US Dors in cash, from which you made a profit of 6,000 US Dors." "Then on December 9th in Begio Hotel Room 9111, you used the same method to extort a tourist from Los Angeles, securing 50,000 US Dors in cash and ultimately pocketing 10,000 US Dors." "And on December 19th..." "Just in one month alone, you haveted 103,000 US Dors, and now you tell me that the market is not good?" As soon as these people barged in earlier, David had already checked their background through his golden finger. Costi, the big man named after the Greek word for cost, was dumbfounded again upon hearing his secrets exposed one by one. It was one thing for this Inspector to find out whom he had extorted, but to know the exact times, locations, and to have a clear count of his earnings for the month to the veryst cent¡ªthis was outrageously detailed! Just how long had they been investigating him? "And you, Arnold..." "..." Ten minutester, the other four, just like Costi earlier, each wore an expression as if they had seen a ghost. Because in this time, David had likewise urately ounted for their involvement in cases this month, as well as their profits. What baffled them the most was that they virtually never tallied their earnings seriously and only had a rough idea. Yet David had calcted even the hundreds and tens digits for them. This proved that throughout the month, their every move had been under surveince. Forget about what cases they were involved in; they were afraid even the number of times they went to the toilet each day, and the boxes of condoms they bought, were known in striking detail! "We''re just small fry in Las Vegas, does the IRS really need to keep such a close eye on us?" Costi was somewhat helpless and speechless. David smiled and replied, "You''re talking about a tax concern of over 200,000 dors, that''s not a small matter!" "Over 200,000 dors?!" The faces of the five changed instantly. Immediately after, Costi asked, "Just how much does the IRS want to collect from us?" Chapter 44: Chapter 42: Yes, We Extort Too "ording to the ck Tax Law, those with ies exceeding $91,151 but less than $190,150 need to pay a 25% tax rate," "25%, this is way too much!" Costi and his fourpanions were furious again. Although they were apprehensive about the National Revenue Service, the prospect of paying such a high tax rate equivalent to a quarter of their ie naturally made them livid. "Excessive?" David looked at Costi with a slightly sarcastic tone, "Even if it''s excessive, can it be more so than your own actions of extorting others?" "If I may be so bold, what is the difference between your National Revenue Service acting this way and our acts of extortion?" Davidughed and replied, "You''re right, fundamentally there''s no difference, but there''s one thing you have to realize, we are legal, and you are illegal, so you have to pay the taxes because you have no other choice!" "You..." Costi and hispanions were beside themselves with rage, and now they finally understood what the saying ''the official''s word is always final'' truly meant. But there was nothing they could do since David was indeed correct. Their actions were disreputable, while the ck Tax Law by the National Revenue Service seemed like robbery too, but who could argue when it had been passed by Congress and written intow? "I''ve said my piece, whether you pay or not is up to you!" David had already figured out that despite Costi''s resistant demeanor, he was actually smart, so there was no need for further idle talk. ... On the way back, Nisen joked, "I got a real kick out of seeing you like that earlier, next time let me ''contribute'' to the nation too!" Yang Yezi was not bad looking at all, he had indeed made him die of envy just now. "Sure, but I think a ce like a Strip Club might suit you better!" Nisen was a bit embarrassed and retorted, "What Strip Club? I never go to those ces!" David gave him a meaningful nce but in the end just smiled and didn''t say another word. Meanwhile. Costi and his five associates had already returned to their headquarters. They had thought that they would be hunters again today, but unexpectedly, they ended up as prey, leaving each of them with a sense of something stuck in their throat. They were used to extorting others, when had they ever been extorted like this? The more they thought about it, the more intolerable it became. An Asian man named Xi¨¡ngchu¨¡n spoke up, "So what if it''s the National Revenue Service, we just won''t pay, let''s see what they can do to us!" "Ever heard of Al Capone?" Xi¨¡ngchu¨¡n turned his head, not quite understanding why Costi was bringing this up. "Al Capone, America''s most ruthless mafia godfather from thest century, not even the President could handle him, but do you know how he ended up in prison?" As a person from the Ind Nation, Xi¨¡ngchu¨¡n was not very familiar with such an ancient mafia godfather, but he showed a curious attitude upon hearing this. Costi continued, "It was the President and the FBI Director who jointly asked the National Revenue Service to step in. Those bastards from the Revenue Service were really ruthless; they sent over a dozen undercover agents who infiltrated Capone''s organization and managed to find a ledger signed by him after three years of undercover work, and they used tax evasion as the reason to put him behind bars!" Listening up to this point, Xi¨¡ngchu¨¡n''s mouth twitched, the President and FBI were powerless against this mafia boss, but in the end, he fell into the hands of the National Revenue Service, the impact of this revtion was not small. Costi added, "And do you know what Al Capone said after he went to prison?" "He left three famous quotes to the world that are still being quoted to this day!" "First, heavy machine guns are more useful than submachine guns!" "Second, always wear a ''T'' during intimate moments." "Third, pay taxes to the IRS on time every month!" After hearing this, Xi¨¡ngchu¨¡n looked somewhat dejected, and the violent resistance tow in his heart had already started to fade away. Even a mob boss like Al Capone couldn''t stand up to the IRS, let alone their small fry like Karami. But after pondering for a while, he tentatively proposed, "Since we can''t provoke them, can we just run away?" "Heh, run away?" Costi smiled without any warmth and continued, "Do you think those bastards who''ve got our particrs so clearly worked out would let us get away?" "Maybe the second we even start thinking about it, they''ll break down the door and arrest us!" On further thought, Xi¨¡ngchu¨¡n realized that it was true; if they knew all about their cases and ie, obviously their every move was being closely watched by them. And the way David had left looked like he was totally sure of them, apparently unafraid of them making a run for it suddenly. "Pressed by circumstances, let''s pay up. At least if we do, we can continue in this line of work. It''s just earning a bit less, consider it paying to avert disaster!" Just as David had anticipated, Costi was indeed a smart man. And nobody else present voiced any objections to his words, which implied silent agreement. ... The next morning, David arrived promptly at the office, ready to greet Costi''s arrival. It''s worth mentioning that since he hadn''t been to the office much over the past few days, he suddenly noticed that things seemed different from before. In the past, everyone here would either be dealing with tax slips, documents, or leisurely drinking coffee and discussing the cases they had at hand. But now, most of the inspectors arriving were either crazily swiping on their phones or vigorously moving their mouse over theirputers. David was curious and couldn''t help but turn his head to look at Bucky, who was frantically operating, and only then did he realize that he was scrolling through the tax performance leaderboard. Oh, that''s right, didn''t the leaderboard go live yesterday? And as long as the data got entered into the system sessfully, the leaderboard would basically update in real time. No wonder everyone seemed busy and expectant today; they were checking out their own rankings. "Haha, Dawson, we''re ranked 9,689, making it into the top ten thousand!" Just then, Bucky turned his head and excitedly shouted to his partner. David looked on, somewhat speechless. Getting into the top ten thousand was something to be excited about? Bucky''s partner happened to be in the direction of David. After the excitement, when he suddenly noticed David paying attention to them, he quickly exined, "There are 140,000 inspectors nationwide, 70,000 inspection teams; for us to make it into the top ten thousand isn''t a disgrace!" "Hmm...?" David seemed to recall something; although he had been in the top one hundred in the previous assessment period, his tax performance this period was still zero. So now, ording to what Bucky was saying about not being disgraced by being in the top ten thousand, didn''t that mean that his presence at the bottom was way too shameful? Chapter 45: Chapter 43: Entering the Top Thousand List Bucky seemed to realize he had said something wrong and hurriedly changed the subject, "By the way, David, if there''s anything you need help with, don''t be shy¡ªjust let me know! " As one of the top hundred inspectors of the previous term, it is difficult to say nationwide, but in the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, David was the focus of many people''s attention. So, Bucky knew that in the past few days, David''s tax performance was still at zero. But no matter what, without the help of public funds, it would have been impossible for him to enter the top ten thousand list. Thus, his offer was truly sincere. "I will." David responded with a sentence and did not say more, continuing his state of cking off. Until the time reached 10 o''clock. At this moment, the nine people who came out of the elevator made him smile. The neers were none other than Costi and his group. After they arrived by David''s side, Costi took the lead and said, "Inspector, we agree to pay the taxes, but before doing so, we need to ask some questions." "Ask!" "..." Several minutester, having received assurance that their identities would not be revealed and their futures would not be interfered with, Costi and his colleagues then took out the taxes to start paying... ... On the fourth floor, in Chief Tax Officer Lewis''s office. At that moment, Lewis was staring at theputer screen, his brows furrowed. "What''s going on with David? It''s been several days, and howe there''s not a single point in tax performance?" Last assessment period, David''s inspection group made the top hundred, giving him a good bit of reflected glory¡ªafter all, it was the group he led! As the leader of the group, his contributions naturally could not be ignored. He had thought that with the support of public funds, David would soar even higher this assessment period. But unexpectedly, several days had passed, and David''s tax performance was still zero. What was going on? What were these two up to? Bucky had already made it to the top ten thousand list, and the other two groups were decent enough. Yet, the group that was in the top hundredst period had be the bottom dwellers. This made Lewis feel quite embarrassed, as if he had fallen from heaven to earth. "Dudu dudu..." Just as Lewis was frowning in worry, the phone on his desk rang. He picked it up: "What''s the matter?" "..." A minuteter, having put down the phone, Lewis''s face instantly lit up with joy, and he said into the phone, "After it''s deposited, have hime to my office!" ... Over on the third floor in the Inspector''s Office. After an hour of busyness, David had finally finished the work of filing tax tickets and the like. He and Nisen checked the amounts together and discovered that the sum collected from these nine people totaled two hundred and sixteen thousand US dors! Both were very satisfied with this number. They immediately arranged for the funds to be deposited. About ten minutester, Mary sent them a message telling them that the tax money had been sessfully deposited. Nisen didn''t waste any time, immediately logging onto the National Tax Bureau''s internalwork. After entering their inspection group''s name, he cried out in delight, "Haha, David, 812th ce¡ªwe''ve made it into the national top thousand!" 812th ce, far from their previous rank of 89th by a vast stretch. But one must realize that for the past several days, they had been at the very bottom nationwide. Not only had they surpassed tens of thousands of other inspectors nationwide, but they had also swiftly climbed to the top of the Lake District leaderboard. Now, let''s see who dares tough at them! Once again, they could strut around the bureau with their heads held high! Boasting a loud voice and with a hint of showiness, Nisen''s shout instantly drew the attention of many nearby inspectors. Some took out their phones, while others logged onto the internalwork, all wanting to check the status of David and Nisen''s team. However, when they saw the figure of two hundred and sixteen thousand US dors, they were instantly stunned. Because there were few people who hade earlier, and with only nine cases handled by Costi, the inspectors thought they were dealing with only a few small fries and didn''t pay much attention. But who would have thought that these were not small fries at all? With taxes amounting to over two hundred thousand in one go, who were these people? The other teams had been working themselves to the bone these past few days, and the least sessful had only managed to pull in one or two thousand in tax achievements, with the more sessful ones earning just thirty to fifty thousand at most. Yet David''s team had nabbed over two hundred thousand in one fell swoop. Such a vast gap made the inspectors present feel very disheartened. ... "Two hundred and sixteen thousand, rank eight hundred and twelve..." Lewis looked at the tax revenue leaderboard, which updated in real-time with the rankings and data, feeling both surprised and somewhat despondent. The surprise, of course, was due to the considerable amount of tax revenue. The regret was that if this were the previous assessment period, over two hundred thousand in tax achievement could have entered the top four hundred, but now it only ranked eight hundred and twelve. This also indirectly reflected that as time went on, the nation''s inspectors had be more familiar with the rules of the ck taxw and had gradually started to find their techniques and methods. And this meant that thepetition for positions on the tax achievement leaderboard would be even more fierce moving forward! So could David still make it into the top one hundred before this assessment period ended? For this question, Lewis could not guarantee an answer. However, he had already decided that, by any means necessary, he would help David make onest push before the assessment period ended. If he seeded again, he would assume his position as the Deputy Tax Inspector in Detroit with great confidence. Who would dare to question him when he had mentored inspectors who ranked in the top one hundred twice? "Giggle giggle giggle..." While Lewis was daydreaming, there came a knock on the door. "Come in!" The door opened, and David walked in, asking, "Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi, you called for me?" Lewis gave a thumbs-up, his praise tinged with admiration: "You handled this tax evasion case beautifully!" There was one thing he had to admit he really admired about David. For instance, with this tax evasion case, if it had been assigned to any other inspector, even if they had managed to resolve it, they probably could have collected at most sixty thousand US dors in taxes, or even less. Because based on the intelligence reports, this gang was only implicated in dealings of forty thousand US dors a month. Dividing forty thousand among this gang and calcting ording to the tax rate, the most one could collect would be only sixty thousand. But David did even better, collecting over two hundred thousand. What did that mean? It meant that the information from the Intelligence Division was not urate and that under David''s exceptional investigative ability, these criminals had been severely hit! This was a capability that not many inspectors in the bureau, nor even in the whole of Las Vegas, possessed. David responded with false modesty, "You tter me, Chief Tax Officer..." "Although you''re currently ranked eight hundred and twelve, there are still eleven days left. Tell me whatever help you need; if there''s anything that needs investigating, just direct Bucky and his team to handle it. In short, I''ll do my best to help you make it back into the top one hundred!" Chapter 46: Chapter 44: I Want Them All David guessed Lewis''s thoughts and replied, "Understood, Chief Tax Officer, if there''s really a need, I won''t be shy!" Lewis nodded, then opened the drawer below, took out three case files, and said, "These are thetest cases picked from the Intelligence Division, all of them ''hot cases''. Have a look and see which one you''d like to take on!" So-called hot cases refer to those that are easy to handle and offer a rtively high return. Like the extortion case that David had just handled, that also could be called a hot case. Because these people are not as vicious as the gangs or drug lords and the profit is also high. Cases like these, as soon as the Intelligence Division''s data is out, ten teams in the bureau would scramble for them. And now Lewis actually got three cases all at once, this also demonstrated that after the outstanding performance in thest assessment period, his say in the bureau had significantly increased. David picked up the first file, flipped through and read it, followed by the second and third... After ten minutes, he had a general understanding of what the three cases were about. The first case was a fencing case. The second case dealt with counterfeit goods. The third case was a hacker case. Just as Lewis said, all three were essentially hot cases. After pondering for a moment, David spoke up, "Chief Tax Officer, none of these three cases seems too difficult, why not assign them all to me?" Lewis was initially startled, then hastily asked, "All three to you? Are you sure you can handle them in a short time?" By ''a short time,'' he naturally meant before the next assessment period. Otherwise, if they were all handed to David and he didn''t manage to solve them, they would suffer a great loss when the time came. After all, other groups of inspectors would likely solve these cases as well, it''s just a matter of how much tax revenue they would bring in. David replied resolutely, "I''m confident." "Alright, since you say so, I''ll assign them all to you..." Last assessment period, David took care of four cases in four days. And those four cases were not all hot cases like these three. With this ''precedent,'' even though Lewis had his concerns, after thinking it over, he still agreed. "Then, Chief Tax Officer, if there''s nothing else, I shall..." "Oh, right, there''s one more thing!" Lewis seemed to remember something, narrowed his eyes at David, and asked, "Do you have some kind of misunderstanding with Chief Smith from the Lake District police department?" Upon hearing this, David was somewhat surprised. He had never reported this matter to Lewis, and now that Lewis knew about it, it implied that Smith had gone over his head and talked to Lewis directly. Putting his thoughts away, David answered, "As for that matter, it really can''t be considered a misunderstanding. Here''s what happened..." He recounted in full the issue of Wade Balk epting protection money from criminal elements. Having listened to the whole story, Lewis appeared somewhat astonished, murmuring, "If Wade Balk is under Smith''smand, does that mean Smith has also been taking bribes?" Based on the information I''ve investigated, it seems to be the case, and the amount is likely not insignificant!" Lewis fell silent, pondering something in his mind for a full minute before lifting his head and saying, "Smith''s connections are not simple; we won''t deal with him for now, focus on solving the cases at hand!" "Understood..." David was not surprised at all; Lewis was about to be transferred and surely wouldn''t want to handle such risky cases. But no matter, once he became the Chief Tax Officer, he would use these cases to establish his authority! ... Monarch 17, this is a famous part of Las Vegas''s ''World Street''. The so-called World Street refers to a ce where specialty products and characteristic items from various countries around the world are concentrated. Here, you can buy ceramics, calligraphy, and even antiques from China; kimonos and samurai swords from the Ind Nation; and silverware, jewelry, wood carvings, and other items from the Philippines. "This street really is crowded..." As he observed tourists from all over the world, Nisen, who had just arrived with David, couldn''t help but remark. "Let''s go." David strode forward into the street, and Nisen followed closely behind him. Soon after entering, the two saw a variety of stalls lining both sides of the street. There were those selling ceramics, with exquisite porcin pieces glittering in the sunlight, drawing the attention of tourists from different countries to stop and admire. There were also those selling paintings and calligraphy, with inkndscapes and detailed figurative works, each one lifelike, drawing admiration from onlookers. But Nisen hadn''t walked far before something seemed to catch his eye. He stopped at a stall and asked the vendor, "Hey, bro, is this the Mona Lisa?" David also stopped, turned his head, and looked in the direction Nisen was pointing. It was indeed that famous painting, "the Mona Lisa''s Smile." "Yes, brother." The stall''s owner was a ck man wearing a duckbill cap. "Is this the real deal or a fake?" The ck vendor replied, "Nonsense, I never deal in fakes here; of course, it''s real!" "If this one is real, then what about the one in the Louvre?" "That one is real too!" "???" Both Nisen and David wore puzzled expressions. The ck vendor continued, "The one there is male; this one is female, you know!" Hearing this, the two were utterly speechless, but Nisen seemed really interested in the painting and continued to ask, "Alright, how much?" "10,000 US dors, not a cent less!" "Let''s go!" Without any hesitation, Nisen signaled to David and firmly turned to leave. But they hadn''t gone far when the ck vendor came chasing after them with the painting, blocking Nisen''s path, and said, "Hey, brother, I see we have a connection, and you really like this painting, so you name your price!" "Didn''t you say 10,000 US dors, not a cent less...?" "I told you we have a connection, so name your price, brother!" "50 bucks!" "Sold! Take care, brother!" Nisen was dumbfounded. He had just thrown out a price off the top of his head and was even prepared to be angrily scolded by the vendor, but to his surprise, the vendor agreed. Having spoken, he had no choice but to take out 50 and give it to the vendor, thuspleting the transaction. "What do you need that thing for? That guy probably earned 49 in tears!" David spoke somewhat incredulously. "Didn''t I recently move into a new house? I need some decorations, and I quite like this painting!" David shook his head, "Let''s go, let''s meet that old man!" About five minutester, the two arrived at a shop with a sign that read ''Pharaoh Timepieces.'' As they pushed open the door, a musty clock scent hit them, conveying a deep sense of history. The shop disyed various clocks and watches, from ancient mechanical clocks to delicate quartz watches, all quietly ced in ss cabs, emitting a faint ticking sound. At that moment, there were few customers in the shop, only one or two selecting timepieces, and an elderly, frail man sat in front of the counter. Chapter 47: Chapter 45: Win-Win Cooperation Like most Muslim men, he also kept a thick beard but his face was lean, with prominent cheekbones, small, deep-set eyes, and a gaze that flickered unpredictably, giving him a cunning and shrewd appearance. [Name: Ibrahim Adam.] [upation: Clock shop owner, fence.] [Monthly Ie: $3,568 (legal), $643,000 (illegal).] [Detailed Ie Information: On December 3, acquired a batch of jewelry and watches robbed by gang member Qasim Lavi from the old city district, profiting $70,000; on December 17, acquired a pair of stolen paintings from the ckmunity''s Mubemba Nia, profiting $90,000...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Owed: $254,628.] "He''s a fat sheep..." Having scanned through the old man''s tax details, David''s mouth curled into a smile. At that moment, Ibrahim spoke up, "Hello there, is there anything I can help you with?" He had already figured out that these two men weren''t here to look at watches, nor to have them repaired. "You are Ibrahim Adam, correct?" Hearing David call out his name directly, Ibrahim''s gaze became even more erratic, but he replied truthfully, "Yes." "We are inspectors from the National Tax Authority!" "The National Tax Authority?" Ibrahim was slightly taken aback, and then his mind raced to confirm there were no defaults on his taxes before replying, "I see, Tax Inspector Sir, although my shop is a small business, we always pay our taxes on time each month... " David walked up to him, sat down facing him, looked straight into his eyes, and said with a slight smile, "I know that, I am not here to check the tax situation of this shop, but rather your other upation''s tax affairs!" Ibrahim''s expression froze, and ripples of unease spread through his heart. Could it be... Had his true identity been exposed? But even if it had been exposed, shouldn''t the people knocking on his door be the police or the FBI? What did the National Tax Authority have to do with it? He couldn''t understand, and to attempt to coax more information, he feigned confusion and asked, "I''m sorry, Inspector Sir, but I don''t quite understand what you mean!" "No problem, I''ll exin it to you!" David wasn''t in a hurry and began to exin, "Last month on the 3rd, the America Congress passed a bill... " A few minutester, even the cunning Ibrahim couldn''t help but show a stunned expression. From now on, for any illegal activities such as drug trafficking, robbery, or theft, they had to pay taxes to the National Tax Authority? As long as they paid their taxes, the National Tax Authority wouldn''t interfere with their illegal activities and would even keep their identities confidential. This felt somewhat like the mafia collecting protection money from civilians, pay and you are left in peace, don''t pay and they make trouble for you, right?! But this National Tax Authority was a formal state institution, how was this tactic any different from extortion? Ibrahim couldn''t understand and, pretending to be innocent, shook his head and said, "But Inspector Sir, you must be mistaken, as you can see, my shop does legitimate business, there shouldn''t be any illegal ie!" David looked into his eyes, "Are you sure?" Ibrahim nodded. "Then do you know Qasim Lavi?" Hearing this name, Ibrahim''s expression changed slightly, but he quickly concealed it and shook his head, "I don''t know him." "How about Mubemba Nia?" "I don''t know him either..." Davidughed, but it was a sneer, and he said, "On the 3rd ofst month, Qasim just gave you a batch of jewelry and two Green Water Ghosts, have you forgotten so soon?" Ibrahim''s expression changed once again. "On December 7th, Mubemba brought you a pair of calligraphy and paintings from the Chinese Tang Dynasty, which you sold to the owner of Kam Casino, making 70,000 US dors. Have you forgotten that as well?" With this information continuously pointed out by David, even though Ibrahim was cunning and shrewd, he couldn''t control the look on his face anymore, it had bepletely somber. But he still stubbornly said, "I don''t know what you''re talking about, I also don''t recognize any Mubemba or Qasim!" David turned his head towards Nisen, "You heard everything, right?" "Heard it!" Nisen, too, understood the situation and immediately turned to leave. Seeing this scene, Ibrahim couldn''t sit still any longer and quickly reprimanded, "What do you think you''re doing?" "You said you don''t know them, is that so? Then, do I need to invite them over to confront you in person?" "No need!" Ibrahim''s face was so dark it looked like it could drip ink. He knew what kind of people those guys were; confronting them in person would only make things more embarrassing. The tax office had gathered so much information on him that he knew he had no room for sophistry. "That''s more like it. We''re only ''seeking wealth'' after all. You pay us, and we''ll turn around and leave, promising not to disturb your business. It''s a win-win cooperation, right?" Listening to David''s shameless words, Ibrahim cursed steadily in his heart. Win-win cooperation? You''re using the authority''s name to extort me, and you call it win-win cooperation? The winner is probably only your tax office! Although he was furious inside, by this point, he didn''t dare retort and could only respond, "I''ve recently bought a house, and I''ve lost quite a bit of money at the casino. My funds are a bit tight; could you give me some more time?" Being extorted like this, he was naturally reluctant and intended to dy as long as possible, which was also a form of petty revenge. David let out a coldugh and said, "It''s only a couple hundred thousand, don''t tell me you can''te up with that much money!" "A couple hundred thousand?" Ibrahim was stunned and also filled with confusion. "You make over 600,000 a month, and ording to the tax rate, that would be a couple hundred thousand!" Ibrahim felt a storm raging within him. He had originally thought that the tax office had only investigated his identity as well as the two individuals, Mubemba and Qasim. But he had not expected them to know his monthly ie so precisely. Didn''t that mean, aside from Mubemba and Qasim, every single transaction he had made over the past month had been under surveince? When the hell did the tax office start investigating him without him noticing at all! After a long while, Ibrahim managed topose himself and said, "Since you know everything, just like I said, a couple hundred thousand is not a small sum. I need some time to arrange it." "How long do you need?" "One month... Oh no, maybe two months!" David was amused by this and said with an undeniable tone, "One day, I''m only giving you one day. I want to see your taxes tomorrow!" With only 11 days left until the assessment period, he couldn''t let the other party drag it out that long. Moreover, with the function of his golden finger, he saw that a couple hundred thousand was not a big deal for this Egyptian elder. As long as he was willing to pay, he could essentiallye up with the money at any time. Chapter 48: Chapter 46: Does Anyone Dare to Oppose the National Tax Bureau? Ibrahim furrowed his brows but said nothing more; however, his expression clearly showed his dissatisfaction with the mere one-day deadline. With the conversation at that point, David said no more, took Nisen, and stepped out the door to leave. Once they left World Street and got into the car, David asked, "About that hacker case and counterfeit goods case, do you have any leads around here?" These two cases were different from the fencing case. For the fencing case, the intelligence department provided quite detailed information. It consisted not only of Ibrahim''s personal details but also his shop address, home address, and other information, making it rtively easy to locate him. But for the hacker case, the intelligence department''s data only traced the systems they had recently been hired to breach and the data they had altered, with other details being lessprehensive. It was the same with the counterfeit goods case. ording to the information, recently in the Lake District, some valuable items like precious jewelry and watches had been switched out in the homes of many wealthy individuals. And the items that were swapped ended up in the ck market. Yet concrete details about the targets of these thefts were not provided. After pondering for a moment, Nisen replied, "There are some channels, but it will cost some money..." "Money can be spent, but the speed has to be fast!" With over 50,000 US Dors remaining in the public funds, David wasn''t worried about the costs. "Okay, then I''ll arrange it!" ... The next day, David arrived at the bureau as usual, waiting for Ibrahim to show up. But no matter how long he waited, by noon there was still no sign of him. Impatient, Nisen immediately logged on to the IRS''s internalwork, entered Ibrahim''s name, and started a search. But they had no idea until they checked - and what they found was rming. With anger on his face, Nisen turned and said, "That damned bastard, he''s actually transferred all the money out of his ounts!" David was stunned when he heard this. He had made his point very clear. And yet, this guy still dared to defy the IRS? David''s face darkened with a sense of being pped in the face as he asked, "How much money did he transfer?" "The several ounts in his name add up to just over 70,000 US Dors. Shall we call the bank and ask them to freeze his funds?" ording to federal taxw, if the IRS suspects anyone of tax evasion, it has the right to freeze the person''s ounts, assets, and any valuable items. David pondered for a moment before replying, "No, just over 70,000 isn''t enough to cover the taxes owed to us, and besides, freezing the ounts would involve a lot of procedures with the bank. We don''t need to waste time on that..." "So you''re suggesting¡­?" David smiled slightly and said, "We''ve already warned him. ording to the statutes of the ck Tax Act, we are allowed to takepulsory measures!" Nisen also smiled, "Understood!" ... On the edge of Kegorin Avenue in the Lake District, therey a middle-ssmunity. The uniform European architectural style of the houses, lined up neatly and painted in harmonious colors, resembled a pale-yellow fairytale town when viewed from a distance. Each house had its own small garden andwn with lush green grass and blooming flowers, creating a peaceful and warm atmosphere. The streets were broad and clean, lined with tall trees under which leisurely chairs and tables were set up, and groups of people chatted idly. "This should be the ce, right?" At the entrance to themunity, Nisen drove the Volvo in, looking around to pinpoint the location. David nced at each house number and said, "Keep going, it''s number 8!" Soon, they arrived in front of house number 8. At that moment, an SUV was parked across the street from the house. When David and Nisen got out of the car, a man in a suit with a folder in hand came down from the SUV. He approached them and said, "You must be Inspectors David and Nisen from the Lake District Sub-Bureau, right? I''m Basinuo, a sales representative from Odlin Real Estate Company." "Nice to meet you, Mr. Basinuo!" After a handshake and preliminary introductions, Basinuo spoke, "I heard on the phone that you''re nning to auction off a tax evader''s house, is that correct?" "That''s correct!" David nodded. In America, only death and taxes are inevitable, and that saying is not an exaggeration. And nobody has ever managed to get away with owing money to the IRS. "If you don''t pay, the IRS has plenty of ways to make you pay!" And this time, David was prepared to sell Ibrahim''s house to cover the unpaid taxes. Some might say, "Can you sell someone''s house without the homeowner''s permission?" Other agencies might not be able to, but under federal taxw, the IRS does have that authority. And ording to thetest ck Tax Bill provisions, this power was doubled. Forget about a house. If there''s nothing else of value, to exaggerate a bit, you can even sell the homeowner''s kidney to pay off the debt. After all, these people are already criminals, daring to owe the IRS back taxes is just adding insult to injury, so why would the IRS care about your human rights? Basinuo asked, "Do you have the auction order?" David pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over. The so-called auction order was a document issued by a judge. With this document, the house could be sold. The auction order he now held was issued by a judge from the IRS itself. The reason the IRS has so much authority is not just because it''s armed. An important point is that they also have their ownwyers, courts, and judges. Police and the FBI have great authority too. But to search someone''s home, even if they are just a civilian, you need a search warrant to enter. And to get a search warrant, you would need to find a judge. But judges aren''t part of the same system as the police and the FBI; it''s not certain whether they will issue one to you easily. However, the IRS has no such worry because the judges are one of their own! Basinuo carefully reviewed the document and after confirming there were no issues, he nodded, "Everything looks good on my end, let''s take a look at the house!" David and Nisen immediately turned and walked towards the house across the street, crossed thewn, and rang the doorbell. Soon, the door opened. A woman in her fifties wearing a headscarf came out and, speaking in broken English, asked, "Who are you, and what brings you here?" David showed his IRS badge and said, "Ma''am, we are from the IRS. After investigation, your husband Ibrahim is suspected of tax evasion. We are here to auction your house and pay off the taxes. Please pack up and leave the premises!" Hearing these words, the woman was stunned. Suspected of tax evasion? And they''re seizing their house? What is going on? "Did you understand me, ma''am?" The woman finally snapped back to reality and began to urgently defend herself, "No, my husband is aw-abiding citizen, he wouldn''t be involved in tax evasion, and you can''t just seize our house!" David took out the auction order again and said, "This is an auction order issued by Judge Kiesa. If you have any issues, you can appeal at any court in Las Vegas at any time!" With that, David no longer paid her any mind; he proceeded inside with Nisen and Basinuo. Seeing that she couldn''t stop them, the woman immediately took out her phone and dialed her husband''s number. Inside Pharaoh Timepieces Shop''s private room. Ibrahim was examining a string of pearls through a magnifying ss, saying, "There are minor ws, but it''s still a good piece. I''ll give you 3,000 dors for it!" "Agreed!" The man who hade to sell the illicit goods didn''t haggle and simply epted the offer. After giving the man the money and sending him on his way, Ibrahim happily hummed to himself. The ws he mentioned were, of course, just to drive the price down. In reality, the pearls were of excellent quality, and he could easily make an additional 20 to 30 thousand US dors on the resell. "Doo-doo-doo..." While he was still in high spirits, the telephone rang. It was his wife; he quickly answered, "What''s up, Isis?" "It''s bad, Ibrahim. The IRS people havee to our house. They''re saying you''re suspected of tax evasion and they''re going to confiscate our house!" "What!" Ibrahim was shocked, his eyes widened in rm. Chapter 49: Chapter 47: Buy Your Own House? He tossed and turned all night yesterday, this is over two hundred thousand we''re talking about! These are the hard-earned wages of hisbor, his blood and sweat money! He could pay, but definitely not right away; his n was to dy as much as possible, each day meant a little more interest from the bank, after all. And as for David''s warning, he wasn''t too worried. It''s not like I''m not paying, just a bitte; your IRS is just after money, they wouldn''t arrest me, right? But what he didn''t anticipate was that the IRS didn''t indeed arrest him, but they had their sights set on his house. This was the house he had just bought, he hadn''t even lived in it long enough to warm it! Ibrahim became more and more anxious, quickly shut the shop door, and sped home in his car. World Street was not far from theirmunity, about twenty minutes, and he arrived at his front door in his car. After parking, he almost ran into the living room, only to see David and Nisen sitting on the sofa with their legs crossed. He anxiously asked, "Inspector David, what are you doing here?" David turned his head, looked at the panting Ibrahim, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Mr. Ibrahim, if only you paid your taxes as quickly as youe home." "I never said I wouldn''t pay, why are you making trouble at my house?" "Heh, me making trouble?" David let out a coldugh and slowly said, "I already notified you yesterday that you had to pay the taxes today. You didn''t pay, and on top of that, you transferred over seventy thousand from your ount. Do you think my words are a joke?" Ibrahim''s mouth twitched, obviously not expecting the fund transfer to be discovered so quickly; he quickly added, "In our business, it''s normal to have tens of thousands in fund movements daily. I''ve already said I would pay you folks at the IRS. Let''s just forget about this whole thing, shall we?" David couldn''t be bothered to listen to his nonsense. He knew that with such a sly and cunning guy, without a lesson, he wouldn''t learn. Being here today, David had to take a firm stand. Only then would this old guy know to be scared and ensure he paid his taxes on time each month! Seeing that David ignored him, Ibrahim grew more anxious. Just as he was about to say something, he noticed a man in a suiting downstairs. This man in the suit was none other than Basinuo, the one surveying the house. Basinuo first nced at Ibrahim, then approached David and said, "The house facilities and overall condition are quite good. ording to the housing prices in thismunity, we can offer a price of three hundred and twenty thousand US dors!" Upon hearing this, Ibrahim felt his blood rush to his head, almost fainting. When he bought the house, he had spent a hefty sum of five hundred thousand US dors. And now, after living there for just a few days, its value had dropped by a third? David nodded and replied, "That will work, can the money be transferred to the IRS ount immediately?" Of course, he knew if the house was sold privately or listed for sale slowly, it would fetch far more than this amount. But since it wasn''t his property, as long as the sale covered the tax debt of over two hundred thousand, what did it matter to him if there was a loss? "Of course, that can be arranged!" "Good, then let''s proceed with..." "Wait, wait, wait a minute!" Before David could finish, Ibrahim couldn''t take it anymore, he interrupted and eximed, "This is my house, you can''t do this!" He was close to losing it. This was his house, and these two seemed to be finalizing a deal in just a few words; he felt greatly insulted. David turned to look at him and said, "Don''t worry, Mr. Ibrahim. After the transaction is sessful, I will only collect our tax amount. As for the rest of the money, we will not take a penny more and will return it all to you!" "No, this is my house. ording to thews of America, this is private property of the homeowner; you can''t dispose of it as you please!" David replied, "ording to federal taxw section 712, for those who owe tax debts, the IRS has the authority to seize any property of the debtor to satisfy the tax dues." "ording to Article 98 of the ck Tax Act, the IRS has the authority to arrest, try, deport, confiscate property, penalize with taxes... and some other coercive measures for those who evade taxes." "Right now, I haven''t arrested you, nor have I deported you; you should feel fortunate!" David took out the auction order and continued, "Furthermore, this is an auction order issued by Judge Kiesa. From this moment on, the ownership of this house is no longer yours. If you have any questions, you can file aint with any court in Las Vegas!" Looking at the auction order in front of him, as well as David''s serious demeanor, Ibrahim truly became fearful. Since he wasn''t exactly aw-abiding citizen to begin with, how could he possibly dare to file aint in court? That would be like walking into a trap. But the thought of just having bought the house and now facing an immediate loss of over a hundred thousand dors was even more painful. Hepromised on the spot, "Okay, okay, I''ll pay right now, without a second''s dy. Is that satisfactory?" David shook his head, devoid of any emotion, and replied, "Mr. Ibrahim, had you done this earlier, wouldn''t that have been better? But now it''s toote!" Ibrahim grew desperate and pressed, "What''ste now? Didn''t you say as long as I pay today, it would be fine? The day isn''t over yet, what''ste about it?" "If I hadn''te here today, would you have paid?" "This..." Ibrahim was left speechless. If David hadn''te today, he would of course have feigned ignorance. David continued, "My time is precious. I could have settled your case this morning, but you''ve wasted half my day. Surely, you don''t intend to waste Mr. Basinuo''s time as well, do you?" "Inspector David is right; if you do something wrong, you must face the consequences. I detest those who earn money in our country but don''t want to pay taxes to our country!" Basinuo agreed sagely. He loved dealing with IRS most. Because the IRS only cares about their taxes, they generally aren''t too concerned about the house''s price, and he could earn a highermission and fees simply by pressing down the price. "You... this..." Ibrahim, on the verge of tears, turned to David and pleaded, "Inspector David, give me one more chance; I assure you I will never fall behind on my taxes from now on!" David stood up, went over to him, patted his shoulder, and said, "Mr. Ibrahim, if you like this house so much, why not just buy it back at auction?" "What?" Ibrahim felt his brain short-circuit. This was already his own house, and now he had to buy it back with his own money? What kind of move was that? Wait a minute... The house was currently valued by the real estatepany at three hundred and twenty thousand US dors. If he reached an agreement with the IRS, that meant he would be at a loss of a hundred and eighty thousand. And once the real estatepany relisted it, they surely wouldn''t list it for just three hundred and twenty thousand¡ªthey''d likely add another hundred thousand or eighty thousand on top. And if he bought it back, with one buy and one sell, wouldn''t that mean a loss of over two hundred thousand? Plus the additional two hundred thousand in taxes needed, that would be over four hundred thousand! Ibrahim felt a stabbing pain in his heart, but before he could say anything, David spoke up first. "Mr. Basinuo, please take care of the tax matter," said David. Basinuo promised, "Don''t worry, Inspector David. In no more than an hour, I assure you that the ount will receive the money." "Good, I have other matters to handle, so we''ll leave it at that." As Ibrahim watched David and Nisen walk out, he became frantic and immediately followed, continuously beseeching David for another chance. But David paid no heed to his pleas and instead warned him again not to try any tricks, or else the consequences would be more than just an auctioned house. In the end, Ibrahim could only copse in despair on the ground, staring nkly as the Volvo drove away. Chapter 50: Chapter 48: Undermining Foundations Half an hour had passed by the time he returned to the Bureau. The Bureau''s finance personnel immediately approached David and said, "Inspector David, we''ve received the funds transferred from the real estatepany. How much tax should be deposited into the treasury?" David took out a pen and paper and copied an ount number from a file folder, handing it over, "Deposit 254,628 US dors into the treasury, and send the rest into this ount!" "Understood!" After their conversation, Nisen couldn''t wait to take out his phone, log into the National Tax Bureau''s internalwork, and started to repeatedly refresh the performance rankings. Finally, after the 15th minute, he shared the joyful news, "Ha ha, David, our rank has risen to 411!" David leaned over to look, and it was true. Theirbined performance now totalled 470,268 US dors, a full double the previous rank of 812! "Let''s see how much we need to enter the top 100!" Nisen, containing his excitement, began scrolling upward, quickly reaching the 100th position. The hundredth rank belonged to an inspector team from the Chicago Branch, currently with a performance of 1.36 million US dors. "Oh shit, these bastards, how can they be so terrifyingly efficient!" Nisen, initially overjoyed by the doubling of their rank, became annoyed upon seeing that the performance needed for the hundredth rank was already at 1.36 million. David''s eyebrows also raised slightly. Last assessment period, with over 800,000 they were ranked at 89. Now, just five days into the new assessment period, the hundredth rank had soared to 1.36 million. It seemed that the appearance of the performance rankings truly motivated countless inspectors across the country to work themselves to the bone! Let them work. He was curious to see who could truly outdo whom! The Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch had eighty inspectors, and naturally, many eyes were following the changes in the performance rankings. Soon, they noticed the shift in David''s team''s rank. Seeing that they had added over two hundred thousand to their performance, rising to 411, everyone felt a silent shock. After calming down, many of them stopped leisurely drinking coffee or cking off at work, instead diligently applying themselves. The reason was simple, some had already reached a performance of 470,000. They couldn''t all just contribute insignificant amounts, could they? Everyone in the system was watching, and what would they look like if they werepared with such vast discrepancies¡ªnothing but trash among trash? ... Meanwhile, in the Tax Investigator''s office at the Chicago Branch, "Chuckle chuckle chuckle..." Keanu was reviewing several files from the Bureau. Hearing a knock at the door, he set down the files and said, "Come in!" The next second, a somewhat portly man entered. He was the Chicago Branch''s Deputy Tax Investigator, Brunan Johnson. "What''s up, Brunan?" Brunan walked over, took out his phone, ced it on the table, and said, "Keanu, take a look at this!" Keanu took a close look and saw that it was the performance ranking list, with one particr line catching his eye. [Rank 411: National Tax Bureau Lakeside District, team 7 group 2 (David, Nisen Martinez, 470,628 US dors).] "What''s going on, another entry of over two hundred thousand?" Keanu was surprised. Last assessment period, team 7 group 2 from the Lake District emerged out of nowhere, entering the ranks of top hundred inspectors with over 800,000 in performance. After investigating, Keanu had taken note of this individual named David. In the first few days of the new assessment period, he had been keeping an eye on David''s team. However, for three days straight, the team''s performance remained at zero, which made him breathe a sigh of relief, thinking that team 7 group 2 was just a one-hit wonder or simply lucky, and not worth worrying about. Unexpectedly, just yesterday, team 7 group 2 suddenly logged over two hundred thousand US dors, not only surprising him but also causing a buzz in the Chicago Branch. But it didn''t end there. Just one dayter, team 7 group 2 logged another two hundred thousand, reaching more than 470,000 in performance and climbing to rank 411 on the performance list. What exactly was happening? Brunan replied, "I''m not too sure myself; I just saw it on the performance list. But since it''s updated there, it must be correct." "Up to now, what is the highest rank achieved by an inspector team in our Bureau?" "1015..." "And their total performance?" "Something like 870,000." "And the Lake District''s total performance?" "Around 890,000." After hearing these numbers, Keanu''s expression turned sour. It''s one thing to talk about the performance rankings; their Bureau''s inspectors hadn''t even broken into the top thousand. As for the total performance, they were now being outdone by the Lake District... no, more urately, outdone by team 7 group 2. Without team 7 group 2''s four hundred thousand plus in performance, the Lake District would have just over 400,000. Regardless, it was a humiliating situation. After all, their Chicago Branch was the most prosperous area of Las Vegas, with the highest GDP, yet whether it was the performance rankings or the total performance Bureau-wide, they were being outssed by the Lake District. What would the city, state, and even the federal leadership think if they saw this? They''d certainly believe the Chicago Branch was ipetent! Contemting for a while, Keanu looked up and said, "What''s your view on this matter?" "Being outperformed in total performance by the Lake Districtst assessment period was already a disgrace for our Chicago Branch. If it happens again this time..." Brunan didn''t continue, but Keanu clearly understood what he meant. Being outdone once again, their chief might just fly back from Washington D.C. in rage! "So, what do you think we should do?" After a moment of reflection, Brunan said, "I think the problem mainly lies with this David. Don''t let his zero performance in the first three days fool you; these past two days he''s suddenly be Las Vegas''s top-ranking inspector team." "With ten days left in the assessment period, if this trend continues, I reckon the gap between us and the Lake District will only widen!" "Why not have a talk with him to see if he''s interested in transferring to our Chicago Branch?" Upon hearing this, Keanu''s expression shifted. Given David''s performance in thest assessment period and these past two days, amounting to over four hundred thousand, David was definitely talented! If they could transfer him to their Chicago Branch, with its prosperity and economic strength, not to mention the top hundred, even the top fifty was within reach! And most importantly, if David were toe to their side, the Lake District''s performance would surely plummet back to its original state! With that, their Chicago Branch would remain the powerhouse of performance in the National Tax Bureau of Las Vegas! Chapter 51: Chapter 49: Come to Our Districts Sub-Bureau Keanu''s heart raced with excitement, but he seemed to still have some reservations as he propped his chin and said, "In that case, wouldn''t that upset the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch¡­" "As long as he''s willing, there won''t be any problems. And as for whether the Lake District would be upset¡­ What does that matterpared to one''s tax achievements!" Keanu thought that made sense. Even though it would cause dissatisfaction at the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, if David himself wanted toe to their Main Street District, what could the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch say? It was only natural for someone to seek development at a higher tform! Making up his mind, he said, "Alright, you go and talk to him about this!" Brunan nodded and immediately went out. ¡­ National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch. With no news on the switched-bag case and the hacker case, Nisen and David spent the afternoon essentially cking off. "Your phone is ringing!" At this moment, Nisen was so engrossed in his card game that he hadn''t noticed the iing call on his phone until David reminded him. Nisen nced at his phone, immediately stopped the game, and answered the call. A few minutester, an excited Nisen looked at David after hanging up and said, "There''s a lead on the switched-bag case." David made a show of listening attentively. Nisen continued, "ording to the clues provided by my informant, in two days, a wealthy individual in our Lake District will hold a private collection exhibition at the Ward Building. That gang will strike again then. Sadly, my informant doesn''t know who exactly it is¡­" "I''ll look into this!" Knowing where these people would show up made it easier to handle. After all, he had his golden touch; finding these people would be virtually a matter of minutes. "OK!" ¡­ It was 5:00 PM, the official quitting time set by the National Tax Bureau. However, as the ck Tax Bill period was ongoing, many stayed at their posts in pursuit of better tax performances. Of course, those people definitely did not include David. Just as he was about to ride home with Nisen, he found his phone ringing in his pocket. An unfamiliar number showed up, he hesitated but then picked up, "Who''s this?" "Inspector David, is it?" "Speaking!" "This is Brunan, Deputy Tax Inspector from the Main Street District Sub-Bureau Branch. I heard Feynman Cafe over in your Lake District isn''t bad. Got any time toe over for a drink?" The self-introduction from the other side took David by surprise. But after thinking about it, the Deputy Tax Inspector from the prestigious Main Street District wouldn''t be contacting him just for a simple coffee. "Sure, I''m on my way now." After a moment''s thought, he agreed toe down, curious to find out what the Deputy Tax Inspector wanted to talk to him about. Nisen seemed to sense something was off with David and asked, "What''s up?" "Just drop me off at Feynman Cafe." ¡­ The National Tax Bureau was just a 10-minute drive from Feynman Cafe. Upon arriving at the entrance, Nisen said, "Is there any situation, do you need my help?" "It''s okay, just someone who wants a chat, you can go back first!" After dropping those words, David walked in and began looking around, quickly noticing a corpulent and somewhat familiar-looking man waving at him. He immediately walked over, extending his hand, "Deputy Tax Inspector Brunan, I''m David." "Inspector David, hello, please have a seat!" Once David sat down, Brunan said with a chuckle, "During thest assessment period, you really made quite a ssh!" "You tter me, Deputy Tax Inspector Brunan." Brunan shifted the conversation with an amused expression, "May I ask you a question?" "Of course!" "This assessment period, do you have the confidence to return to the national top hundred inspectors?" David shook his head and replied, "The one who''s currently at the 100th spot has already achieved tax earnings of 1.36 million dors, so I can''t say I''m very confident." In fact, he dared not guarantee a top cement, but he was still confident about being in the top hundred. However, not knowing if Brunan was here to investigate him, he dared not speak recklessly. Brunan nodded slightly and said, "It''s already the third assessment period, and the national inspectors have gotten used to the rules of the ck Tax Law. Plus, with the list that the headquarters have introduced, it has indeed made thepetition among the inspectors quite fierce." "In big cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, their inspectors naturally have an advantage over those of us in smaller cities, which I think is somewhat unfair. What do you think?" David nodded in agreement. He had discussed this issue with Nisen before, so of course, he understood the disparity. "So, if you were in our Main Street Sub-Bureau Branch, with your abilities, I think your tax performance could perhaps more than double. On the performance list, I estimate you could rank even higher than yourst 89th ce!" When the conversation reached this point, David understood. So... Brunan wasn''t here to investigate him, but to poach him! But it made sense... Main Street is the central area of Las Vegas; such a big district''s tax performance being surpassed by Lake District before thest assessment period seemed somewhat indefensible. And if Lake District were to overtake them again in the next assessment period, the Main Street National Tax Bureau would probably be too ashamed to show their faces. Yet there was no easy fix to tax performance; Main Street inspectors couldn''t just collect it at will, so the best solution was to poach David! Gathering his thoughts, David pretended not to understand and replied, "Yes, it''s a shame I am a Lake District inspector." Main Street''s cap may indeed be higher than Lake District''s, but with Lewis about to be transferred, it was almost time for David''s promotion; naturally, he wouldn''t give up such a good opportunity. It''s a game of musical chairs; who knows how long it would take for him to rise to the position of Chief Tax Officer if he went to Main Street? After all, he hadn''t made any contributions to the Main Street Sub-Bureau Branch; it''s not like they would offer him the position of Chief Tax Officer immediately upon his transfer. "How about this, Inspector David, if you want toe to our Main Street Sub-Bureau Branch, I can help make arrangements for your transfer. How does that sound?" Brunan was clever with his words. He didn''t directly ask David toe over, but suggested that if David wanted to move, he would help facilitate it. In case of future conflict with the Lake District''s higher-ups, they would have a usible reason. It was David who applied to transfer; what does it have to do with our Main Street Sub-Bureau Branch? David feigned consideration and replied, "I still have some cases in hand that I can''t break away from just yet, and as for tax performance¡­ I can''t just squander it!" Seeing David as if declining the offer, Brunan frowned slightly and said sternly, "We have plenty of cases here in Main Street, and you don''t have to worry about tax performance. If youe over..." At that point, he bit his lip, "The 400,000 dors in tax performance can be made up by our Main Street District!" Chapter 52: Chapter 50: Catching a Thief in Ward Building Meeting the tax achievement could harm the interests of many Inspectors. But if David were willing toe to their avenue district, then all would be worth it! Upon hearing about meeting the tax achievement, David was slightly surprised, yet he quickly returned to normal and refused, "Sorry Brunan Tax Investigator, at this stage I''m not ready to leave the Lake District, maybe we''ll talk about itter!" Developing in the avenue district presents higher prospects, but which is as important as the position of Chief Tax Officer at this stage! Brunan was stunned. He did not expect that, even after making such an offer, David did not seem the slightest bit tempted. Yet he did not give up, continuing to lobby: "Inspector David, you have to understand, the development space of our avenue district is far beyond what the Lake District can offer now, and with our avenue district as a springboard, climbing up to Chief Tax Officer, Deputy Tax Inspector, or even Tax Inspector, it''s not an impossibility!" "I understand, Deputy Tax Inspector Brunan, we''ll talk about itter!" Brunan stared hard at David''s expressionless face, ultimately sighed helplessly, and said, "Alright, think it over, and call me anytime if you have any thoughts!" Although he was two ranks higher than David, if David were unwilling toe, he couldn''t just force him! After ending the conversation and walking out of the cafe, Brunan immediately dialed a number: "Keanu, we''ve got a bit of a problem..." National Tax Bureau Avenue Sub-bureau Branch. After hanging up the phone, Keanu''s expression was somewhat unpredictable. It''s well-known that their avenue district is the center of Las Vegas ¨C other district Inspectors don''t even have the opportunity to transfer over. And David had just refused! Moreover, it was after they offered to meet over four hundred thousand in tax achievement! Damn... Keanu inwardly cursed, then picked up the phone and called the Section Chiefs one by one to convene an emergency meeting. The threat from David was too great. If things continued this way, once this new round of evaluations ended, they feared their avenue district sub-bureau would be embarrassed again. So he needed to light a fire under these Section Chiefs, to get them to go all out in collecting taxes. By then, even if they couldn''t surpass the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, they couldn''t fall too far behind either! ... Two dayster, the underground parking lot of Ward Building. "Are you confident you can root out those guys?" During these two days of waiting, the two of them had zero tax achievement logged. Hence, their ranking on the tax achievement board had fallen from 411 to 501, which filled Nisen with anxiety. "Don''t worry, as long as theye today, I guarantee they won''t be able to fly away even if they had wings!" David confidently replied, then opened the car door, got out, and walked towards the elevator entrance. The two of them took the lift straight to the 56th floor. By then, it was evident that the right side was the exhibition hall of the day. An inspection gate was set up at the entrance of the exhibition hall, and many visitors were undergoing checks by security personnel before streaming in. "Good day, sir. Do you have an invitation?" The security personnel politely asked as the two men approached. David and Nisen each took out their prepared invitations from their pockets, and upon confirming there were no issues, they were allowed in. As soon as they entered the exhibition hall, they couldn''t help but look around. Clearly, the exhibition hall was meticulously designed, with paintings and colorful tapestries hanging on the walls thatplemented the theme of the exhibition, creating an elegant and solemn atmosphere. Carefully selected lighting equipment not only highlighted the exhibits but also added afortable atmosphere to the entire exhibition hall. Inside the ss disy cases of the exhibition hall were various ceramics, paintings, bronzes, jades, and gold and silver items. Each exhibit seemed to be meticulously maintained, presenting in the most eye-catching condition. Additionally, thebels on the exhibits detailed their origins and historical background, allowing visitors to understand the value of these treasures more deeply. "The Scepter of Ramses III, is this damn thing real or fake?" Nisen was attracted by a scepter in the disy case before him, and he eximed in surprise after seeing thebel description. As far as he knew, Ramses III was a famous pharaoh of Egypt. What kind of tycoon could own such a collection? Unlike Nisen, David didn''t have the time to care about the collection; his sharp eyes were continually identifying suspicious individuals at the scene. [Name: Martin Luther.] [upation: Engineer.] [Monthly Ie: Twelve Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: Sry, bonuses earned...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: 0.] ... [Gordon Fernando.] [upation: University Professor.] [Monthly Ie: Sixteen Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: Sry, bonuses, book royalties, lecture fees...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: 0.] [...] Today, there were quite a few people viewing the exhibits; a rough count totaled at least a hundred people, and after a good while of looking, David hadn''t found anything. It wasn''t until half an hour had passed that a Latin woman appeared in his sight, and he was instantly alert. [Name: Cam udia.] [upation: Thief.] [Monthly Ie: Four Hundred and Sixty Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: December 7th, at a Krauser Ondo''s private party on National Tax Bureau Avenue, sessfully switched a batch of private collection diamonds, profit of Eighty Thousand US dors, December 19th, swapped a royal ancient coin at Beck Estate, profit of Ny Thousand US dors...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: One Hundred and Eighty-Two Thousand One Hundred and Sixty US dors.] "So it''s you..." David''s lips curled up slightly as he stared at this Latin woman named Cam. But he soon realized that although she walked from one disy case to another, she was always murmuring to herself. ording to the information from the Golden Finger. She wasn''t working solo, but had four aplices, and she must be wearing some kind of miniature earpiece now,municating with her teammates! David stopped surveilling her and began searching for her aplices. This time it went smoothly, and in only about five minutes, he had singled out another switch thief. [Name: MacDonald Gall.] [upation: Thief.] [Monthly Ie: Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: December 7th, at a Krauser Ondo''s private party on National Tax Bureau Avenue, sessfully switched a batch of private collection diamonds, profit of Eighty Thousand US dors, December 19th, swapped a royal ancient coin at Beck Estate, profit of Ny Thousand US dors...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: One Hundred and Eighty-Six Thousand One Hundred and Twenty US dors.] Chapter 53: Chapter 51: Give it to me and I鈥檒l leave. ``` In the following period, David had identified two other aplices in the crowd, but he still couldn''t find thest one despite a lengthy search. David didn''t care anymore and walked directly towards a woman named Cami. At that moment, she was intently looking at a porcin piece from the Ming Dynasty era of China. "A Ming Xuande blue and white floral goblet, this isn''t considered too valuable an item here!" Coming up beside her, David nced at the information tagged on the exhibit and said with a half smile. Cami turned her head, sized up David with a look, and replied, "Yes, it''s one of the least valuable collections here." "So, you''ve taken an interest in this piece of porcin?" David''s words,den with deeper meaning, made Cami vignt, and she narrowed her eyes slightly, maintaining herposure, "I prefer porcin!" In fact, she had indeed set her sights on this piece of porcin. As David said before, the price of this porcin wasn''t high, just about four to five hundred thousand US dors. Then why didn''t he choose other more valuable collections? The reason was quite simple. They could swap out an item, deceiving the owner temporarily, but not forever. Sooner orter, the owner would find out. And if the value of the item was low, considering the owner''s status, there was a high chance they wouldn''t make a big fuss about it. But if the value of the collection was high, the owner would inevitably pursue it to the end. And the loss of high-value items might alert the FBI to investigate. Therefore, for safety, when they targeted these collections, they almost always chose the least valuable. This was their way of survival! David nodded and said in a teasing tone, "So, when do you n to make a move on this porcin piece?" Upon hearing this, Cami froze as if spellbound, her face showing a trace of panic. After a while, she regained herposure, "I don''t know what you''re talking about!" With that, she turned and walked away, showing no sign of hesitation. David didn''t rush to follow, but instead, looked towards the aplices he had previously identified. As expected, Cami had informed them through the earpiece, and one by one they began heading towards the exit. "What''s going on, how is it?" Just then, Nisen came to David''s side. Nisen had been distracted by the dazzling array of collections, and it never urred to him that when he looked away, David had disappeared, only to find him now. "Follow me!" David walked towards the exit of the exhibition hall and soon caught up with Cami and the others. At this time, they were somewhat flustered. Not seeing the elevator at this floor, they turned and were about to flee down the stairs. David certainly wouldn''t let them escape; he also chased into the staircase and shouted, "Now that you''re here, why the rush to leave? How do you know we don''t have people below?" The hurried group stopped in their tracks upon hearing this, and they turned back with furrowed brows. "Who are you!" The three men apanying MacDonald questioned while each took steps forward, seemingly ready to strike at any second. David didn''t panic, but simply opened his cor to reveal the gun underneath. That sight was enough to stun the three men, who all stopped in their tracks. ``` MacDonald frowned and asked, "Are you police?" David smiled and replied, "Do I look like a cop?" MacDonald''s group didn''t say anything, but their eyes seemed to say: If you''re not cops, why are you chasing us and shing guns? "Alright, no need to be so scared, I''m an inspector from the tax bureau!" "The tax bureau!" The originally uncertain group, upon hearing this, suddenly became enraged. They had thought they were going to get caught today, but after all this time, it turned out to be someone from the tax bureau pursuing them. This made them feel like they had been yed. Cami asked patiently, "We don''t have any tax issues, so what does the tax bureau want with us?" Actually, she had another doubt in her mind. From the conversation just now, it seemed David was aware of their identities, but didn''t the tax bureau only audit tax matters? Are they doing police work now? "That''s not necessarily the case..." David smiled and slowly said, "On the 3rd ofst month, our tax bureau..." Minutester, all four of them were staring at each other with wide eyes. The ck taxw? From now on, all illegal ie must be taxed by the tax bureau? Including the illegal earnings from the switch they just pulled off? What kind of international joke was this? If it hadn''t been for the fact that it wasn''t April 1st, they would have thought it was April Fool''s Day. "Did you hear me clearly?" The four were silent. After a while, MacDonald shifted his gaze and spread his hands saying, "I think there''s been a mistake at your tax bureau; we are not thieves, nor do we have any illegal ie!" Like many others before them, he naturally didn''t want to lose out without a fight, so he decided to argue his case first. Even if the tax bureau is powerful, you still need evidence, right? If there is none, you can''t just force someone to confess, can you? David, with aposed smile, said, "Krauser Ondo, I think you should be familiar with him, right?" At the mention of the name, the expression of the four tightened, and then MacDonald continued to argue, "Don''t know him." "On the 7th ofst month, weren''t you just at his house, swapping a collection of valuable diamonds? How could you have forgotten about that so quickly? Shall I inform him about this matter?" With that, the four could no longer maintain theirposure, and they started exchanging nces. And David went on, "The Rubens at Beck Estate, I believe you should also be familiar with. If the owner knew that his private collection of Royal Coins had been swapped, what do you think he''d do?" "These Native Americans, using their wealth and power, all have such explosive tempers. They''re not to be trifished with..." Toward the end, he sighed, as if he were worried for the four in front of him. But the four knew all too well, this wasn''t concern for them; it was a tant threat! After a long silence, Cami was the first to speak up, "What do you want?" "I''ve already told you, I need you to pay taxes. As long as you pay up, I promise I''ll turn around and leave. Whatever you want to do today, and in the future, I won''t inquire or interfere one bit!" "Heh, you''ve alreadye after us, do you think we''d dare to make a move?" In their line of work, their nerves were always on edge. Now that David had stirred things up, they didn''t dare take any action. Chapter 54: Chapter 52: The Biggest Fat Fish Appears "No, you guys must take action, with everything all set up like this, otherwise it would all be wasted. As for why we''vee to you, rest assured that as long as you''re willing to pay taxes, we will pretend we know nothing!" As long as these guys sessfully pulled off their job this time, it would mean another batch of tax revenue for the IRS, and David certainly didn''t want them to back out now. The four of them suddenly looked at each other in dismay. An official government institution like the IRS inciting them tomit crimes? No matter how one heard it, it sounded absurd. But in any case, David had approached them and even knew about the crimes they hadmitted, so putting up a strong resistance was out of the question. Not to mention the forcefulness of the IRS, just getting this matter into the hands of the police or the rightful owners would be enough trouble for them. It seemed that the best option now was to bite the bullet and pay up to avert disaster! After a long silence, Cami spoke, "If we agree to pay taxes to your IRS, what''s in it for us?" David replied, "I''ve already said that as long as you''re willing to pay, we''ll act as if today''s incident never happened. We won''t disclose any information about you, not even if the FBI or the policee to investigate!" Cami seemed somewhat unsatisfied and retorted, "That''s not much of an advantage!" "Then what kind of advantage are you looking for?" "If we pay you the taxes, I hope you''ll protect us. Say, if one day we end up in the hands of the FBI or the police, you could step in!" Cami''s words immediately won the agreement of the three MacDonalds. Although they were meticulous in their actions, they could not guarantee that they wouldn''t make a mistake one day, ending up in the hands of the police or the FBI. And they certainly knew full well the might of the IRS. If they were captured by the police one day and the IRS could step in to help them, they would surely be able to escape the situation. In this way, paying the taxes would be something they were not only willing but also saw as worthwhile. David and Nisen exchanged looks, unable to help but burst intoughter before David turned his head to address them, "You sure have a pretty picture in mind. Is our IRS some kind of underworld organization that takes protection money? Just because we take your money, we should protect a bunch of criminals like you?" The four, who were initially full of expectation, instantly turned grim upon hearing this, and resentment began to swell in their hearts. Your IRS, with this kind of behavior, how are you any different from the underworld? In fact, you''re even worse than the underworld! After all, those in the underworld are openly nefarious, whereas the IRS is supposedly upright on the surface but rotten inside! Cami tried her best to suppress the indignation in her heart and said, "If we get caught one day, then wouldn''t you lose the taxes from us?" Her words implied that as long as the IRS protected them, they would never lose the taxes they paid. It would be a win-win for everyone! "Indeed, but if you get caught, then you just have to ept your bad luck, and so do we. If we at the IRS choose to protect you, then what''s the use of the police and the FBI? They''ll be out of a job!" The ck Tax Act was already shocking and unprecedented. After all, among more than 200 countries worldwide, not a single nation''s tax department would opt to interact with criminals. Only America was an exception to this. Of course, collecting taxes from criminals is one thing since the money collected is used to benefit the country and its people, so it''s a proposition that is beneficial to all and harms none. But, if they chose to shield these so-called tax-paying criminals, then they would be standing against thew itself, and nobody would allow that. The four had nothing to say, remaining silent for a while. After exchanging nces and reaching a consensus, Cami gritted her teeth and said, "We''ll go back and get the money ready!" Having said this, the four of them prepared to leave. "Wait a minute..." David stopped them again and asked, "ording to the information we have, it seems you have another aplice." "If you already know, why bother asking?" Cami retorted with a trace ofint in her tone. "Why isn''t he here?" "He''s a technician, he doesn''t need to be involved in the action, no need toe!" "Technician..." David suddenly thought of scenes from certain movies. For instance, a gang that wants to break into some ce to steal things would consist of an action team, a lookout team, and the so-called technicians. These technicians would be responsible for hacking into the security system or surveince system of the ce to ensure that the group leaves no trace at the scene. Wait a minute... Hacking into the security system... David''s expression changed, and he then asked Cami, "So, your aplice, he''s a hacker?" "A hacker?" Cami pondered for a moment and nodded, "You could say that, yes!" "Where is he now?" Cami''s eyes showed a hint of wariness as she asked, "What do you want to do?" "Nothing much, just want to see how good his skills are, maybe ask for a favor!" Regarding that hacking case, there had been no clues over the past few days, and Nisen hade up empty. Just now they hade across this person, and he wanted to see if he could try his luck. Cami didn''t answer, but her expression somewhat consented, and then she made to turn away, only to be stopped by David once more. "This is the 56th floor. Did you really think to walk down? Come back and take the elevator!" It finally dawned on the four that, in their haste to flee, they had thought the stairs would be quicker. But now that they hade to an understanding with David, there was no longer a need for secrecy! The group exited the stairwell and returned to the 56th floor''s elevator lobby to wait. ''Ding...'' The elevator doors opened and out walked a white man, dressed in a suit with sunsses on, exuding a certain charisma, nked by two assistants. Due to their almost face-to-face encounter, and because the man had a significant presence, David couldn''t help but give him a second look. But the next second, his expression dramatically changed. [Name: Lynch Aldridge.] [upation: Businessman, Antiques Money Laundering Member.] [Monthly Ie: Three Million US dors.] [Ie Details: December 6th, cleaned Three Million US dors for a client by inting the price of a medieval European dagger, earning a 10%mission of Three Hundred Thousand US dors. December 12th,undered five million US dors for a client with a Song dynasty Chinese painting, again through price intion, and earned a 10%mission of Five Hundred Thousand US dors¡­] [More Details: ¡­] [Tax Owed: One Million Six Hundred Sixty-Three Thousand Two Hundred US dors.] "So he''s the host of today''s collection disy. To think his real identity is an antiques moneyunderer!" Chapter 55: Chapter 53: Help Me Find Someone David truly hadn''t expected that a trip here today would yield such a huge gain. Over 1.6 million US dors, this was thergest amount of ck-market tax he had ever encountered. What an unexpected surprise! "What''s the matter, David? Is there a problem with him?" The elevator doors had been open for quite a while, but David''s gaze was still fixed on the man who had emerged earlier, prompting Nisen to ask. "It''s nothing, let''s go..." ording to the records, this antique dealer named Lynch was no ordinary person, having close ties with many wealthy businessmen and politicians in Las Vegas. If they wanted to move against him, the badge of the IRS probably wouldn''t faze him. So David had to be patient now, concluding the two cases he already had in hand first before making meticulous ns against Lynch. It wouldn''t be toote to act then! Half an hourter. In front of an apartment building at Lake District Monarch No.236, Cami took out a set of keys, opened the door, and walked in, calling out, "Dan, we''re back!" Soon after her words fell, a room door opened, and a beefy man with an unkempt beard and wearing a vest came out, joyfully saying, "I''ve checked the security and surveince systems of the Ward Building, no problems, I can handle it..." When he saw David and Nisen, two strangers, his voice halted, and after sizing up the two with a guarded look, he asked, "Cami, who are these people?" Cami and the others didn''t speak but looked toward David. [Name: Dan Norton.] [upation: Hacker, Thief.] [Monthly Ie: 360,000 US dors.] [Ie Details: December 7th, hacked into the security system of Krauser Ondo''s Private Residence in the neighborhood, coordinated a diamond swap and received a share of sixty thousand US dors, December 9th, infiltrated the Beck Estate''s security and surveince systems, coordinated the swap of a royal antique coin and received a share of sixty thousand US dors...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: One hundred and eight thousand US dors.] David sized up the guy and realized he was indeed a highly skilled hacker, then said, "We are inspectors from the IRS..." Minutester, having listened to the sequence of events, Dan stood stunned in ce. After a long while, he looked at Cami and the others with a bitter face and said, "So, you all agreed to pay taxes?" Without responding, the despair on their faces seemed to tell Dan, if there were a choice, do you think I would be willing to pay such arge sum? Dan, disying resignation, turned to David and said, "Since they all agreed to pay, why thene in person from the IRS?" "We came to ask for your help!" "Hah..." With a scoff, Dan spoke in a slightly reproachful tone, "It''s bad enough to pay taxes to you IRS folks, and now I have to help you out as well, isn''t that a bit much?" "This isn''t taking advantage of you, we are very fair in our dealings, if we ask for your help, naturally, there will be benefits for you." Dan showed a flicker of interest and asked, "Oh? What benefits could I get?" "Under the regtions of the ck-market taxw, taxpayers who make a special contribution to our IRS can enjoy tax reduction policies!" "Tax reduction, how much?" "If you help us with this matter, I will apply for a personal tax discount of 15% for you, and once it''s on record, it''s a lifetime benefit!" "Fifteen percent¡­ a lifetime benefit¡­" Dan began to calcte in his mind. Since the third ofst month, his ie was about 300,000-ish, and ording to the tax rate, he would need to pay around 100,000. If he could get a 15% reduction, that would leave a 13% tax rate, meaning he would only need to pay about 50,000... But David also said, once it''s on record, it''s a lifetime benefit for the individual! Wouldn''t that mean, as long as he continued in illegal upations, he could reduce a significant amount of tax each month? That was quite a good deal! The more Dan thought about it, the more tempted he became; the idea of paying such arge amount to the IRS was bleeding him dry, but now this tax reduction policy made him feel like he was actually making a profit! It wasn''t just him who was tempted; after hearing about this policy, Cami and the others also had a fervent glint in their eyes. Although they were thieves, they could still do simple math and certainly understood how much money they could save if they could get this tax reduction policy. "Can this policy you mentioned really be implemented for me?" Dan calmed his emotions and remembered David''s words¡ªthe policy needed to be applied for. What if the application didn''t go through? Then he would have been busy for nothing! David reassured him, "Don''t worry, the application is just a formality. As long as you can get this done for me, I guarantee that the policy will be implemented for you." "Alright, then tell me what it is first!" "It''s like this, we''ve been looking for someone recently, a peer of yours, who on December 12th ofst year, invaded a casino system, causing the casino a loss of over 2 million US dors, and then on December 16th..." Davidid out the details of the hacker case. After hearing everything, Dan furrowed his brows and said, "If he can invade the systems of a casino, that''s no ordinary hacker..." "That''s why we''ve been looking for him for a long time but haven''t found much in the way of clues. See if you can dig him up." After a moment of thought, Dan spoke with a determined expression, "I can''t guarantee that I''ll find him, but I''ll give it my best shot!" Although it was a difficult and energy-consuming job, he decided to give it a try in order to get the tax reduction policy. David checked his watch and said, "Then as soon as possible!" Dan nodded and immediately started up the nearbyputer, entering various codes and began to operate. Meanwhile, David and Nisen sat on the sofa waiting. During the wait, MacDonald served them each a cup of coffee, then sat beside them with a rather ingratiating expression and asked, "Mr. Inspector, this tax reduction policy of yours, are there other ways... that is, other methods to meet the application criteria?" It turned out he was somewhat unlucky. His monthly ie had exceeded four hundred and fifteen thousand and fifty US dors, and ording to the ck-market taxw''s rate, he needed to pay a 39.6% tax rate. This amounted to nearly half of his ie for the month. So sometimes he was envious of Dan, who, because his ie didn''t exceed four hundred and fifteen thousand and fifty US dors, only needed to pay 28%. If Dan could also enjoy the tax reduction policy, then he would only need to pay 13% each month. Which is why he wanted the policy even more than Dan did. Chapter 56: Chapter 54: Pursuit David sipped his coffee and said, "Yes, if you can report illegal groups like yours, enabling us to collect the taxes, then you can likewise obtain tax relief." MacDonald appeared slightly downcast but still asked, "Report...Well, I don''t have a suitable target right now, but if I do in the future, can I contact you any time?" "Of course, as long as the information is useful, I''m always wee to hear from you!" With David''s response, MacDonald decided that in the near future he needed to socialize and exchange more with his colleagues to see if he could leverage any information. After all, he also understood that the IRS was required to keep taxpayer information confidential, so as long as he provided valuable information, he figured nobody would know it was him! ... Two hourster, Dan seemed to enter a highly intense phase; his hands moved across the keyboard like ying a fast-paced piano piece, losing himself in the process. David didn''t want to disturb him, but since a considerable amount of time had passed, he approached Dan and asked, "How''s it going?" Dan slowed his pace a bit, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and replied, "This guy''s skills are definitely top-notch. I gathered several of my friends to ''encircle'' him, but he used ''Rootkit'' to escape!" Nisen, somewhat puzzled, asked, "Rootkit, what''s that?" "Rootkit is a tool used by attackers to hide their tracks and maintain root, or full ess privileges. Once an attacker gains root ess to a system remotely, they install a rootkit to ensure long-term control of the system!" This barrage of hacker jargon left both David and Nisenpletely bewildered. "If it can''t be done, let it go." Initially thinking this was a high-profile case, David hadn''t expected it to not only waste so much time but also to be such a nuisance. With the time spent, he could have been cracking other cases! Hearing this, Dan grew anxious and quickly responded, "No, no, no, I want to try one more time, please give me another half hour!" "Half an hour... Alright then!" David thought it over; given the time already wasted, he didn''t mind an additional half hour. The half-hour passed quickly. Just as David was about to interrupt, Dan suddenly eximed triumphantly, "Haha, I''ve finally broken your rootkit, let''s see where you run now!" Seeing there might be a breakthrough, David didn''t interrupt but waited patiently instead. Five minutester, a string of code popped up on theputer and Dan, previously exuberant, suddenly became subdued, cursing, "Fake Yau, this damn bastard used a zombie machine!" "Zombie machine? Does that mean you still haven''t found him?" Nisen didn''t know what a zombie machine was, but seeing Dan''s frustrated demeanor, he realized things weren''t looking good. Dan didn''t respond right away but instead opened a chat in some software and conversed with several anonymous online users. Eventually, he turned and said, "This guy''s skill level is higher than I thought. I got 7 friends with skills like mine to corner him, but we still couldn''t pinpoint his exact IP. However, it wasn''t entirely fruitless..." The first part of his statement left David slightly disappointed, but the continuation piqued his interest, and he asked, "What did you find?" "The zombie machine he used is quite special; it''s a part of an integratedwork within a school. To use that kind ofwork, the transmission frequency has to be particrly high. This guy couldn''t be more than 500 meters away from the school, or he wouldn''t be able to evade the traps we set." "And we''ve checked, the only ce that can supply that frequency and is within 500 meters of the school is the Constance Residential Area!" After hearing Dan''s exnation, Nisen replied with dissatisfaction, "Constance Residential Area... That''s like 400 to 500 households!" Looking slightly embarrassed, Dan answered, "With the IRS''s inspection capabilities, I think finding that guy out of a few hundred households shouldn''t be too difficult, right, Inspector David?" David caught the implication of Dan''s self-praise, but didn''t say much and replied, "Okay, that''s the n!" "Inspector David, about my tax relief..." "I''ll apply for it!" Although Dan hadn''t pinpointed the exact location of the individual, he had done his best. Plus, finding a general location was quite the achievement. There was no need for David to y bureaucratic games and risk chilling the morale of his informants. Dan''s expression brightened, and he quickly expressed his gratitude, "I''m very thankful..." As the task was not fully aplished, he initially nned to ask for 7 or 8 percentage points in tax relief if he couldn''t get the 15 percentage points agreed upon earlier. But unexpectedly, David was generous and showed no intention of taking advantage of the situation to demand a higher tax rate, which pleasantly surprised him. "Alright, it''s gettingte. Prepare your money now and go through the process at our IRS," David announced. ... Returning to the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, David and Nisen split up to take action immediately. David was responsible for handling the financial ounting and storage of Cami and the others'' funds, while Nisen started to look into the records for Constance Residential Area. Although there were about 400 to 500 households in the residential area. Those with only elderly or household heads with no ess toputers could be directly excluded. After another round of selection from their IRS database, maybe only 200 to 300 households would remain. "Here is 182,160 US dors, count it..." "Here is 186,120 US dors, count it..." "Here is..." "Considering the tax relief, here''s my 49,800 US dors, count it..." Cami and the others presented their respective tax amounts, but when it was Dan''s turn, the others hadplex looks in their eyes. Each of them had started from a payment of 100,000. Yet Dan only had to pay less than 50,000, which understandably left them envious. David carefully calcted each amount and, finding no error, nodded and said, "Alright, your taxes and information have been archived; you may go now!" After their departure, David immediately called over Mary, pointing to the stack of cash, he said, "This is 749,800, count it!" Seeing such a substantial sum, Mary was initially startled but quickly regainedposure and began counting the money. About ten minutester, she nodded and said, "The amount is correct; I''ll proceed with the storage work now!" Chapter 57: Chapter 55: Layout Mary had just left not long ago. Nisen came back holding a document and said, "I''ve filtered them out, there are 181 suspect households!" "181 households?" David was somewhat surprised, as that was fewer than he had expected. "Yes, and coincidentally, a few days ago a team conducted a detailed investigation of this residential area for a case, so we kind of picked up a bargain." David nodded and, after a moment of thought, said, "In that case, go find the person in charge of this residential area and tell them to have these 181 households assemble in the square below at 6 o''clock tomorrow morning for a routine check!" "Won''t this... scare the snake by hitting the grass?" In Nisen''s mind, if the hacker was indeed hiding in the residential area, their actions would surely alert the guy. If that happened, there was a good chance the guy might skip town overnight, which would be a bit troublesome. "That''s why you''ll have to work hard tonight, and by the way, I see you can''t handle it alone, so get help from Bucky and the others!" Nisen understood David''s intention and nodded, "Alright, tonight I''ll lead people to watch over this residential area. If this guy dares to run, that might even save us some trouble!" At this point, he seemed to remember something else and asked hurriedly, "Right, our tax revenue has been deposited, hasn''t it?" "Mary took away the tax revenue just over ten minutes ago." "Then our data should be updated!" Nisen couldn''t wait to take out his phone, logged onto the National Tax Bureau''s intr, and quickly found their names. Finally, he eximed with joy, "Haha, we''ve risen to rank 203!" Because they hadn''t ounted for tax achievements in two days, their ranking had dropped to 501. But now with the entry of over 700,000 in tax revenue, their ranking suddenly climbed to 203. Now they were just a bit over 100 ranks away from the top 100. The thought of once again entering the top 100 in the national wrestling of 140,000 inspectors filled him with uncontroble excitement. "Alright, let''s wrap up this case first!" The more than 1.6 million in taxes from Lynch constantly lingered in David''s mind, and all he wanted now was to quickly finish this case and dive into the pursuit of that huge amount of tax revenue. Their ount had just received over 700,000 US dors, skyrocketing their ranking to 203, and this news quickly spread among the inspectors of the Lake District. They were not only amazed but also fiercely motivated once again. All inspectors started hunting down thewbreakers in the Lake District with renewed zeal, as if injected with an adrenaline shot. ... National Tax Bureau Avenue Sub-bureau Branch. In Keanu''s office, Brunan barged in once more, his expression grave as he said, "That David from the Lake District has recorded over 700,000 again, now their rank has climbed to 203 nationwide!" "What!" Keanu''s face was full of astonishment, clearly stunned by the news. It took him a full minute to recover. Then, pulling a long face, he asked, "So, with that, the total tax achievement for their Lake District must be over 1.8 million, right?" "Yes..." "This can''t go on!" A few days ago, the total tax achievement of their Avenue Sub-bureau Branch was only 20,000 less than the Lake District''s. Now their branch''s total was just over 1.3 million, while the Lake District had reached over 1.8 million. This meant that they were trailing the Lake District by over 500,000 in total tax achievements. With nine days left in the review period, if things continued like this, the gap wouldn''t just be 500,000; it could very well be possible for it to reach 2 or 3 million. That would be a huge loss of face for their Avenue Sub-bureau Branch! Brunan of course realized this couldn''t continue, but what could be done if their own inspectors weren''t performing well? What else could he do? After a moment of contemtion, Keanu said, "The problem still lies with this David. You spoke to himst time; do you think there is anything more to discuss?" "Right, there''s something I need to tell you." "ording to the information I have, Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi from the Lake District will soon be transferred to Detroit." "And based on the intentions of the upper echelons at the Lake District, they are considering letting David take over the position, so I think that''s the reason he rejected our Avenue Sub-bureau Branch''s invitation!" "If we want to poach him, we have to offer the same conditions!" Hearing Brunan''s words, Keanu instantly understood, but his expression became even graver. The reason the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch could promote David was that Liu Yi just happened to be transferred, and David had indeed made significant contributions to the tax achievements of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. And since David hadn''t contributed to their Avenue Sub-bureau Branch, and their Chief Tax Officer position was already filled, how could they possibly offer him the job? ''Dudu dudu¡­'' Just as Keanu was deep in thought, the phone on his desk rang. He nced at the caller ID, and his face turned even uglier. "You can step out now!" After Brunan left, Keanu picked up the phone with trembling hands: "Chief¡­" Ten minutester. Keanu, having been scolded, arrived at the third-floor inspectors'' office space, channeling his anger from the chief onto these inspectors. The inspectors, on the receiving end of this outburst, channeled their grievances onto David. The reason was simple. All because your team, David, is so outstanding, you make us all look like trash. That is insufferable! But cursing aside, the inspectors of the Avenue Sub-bureau Branch still had a sense of honor. They refused to ept that a central district like theirs was losing in tax achievements to one person like David. Immediately, almost everyone mobilized, beginning a crackdown on all the criminals in the Avenue area. ¡­ The night, a bright moon hung high. Outside the Constance Residential Area, Nisen and seven others were inside a spacious surveince van. "Bucky, your team will take the east gate tonight; tough it out a bit." "Shevich, your team will take the north gate; tough it out a bit." "Meirer, the west side is up to you." "All of you, sharpen up. Don''t give that scumbag any chances to slip away!" Nisen gave instructions to each team one by one. Hearing this, no one expressed any dissatisfaction; they all got out of the van ording to instructions. Technically, by rank, Nisen had no authority tomand them. However, Liu Yi had already instructed them to be at David''s team''s disposal at any time, so of course, they couldn''t refuse. Moreover, as long as David could lead them again to the number one spot in the city for the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, they would again gain a substantial amount of public funds. Therefore, both emotionally and logically, they all had the responsibility to cooperate inpleting this case. While Nisen''s team was getting ready. Inside the residential area, at the entrance of apartment 501, building 5, floor 3, A residential area staff member pressed the doorbell. About a minuteter, a somewhat gaunt man with sses opened the door and asked, "What can I do for you?" Chapter 58: Chapter 56: Daring to mess with the CIA? "Tomorrow morning, thew enforcement department will conduct a spot check operation. Please gather at the square downstairs at 6 am," Nisen said. Upon hearing the words w enforcement department," the man with sses immediately tensed. Could it be... Had his identity been exposed? But if it was exposed, shouldn''t thew enforcement department directlye to arrest him? Why conduct a spot check? As his thoughts churned, the man with sses asked again, "Whichw enforcement department is it?" "The tax authority." "The tax authority... okay, I got it!" The worried man with sses immediately rxed. As long as it wasn''t the police, FBI, or CIAing for him, there was nothing to fear from the tax authority! ... "They probably think I''m as busy as they are, such a sin!" David, lying in bed, suddenly felt guilty thinking about Nisen and the others, who were staying upte monitoring the situation in the Constance Residential Area. Yet, this was necessary. His absence that night gave Nisen and the others some space for imagination, leading them to believe he was also looking for clues about the hacker through special means. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be logical always to have all sorts of criminal information about thosewbreakers as soon as they were seen. "It''s gettingte..." David cleared his chaotic thoughts and soon fell into a dream. At 5:23 AM the next morning, the rm woke David up. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and took a taxi toward the Constance Residential Area. Around 5:50 AM, he arrived at the Constance Residential Area and approached the surveince vehicle parked not far from the entrance, knocking on the rear door. With a click, the rear door opened, and Nisen stepped out. Though he had been up all night, Nisen held a cup of Starbucks coffee in his hand, still looking refreshed. "How is it, any situation?" "No, all normal. It''s almost six; they should being down soon. Let''s go!" David nodded, and they walked toward the square of the Constance Residential Area. By the time they arrived, quite a few residents had already gathered, and others were steadily arriving from various buildings. Bucky and other members stationed at each exit also arrived at the scene. "Everyone has worked hard tonight." "It''s not hard, it''s necessary. The most important thing is to catch that bastard!" Bucky and his team, who had stayed up all night, did show signs of fatigue, but they had noints, seemingly taking it as their duty. David nodded in acknowledgment, then without saying more, turned his attention to the gathered residents, "I''m sorry to disturb everyone so early, don''t worry, it won''t take much of your time!" "It''s not a disturbance; cooperating with the tax authority is our duty." "Yes, it''s our duty..." "..." Had it been any otherw enforcement department requiring a spot check so early in the morning, the residents would have been annoyed. However, they all knew the rigor of the tax authority; to avoid trouble, they dared notin too much. Without further ado, David began checking the information of the residents present. [Name: Paul Christie.] [upation: Chef.] [Monthly Ie: 5200 US Dor.] [Ie Details: wages and bonuses ie¡­] [Tax Payable: 0.] ... [Name: Sean Amster.] [upation: Bartender.] [Monthly Ie: 6000 US Dors.] [Ie Details: Sry, bonuses, etc.¡­] [Tax Due: 0.] ... [Name: Dany Freeman.] [upation: Makeup Artist.] [Monthly Ie: 7010 US Dors.] [Ie Details: Sry, bonuses, etc.¡­] [Tax Due: 0.] [...] Even though David''s inspection was swift, there were simply too many people at the scene, and he wasn''t able to identify the individual at once. It wasn''t until half an hourter, when his gaze fell upon a skinny man with eyes that seemed to pierce through the crowd, that he suddenly saw the light. [Name: Koffdale Jay.] [upation: Hacker.] [Monthly Ie: 800,000 US Dors.] [Ie Details: On December 12, hired to hack into the Priston Casino system, earned 100,000 US Dors, on December 19, hired to hack into Nurenka Inte Company, earned 200,000 US Dors, on December 26, hired to hack into the CIA Bear Country Station Database, earned 300,000 US Dors¡­] [More Details: ¡­] [Tax Due: 316,800 US Dors.] All had been rtively normal until David saw the data linked to this man named Koffdale. It caught him by surprise. He had assumed that, although the man was a top-notch hacker, he was merely involved in petty schemes like rigging casinos or tampering with the systems of employers''petition. But, to David''s disbelief, the man had the audacity to target the CIA! One must understand, the CIA might not have as much authority as the IRS, but their methods are much more ruthless. Who knows how many terrorists and spies have been tortured by them to the point of preferring death. This man must have been extremely confident in his abilities and believed that the CIA wouldn''t be able to track him down, or the sheer amount of money had clouded his judgment! Oh well, it wasn''t David''s concern. As long as the man was willing to pay his taxes to the IRS, David was naturally able to keep this secret for him. Putting his thoughts aside, David addressed the crowd, "Alright, everyone, you may leave now, thank you for your cooperation!" With those words, the residents began to leave. Koffdale also breathed a sigh of relief. But just as he was about to follow the crowd home, he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning his head, he found that the one who had tapped him was none other than David, who had just addressed the crowd. Looking at the smiling David, he asked puzzled, "Inspector, is there anything else?" "Mr. Koffdale, would it be convenient for you to have a chat at your ce?" Koffdale was startled. He hadn''t mentioned his name, so how did this IRS inspector know it? Could it be¡­ they had investigated him? Or perhaps¡­ they hade specifically for him? But for the life of him, he couldn''t figure out why the IRS would target him; he hadn''t evaded taxes nor owed any back taxes. "Don''t worry, it''s just a ''friendly'' chat!" "This¡­ well, okay¡­" If he refused now, after such a statement, wouldn''t it imply he had something to hide? To avoid escting the situation, Koffdale decided to agree and see what the IRS wanted from him. David then turned and approached Bucky and the others, "You''ve been up all night; you can leave now. I''ll exin everything to Chief Tax Officer Lewis after this case is closed and award each squad an additional 20,000 in tax achievements aspensation!" Chapter 59: Chapter 57: Do you want to try water torture? Although Lewis had told him that Bucky and his group could be dispatched at any time, he still didn''t want to owe anyone favors. This Koffdale was required to pay a tax of $310,000; giving $20,000 to Bucky''s three teams left him with a profit of $260,000, which was quite eptable. Bucky and the others were taken aback before quickly asking, "Is that guy your target?" David nodded slightly. Then Bucky said, "Since you''ve found him, that''s great. But never mind, we don''t need the $20,000 reward. We didn''t really do much anyways." It wasn''t that they didn''t want the $20,000. On the contrary, they were very eager for it. After all, they had only spent one night on the job and were about to earn $20,000 almost effortlessly¡ªwho wouldn''t be over the moon? But as Bucky said, they hadn''t really done much and didn''t quite feel right about taking it. Plus, there was the matter that Lewis had ryed. "No worries, it''s settled then!" With that, David didn''t give them a chance to say more, turning and walking over to Koffdale and followed him back to where they were staying. A few minutester. Koffdale led David Nisen to Room 501, Building 5; he took out the keys and opened the door, and a somewhat pungent smell hit their noses, making both of them frown. Looking inside, the scene was a bit messy, with leftover boxes of pizza and KFC on the table, and severalputers still running. "Sorry, it''s a bit messy inside... let me clean it up!" Koffdale immediately went inside, threw the takeout boxes and other items into the trash and then turned to the two men and asked, "What would you inspectors like to drink?" "No need for drinks, let''s cut to the chase. The thing is, on the 3rd ofst month, our Congress passed aw..." Koffdale listened attentively, but soon a look of horror gradually spread across his face; finally, he sat down at theputer, beginning a series of operations. About five minutester, he stopped, but by then, his expression had turned grave. He had checked, and what David had said was indeed correct. On the 3rd of the previous month, the America Congress had indeed passed a ck taxw. In thisw, it was stipted that the National Tax Agency had the authority to collect taxes on any uwful profits generated by criminals. That meant... His hacker identity had been discovered by people from the National Tax Agency? And that''s what led them to him? But how could that be! He was very confident in his own skills; even the many experts from the CIA hadn''t been able to track him down, so how could the National Tax Agency find him so easily? Confused, Koffdale decided to probe first and then syed his hands innocently, saying, "I''ve checked. Congress did pass thatwst month, but I don''t understand¡ªwhat does this have to do with me?" "Really, then what are all theseputers for?" The reply did not take David by surprise, as every criminal he had found harbored a hope for luck, which was normal. Koffdale continued to feign innocence, saying, "Inspector, I have many requirements forputers. This one, I use to watch shows, this one, for ying games, and this one... is for listening to music. That''s not a problem, right?" David shook his head and replied, "No, these are all used for hacking into other people''s systems and data. You are a hacker!" A flicker of panic shed in Koffdale''s eyes, but he quickly concealed it and retorted, "Hacker? Inspector, don''t think you can nder awful citizen just because your National Tax Agency has a lot of power!" David smiled and said calmly, "On the 12th ofst month, didn''t you get hired to hack into Priston Casino''s system, and that order earned you $100,000, right?" Koffdale''s expression changed drastically. But before he could make any excuses, David continued, "And on the 19th ofst month, you took another $200,000 to hack into Nurenka Inte Company; remember that?" After being confronted with two transactions in a row, Koffdale was flustered, but he hadn''tpletely lost his poise and bit back, "I don''t know what you''re talking about. Do you have evidence?" He still trusted in his skills and believed that David might just be bluffing him. As long as he steadfastly denied it, without evidence, the National Tax Agency probably couldn''t do much to him. David shook his head, looking at him with pity, and replied, "Do you think we woulde to you, knowing what you''ve done, without evidence?" "Evidence? Then show it!" "Why bother with that? If I wanted to inform the CIA of your whereabouts, they would be very interested!" If Koffdale was only in disarray before, the mention of the CIA chilled him to the core, his body involuntarily trembling. But he still managed a shaky defense, "What CIA, I¡­ I don''t know what you''re talking about!" "Didn''t you take $300,000 from a spy from Bear Country on the 26th ofst month to hack into the CIA Bear Country Station''s database? You have no principles or bottom lines; don''t you know this is treason?" Hearing David reveal this information, Nisen too was taken aback. It was one thing to hack casinos and intepanies, but he certainly did not expect this man to be bold enough to hack into CIA databases! "I... I didn''t, stop ndering me!" Seeing that the man was still adamant, David continued, "Have you heard of waterboarding?" At these words, fear was evident in Koffdale''s eyes¡ªhe obviously knew what it was. "Waterboarding, that''s a CIA specialty!" "They tie you up with your feet higher than your head, cover your face with a cloth, then pour water over it!" "The water continuously fills your mouth, nose, and lungs, and the cloth prevents you from spitting it out, so you can only take one breath. Even if you hold your breath, you feel the air being sucked away, like a vacuum cleaner." "The water in your stomach, lung lobes, trachea, and bronchi will make you vomit and cough. At that point, the water in your stomach, lung lobes, trachea, and bronchi will be extremely unbearable. Your hands will il, your legs will kick uncontrobly, apanied by desperate groans, and endure excruciating pain." "Over the years, how many terrorists and spies have been unable to withstand this kind of torture; are you sure you want to give it a try?" Chapter 60: Chapter 58: Locking on Target, Spy! Koffdale, although a highly skilled hacker, was in the end just an ordinary person. Listening to the specific process of water torture, and imagining it being applied to himself, had already frightened him to the point of losing his soul. "You should be thankful that the first agency that found you was not the CIA, but our IRS!" "Our IRS is not like the CIA with their ''butchers'', we have principles!" "You pay us the taxes due, and we guarantee we will turn around and leave. As for who you are and your identity, we will act as if we don''t know anything!" On the verge of breaking down, Koffdale seized on David''s words like a lifeline and urgently asked, "Are you serious, but you just said that this is a charge of treason!" In his opinion. Although the IRS and the CIA have different responsibilities, both are part of the nationalw enforcement agencies, and with such a serious charge against him, it was not possible that there was nomunication between these two departments. His fear was that after he paid the money, he would fall into the hands of the CIA, and then he would really lose both his money and his freedom! David spread his hands with an innocent look and replied, "So what if it''s treason. That''s none of the IRS''s concern, the IRS is only responsible for collecting taxes!" "..." Koffdale was somewhat at a loss for words. But then again, just now David had been standing on moral high ground, using him of having no principles andmitting treason for the sake of money. But now, thinking about it, if he paid his taxes and the IRS kept his act of treason secret, wouldn''t that by some measure be considered treason as well? If his actions for money were unprincipled, wasn''t the IRS equally unprincipled? The only difference is that the IRS''sck of principles was legal, while his was illegal. The more Koffdale thought about it, the more ironic he found it, but no matter what, things hade to such a point that he had no choice but to say with a sense of defeat, "Fine, I''ll pay. But I hope you''ll keep your promise and not set me up!" David and Nisen exchanged nces, both wearing a ''triumph'' smile on their faces. Eventually, David turned back and said, "Don''t worry, we''ll keep our promise, but if the CIA finds you on their own, you can''t me us!" David continued to remind him, "Your skills are indeed high, but if we could find traces of you, so can the CIA, and they aren''t all useless. Just a friendly reminder, you better be careful yourself!" He had located this area through Dan. And if the CIA were willing to put in the effort, it shouldn''t be difficult for them to lock down this area as well. The only difficult part was that the CIA didn''t have his kind of golden finger to precisely pinpoint Koffdale. But no matter what, this was still atent threat to Koffdale himself. And he didn''t want to see the guy get caught just like that, as long as he wasn''t caught, he could continue to provide a steady stream of tax revenue for the IRS in the future. After a moment of contemtion, Koffdale. What David said was indeed correct, to be safe, this ce no longer seemed like a good ce to stay! "By the way, I want to ask you something!" Koffdale stopped his thoughts, raised his head, and responded, "What is it?" "I''m very interested in the spy you''ve been in contact with. Can you reveal his identity information to me?" Previously, through the authoritative function of his golden finger, David had reviewed the spy who had been in contact with Koffdale, who was hidden here in the Lake District. Such a rich target holding a lot of funds was naturally something he didn''t want to miss. Koffdale''s face darkened, and he replied reluctantly, "That''s a spy from Bear Country, not just anybody. Betraying him would put me in great danger..." "Don''t worry, we won''t let you take the risk for nothing. ording to our ck Tax Act..." David revealed the tax reduction policy. After hearing that he could reduce the tax rate by 10-15 percentage points, Koffdale was instantly tempted. After much thought, he made up his mind and said, "Actually, I''m not too clear about his real identity either. Our transactions are all conducted without direct contact!" "Without direct contact?" David and Nisen were somewhat baffled. "You know, these spies are all very careful and cautious. Whether we use phones, ormunicate via the inte, we might be caught by the CIA or the Department of Homnd Security." "So, every time he contacts me, he chooses a fixed area. He would leave the money and the information needed for the tasks I am to carry out." Listening to Koffdale''s exnation, David and Nisen began to understand. But soon, Nisen asked again, "Since you''re a hacker, can''t you just hack into their database or something, to find out who he is?" Koffdale looked at Nisen as if he were an idiot and replied, "Do you know where the world''s most powerful hacker organizationse from?" "From Bear Country!" "There are at least 50 people there who have more advanced skills than I do." "If I dared to hack into their database, I wouldn''t even know how I died!" Hearing this, Nisen was again puzzled and asked, "Then why do they still need to hire you to hack into the CIA if they have so many expert hackers over there?" "It''s quite simple. Departments such as the America Department of Homnd Security have set up a firewall for this country. No matter how advanced the technology is, it''s very hard to break through from the outside; it can only be breached from the inside!" With this said, both Nisen and David finally seemed to understand. David then said, "Alright, you guys should still be in contact soon, right?" From the data provided by Goldfinger, he knew their coboration had not yete to aplete end. "I just received a new piece of intelligence today. I''ve contacted him through special channels already, I expect he''ll give me instructions soon!" "Good, keep me posted if there''s any situation!" ¡­ "Are you sure you don''t want to go back and rest a bit?" On the way back to the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, David, who was driving the surveince vehicle, saw Nisen looking a bit tired and couldn''t help but ask. Nisen waved his hand and replied, "No need, missing one night''s sleep won''t kill anyone!" "Alright¡­" It was already half an hourter when they returned to the bureau. And another half an hourter, Koffdale, wearing sunsses and a duckbill cap, arrived here with the ready cash. Because they still hadn''t found the spy, the tax reduction policy hadn''t taken effect yet, so this time he prepared $316,800. After the money was filed and counted, this case was thoroughlypleted. As Mary was preparing to take this money to the vault, David added, "Oh Mary, take $60,000 out of this amount, and distribute it evenly into the tax achievements of the other three members of our team!" Hearing this, Mary was momentarily stunned. Inviting other teams to carry out tasks, and thus distributing tax achievements to other teams, was indeed an unwritten rule. But to distribute such arge sum of $60,000 in one go was unheard of. However, this was David''s own tax achievement, and he could distribute it however he wanted. She didn''t ask anything further, simply nodded in agreement, and turned to leave. Chapter 61: Chapter 59: Waiting for a Rabbit by a Stump The work of storage was quicklypleted. As soon as Nisen essed the internalwork of the tax bureau, the exhaustion on his face instantly turned into ecstatic joy when he saw their ranking. "Haha, David, we moved up to 156!" David leaned over to look and saw that their total tax performance was 1,476,868 US dors, indeed moving up to 156. If they could only deal with Lynch, that antique moneyunderer, and get his tax performance of over 1.6 million into their pocket, breaking into the national top 100 should be a sure thing! Just as he was deep in thought, the ringtone from his phone snapped him back to reality. Seeing that it was Lewis''s number, he quickly answered, "Chief Tax Officer." "Come to my office!" "Alright!" Seven or eight minutester, David arrived at the door of the Chief Tax Officer''s office on the fourth floor. After knocking, he entered and asked, "Chief Tax Officer, you wanted to see me?" Lewis stared at him intently, as if trying to see through him, and after a long while, he spoke with a hint of astonishment in his voice, "I''vee to realize, this ck taxw seems to have been made just for you!" A few days ago, handing those three cases over to David, he had been somewhat worried about ''missing the opportunity.'' But unexpectedly, in just a few days, David had settled these three cases cleanly. The most important point was that each case had brought in tax revenue that was two or three times more than their estimations, which had genuinely surprised him again. David replied, "You''re exaggerating, Chief Tax Officer. I''m currently ranked at 156. There are many inspectors better than me in the country." Lewis disagreed with this statement, responding, "That''s not an exaggeration. The inspectors better than you are all in those top cities. I think if you were given the same tform, you wouldn''t be much worse off than them!" David shrugged his shoulders withoutment. Lewis continued, "You, my boy, solve cases faster than I can select them, really giving me a headache. Take a rest first, and let me go to the intelligence department¡­" "There''s no need, Chief Tax Officer. I''ve found a case myself!" "Oh?" Lewis seemed surprised and asked, "What case? Is it reliable, and what''s the difficulty level?" "Do you know a person named Lynch Aldridge?" "Lynch Aldridge... Are you referring to that businessman who owns an auction house here in the Lake District?" Since the enactment of the ck taxw, tax bureaus across the country had started fresh investigations in their jurisdictions to identify tax evaders. Well-known businessmen like him were the focus of these investigations. So Lewis had indeed heard the name. "That''s him!" "What about him?" "On the surface, he appears to be a businessman, an antique collector, but ording to my investigations, he''s been moneyundering by buying low and selling high, inting the prices of antiques, profiting up to 4 million US dors a month!" "What did you say!" Lewis almost flew out of his chair, staring at David in shock. "I''m saying, his true identity is an antique moneyunderer!" "Is your source reliable?" Lewis was still somewhat disbelieving. Their intelligence department had already investigated Lynch but hadn''t found anything unusual, and to profit 4 million US dors was no small sum. After all, their intelligence department''s estimation of Dieter''s ie was only 3 million US dors. "Absolutely reliable!" Seeing David''s serious demeanor, Lewis was convinced to arge degree and slowly sat back down. Although the intelligence department had not found anything on Lynch, it didn''t mean they were certainly correct. On the contrary, every time David was dealing with cases passed on by the intelligence department, he managed to collect many times the estimated taxes, further proving his capability. 4 million in illegal profits! If they could collect these taxes, that would amount to over 1.6 million! With this tax revenue, their Lake District Sub-Bureau would definitely clinch the number one position in tax performance within the Las Vegas branches again. Moreover, with David''s team breaking into the national top 100, advancing on their existing ranking of 89 seemed a sure bet! Thinking of all the implications, Lewis felt motivated. He looked at David and said, "In that case, go ahead and investigate this case boldly. Notify me anytime if you need help!" "Understood!" ... After leaving the office, David was initially nning to immediately start investigating the case involving Lynch. But unexpectedly, he received a call from Koffdale. Koffdale informed him that they had just received notification from a spy, and a transaction would take ce tomorrow morning. He had to let it go and decided to handle the spy case tomorrow first. The next day. Nisen had arrived early at David''s ce, looking refreshed and eager after a night''s rest. Soon 9 o''clock came around. After receiving Koffdale''s call, David turned to Nisen and said, "Let''s go, we''re heading to the Lake District Train Station!" "The transaction spot is at the Lake District Train Station?" Nisen was somewhat astonished. In his view, spies, typically averse to exposure and skittish, would choose secluded areas for transactions, wouldn''t they? Why would they pick a train station with such a heavy flow of people and police patrols? "Who knows, maybe the spy thinks the most dangerous ce could be the safest," David remarked. Finding some logic in those words, Nisen asked no further and immediately went downstairs to start the car, driving towards the Lake District Train Station. ... By the time they arrived at the Lake District Train Station, 20 minutes had passed. Americans typically travel long distances by ne and for short distances, everyone has a car. Plus, it was the morning, so the train station wasn''t crowded. Passengers were dragging their luggage for ticket checks; some were reading books while sitting on benches. Everyone there seemed normal. No matter how much David and Nisen observed, they couldn''t find any trace of the spy. After randomly picking a spot to sit for about five minutes, David''s phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked at the message. [East Area, locker number 46!] "Let''s go!" David immediately stood up and headed towards the East Area. On the way, he grabbed two free newspapers, handing one to Nisen, and once they arrived at the side of the locker, they sat down and pretended to read the newspapers seriously. About 10 minutester, Koffdale showed up first. Chapter 62: Chapter 60: You Cant Run Away He carried a ck stic bag to the safe, entered the code, ced the bag inside, then turned and left. Throughout the process, he showed no signs of abnormality, nor did he nce at David and Nisen sitting not far away, as if he had just done something trivial. "Keep a close eye on him..." The bait was set, and David knew the spy would show up before long. But he dared not let his gaze wander, fearing that he might give away something out of the ordinary, still pretending to focus intently on the newspaper. Soon, 20 minutes had passed. During this time, some travelers also went to the lockers to deposit or retrieve items, but locker number 46 remained untouched. Just as David and Nisen started to wonder if they had been exposed. A Caucasian woman appeared in front of the lockers. Her figure was incredibly graceful, her steps as light as willow fluff, and every move she made exuded elegance and calm. The clothes she wore were rather simple, favoring muted colors and well-fitted garments, overall quite understated. Upon seeing the information that popped overhead, David''s eyes lit up with intensity. [Name: Maggie Timothy.] [upation: Ballet Dancer, Spy.] [Monthly Ie: Personal ie 160,000 US Dors, Official funds 600,000 US Dors.] [Ie Details: December 4, seduced a House of Congressman named Palmer, profited 20,000 US Dors, extracted intelligence and transmitted to Bear Country, profited 50,000 US Dors, December 16, seduced a Department of Homnd Security official, profited 20,000 US Dors, extracted intelligence and transmitted to Bear Country, profited 50,000 US Dors, December 26,pleted the invasion of the Bear Country Station Database...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: 282,400 US Dors.] "Who would''ve thought, this woman has extracted intelligence from so many officials..." After learning about this woman named Maggie, David was somewhat surprised. But then again. The identity of a ballet dancer indeed provides ess to high society,plementing her true identity as a spy. Unfortunately for her, today she met her match in me! In the midst of these thoughts, the woman named Maggie had already opened the locker, picked up the ck stic bag that Koffdale had left inside, and turned towards the exit. David didn''t waste any more time and immediately got up to follow her. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he did not n to make a move in front of a crowd. Instead, he intended to find a less crowded ce, attempting to subdue the woman and have a serious discussion about the tax issue with her! The two left the train station, one after the other. Maggie did not immediately hail a taxi or head to the parking lot but walked towards the nearby light rail tform. Maintaining their distance, David and Nisen leisurely followed her, both going up to the elevated light rail and waiting at the tform. About a minuteter, a light rail train slowly stopped at the tform; Maggie entered the carriage as usual. David and Nisen also entered through another door, both in the same carriage, about five or six meters apart. Soon, the carriage filled with the sound of the closing doors. However, just as the second closing signal sounded, Maggie''s figure, like an apparition, slipped out through the closing doors. "Damn it!" David and Nisen cursed inwardly at the mishap, trying to follow suit, but they were a step toote and got trapped inside the carriage as the doors closed. "Fuck Yau!" Apanying Nisen''s curse, the monorail had slowly started moving. What made him even angrier was that the woman just stood there, staring them down with a provocative look as they left. By this time, David''splexion was looking somewhat ugly. He had thought he was being cautious enough, but he hadn''t expected to still be discovered by this woman¡ªthesepetent spies seemed to be alerted by any small movement. It seemed that when time permitted, he should consider learning some tracking skills from the professionals. "David, what do we do now?" David gathered his thoughts and after a moment of reflection, replied, "Look into which ballet troupes have recentlye to the Lake District, and see if there''s a woman named Maggie Timothy among them!" Just a moment ago, he had acquired quite a bit of information about this woman by using the "Golden Finger" feature. With the channels and systems of the IRS, having this information should make finding this woman not too difficult! Seven or eight minutester. Nisen hung up the phone, his expression slightly excited, "There is a ballet troupe from New York that has indeed a woman named Maggie Timothy. They are staying at the Four Seasons Hotel, and that woman is in room 1101!" "Let''s go!" Just as the monorail reached the station, Nisen and David got off the train and immediately hailed a taxi, racing towards the Four Seasons Hotel. Meanwhile, on the road leading to the airport. Maggie was sitting in a taxi, her fingers swiftly typing a string of code on her phone, then sending it off. Seven or eight minutester, her phone received a reply, also in the form of a code. After reading the code, Maggie looked somewhat puzzled. The higher-ups told her that her identity had not been exposed. So who were the two men trailing her just now? However, it seemed¡­ they indeed didn''t resemble personnel from CIA or the FBI. If they were from either of those agencies, their tracking skills wouldn''t have been so poor. After thinking for a while, she suddenly spoke to the driver, "Sorry, I''m not going to the airport anymore. Take me to the Four Seasons Hotel, please!" Just now, because she was worried that her identity had been exposed, she was in a rush to flee to the airport. But now it seemed her identity was still secure, and there were some confidential materials and documents in the hotel that she had to deal with. Twenty minutester, Maggie returned to the Four Seasons Hotel. However, she didn''t go straight in; instead, she looked around to make sure no traps had beenid, and only then did she enter with confidence. Just as she had entered not too long ago, David and Nisen appeared at the front of the hotel. They had arrived here earlier, but since their target hadn''t shown up yet, they had hidden themselves. "Be careful¡ªthese spies are specially trained and dangerous. We can''t let her escape again!" "Don''t worry, my years in the Marine Corps weren''t spent in vain!" Nisen clenched his fists, showing a hint of ferocity. They had let the woman escape earlier because it was a public ce. Now that they had her cornered at the entrance, it would be a disgrace for him if she managed to escape again with his skills, no longer fitting to even be in the IRS! Seeing Nisen''s confidence, David said no more but immediately entered the hotel and took the elevator to the 11th floor. Moving towards room 1101 with light steps, both men drew their service weapons into their hands. Chapter 63: Chapter 61: Werent You Supposed Not to Be Freeloading? Soon, the two of them arrived in front of door 1101 and took positions on either side. David pressed his ear slightly against the door and heard some sparse soundsing from inside. Confirming that someone was inside, he gestured to Nisen, signaling him to wait for hismand to break down the door. Nisen nodded and made an ''OK'' sign with his hand. David held his breath, his right hand tightly gripping his gun, while his left showed three fingers; he then retracted his ring finger, middle finger, index finger, and finally made a chopping motion downward. Nisen lifted his right leg and kicked the door lock fiercely. The door flew open in an instant, and he charged in like a bullet from a gun. Meanwhile, in the room, Maggie, who was still processing documents, was startled by the loud noise. But her strong mental fortitude allowed her to quickly snap back to reality. Without taking any weapon, she dashed toward Nisen in a swift move. On her way over, she used the springiness of the bed to leap into the air. Before Nisen could react, a pair of shapely legs wrapped around his neck, and with a downward leverage, she flipped and pinned Nisen to the ground as his gun fell to the side. All of this happened in the blink of an eye. David, who had followed closely behind, was dumbfounded by the scene. He had let Nisen enter first exactly to avoid such a scenario. But you, Nisen, a retired veteran of the Marine Corps, got taken down by her in just one encounter? Was it carelessness, a failure to dodge, or what? And to think you''d sworn you weren''t just here to fill a quota! Without time to ponder, seeing Maggie about to pick up Nisen''s gun, David immediately reacted and shouted, "Don''t move!" In that instant, with Maggie restraining Nisen to her limit, even with exceptional ability, he would not be able to subdue David in a sudden move. With the gun pointed at her from such a close range, she dared not make any further moves and could only surrender with her hands up. "Let him go!" Following themand, Maggie released Nisen, who was almost suffocated. Once free, he gasped for air, his face red and looking as if he was ready to devour Maggie. All these days, it was David who had created most of the tax revenue. Aside from acting as a bodyguard, Nisen had not yed much of any other significant role. So before they forced entry, he had secretly vowed to take down this female spy cleanly and efficiently, to make David realize his importance. But who could have predicted that upon entering, far from capturing her cleanly, he himself had been effortlessly subdued? It was utterly humiliating! Ignoring what Nisen might be thinking, David, gun in hand, approached Maggie step by step. But just then, a ferocious look appeared on Maggie''s face, her eyes showing determination. Then her chin started to move as though she was going to do something. Witnessing this, David thought something was wrong and quickly stepped toward her, grabbing her face firmly with his hand, and exined, "Don''t be rash; we''re not here to arrest you!" He knew that many spies had cyanide capsules in their teeth to avoid capture and torture. If this woman died like that, it might be beneficial for the CIA. But for him and the Department of Homnd Security, it would be a significant loss! After all, she was an excellent source of revenue! Maggie seemed somewhat perplexed. If they had forced entry and drawn their guns, what were they doing if not to arrest her? With one hand, David pulled out his badge and said, "We''re Inspectors from the Department of Homnd Security, just here to have a ''friendly'' chat with you!" As a spy, Maggie of course recognized that this was indeed the Department of Homnd Security''s badge. This could indeed exin why David and Nisen''s tracking techniques were no longer effective. However, speaking of which, it''s understandable that the FBI and CIA are paying attention to her, but why is the IRS looking for her? Could it be... That there is some issue with her taxes? Is it possible that during her Las Vegas performance, the relevant authorities missed her tax deration, thereby triggering an investigation by the IRS inspector? But... How does this inspector know that there''s poison in her mouth? Could her spy identity still have been exposed? That seems likely too! After all, in America, only death and taxation are unavoidable. And the IRS, with its prating channels and methods of investigating tax evasion, might have inadvertently discovered her identity during their audit! But no matter what. As long as she wasn''t dealing with institutions like the FBI or CIA, there seemed to still be room for negotiation! Thinking of this, Maggie nodded to indicate that she wouldn''t make any more attempts at self-harm. Only then did David release her mouth, taunting with an ironic tone, "Miss Maggie, you sure slipped away quickly on the monorail earlier, but did you really think you could escape once the IRS sets its sights on you?" Maggie remainedposed and retorted, "Alright, the IRS wouldn''t go to such lengths to find me just to collect a little tax, would they?" Davidughed and replied, "It''s not a little, it''s a tax issue of 280,000 US dors!" "280,000 US dors?" Maggie looked puzzled. Her fee for the Las Vegas performance was hefty, but it wasn''t enough to warrant a tax bill of 280,000 US dors! "Here''s the thing, on the 3rd ofst month..." Davidid out the details of the ck Tax Law. After hearing this, Maggie was first stunned, then her expression darkened as she responded, "So you know my identity then?" ording to the ck Tax Law. Any ie gained from uwful activities must be fully taxed by the IRS. And now that the IRS had found her, they naturally knew of her illegal earnings! "Just a spy, nothing to make a fuss about!" Maggie felt a heaviness in her heart and a self-mocking look appeared on her face. She prided herself on how well she had concealed her identity, capturing American internal secrets on numerous asions, yet neither the FBI, CIA, nor the Department of Homnd Security had managed to uncover who she was. Now, ironically, it was her failure to pay taxes that had led to her being discovered by the IRS! The whole situation felt somewhat farcical to her. "Since you know my identity, my end seems to be the same either way, dead. Why should I even bother paying you taxes?" In Maggie''s eyes. The IRS may only be responsible for tax collection, but such a significant case would not escape the notice of departments like the CIA or FBI, right? It was highly possible they wanted to squeeze every bit of value out of her before handing her over to those agencies. David shook his finger and countered, "If you don''t pay us your taxes, you''re definitely on a one-way road to death, but if you''re willing to pay, then it might not necessarily be so!" Chapter 64: Chapter 62: Its Your Turn, Lynch Maggie''s expression changed slightly as she asked, "What if I pay it, what happens then?" "Under the provisions of the ck Tax Law, if you be a taxpayer of our National Revenue Service, we are obligated to keep your identity confidential, unless, you are unearthed by the CIA themselves!" "You know who I am. If you hand me over to the CIA, they''ll certainly be very grateful to you!" Maggie still did not fully believe David''s words. "Grateful?" David scoffed and smiled, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together in front of her, replying, "What the National Revenue Service wants is money; what use is the CIA''s gratitude to us?" His words left Maggie momentarily speechless. "Rest assured, our National Revenue Service operates with principles; once we''ve taken the money, we definitely won''t trouble you, and your identity will absolutely not leak from us!" After a moment of thought, Maggie responded, "Alright, since you''ve put it that way, I don''t really have any other choice, do I?" Given the current situation, she truly had no other option but topromise. David smiled and extended his right hand, "Thanks for cooperating!" ... At one o''clock in the afternoon. Maggie arrived at the office, bringing with her the required payment of 282,400 US dors. After David had counted and confirmed the amount, he issued her a tax receipt andpleted the filing work, thus concluding the case. As the filing work waspleted, the tax performance leaderboard was updated once again. Now, David''s team had a total tax performance of 1,759,268 US dors, climbing from 156th to 122nd in the national ranking! They had taken a big step closer to breaking into the national top 100! "What do we do next?" Nisen was aware that they had no cases at hand, and with the national top 100 within such close reach, he was eager to make a push for it. David flipped through the information just delivered by intelligence, nced over it for a few minutes, and said, "Head to the Kegorin Avenue Community!" The Kegorin Avenue Community, that''s precisely where Ibrahim livedst time. By the time David and Nisen arrived there, more than half an hour had passed. After parking the car, the two walked to a house and rang the doorbell. About two or three minutester, the door was opened by a girl of about 13 or 14 years old, who asked the two men, "May I ask who you''re looking for?" "I''m looking for Mr. Atley!" Atley was the ountant of the antique moneyunderer, Lynch. Lynch was no ordinary man, and the National Revenue Service''s name might not be enough to intimidate him, so David nned to first gather his criminal evidence. When they would confront him, if this guy proved to be difficult, David was prepared to throw these pieces of evidence in his face, forcing him toply. "Daddy, someone is looking for you!" After the girl shouted, a man who had been reading the newspaper in the living room got up and walked over, looking puzzled as he asked the two men, "Who are you?" [Name: Atley Waldrey.] [upation: ountant.] [Monthly Ie: 11,000 US dors, (Illegal Ie: Sixty Thousand US dors).] [Ie Details: On December 6, assisted Lynch Aldridge with altering the books, earning a profit of 3,000 US dors; on December 12, helped Lynch falsify the books, earning a profit of 3,000 US dors...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Payable: Fifteen Thousand US dors.] David showed his tax badge and said, "We are Inspectors from the National Revenue Service, and we would like to have a word with Mr. Atley!" "National Revenue Service?" Atley paused. He was unlike most people. As an ountant, he was extremely sensitive to tax matters, so he was very clear that his own taxes were in order. If his own taxes were correct. And Inspectors from the National Revenue Service came to him, could it be... the ck Tax Law recently passed by Congress? In an instant, he surmised the reason, but to test the waters, he still feigned innocence and asked, "I''m not sure why the Inspectors are looking for me?" "Mr. Atley, can''t wee in and talk about that?" "Of course!" Atley paused for a moment, then quickly made a weing gesture. After entering the house, David didn''t hold back; hefortably sat down on the sofa and said directly to Atley across from him, "Mr. Atley, as an ountant, I reckon you''ve heard thatst month Congress passed aw called the ck Tax Law!" "Yes, I''ve heard of thisw. It stiptes that from now on, all forms of fraud, robbery, even zero-dor purchases, must pay taxes to the National Revenue Service!" Atley didn''t dare to feign ignorance, as it would have been problematic for someone in his profession to not know about the ck Tax Law. David nodded in approval and continued, "Since you''re so aware of thisw then you should clearly understand the reason for our visit today!" Atley''s heart sank; his suspicions were confirmed. But he didn''t know for certain if the other party truly had evidence of his crimes, so he didn''t admit anything right away. Instead, he yed the innocent role, "Inspector sir, I''m just the ountant for Lynch''s auction house, a legitimate profession, with no illegal ie!" "Is that so?" David looked him straight in the eye, "On the 6th ofst month, didn''t your auction house sell a European medieval dagger? You helped your boss create a fake ledger worth Three Million US dors. Have you forgotten so quickly?" At the mention of this, Atley''splexion changed dramatically. But before he could gather his thoughts, David continued, "And on the 12th ofst month, your auction house sold a painting, and you helped your boss make up a false ount of five million dors. You haven''t forgotten that one either, have you?" "And on the 25th..." "You don''t need me to remind you of each incident you were involved in, do you?" At that moment, Atley was like a deted balloon, unable to refute a single word. Only after a silence of about two minutes did he finally say helplessly, "Alright, since you''re so well-informed, I will pay whatever tax I owe!" He knew the prowess of the National Revenue Service. Moreover, they had investigated his falsification of books so thoroughly. If he dared to argue, it would only make things worse for him. "That''s more like it!" David nodded in satisfaction, his tone changing as he said, "By the way, there''s a favor I need to ask of you!" "What''s that?" "I need a detailed ledger from you guys!" Atley was taken aback at first, then objected, "That won''t do. I will only pay my taxes. Other people''s affairs do not concern me!" Since he had already agreed to pay taxes, why did David still want the ledger? Most likely, he intended to trace back and catch everyone involved, which might include his boss. As just an ountant, how could he dare stab his boss in the back! Chapter 65: Chapter 63: Chinatown "Don''t rush to refuse, man. There''s a policy in our tax evasion bill that you might not be aware of, for those who cooperate with us and make a contribution..." David exined the tax reduction policy. After hearing it, Atley was indeed tempted at first. As an ountant, calcting savings was his specialty, and if the tax reduction policy was for life, he could indeed save a substantial amount of money each month. But the thought of turning over the ledger and his boss Lynch''s furious reaction sent a shiver down his spine in an instant. In the end, he made his decision, gritting his teeth and refusing, "Sorry, I can''t do this. It would cost me my job!" David''s face darkened as he said, "Let me tell you the truth. We can investigate your background thoroughly, and your boss is no different. We only need the ledger as a supplementary aid. I hope you can cooperate; it''s better for everyone!" Atley still remained unmoved. "If you''re unwilling to cooperate, then you''ll have toe with us," David said. As David stood up, Nisen did the same, both staring at him with an unfriendly gaze. Seeing this, Atley got anxious and asked defensively, "What do you mean? I''ve already agreed to pay taxes. What are you trying to do?" "ording to the tax evasionw, the IRS has the right to arrest and try any tax evader!" Atley continued to argue: "But I''ve already agreed to pay taxes. What tax am I evading?" "The tax evasion bill has been in effect for over a month. As an ountant who''s aware of the bill, noting to the IRS to dere within this month¡ªhow is that not tax evasion?" ording to the tax evasion bill, all criminals must proactively report to the IRS once the bill is passed in Congress. If one doesn''t report proactively, they can be treated as a tax evader! Of course, rules are rules, and most criminals aren''t well-educated and aren''t likely to pay attention to Congress or bills. As for that, the IRS wouldn''t scrutinize too hard, after all, it''s just about the money. As long as you agree to pay taxes after they knock on your door, everything else can be discussed. But now, since Atley was unwilling to cooperate, naturally, David wouldn''t be polite either. First, scare him with a charge of tax evasion. If that didn''t work, taking him into custody was always an option. After all, David wasn''t too concerned about the $60,000 in taxes anymore. "I''ve already agreed to pay taxes, you... you can''t just p me with a tax evasion charge like that!" Atley panicked. Why is everyone afraid of IRS inspectors? It''s because these people have too much power. They can freeze individuals'' ounts at will and have the samew enforcement and arrest powers as the FBI. If the other party stubbornly insisted that he hadn''t reported for tax payment proactively after the bill was introduced, he really wouldn''t have any defense. "Let''s go!" Nisen didn''t care about the consequences and came up to drive Atley out. Seeing that things were getting serious, Atley couldn''t take it anymore and said with a tone of submission, "If I give you the ledger, how am I supposed to exin it to my boss?" The IRS is known for its harsh penalties against tax evaders, and he really didn''t want to be saddled with that charge. "With your abilities, would changing employers really starve you to death?" "..." Atley was somewhat speechless. But no matter what, being unemployed was still better than being charged with tax evasion and sent to jail. He replied resignedly, "Alright, I''ll give you the ledger. You won''t trouble me anymore, right?" "Of course, I have no personal vendetta against you!" Seeing David''s shameless attitude, Atley was extremely frustrated but didn''t waste any more words, turning and walking into one of the rooms. About 20 minutester. He walked out, holding a stack of freshly printed documents in his hand, and handed them to David, "Here''s what you asked for!" David took them and, after ensuring there were no issues, extended his hand, "Thank you for your cooperation!" Though extremely reluctant, Atley still mustered the restraint to shake hands with David before sending him off with a murderous re. "Where to now?" Once in the car, Nisen asked while buckling his seatbelt. "Chinatown!" "OK!" ... Chinatown, as thergest overseas Chinesemunity, essentially exists in every major city in America. The Chinatown in Las Vegas is located here on Spring Mountain Avenue. It had been 40 minutes by the time they arrived. After parking the car, the two walked in. The street was lined with bright signs and colorfulnterns. Some ancient buildings still maintained the traditional architectural style of China, each brick and tile seemingly carrying a lengthy history. The tempting scent of delicious food wafted from the Chinese restaurants, steamed buns, dumplings, stir-fries, simmered soups¡ªvarious Chinese culinary vors mixed together, transporting one instantly to China thousands of miles away. At street corners, people conversed in various dialects, including Cantonese, Mandarin, Fujianese, Teochew, and others. The interweaving of these dialects created a unique linguistic tapestry for Chinatown. This also gave David, who had been reborn, a sense of home! "What''s the matter, first time here?" Noticing David looking around, lost in thought, Nisen couldn''t help but ask. "Not really, let''s go!" Gathering his thoughts, David walked forward. Meanwhile, in the central area of Chinatown, a shop named ''Luoyang Tea House''. "Mr. Li, we have done our investigation, and we''re clear about your business. So let''s keep it short. ording to the provisions of the ''ck Tax Law,'' pay the owed taxes to the National Tax Bureau, and we''ll turn around and leave without disturbing you any further!" Inside the tea room, an old man with a goat beard was leisurely sipping tea. Opposite him, a man and a woman stared intently at him, and the man had just spoken those words. "Is that so? Then tell me, what business am I in?" The old man with the goat beard remained calm and unhurried, sipping his tea slowly. "Hmph, it''s just smuggling antiques, as if you could hide it from the eyes of the National Tax Bureau," the man snorted coldly. The old man with the goat beard shook his head and replied, "Inspectors, I am merely running a tea house here, not some antique smuggling racketeer. I believe you have the wrong person!" Hearing this, the man and the woman''s faces darkened as they exchanged a nce. That''s right, they indeed knew the old man''s true identity. But they only knew his identity, and as for which antiques had been smuggled and to whom they were sold, these details were not clear to them. Meaning, they possessed no substantial evidence. And why would they dare to confront someone without solid proof? With the pressure of the ''ck Tax Law'' and continuous assessment periods driving the nation''s inspectors, they didn''t have time to gather evidence for each case individually. They generally first made an appearance, then leveraged the clout of the National Tax Bureau to intimidate and pressure, with the actual amount recouped beingrgely left to fate. Chapter 66: Chapter 64: Giving You 80,000 And in the minds of the two inspectors, Chinese Americans are generallyw-abiding and restrained in America, rarely seeking trouble. So originally, they thought that they would be able to collect taxes with ease after making their visit today. But unexpectedly, the old man before them was so tough, no matter how they threatened or intimidated him; he maintained an attitude of "arrest me if you have evidence." The pair were somewhat irritated. Havinge all this way, it was naturally impossible to return empty-handed¡ªwhere would that leave the National Tax Bureau''s dignity? Therefore, they decided to first take the old man back to the station and detain him for 24 hours! But before they could make their move, there was a knock on the door. Following that, a waiter from the tea house entered and said, "Mr. Li, two more inspectors from the National Tax Bureau have arrived outside and wish to see you!" Upon hearing these words, the old man with the goatee was taken aback and then turned to look at the two inspectors across from him. In fact, not just him, the two inspectors were also baffled. This case had already been taken over by their team and had been filed within the bureau; how could there be other inspectorsing to poach their job? To understand the reason, both of them immediately stood up and walked out of the private room, and soon, they arrived in the main hall of the tea house. Upon seeing David and Nisen standing there, the two felt a sense of familiarity but greeted them politely, "I am Leo from the National Tax Bureau Avenue Sub-bureau Branch, and this is my partner, Milimo. You are...?" "I''m David from the Lake District Sub-Bureau, and this is my partner, Nisen!" David had already learned from the waiter that inspectors from the Avenue Sub-bureau hade here. He hadn''t expected such a coincidence. But there was nothing he could do; based on the information he had, the old man named Li Gensheng was Lynch''s supplier. He needed to obtain a list of all the antiques supplied by the old man to Lynch during this period, along with other detailed information. "You are Lake District''s David!" Leo and Milimo were stunned for a moment, then their expressions slowly became grim. They wondered why they looked so familiar! It turned out to be the recently renowned David in their National Tax Bureau system! "That''s right." Leo, with a dark look, said discontentedly, "Inspector David, I acknowledge that you are indeed skilled in inspection, but as an inspector from the Lake District, for you to overreach into our Avenue Sub-bureau, isn''t that a bit too dismissive of our inspectors?" In recent times, due to David''s exceptional performance, they were constantly beingpared and goaded by their superiors, which was already quite annoying to them. But that was not the end of it; now David had the audacity to poach their case, which was downright outrageous! David wasn''t angry; he was aware that his actions were somewhat irregr and responded calmly, "Inspector Leo, I have no intention of taking over your case. I came to find Li Gensheng because I have some other matters to attend to!" "Heh heh." Leo scoffed, questioning, "As inspectors, for what other reasons would we seek out thesewbreakers, if not for collecting taxes?" David felt somewhat helpless and nced towards the direction of the private room, only to notice that Li Gensheng at the doorway was watching the drama unfold with great interest. [Name: Li Gensheng.] [upation: Tea house owner, antiquities dealer.] [Monthly ie: 830,000 US dors.] [Ie details: On December 3rd, acquired a Tang Dynasty calligraphy painting from a tomb-raiding gang in China, resold to Lynch for a profit of 50,000 dors; on December 7th, acquired a jade piece from a tomb-raiding gang in China, resold to Lynch for a profit of 70,000 dors; on December 19th...] [More details:...] [Tax due: 328,680 US dors.] After reviewing the old man''s information, David pondered for a moment and said, "How about this, Inspector Leo, you''re after him just to collect taxes and close the case, right? How about I help you with the collection of this tax?" Leo and Milimo were initially taken aback, seemingly surprised by David''s proposal. Then Leo replied with a slightly disdainful expression, "No need, this is our case. We don''t need you Lake District folks to worry about it!" "There''s only a week left until the assessment period. Taking him back with you could waste a lot of time, and who knows if you can squeeze anything out of him. That doesn''t seem like an advantageous move." David could tell that the two didn''t have conclusive information on Li Gensheng, or else Li wouldn''t be so carefree. But that was to be expected. After all, not everyone is like him, with something like a golden finger. Nowadays, most inspectors primarily use intimidation as their method. If they encounter someone audacious like Li Gensheng, then matters be troublesome. Although they didn''t verbally respond, they indeed didn''t want to waste too much time on this old man. But they had no choice, given the old man''s obstinate ignorance! "So, how much tax do you intend to collect from him?" Leo didn''t answer, but Milimo hesitated before finally responding, "Based on the estimates given by our intelligence division, we need to collect around 50,000!" "Just 50,000?" It seemed that these two hadn''t managed toy hold of the old man''s criminal evidence, let alone gauge his actual finances. Upon hearing this, Leo became discontented again and retorted, "I know 50,000 may not be much to you, but not everyone is you!" He knew that David''s team had now amassed over 1.7 million in tax achievements and thought David was mocking him. David exined, "You misunderstand me. That''s not what I mean. I''m saying, just 50,000 is too lenient on him. I''ll offer you 80,000 in exchange for handing him over to me for half an hour, how about that?" "80,000?!" The two were startled by David''s proposal. The estimated tax revenue the intelligence department provided for this case was merely 50,000. And naturally, an average inspector wouldn''t over-collect beyond the estimated figure in the paperwork. To collect more wasn''t impossible, but only if you could nail down the specific financial source of the target and prove they indeed needed to pay that much tax. Since they didn''t have specifics on the old man''s finances, they could only collect based on the intelligence department''s estimated figures. "Half an hour? 80,000? Are you serious about what you''re saying?" Milimo, for one, was tempted. They had only expected to collect 50,000, so receiving 80,000 would truly be an unexpected windfall. Besides, the primary point was that she wasn''t keen on wasting so much time on the old man. It would be better to spend that time investigating a few more cases. "Of course, I''m serious, Inspector Leo, what do you think?" David turned to Leo, having discerned that he was the linchpin of the team. Chapter 67: Chapter 65: Please Start Your Performance Leo looked up at Li Gensheng by the door of the tea room and then turned back, "He''s not willing to pay 50,000, what makes you think he''ll agree to 80,000?" He acknowledged that David''s inspection skills were formidable. But after all, this case belonged to their district, and he didn''t believe David could be so confident. "You don''t need to worry about that, it''s fine as long as I can collect it!" Leo narrowed his eyes, pondered for a while, and replied, "What if you can''t collect it?" "If I can''t collect it, I''ll make it up to you with another case worth 80,000!" "Are you serious about that?" Leo and Milimo confirmed in unison. "Of course!" "Fine, then I''ll give you half an hour. I''m actually quite curious to see how you''ll pry open his mouth!" Though Leo was very annoyed with David, he wasn''t a fool. Being able to earn 80,000 one way or the other, not just him, any inspector would choose to do so. "Oh, I have another question!" "What''s the issue?" Possibly because he felt he was getting a good deal, Leo''s tone had softened somewhat. "If I''m lucky and collect more than the 80,000, how should we handle that?" Leo and Milimo paused, as this was something they hadn''t considered. In their view, squeezing 50,000 out of the old man was hard enough, and anything over 80,000 seemed nearly impossible to them. However, since David had brought it up, they had to answer. Leo promptly replied, "We only want 80,000. If you can collect more, that''s your skill, and it''s all yours!" David nodded in satisfaction and then took out his cell phone, saying, "Verbal agreements aren''t solid, so how about we record this conversation?" The taxes that Li Gensheng needed to pay amounted to over 320,000, minus the 80,000 for the two of them, leaving nearly 250,000. That was no small sum, and to avoid future disputes and hard feelings, it was necessary to record the agreement. Upon hearing this, Leo and Milimo were inwardly overjoyed. Truth be told, they too feared that if David couldn''t extract 80,000 from the old man, he would argue with them about it. So they were more than happy to have the conversation recorded. With a recording as evidence, David wouldn''t be able to weasel out of the deal! "OK, I agree!" Leo also took out his own cell phone. Next, both parties activated the recording feature, stating their respective divisions and inspector titles, followed by a description concerning the case and the associated taxes. It took roughly 2 minutes. After the recording waspleted, Leo smugly slipped his phone into his pocket and gestured to David to start his performance. David didn''t waste any words and walked towards the tea room, approaching Li Gensheng and saying, "Mr. Li, shall we go inside and have a word?" "Everything that needed to be confessed has already been exined to Inspector Leo. What else is there to talk about?" Li Gensheng''s face showed some impatience. "Let''s have a word. At least I can help you avoid being taken away by them!" Li Gensheng was instantly stunned. Help him avoid being taken away, what did that mean? Forget it! Let''s first hear what the new inspector has to say! Li Gensheng was the first to enter the break room while David and Nisen also walked in, casually closing the door behind them. "Do you think he can really force the old man to cough up 80 thousand?" Milimo, looking at the just-closed door, asked thoughtfully. "I admit that his auditing skills are unparalleled in our entire Las Vegas Tax Bureau system, but to squeeze 80 thousand out of the old man so quickly, I think it''s unlikely!" "But if he wasn''t sure, why would he dare to hit us with an 80 thousand tax bill, no matter how you look at it, we''re the ones getting a great deal!" Hearing Milimo say this, Inspector Leo finally snapped out of it. That''s true, indeed. David seemedpletely confident, and he even had the recordings all set up; if he can''t handle the old man, he will have to shell out the 80 thousand himself. Could it be... that he has already investigated the old man? That''s quite possible! Didn''t he just say he had other business with the old man? After a moment of thought, Leo said, "Never mind that, as long as we get our 80 thousand this time, that''s all that matters!" Milimo nodded in agreement. Nevermind why David is so confident, as long as we can get our hands on the 80 thousand in taxes this time, we''re making a killing! Inside the break room. Out of politeness, Mr. Li and another poured a cup of tea and asked, "Inspector, sir, I am very busy. If you keeping in like this and wasting my time, I canin!" ''Sure, you canin anytime, but before you do, I''d like you to pay the over 320 thousand in taxes that you owe first!" Li Gensheng was taken aback, then his expression darkened as he said, "320 thousand, what do you mean by that?" "On the 3rd ofst month, didn''t you just receive a painting from the Liulin Gang and resold it to Lynch for a profit of 50 thousand US Dors?" At these words, the hand that Li Gensheng was using to hold his teacup instantly froze at his lips. David continued, "And on the 7th ofst month, didn''t you again receive a jade article from them and turned it over to Lynch, making another 70 thousand?" "There''s also December 19th..." "Add it all up, and you made 830 thousand US Dors in one month. ording to our tax bureau''s rate, doesn''t thate to over 320 thousand in taxes to be paid?" After hearing this, despite maintaining a calm exterior, Li Gensheng was already roiling with inner turmoil. He had thought that these two new inspectors hade, like the previous two, to threaten and intimidate him. And he was already prepared to deal with them. But where could he have imagined that this inspector named David didn''t mean to intimidate him at all, but had itemized every transaction he had made over the past month. Realizing he was up against a hard case, Li Gensheng''s brows creased into a frown. "How about it, Mr. Li, not going to argue your case?" Li Gensheng was silent for a while, really not knowing how to refute and could only bluff, "I don''t know what you''re talking about, I''m just a businessman who runs a tea house!" David said unhurriedly, "Is that so? Would you like me to call Liu Qi, Wang Wenbin, Huang Lin, and the others over to have a chat with you?" "They are your biggest import channels, after all. If I were to restrict their entry or catch them, do you think your business would be affected?" At this, Li Gensheng''s expression turned utterly grim, and the fist he held under the tea table was clenched tightly. Not only had the other party investigated his transactions with such rity, but they even knew all about his suppliers from Huaxia¡ªit looked like they had him cornered! Chapter 68: Chapter 66: Regret "$50,000, just $50,000!" After giving it much thought, Li Gensheng knew he could no longer resist. But to pay $320,000 was like cutting his own flesh; he was only willing to pay the $50,000 in taxes that Leo had initially asked for. "$50,000?" David looked at him with a hint of disdain and retorted firmly, "$326,288, not a penny less!" Li Gensheng was instantly furious and retorted, "I''ve already agreed to pay, does your IRS really need to be so relentless?" "Relentless? You make a ie of $830,000 a month, and now you''re just being asked to pay a little over $320,000. You''re stillting over $500,000. That''s in US dors, is it that little?" Li Gensheng''s face turned grim, unable to respond. Making a of over $500,000 might seem like a lot, but he was supposed to earn over $800,000. Now the IRS was taking away nearly half; who could mentally ept that? "If you''re unwilling to pay, that''s fine, we can do without this tax, but then don''t expect to do business in America ever again!" With that, David got up to leave. Seeing David nearly at the door, Li Gensheng was so angry he almost crushed his back teeth, but in the end, he didn''t lose his rationality and spoke up, "Fine, you bastard, I''ll pay!" More than $300,000 was no small sum, but when weighed against his business, he knew which was more important. Moreover, the IRS had so much evidence against him; if he didn''t pay, he risked not only having his ounts frozen but also ending up in jail. David stopped in his tracks, turned around, and returned to his seat, saying with a smile, "If you had just agreed earlier, all of this would have been over. Oh, and there''s something else. I need a favor from you." "What is it?" "I know Lynch is your biggest partner..." David expressed his desire to obtain a list and documents pertaining to their business transactions. Initially, Li Gensheng tly refused, as handing these over to David would equate to stabbing Lynch in the back. But, reluctantly, the arm cannot twist the thigh. Under David''s threats, Li Gensheng eventually had no choice but toply, seething with resentment. Outside the hall. Milimo and Leo were still waiting, with Leo frequently ncing at his watch, noting that 25 minutes had passed since their earlier encounter. Just then, the door to the tea room opened with a click. Seeing Li Gensheng''s grim face as he walked out, both Milimo and Leo were surprised, exchanging a nce instinctively, sensing something was amiss. No matter how they threatened earlier, Li Gensheng had appeared unperturbed and unconcerned. So why did he now look as if his father had died? Could it be... David had indeed pried his mouth open and made him cough up $80,000 in taxes? That was the only exnation they could think of, but they needed confirmation. Without wasting any time, they headed straight for the tea room. Soon, they entered the tea room and saw a rxed and cheerful Nisen and David. Milimo asked, "How did it go, Inspector David?" David made an OK sign and replied, "No problem!" Upon receiving this answer, Milimo and Leo were startled, but just as they were about to inquire further, Li Gensheng returned. "Here are the documents you wanted. I can''te up with such arge sum of money right now for the taxes. Can you give me some time to raise the funds?" Li Gensheng handed a file folder to David. Milimo and Leo weren''t in the least concerned about what was inside the folder; their minds werepletely nk. What''s the deal with Li Gensheng? Just a moment ago, he was so adamant, so why is he now so willing to pay the taxes? What on earth did David say to him? And how did he do it? "Okay!" David''s response finally startled the two, who had been in a trance, back to reality. Milimo seemed to remember something and immediately questioned Li Gensheng, "Mr. Li, it''s just tens of thousands of dors. You don''t need to go around raising that, do you?" They had investigated, and even without Li Gensheng''s illegal ie, just the business of this tea house was pretty gooding up with a hundred or eighty thousand dors should be no problem. Li Gensheng looked at Milimo with resentment in his voice, "If it were just tens of thousands, that would indeed be wonderful!" "Ah? If it''s not tens of thousands, then how much is it?" Leo and Milimo were somewhat dumbfounded. "$326,288. Who do you think can juste up with that amount of money all at once?" "What!" Leo and Milimo''s eyes opened wide, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. But soon, Leo came back to his senses, took a step forward, and grabbed Li Gensheng by the cor, demanding, "What did you just say? You''re going to pay $326,288 to our IRS?" "Cough cough...let go, let go!" Li Gensheng was being choked and struggled desperately for air. Realizing he had lost hisposure, Leo quickly let go of him but still asked urgently, "You just said you''ll pay $326,288 to our IRS; are you serious?" "Damn you, yes, yes, are you satisfied now?" Already irritated at being threatened to pay such arge sum of taxes, Li Gensheng was now even more annoyed by the rough treatment, so much so that he even blurted out in his mother tongue. Having gotten confirmation again, Leo finally believed it and no longer said much to Li Gensheng. He turned to face David with an angry question, "Inspector David, are you ying with us?" Although Leo didn''t know how David managed to force the old man to pay such a huge sum, that was more than 320,000 dors! And they only got 80,000 of it? Did he take him for a fool? Meanwhile, Milimo had finally understood. She thought to herself how David could be so generous, helping them collect taxes and giving them 80,000 dors. It turned out that the value Li Gensheng held was far greater than 80,000 dors! While she initially thought she''d gotten a great deal, she suddenly felt she''d been shortchanged and stared at David expectantly, wanting an exnation! "Inspector Leo, what kind of talk is that, what do you mean ying you?" Leo''s reaction didn''t surprise David much. That''s why he had made a recording beforehand. With that evidence, unless the district station wanted to lose its credibility, they wouldn''t dare deny this tax payment! "Heh¡­" Leo let out a coldugh, discontentedly saying, "You knew he had to pay more than 320,000 in taxes, but you only gave us 80,000. Isn''t that ying with us?" "Inspector Leo, that''s not the way to put it. Just now, you yourself said that you only wanted 80,000, and anything extra was ours!" "Besides, if it weren''t for my partner, you wouldn''t have managed to collect even 80,000, let alone 50,000. You should be content with what you have!" Nisen couldn''t stand it any longer and immediately stood up to retort. Chapter 69: Chapter 67: Give me 80,000? Wishful thinking! Leo''s face turned red with anger, but when he thought of the tax amount of over $320,000, he still felt unwilling to let it go and continued to argue, "When I said just $80,000, I didn''t know he needed to pay over $320,000 in taxes. If I had known, I would never have agreed to just $80,000!" "How about this, you guys take $80,000, and the rest goes to us, after all, this is a case from our Lake District!" Even though David had anticipated that Leo would definitely make a fuss afterward, he was still left speechless by such shameless words. You''d think splitting the money fifty-fifty would be enough. Give themselves $80,000, and the rest just goes to their Lake District? Do they take me for a fool? David directly took out his cell phone, pointed with his finger, and then countered, "Inspector Leo, we had an agreement beforehand. If you go back on your word like this, let alone taking it up with the city bureau, even if it goes to the state bureau or even the head office, you''re the ones in the wrong!" "You..." Leo was choked by these words, his face reddening even more. Just now, he thought recording the conversation was a wise move, but now he realized his own action was simply too foolish. If there had been no recording, he would still have had room to back out. After all, the case was from the Lake District, and that tax money was also supposed to go through the Lake District Sub-Bureau. Even if they forcibly held onto it without giving David a share, David would have no means of recourse. But now, there was a recording as evidence. If they dared to withhold it by force, once David exposed the recording, their Lake District would be aughingstock. Furthermore, as David said, even though their Lake District is one of the most important districts in Las Vegas, if the matter was unjustifiable, even the city bureau wouldn''t be able to help them. "Inspector David, over $320,000 in taxes is not a small sum. Let''s do this, let us each take a step back and split it in half, and that would be fair for both parties!" This time it was Milimo who stepped forward. Even if they split it in half, they would still get more than $160,000 in tax revenue. They might not even collect such arge amount of taxes in an entire assessment period, so they had to fight for it no matter what. As for the promise just now? What''s the value of a promise these days, when tax revenue is clearly more important! David was once again amused by these words and firmly stated, "Fair? We agreed you would take $80,000, and that''s all you''re going to get. There''s nothing to discuss on this matter!" With that said, David turned and walked away, not giving the two of them another chance to argue. As they watched David leave without any hesitation, the expressions on Leo and Milimo''s faces were as dark as iron, but in the end, they did not follow him. "You damn bastard, why didn''t you tell us about such arge amount of tax evasion!" Frustrated and unable to vent, Leo could only take his anger out on Li Gensheng. Li Gensheng did not argue, but looked at Leo as if he were looking at a fool. That look seemed to say, would you have been so honest if you were in my position? Faced with such a gaze, Leo''s anger intensified, and just as he was about to burst out even more, Milimo held him back. In the end, the two of them could only leave the tea house feeling depressed. ... Half an hourter In the office of a Chief Tax Officer at the Lake District Sub-Bureau branch, Leo and Milimo walked in, looking at their boss Bruster with hesitation. "What''s the matter? Did you settle that antique case?" Bruster set down the documents he was holding and looked up at the two. Leo was silent for 5 seconds before finally nodding and saying, "It''s been taken care of¡­" Bruster revealed a hint of satisfaction, adjusted his sses, and asked, "How much did we get, 30,000 or 50,000?" "We received 80,000¡­" "Oh? 80,000?!" Bruster was a bit surprised before he beamed with praise, "Well done!" If it had been any other time, they would certainly have been pleased by such praise, but now, instead of feeling happy, they felt even heavier-hearted. They had no idea how their boss would react when he found out the whole story behind this incident. The very thought sent shivers down their spines. But this was something that could not possibly be kept secret, because once the taxes from Li Gensheng''s ount were received, everyone would know. "What''s the matter, you should be happy to have collected such arge sum of taxes, shouldn''t you?" Seeing the troubled looks on the faces of the two before him, Bruster was a bit puzzled. Leo and Milimo exchanged nces, and finally Leo mustered up the courage and said, "Chief Tax Officer Bruster, this case¡­ there''s been someplications, and here''s what happened¡­" A few minutester. After understanding the whole story, Bruster froze like a statue. The Lake District Sub-Bureau''s David intervened in this case? David turned the estimated tax collection of 50,000 into more than 320,000? And in the end, their main district could only take 80,000? It was a while before Bruster could digest all this information, his face changing instantly, his tone nearly rising to a roar as he bellowed, "What the hell have you done, this case was our main district''s responsibility, why did you let David interfere?!" "Even if he did interfere, why the hell did you agree to let him take more than 240,000 in taxes?!" Leo and Milimo shrank their necks, full of unspeakable bitterness. They had initially decided to let David intervene with the mindset that they would earn at least 80,000 either way. But who would have thought that David, by some means, had managed to squeeze more than 300,000 out of that old man? If they had known earlier, obviously they wouldn''t have made such a foolish mistake. After venting his frustration, Bruster gradually calmed down and said in a deep voice, "Fortunately, this is our main district''s case, and the tax payment must go through our procedures. Go and tell David that the higher-ups in the bureau have withheld these taxes. It''s not that you failed to keep your promise, got it?!" Currently, there is a rivalry between their main district and the Lake District Sub-Bureau. And this was over 320,000 in taxes, which he naturally couldn''t just let go to the Lake District, so he nned to unreasonably hoard them. Hearing this, Leo and Milimo felt bitter once again. Because they hadn''t yet mentioned the matter of the recording. But after being roared at once already, Leo really didn''t dare to speak up again, instead turning his gaze to Milimo, signaling that it was her turn to step forward and exin. With no other option, Milimo likewise braced herself and stepped forward, saying, "Director, there''s something else I need to tell you about that cunning David¡­" A few minutester, after listening to the matter of the recording, Bruster clutched his chest with his right hand, his face mixing pain, anger, and helplessness as he slumped into his chair. "Chief Tax Officer, are you alright?" The two of them rushed over immediately, looking at him with concern. Bruster, looking ashen, said, "God, how did Ie to manage such idiots¡­" Chapter 70: Chapter 68: One Foot in the Top Hundred ``` This matter quickly spread throughout the Manhattan Branch. Keanu and other high-ranking officers learned of it and nearly died of anger, immediately calling in Bruster, Leomilmo, and others for a severe scolding. On the surface, it appeared that their Manhattan Branch had lost hundreds of thousands of dors in taxes. But on a deeper level, while their Manhattan inspectors were fighting tooth and nail over tens of thousands in tax performance, David simply made one visit and collected hundreds of thousands, wasn''t this a clear sign of the Manhattan inspectors'' ipetence? In short, the entire incident was a huge embarrassment for the Manhattan Branch. At the same time. At the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch, the inspectors also received news of the incident. However, unlike the Manhattan inspectors, since David was an inspector from the Lake District, they felt quite honored about it. They even used it as a topic to continuously tease the Manhattan inspectors for their loss. At 4:50 p.m., David returned to the bureau. After collecting two strong pieces of evidence from Lynch, he intended to rest at home for the night and confront the guy the next day. But unexpectedly, he received a call from Lewis, asking him toe back and give a detailed ount of the Li Gensheng case. Reluctantly, he had to return. "Haha, David, you did a good job with that case in Manhattan!" "David, what exactly happened with that case?" "..." The inspectors at the bureau only knew that David and the Manhattan inspectors had jointly cracked a case, ultimately leading to David walking away with more than $240,000 in taxes. But they were not very clear on the details, so when they saw David arrive at the bureau, quite a few inspectors gathered around, wanting to know the whole story. "Nothing much, just as you''ve heard!" David didn''t have the time to exin to them, and after that response, he went to Lewis''s office on the fourth floor. Seeing David''s arrival, Lewis first gave him a stern look, then suddenly burst intoughter and asked, "Tell me in detail, what exactly happened with this case!" "It went like this..." After David''s ount, Lewis finally understood what had happened. He said that, with the current attitude of the Manhattan Branch, they would never willingly give up such a significant amount of tax performance. It turned out that David had prepared a recording in advance, which forced the Manhattan side to begrudgingly ept the situation. "Haha, good thing you''re so clever, otherwise they would have definitely reneged on the agreement this time!" Lewis first exaggeratedly praised him, then as if remembering something, abruptly changed the subject and inquired, "Oh right, weren''t you investigating Lynch? How did you end up in Manhattan?" "It was like this, Li Gensheng is Lynch''s biggest supplier. I needed to get the transaction lists and other detailed information about the two of them, but I just happened to run into the Manhattan Branch examining him as well, and you know what happened next with the Chief Tax Officer." "I see..." Lewis nodded, then replied, "Alright, I have a general understanding of the situation. It''s gettingte, you should go get some rest!" ... The next morning, David received a call from Mary. Li Gensheng had gathered the money and delivered it to the Manhattan Branch. ``` And with the recording in hand, the Main District Sub-Bureau really didn''t dare to deny their obligation, transferring the remaining $246,288 to the Lake District Sub-Bureau ount, which has been sessfully deposited. David took out his cell phone and opened the National Tax Bureau''s internal performance rankings. His team''s total fiscal performance was now $2,005,556, and their ranking had risen from 122 to 106. They were just six ces away from the national top 100! Just as David was about to exit and prepare to start his day''s work, something seemed to ur to him, and he immediately flipped to the front of the leaderboard. When he saw the fiscal performance of the top few, he frowned slightly. Currently in the first ce were still Kelly Orsey and Brown Soros from the New York Manhattan Branch. Their total fiscal performance had reached $8.63 million. A couple of days ago, David had checked their performance, which was just over $5 million at the time; within just two days, it had soared by more than $3 million, making it a bit rming to see such efficiency. In second ce, unchanged, were Trollope Alger and Bemy Hardy from the Los Angeles Long Beach Branch, with a fiscal performance of $8.11 million. Third ce had a total fiscal performance of $7.68 million. The fourth was $7.11 million. The fifth was $6.986 million... There were still six days left before the assessment period. And his fiscal performance was just over $2 million; even if he were to pocket Lynch''s $1.6 million and collect a bit more over the remaining days, his performance would probably only be around $4 million. Entering the top 100 was definitely achievable, but catching up to the top five was almost impossible! The importance of the tform is indeed key! If he had been in the National Tax Bureau of a big city like Los Angeles or New York, perhaps he would have been at the top by now. Unfortunately, he was in Las Vegas, and not even in an economically significant district like the Main District, which was a bit of a drag. Anyway, one step at a time. The most important thing now was to strive to create more fiscal performance and rise to the position of Chief Tax Officer by the time the assessment period arrived. Once he became Chief Tax Officer, he would gain the authority to handle many major cases, like those of Dieter''s magnitude, and naturally, his fiscal performance would rise with the tide. Putting his thoughts aside, David started brushing his teeth and washing his face, and then received a call from Nisen, who was waiting for him downstairs. He dressed, holstered his service weapon, descended the stairs, and got into Nisen''s Volvo. "Haha, David, have you seen the performance leaderboard? We are now ranked 106th, one foot already in the national top 100!" As soon as he got into the car, Nisen couldn''t wait to share the joy. David replied with a business-as-usual tone, "I saw it, let''s go, we''re off to the Ward Building!" Twenty minutester, the two arrived at the Ward Building and took the elevator directly to the 57th floor where Lynch''s auction house was located, also his office. "Hello, how can I assist you?" A receptionist came over to ask. David pulled out the Tax Bureau badge and said, "We are inspectors from the National Tax Bureau, we would like to see Mr. Lynch, your boss!" The receptionist''s expression changed slightly before making a gesture of invitation, "Please follow me to the guest room, Inspectors." After being led to the guest room, the receptionist left. About 15 minutester, a man wearing gold-rimmed sses and a suit, the epitome of genteel, walked in and introduced himself, "Good afternoon, I am Mr. Lynch''s legal consultant, my name is Kyle." Chapter 71: Chapter 69: Closing the Case with a Million for You ``` David frowned slightly and replied, "I''ve already made myself very clear, I want to see Mr. Lynch!" "Mr. Lynch is quite busy at the moment and cannot spare the time. Whatever the tax bureau wants to look into or ask, discussing it with me is just the same!" "Discussing it with you, can you make the decisions?" Before David could say anything, Nisen was clearly displeased. The tax bureau had approached them, specifically asking to see Lynch, and this guy just sent a legal advisor to deal with them? This was somewhat disrespectful! Kyle did not get angry and replied, "If I am not in a position to make decisions, I will consult Mr. Lynch!" "Alright, enough with the small talk!" "On the 3rd ofst month, our congress passed a ck taxw, and I believe you, as awyer, would be aware of it!" "We have also found out that your boss has been suspected of inting the prices of antiques for moneyundering, and that is why we are here today!" David had already used the golden finger to check Kyle''s detailed information. He found out that he was not just a legal advisor but a facilitator in handling Lynch''s moneyundering issues, so he pointed it out directly. Kyle''s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly regainedposure, feigning innocence as he replied, "Inspector, I think you are mistaken. Our Mr. Lynch is a legitimate businessman, not some antique moneyunderer!" "Don''t give me that. If we weren''tpletely confident, we wouldn''t havee here today. Call your boss and have him see me immediately!" "Otherwise, I will immediately apply to freeze all of Mr. Lynch''s ounts, assets, including this auction house right now!" David''s assertive words left Kyle momentarily stunned, then he retorted with a dark look on his face, "Our Mr. Lynch is not just anybody. Are you sure you''re ready to answer for what you''ve said?" As awyer, he knew very well that the tax bureau inspectors had that power. But there had to be concrete evidence. "Of course!" Watching David''s confident demeanor, Kyle realized the other party might actually have something on them, and he stood up and walked out. Soon after, he entered an office, knocked on the door, and said to Lynch sitting in the boss chair, "Mr. Lynch..." A few minutester, Lynch''s face also grew dark as he asked, "Do you think he really has evidence of our crimes?" "I think they must have something, otherwise they wouldn''t daree here so confidently and specifically ask to see you!" Lynch propped his chin with his right hand and after several minutes of contemtion, he eventually stood up and walked out. The reception room. "My apologies for keeping you waiting, gentlemen inspectors. There were quite a few things to attend to just now," said Lynch as he walked in, greeting the two with a warm smile, showing no displeasure from being investigated. "Mr. Lynch, I believe your advisor has already conveyed our purpose for being here. What are your thoughts?" "The antiques sold here might be slightly overpriced, but they were all bought by friends. There''s no question of using antiques for moneyundering!" Lynch thought it was the overvaluation of the antiques that had caught the attention of the tax bureau and preemptively defended himself. David reached into his suit''s inner pocket, pulled out an envelope, and tossed it in front of Lynch with a gesture inviting him to have a look inside. Lynch narrowed his eyes before opening the envelope and examining the contents. As time passed, his expression could no longer maintain theposure he had upon entering, and it gradually darkened. Kyle, noticing something was off with his boss, also came over to take a look, and soon, his expression turned ugly as well. "Where did you get this document?" Lynch asked, staring intently at David. David, unfazed, responded, "I don''t need to tell you that!" If looks could kill, David would likely have been in by Lynch''s re by now. But fortunately, it was at this point that Kyle spoke up, arguing, "Inspector, this is not our ledger. If you wish to review our ounts, I''ll have our ounting department organize them and personally deliver them to your bureau for inspection!" Of course, this was their internal ledger. However, there was still room for maniption with a ledger. For example, he could get the ounting department to destroy certain documents or forge new data to make David''s current evidence unverifiable. The reason he suggested having the ounting department organize things and deliver them to the tax bureau was to buy time for these maniptions. David didn''t respond to his suggestion but reached into his pocket again, taking out another envelope and cing it on the table. Looking at this new envelope, both saw it as a bad omen, yet in the end, Lynch picked it up and began to examine its contents. But as they looked through the list of all the transactions with Li Gensheng, including detailed information on the items, theirposure vanished. The ledger might have offered some leeway, but now with this list of traded goods, how could they keep denying? If David had obtained this list, wouldn''t it be easy for him to get testimonies from Li Gensheng and others, or even to have them testify in court? In short, these two pieces of evidence,id out before them, meant their illegal dealings were irrefutably exposed. "How about it, Mr. Lynch, nothing to say now?" After a moment of silence, Lynch looked up at David and said, "Name your price." David was taken aback and then replied, "What do you mean, you want to bribe us?" "No, I just want to make friends with you guys!" "Well, if you pay this tax debt, then personally, I don''t mind bing friends with you!" "One Million USD." At this figure, both David and Nisen were somewhat stunned. One Million US Dors, certainly not a small sum. Butpared to his career prospects, this One Million suddenly lost its allure for David. He sneered back, "Mr. Lynch, do you realize how serious a crime it is to openly offer a bribe to an inspector of the tax bureau?" Lynch had felt relieved seeing their initial stunned reaction. One Million might not be a small amount, but if it could clear the investigation against them and have this case dismissed, it would be worth it. But to his surprise, David quickly lost interest in the One Million and reverted to a tough stance. This turned Lynch''s face even more ashen. ``` Chapter 72: Chapter 70: If You Wont Give It, Well Take It Ourselves! Lynch gritted his teeth and said, "You better think this through, this is a million dors we''re talking about. With your two''s sries and bonuses, even working for 5 years wouldn''t earn you this much!" David remained expressionless as he replied, "I''ve thought it through very clearly. Since we''vee here today, you either pay the taxes to us and we''ll leave, or... the National Tax Bureau will take it ourselves!" When he said thest sentence, he deliberately intensified his tone. Of course, Lynch caught the threatening undertone in David''s words. At that moment, his forehead veins were bulging, and he clenched his fists tightly. Having reached his position, when had anyone dared to threaten him like this? If not for his wariness of the National Tax Bureau, he would have certainly turned hostile on the spot! "I''m aware of the regtions of your ck Tax Act; paying taxes will inevitably lead to records in your National Tax Bureau''s database." "But you also know that we, Mr. Lynch, have numerous dealings with the mayor and council members. If anything unexpected happens one day, involving these people, I''m afraid it would not end well!" This time, it was Kyle who spoke out. His words were also a warning to David, that it was enough; they had connections behind them too and if things got out of hand, it wouldn''t be good! David certainly understood what the other party meant, but he did not pay it any heed and responded firmly, "Once in our National Tax Bureau''s database, we will take great care to safeguard it; no idents will ur." "Additionally, when ites to the National Tax Bureau''s business, not even the mayor and council members, let alone the president, have the authority to intervene!" Kyle had thought that by mentioning these powerful and influential people, David would back down, but instead, David had gone so far as to mention the president. Now, there wasn''t much he could do but respond, "We need some time to consider this matter!" "Fine, no problem, but I don''t have much time either, I can only give you two days!" The amount they needed to pay in taxes was over 1.6 million dors, and even gathering the funds would take time, so David didn''t press them too hard. After the two men had left. Lynch could no longer contain his emotions, smashing the water ss on the table to smithereens and cursing loudly, "Damned bastard, if he weren''t from the National Tax Bureau, I''d have someone take him out this very moment!" "Shh..." Kyle was scared half to death and immediately ced his forefinger to his lips, signaling Lynch to watch his words. Then he stepped outside to check and saw that David and his colleague had walked far away. He then returned, relieved, and said, "Mr. Lynch, we must not act rashly; we can''t touch the National Tax Bureau people. Their armed force is more elite than our military. If someone died, our ce would be razed to the ground instantaneously." Although Lynch was enraged, he wasn''t a fool to have built his business to such an extent. Of course, he knew that National Tax Bureau people couldn''t be killed; it was just a venting statement. "Sir, although this guy is tough, he''s only an Inspector, after all. If we want to deal with him, perhaps we could negotiate through our upper-level rtionships..." "Negotiate..." Lynch pondered briefly, then immediately left through the door. ... In the downtown district, at the City Hall offices. A ck Maybach pulled up at the entrance, the car door opened, and Lynch got out and then entered the building, taking the elevator to an office on the 7th floor. After knocking and hearing "Come in" twice, he entered. Inside, a man in his forties put down the documents in his hand, looked up at Lynch and asked, "What brings you here in such a hurry?" He was Las Vegas''s Deputy Mayor, Gray Ivorwood. "Deputy Mayor Gray, I''m in some trouble..." Lynch immediately told him about the National Tax Bureauing to his door. After hearing the speech, Gray was first startled, then fell into deep thought. It wasn''t until a few minutester that he spoke in a low voice, "How could you be so careless to let the National Tax Bureau investigate you so thoroughly!" Lynch''s face turned bitter as he replied, "It''s my fault, but I truly didn''t expect the National Tax Bureau to be so pervasive, they''ve turned my situation upside down..." "That new tax bill was just passed in Congress on the 3rdst month, and it''s only been over a month, it has already stirred up a storm across the country, it''s not easy to deal with..." Upon hearing this, Lynch''s heart skipped a beat. The reason he hade to this deputy mayor was exactly to leverage his power to negotiate with the National Tax Bureau. But from the tone of it, the deputy mayor seemed reluctant to get involved! No matter what, since he hade, he had to try! He immediately said, "Deputy Mayor Gray, the National Tax Bureau is targeting me with a tax rate as high as 39.6. And once my information is archived, won''t I be at the mercy of the National Tax Bureau? You have to help me this time!" "Lynch, I can take care of other matters for you, but with this one, I''m afraid I can''t help you. Matters of the National Tax Bureau are difficult for me to intervene in!" As the deputy mayor of Las Vegas, his power was indeed significant. But as he said, the National Tax Bureau was out of his control, and he did not want to get wrapped up in the mess and targeted by this pack of mad dogs. "Ah... this..." Lynch''s face fell, looking even worse than if his father had died. "Don''t worry, though the people from the National Tax Bureau are like mad dogs, they still operate on principles. As long as you pay your taxes on time, they won''t mess with you!" "Besides, after this is over, I''llpensate you in other ways!" Upon hearing this, Lynch cursed continuously in his mind. Easy for you to say, but that''s a 39.6 tax rate! Are you going topensate me for that money? He might curse inwardly, but the deputy mayor couldn''t deal with the National Tax Bureau, yet dealing with him was easy, so he could only nod, epting the reality of the situation. Just as he was about to turn and leave, Gray suddenly called out to him, "By the way, Lynch, you didn''t tell the National Tax Bureau about our rtionship, did you?" "I did not..." Previously, Kyle had mentioned to him that they had a rtionship with the mayor and council members. But Las Vegas has one mayor and four deputy mayors, and they didn''t specify which one, so his reply wasn''t exactly deceitful. Gray breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "That''s good..." ... Two dayster, at the National Tax Bureau Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. In the past two days, David and Nisen had been basically cking off, just to be ready for the reception of Lynch''s substantial tax payment at any moment. "What do you think, will that guy dare not to pay?" Today was thest day of the deadline, and Nisen seemed somewhat anxious. "If he has managed toe this far, he should be a smart man..." David had just finished saying this when he suddenly saw a familiar face stepping out of the elevator. It was none other than Lynch''swyer, Kyle! Chapter 73: Chapter 71: 43rd in the Nation Under their watchful eyes, Kyle quickly made his way to them and said, "Inspector David, Mr. Lynch doesn''t want to draw too much attention, you get my drift?" "Fine, then let''s head to the interrogation room to deal with the filing!" Since the other party hade to pay taxes, David naturally wouldn''t deny such a small request. It wasn''t long after. Lynch, donning a baseball cap, sunsses, and keeping a low profile, arrived in the interrogation room. Following behind him, Kyle ced arge box onto the table and opened it, revealing stack upon stack of US dors inside. Although the amount of taxes handled by David Nisen had almost reached Three Million US dors, this was the first time he had ever seen so much cash at once. That''s over one million six hundred thousand right here! More money than many people could earn in a lifetime! "Actually, if you''re willing, this money can still be yours, our deal from yesterday still stands!" Seeing them with their ''money-hungry'' looks, Lynch once againid out the temptation. Although the amount had increased by six hundred thousand from the original one million. But still, as long as David agreed to let him off the hook and scrap the case, it would all be worth it! David shook his head, a half-smile on his face, and replied, "Mr. Lynch, it was one thing to talk about this on your turf, but this is the National Tax Bureau, aren''t you afraid of being overheard?" "Just talking, that''s all!" Lynch wasn''t the least bit upset by the rejection; on the contrary, he seemed quite pleased at the moment. Observing his demeanor, David grew curious. Something doesn''t seem right. Wasn''t this guy still fuming with rage yesterday, why does he seem so content today? To get to the bottom of it, David tentatively asked, "Do you know, Mr. Lynch, it''s quite rare that someonees to pay their taxes at our National Tax Bureau and can do it like you have!" "Is that so?" Lynch smiled slightly and said as if struck by a thought, "You know, I actually envy your National Tax Bureau." "Envious of what?" "People like us or others, after getting money through illicit means, have to worry about being chased by the police, FBI, and your National Tax Bureau. We can only use the money afterundering it, whereas you guys at the National Tax Bureau, even though you''re collecting our ck money, you don''t have tounder it to use it legally!" Upon hearing this, David was taken aback, but he quickly figured something out, looking sharply at him and saying, "So you''re saying this money is ck money!" He had it figured out. Lynch''s business was moneyundering. And naturally, he wouldn''t bring cleaned money to pay his taxes, only ck money would be given to him. In this way, it was like using the National Tax Bureau tounder money. That''s quite a clever scheme! No wonder the guy was in such a good mood today. "You''re not scared to take it, are you?" Indeed, the money Lynch brought today was dirty money. This idea struck him after his meeting with Kyle Ray and returning home. Since paying taxes had be inevitable. And since his business wasundering money, why not directly take the customers'' ck money and submit it to the National Tax Bureau? In doing so, he would not only stem some of his losses but would also be using the National Tax Bureau to his advantage, returning the favor for being pressured into paying taxes! That was the reason for his reasonably good mood today! "A joke, as if there''s any money our National Tax Bureau is afraid to collect. Do you think the FBI and police would dare to look into our funds?" David''s expression bore a hint of disdain. Although he was aware that he had been used by Lynch to some extent, it didn''t matter to him ¨C as long as the money was in the ount, nothing else was of concern to him. The National Tax Bureau wouldn''t care either! At David''s words, Lynch didn''t counter. He was quite clear that it would be remarkable enough if the National Tax Bureau didn''t investigate the FBI and police; how could the FBI and police dare to investigate the National Tax Bureau? In the following time, Nisen was responsible for filing Lynch''s documents, while David prepared to count the money. Given therge sum of money, he didn''t wait to finish counting it before calling Mary and other vault staff for help, but immediately asked them toe and assist. When Mary and her colleagues saw the cash total of over 1.6 million, they were so shocked they could hardly speak, and it took them a good while to recover their senses and get to work. Quickly, an hour passed. The counting was drawing to a close, and after some calction, Mary said to David, "The total is 1,663,200 US dors!" David nodded his head and then turned to stretch out his right hand to Lynch, saying, "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Lynch. You can go now!" After Lynch left, Mary took the hefty tax money to be stored in the vault. About ten minutester, news came of a sessful storage. David and Nisen immediately took out their phones and opened the National Tax Bureau''s performance leaderboard. After adding over 1.6 million, their performance score had skyrocketed from 2,005,556 to 3,668,756 US dors. As for the ranking, it had shot up from 106th nationally to 43rd. "Hahaha, David, we''ve actually risen to 43rd ce. This is unbelievable!" Nisen was so ted that he hugged David tightly and kept congratting him. Although David had anticipated that once this hefty tax money was sessfully in the vault, they would certainly break into the top 100, the fact that they had jumped directly to 43rd ce also stirred some excitement in him. At the same time. The news of David''s meteoric rise to 43rd ce in the nation quickly burst like a bomb within the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. All the Inspectors, including some uninformed Chief Tax Officers and Tax Investigators, were shocked, bewildered, and puzzled by this. Because David''s ranking and performance score were something they followed daily. Just this morning, David''s ranking was only 106th nationally, with a performance score just over two million. Their score suddenly rose to 43rd, and the performance had surged by over 1.6 million. What did this mean? It meant that David must havended a super fat sheep! But who exactly was this fat sheep, necessitating the payment of over 1.6 million in taxes? This immediately sparked spection and discussion throughout the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. Meanwhile, at the National Tax Bureau Avenue Sub-bureau Branch. Upon hearing the news, Keanu and others were so shocked they could hardly regain theirposure. And the Inspectors of their own Bureau were deted like a burst balloon. With someone collecting over 1.6 million in taxes in one go, catching up to the total performance score of all their Inspectors since the start of the assessment period, how could theypete? How could they possibly catch up? No need to think about it anymore, the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District was sure to take the title of Las Vegas Top-performing Tax Bureau Branch once again! And their Avenue Branch would once more be left grinding against the floor! Chapter 74: Chapter 72: The Quarrel between the Two Directors Washington D.C., Internal Revenue Service Headquarters. Directors and deputy directors from all over the country were sitting in the conference room, listening to the training on the ck taxw provided by an advisor on stage. Just then, the phone of Megan, the deputy director of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, rang. She took one look and her expression changed instantly before she quickly stepped out. About ten minutester, she returned and said to William, the director sitting next to her, "Chief William, there''s been some trouble at the bureau..." After hearing what she had to say, William was startled and then asked incredulously, "Are you saying that David''s team has climbed to rank 43 nationwide, and our Lake District Sub-Bureau''s total tax achievement has reached 4.83 million US dors?" Megan nodded and said, "ording to the news from the bureau, that''s indeed the case!" With confirmation, William was even more astonished. Until yesterday, David''s tax achievement had been just over 2 million, ranked 106th in the nation, a fact he was aware of. But how could it have skyrocketed by more than 1.6 million overnight? By the tax rate, to collect over 1.6 million in taxes, the taxpayer''s monthly ie must be at least 4 million US dors. A monthly ie of 4 million US dors would definitely rank someone as a prominent figure in their Lake District! Who could it be? Unable to figure it out, William directly asked, "Whose taxes were collected to ount for this sum?" "ording to Tax Investigator Gusin, it was collected from a businessman engaged in the antique trade who owns an auction house, named Lynch!" "Lynch..." William did indeed have some recollection of that name. But then again. Someone at Lynch''s level, with hiswork of connections and influence, was certainly notparable to average criminals. And yet David managed to collect his taxes, which meant one of two oues. Either that guy had gone insane, Or, David had enough evidence of his crimes to render hiswork and influencepletely ineffective! Of course, William felt the former was unlikely, and thetter was far more probable! Megan added, "Chief, I think we have underestimated David. His ability... might be even more exceptional than we thought!" William nodded in agreement. Initially, they thought David was only good at dealing with criminals. But unexpectedly, he managed to handle someone as influential as Lynch so easily. If they could resolve a few more major cases like this, their Lake District wouldn''t just be breaking into the national top 100 bureaus, but could potentially reach the top 50 or even higher! Bear in mind, the Inspector''s tax achievement ranking clearly highlights the inspectors themselves. But if the Sub-Bureau''s overall tax achievement ranking climbed higher, the most prominent figure would be him, the ''well-led'' bureau chief! "Chief, Keanu also told me something else that I think it''s necessary to report to you..." William stopped his daydreaming and replied, "What is it?" "ording to the information he got, the Las Vegas Avenue District Bureau Branch had a talk with David a while ago, wanting to poach him. However, this matter wasn''t reported to the bureau, and currently, we don''t know what his thoughts are on it..." "That''s¡­!" William was initially surprised, then his expression gradually turned grim. They, the Lake District, were finally nurturing a tax inspector like David amidst the ck taxw era, and he had barely warmed his seat when the Las Vegas Avenue District Bureau Branch wanted to poach him? If they took him away, what would be of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch? This rare opportunity to outdo the Las Vegas Avenue District Bureau Branch couldn''t just be snatched away! Outrageous! The more Chief William thought about it, the angrier he became, and he suddenly looked up, searching the room. Soon, he spotted a woman about seven or eight meters to his right, dressed in a women''s suit, with rather harsh features. She was none other than Katharine Agnes, the bureau chief of the Las Vegas Avenue District Bureau Branch. Just at this moment, the consultant on the stage announced the end of today''s training session. Without a second thought, William rose and walked straight towards Katharine. Megan, on the other hand, had just received a message from her subordinates. Her face was ashen, and paired with her severe countenance, it was enough to intimidate anyone. After all, just this morning the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch''s David had once again triumphed, bringing in more than 1.6 million in tax achievements. The total tax achievements of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch had now reached 4.83 million, an amount Katharine''s Las Vegas Avenue District Bureau Branch could not possibly catch up with or surpass in the remaining days of the assessment period! This infuriated her. Her Las Vegas Avenue District Bureau Branch, as the economic powerhouse of Las Vegas. And yet, nearly three assessment periods had passed. They had only clinched the first ce in the first assessment period, and shockingly, they were outperformed by the Lake District in the second one; but that was not the worst of it. The third assessment period was looming. And their total tax achievements didn''t even amount to half of the Lake District''s? What did this mean? It meant she was ineffectual in her leadership, it meant that she, as the bureau chief, was ipetent! Being the economic leader of the city yet being roundly defeated in tax collections by another district was utterly humiliating! "Bureau Chief Katharine, your Las Vegas Avenue District Bureau Branch really has quite the nerve," Just as Katharine was in a state of turmoil, a voice at her side caused her to turn her head. But seeing that it was William, her expression grew even darker, thinking he hade to mock her, she angrily retorted, "That will be enough, Chief William. You just got lucky with a capable inspector, nothing more!" "Heh..." William scoffed, replying, "Yes, I got lucky, but unlike some people, I don''t resort to poaching talents when I''m out of luck!" Katharine''s face stiffened; a few days prior, indeed, her department had suggested poaching David. While she internally agreed with the idea, she considered it somewhat underhanded, so she hadn''t explicitly ordered it. But to her surprise, this information had somehow reached William. No wonder he looked as if he was ready to devour her! But now that it was out in the open, there was no point in hiding it anymore, and she shot back, "Our Las Vegas Avenue District Bureau Branch has a high tform. If Inspector David wants to join us, we would naturally wee him!" William''s expression turned solemn in an instant. In his anger, he had forgotten about that. Yes. For inspectors, the prospects in the Las Vegas Avenue District were always more promising than in the Lake District. And Megan had mentioned to him before, David had not reported the poaching attempt to the bureau proactively. What was his mindset? Did he genuinely consider jumping ship? Chapter 75: Chapter 73: The Eve of the Promotion to Chief Tax Officer If that''s the case, there could be some trouble! ording to the regtions of the Tax Bureau, inspectors can apply for a transfer to another sub-bureau. Of course, they need to be epted by the other sub-bureau as well. But the Greater Area Sub-Bureau is more than willing to poach David; thus, as long as David is willing to go, it would be very difficult for the Lake District Sub-Bureau to intercept him. Katharine decided not to argue with William anymore and quickly left after standing up. Megan, noticing the concern of her own chief, said, "Chief, the tform in the Greater Area Sub-Bureau is indeed higher, but let''s not forget the things we can offer that David can''t get from them at this stage!" The thing that can''t be offered... Are you talking about, "the vacancy of the Chief Tax Officer"? William suddenly realized with a jolt. They had this intention during thest assessment period. However, at that time, they felt that David was still too inexperienced, so they decided to observe him for another assessment period instead. Now, with the current assessment period about to end, and David had once again generated over 3.6 million in tax revenue for the Lake District Sub-Bureau. What''s the need for observation? Just with the tax achievements of these two assessment periods, it''s enough to break any convention for promotion to Chief Tax Officer! Megan nodded and said, "That''s right, there is no vacancy for the position of Chief Tax Officer in the Greater Area Sub-Bureau. Even if they want to give David that position, they can''t do it in a short period, while our Lake District Sub-Bureau can do it right away. That''s our biggest bargaining chip to keep David!" After pondering for a moment, William immediately responded, "Good, prepare the paperwork right away and send it for review to the city bureau. Aim for a seamless transition for David as soon as Lewis steps down!" "Understood!" ... Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, four days passed. During these four days, David didn''t encounter any big cases like those with Lynch, only handling some regr ones. Their team''s tax revenue had risen from over 3.6 million before to 4.12 million now. As for the national ranking, they moved up slightly from 43rd to 42nd ce. In the afternoon, Nisen returned from Starbucks with two cups of coffee, cing one on David''s desk and asking, "The news is buzzing all around the office, haven''t you heard anything yet?" Since the start of this assessment period, David had virtually single-handedly generated over 4 million in tax revenue, naturally earning the esteem of all the higher-ups. And during these days, a sudden message had rippled through the office. It was said that immediately following Lewis''s departure, David would transition seamlessly into the role, which instantly sparked a wave of discussion throughout the bureau. There are a total of ten Chief Tax Officers in the Lake District Sub-Bureau. The youngest among them is Jibron, the Chief Tax Officer of Team 3, but even he is 39 years old. And the current David is only 25. A 25-year-old Chief Tax Officer, which is unheard of not just in the Lake District Sub-Bureau or the entire Las Vegas but likely only 20 or 30 in the whole country. So if David could sessfully assume the position, they would indeed witness a major spectacle. David shook his head and replied, "No!" Just as the two were chatting, Bucky suddenly came over and said, "David, Nisen, Chief Tax Officer Lewis wants us to go to his office!" Hearing this, both David and Nisen''s expressions tensed up. Tomorrow is the assessment period, and at this juncture, no new cases will be assigned or processed. And now Lewis suddenly summoned them, could it be about the handover or the new Chief Tax Officer? Gathering their thoughts, the two did not dare to dy. They immediately took the elevator with Bucky and others to the fourth floor and entered Lewis''s office one after another. Upon entering, they suddenly discovered that all the books, personal belongings, and decorative items that Lewis had in his office were packed into tworge boxes. This was clearly a sign that he was emptying his office to leave! Lewis smiled faintly and signaled with his hand, "Today might take a bit more of everyone''s time; please take a seat!" Everyone immediately brought over chairs and sat down in turn. Lewis continued, "As you can see, I am indeed being transferred. Today and tomorrow will be myst term as your Chief Tax Officer!" "During my tenure as Chief Tax Officer, I thank everyone for your support and for your unconditionalpliance and execution of my orders!" "It''s because of your help and contributions that I was able to rise to the position of Deputy Tax Inspector. Although we won''t be in a direct superior-subordinate rtionship any longer, I will always consider you as friends!" Hearing this, a trace of reluctance appeared on many faces. Although Lewis was quite strict with them, there was no denying that being by his side for so long, they had learned a lot from him. Overall, Lewis had been a good supervisor to them. "About the vacancy I will leave as the Chief Tax Officer after my transfer, I believe you have heard the rumors!" Having said that, Lewis looked at David and spoke, "That''s right, I''ve received the notification. Now I can tell you, the one who will take over my position has been decided, it is David!" Upon hearing this, everyone present wasn''t very surprised, but their expressions were somewhatplicated. In terms of seniority, David had the least experience in their squad. If it had been in the past, it would have been impossible for David to be appointed. Unfortunately, the emergence of the ck Tax Law changed everything. Anyone who could secure impressive tax achievements would have endless possibilities and a limitless future! Bucky and the others were somewhat okay with this, but the person feeling the most anxious was Nisen. During this time, he had shone brightly and received countless honors following David. Now that David was about to be the Chief Tax Officer, those honors and limelight seemed to be slipping away from him. And what made him most nervous was that he didn''t even know who his new partner would be or whether they would be a burden that would hold him back. "Although David is inexperienced, as you all know, the ck Tax Law does not look at seniority but at your ability and the tax revenue collected, so you all need to work harder. Perhaps the next one to be promoted to Chief Tax Officer will be one of you!" David''s sessful appointment as Chief Tax Officer indeed served as another incentive to Bucky and the others. At that moment, they vowed in their hearts to strive to their utmost to secure more tax achievements and aim for an early promotion! "..." Perhaps it was because he was about to be transferred, but in the time that followed, Lewis opened his heart and chatted endlessly with everyone about many things. It wasn''t until over an hourter that he concluded the conversation and said to Bucky and the others, "Alright, you can leave now. David, stay behind!" Chapter 76: Chapter 74: Tavern Night Talk ``` The crowd did not linger, and they all got up and left one after another. After everyone had gone, Lewis looked toward David and said, "David, it''s not easy to do well in the position of Chief Tax Officer even though it''s a powerful role. I remember when I was first promoted to Chief Tax Officer..." In the following time. Lewis began imparting the experiences he had gathered since his promotion to Chief Tax Officer, and how he had gradually secured his position, giving David an overview. Besides this, he also taught David how to lead and manage his subordinates, which benefited David a lot and provided him with considerable knowledge for his new role. "Alright, I''ve taught you everything I can. Now, I wish Director David a future as bright as a brocade!" "Oh, and if you really do have a bright future, don''t forget about me!" Lewis''s words seemed to be said in jest, but they were actually heartfelt. The advent of the ck Tax Bill was like a major reform within the entire taxation bureau system. And now David had been promoted to Chief Tax Officer at such a young age. Who could guarantee that he wouldn''t break the mold and get promoted to Deputy Tax Inspector, Tax Investigator, Director, or even be transferred to the headquarters? If that day really came, he would have secured a powerful ally in advance, which would naturally be of great help to his own career! David also replied with a smile, "I wish Deputy Tax Inspector Lewis a future as bright as a brocade as well..." ... At night, a bright moon hung high in the sky. In his residence, David was sitting on the balcony, blowing in the wind while thinking about his ns for when he took office as Chief Tax Officer the next day. Dieter was definitely a target. Not only was the guy a fat fish, but he was also the bully of the Lake District. If he could sessfully take him down, it would be a significant deterrent to otherwbreakers. Just imagine, even someone as powerful as Dieter would have to obediently pay taxes to the internal revenue service. How many of you criminals, weighing your own strength, would then dare to evade taxes right under the nose of the internal revenue service? However, that being said, this guy had both money and power, and was known for his arrogant and domineering character. To sessfully take him down, there will need to be a well-thought-out n and deployment! Then there was the case involving Chief Smith. This was another case David intended to use to establish his authority after his promotion. Smith, being a protector for many criminals in the Lake District, taking him down might yield a list of criminals, which in turn could generate a hefty amount of taxes! As David was engrossed in his thoughts, the telephone on the table rang. He picked it up and saw it was Nisen calling. He immediately answered, "Nisen?" "You''re not asleep, are you, David?" "No." "How about a drink then?" David paused for a moment. He detected a hint of dejection in Nisen''s voice, probably due to the matter of tomorrow, and then responded, "Sure, where?" "What about the Bangguo People Bar?" "Great, I''ll head there now!" After hanging up, David got dressed. Although he was not on a mission, for safety''s sake he still fastened his service weapon and then hailed a cab to his destination. About 20 minutester, he arrived at the Bangguo People Bar. Getting out of the cab, he immediately spotted the Volvo not far away, with Nisen leaning against the car door, looking dejected and smoking a cigarette. Seeing David arrive, he threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out, then the two walked shoulder to shoulder into the bar. Inside the bar. ``` Seeing the arrival of David and Nisen, the Bangguo People who had been chatting andughing changed their expressions instantly. Having visited once before, they naturally recognized David and Nisen, thinking the National Tax Bureau was looking to find fault again. "David, Inspector Nisen, it doesn''t seem to be the time for you to collect taxes, is it?" The bartender, Jin Guangyao, was staring fixedly at the two men. Nisen replied, "Don''t misunderstand, we''re not here to trouble you today, we''vee to drink, give me a whiskey on the rocks!" "The same for me!" Hearing that the two were only there to drink, Jin Guangyao and the others in the bar immediately rxed. "If the two Inspectors are here to drink, then of course we''re weing!" With that, Jin Guangyao turned around to mix the drinks. Under his practiced movements, two sses of whiskey were swiftly prepared and brought over. Nisen picked up his ss and said, "Here''s to our new BOSS!" David heard the despondency in Nisen''s voice but didn''t rush to say anything, first clinking his ss with his and then taking a sip. After putting down his ss, heforted, "I know, Chief Tax Officer has always been your aspiration, but don''t lose heart, I''ll help you!" During this period, Nisen might not have been much help with the taxes. However, his presence was necessary to David, both before and after. The National Tax Bureau''s reputation may echo throughout America, but among those criminals, many desperadoes still existed. And Nisen, having retired from the Marine Corps, had a skill set that was not weak, should there be any unexpected situations. With Nisen around, there would at least be some assurance for his safety! "Not at all, David, don''t get me wrong, it''s just a sudden outpouring of feelings¡­" Nisen, worried David might misunderstand, hastily exined. David patted him on the shoulder and replied, "I understand, and even though I''ll be the Chief Tax Officer, I still consider you my partner!" Hearing this, Nisen was quite moved, and the gloom in his heart dissipated a bit. After a while, he said, "Partner is partner, but ording to the rules and regtions, I still need a new partner, and with that matter¡­ I''ll have to trouble you!" David understood what he meant and promised, "Don''t worry, regarding your new partner, I''ll definitely select someone with outstanding capabilities who won''t hold you back!" "That would be great!" Nisen breathed a sigh of relief. He had indeed feared having a novice or an intern Inspector as a new partner slowing him down, but with David promising to carefully pick, he could now rest easy! After that, the two chatted for a long while and drank several more sses, until around 11 o''clock, when the two, heavy with drink, prepared to leave. Jin Guangyao was very perceptive too. He arranged for a sober underling to act as a driver for the two, and they did not decline, allowing the driver to take them home in turn. Upon reaching their homes, the two soon fell into a deep sleep. Though they were deep in slumber, many others were sleepless that night. Tomorrow marked the start of the assessment period. During this assessment period, Inspectors who had achieved high tax performance naturally fantasized about the praise and rewards that awaited them the next day. And those with lower tax achievements were afraid and anxious, not knowing what criticisms they might face tomorrow. In short, there were happy people and worried people! Chapter 77: Chapter 75: The Director Returns The following day, the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch was devoid of its usual bustle. Everyone was awaiting the arrival of the assessment meeting. At 11 a.m., news came that made every tax investigator''s heart tighten. Due to theunch of the ck Tax Bill, Chief William and Deputy Chief Megan, who had gone to Washington D.C. Headquarters for training, had unexpectedly returned! And they would be the ones hosting today''s assessment meeting! Not long after this news spread, David received a notice instructing him to visit the Chief''s office immediately. David straightened out his attire and hair and arrived at the door of the Chief''s office on the fourth floor, knocking with a hint of trepidation. "Come in!" Hearing the voice from inside, David pushed the door and entered. He saw that Lewis had already arrived sometime earlier, along with two tax investigators and two deputy tax investigators who were already present. But these were not his focus. His attention was on William and Megan. William was the first to rise and extend his right hand, saying, "Inspector David, I truly didn''t expect our Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch to have such talent as yours. Thank you for the tax achievements you''ve contributed to our branch!" David''s renown had reached him distinctly in recent times, but strictly speaking, this was his first time meeting and speaking with David. After all, with over a hundred people in the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch and him being a Chief inundated with numerous tasks, he naturally would not pay much attention to a general inspector. Had it not been for the emergence of the ck Tax Bill, it''s likely that the two of them would not have had much interaction. "Inspector David..." Megan too extended her right hand toward David, and after a handshake, they had a preliminary acquaintance. William continued, "Inspector David, I believe Lewis told you about the promotion yesterday, so are you ready?" David instinctively straightened up somewhat, answering with conviction, "Chief, I am ready!" "Good..." "..." In the time that followed, William talked to him about the responsibilities of the Chief Tax Officer and the specific matters he was to oversee. Among these, he mentioned Dieter''s case. Originally, this case was a major one within the bureau, being jointly followed by several teams. William and his colleagues had not expected David to take on this case as soon as he assumed office; after musing for a while, he eventually nodded in agreement. David thus smoothly obtained the right to handle this case. Noon arrived swiftly. Seeing that it was about time, William said, "Let''s head to the meeting venue then, to deal with the matters of this assessment period!" Everyone leapt up and headed toward the fifth-floor meeting venue. Upon arriving at the meeting venue, most of the tax investigators had already taken their seats, and David instinctively wanted to head toward Nisen''s side. But at that moment, Lewis pulled him aside, reminding, "You''re about to be a Chief Tax Officer, you should sit in the second row now!" David came back to his senses then. By convention, tax investigators and chiefs sat in the first row, while the rank of Chief Tax Officer warranted a seat in the second row, signifying one''s status. David nced at Nisen behind him and then took his ce in an empty seat in the second row. Seeing that almost everyone was present, William too immediately walked up to the tform and said before the microphone, "Good afternoon, everyone. I am your Chief, William. The deadline for the assessment period has arrived, and now I will report to you the data for our bureau and the work situations of the teams!" As he spoke, the operator immediately turned on therge screen, disying data for the first team. William read from the screen, "Team one, during this half-month assessment period, received a total of $108,000 in taxes, doubling the previous period''s $48,000¡ªa very good performance!" "Within that, the first group generated $43,000 in taxes, the second group generated $29,000..." "Next is team two, which received $96,900 in taxes in this assessment period..." "..." With the experience of the previous two assessment periods and a grant from governmental funds during thest assessment period, each team''s tax achievements had not rocketed, but at least they had all doubled. As for David''s team, there''s no need to borate. With a staggering figure of 4.12 million in tax achievements, theypletely overshadowed the total of all nine other teamsbined, making every tax investigator present view them with trepidation. As thoughts wandered, therge screen switched to a new disy. William continued, "In this assessment period, our bureau generated a total of 54.63 million US dors in taxes, ranking 51st among all the national bureaus!" When he mentioned the rank of 51, one could hear a hint of pride in his voice. David''s personal national ranking of 42 was more a matter of individual glory. But the Lake District ranking 51st was a testament to his capable leadership as Chief¡ªit was something to be proud of! "Let''s take a look at the situation in other bureaus." "Ranking first nationally is still the Manhattan, New York Branch, with tax achievements of 46.89 million." "Ranked second nationally is Brooklyn District Branch, New York, with tax achievements of 33.893 million." "Ranked third is..." "..." The top five national bureaus were still monopolized by New York''s five major branches, just like in the previous assessment period. Los Angeles branches took the sixth to ninth ce, with no surprises there. The following ranks were quite simr to thest assessment period, with the notable exception being the Lake District jumping up to the 51st spot. Of course, the primary contributor to this significant leap was David''s massive contribution of 4.12 million in taxes. "Now, let''s see where our Las Vegas Main Street District Sub-Branch and Newtown District Sub-Branch are ranked..." William began scrolling through the list on therge screen with a hint of yful teasing in his tone. It took scrolling down to the 159th position to find the Main Street District Sub-Branch. Compared to the previous assessment period, the Main Street District Sub-Branch had also seen a significant increase, generating 2.09 million in tax achievements. Butpared to Lake District''s 5 million plus, one could only consider it a minor league. As for the Newtown District Sub-Branch, it''s even worse, ranking 232nd nationally with tax revenues of 966,000. "Next, let''s take a look at the tax investigator achievements leaderboard..." The operator on therge screen quickly swapped to the leaderboard. Even though the tax investigators could see real-time tax performance data daily, when the leaderboard appeared and they saw the figures of those ranked at the top, they fell silent and their expressions becameplex. Because the team of Kelly Orsey and Brown Soros from the Manhattan Branch was ranked first with a staggering total tax achievement of 18.363 million! Chapter 78: Chapter 76: The New Tax Seal Actually, not just the inspectors, David was also feeling a bit downhearted. He had originally thought that during this assessment period the inspection teams from the big cities would have done well to achieve a tax performance of ten million dors. But unexpectedly, these guys had all made a strong push at the end. Especially the team from Newman Manhattan Branch, Kelly Orsey and Brown Soros. In thest few days, they had managed to sh almost eight million US dors in tax achievements, for a total of over eighteen million, which was absolutely astounding. Besides that, the team from Los Angeles Long Beach Branch, Trollope Alger and Bemy Hardy, also secured a tax achievement of thirteen million six hundred and eighty-six thousand US dors this assessment period. The third ce reached eleven million six hundred thousand. The fourth ce ten million eight hundred ny-nine thousand nine hundred, The fifth ce ten million one hundred eleven thousand one hundred... The top five national teams of inspectors had each surpassed a tax performance of ten million. And ces six to ten all exceeded tax achievements of eight million. So David''s four million one hundred twenty thousand dors in tax achievements could only rank forty-second nationwide. As everyone was absorbed in their thoughts, William continued from the tform, "After three assessment periods of experience, inspectors from across the country are bing more and more outstanding..." "But don''t be too disheartened, for this assessment period, due to our exceptional performance, the operational funds have been raised to six hundred thousand US dors!" With these words, an eager glint immediately sparked in the eyes of the inspectors present. The Chief Tax Officers sitting in the front row also felt a restless churn in their hearts. Last assessment period, the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch had received a distribution of three hundred and fifty thousand operational funds due to their excellent performance. Now, it had been increased directly to six hundred thousand; if they could obtain arger portion, wouldn''t they be even more invigorated for the new assessment period? Under the eager gazes of the crowd, William said, "The operational funds in the National Tax Bureau have always been distributed based on contribution, and this time will be no exception!" With that, he looked toward David and said, "This time, Team Seven has generated over four million in tax revenue; three hundred thousand of the operational funds will be distributed to Team Seven. Everyone is alright with this, right?" William''s words caused many people in the crowd to show a pained expression. The operational funds were six hundred thousand dors. And just like that, Team Seven was taking three hundred thousand, they definitely wanted to oppose it, but they couldn''t. But what could they do, since Team Seven had generated the most tax revenue? Moreover, the operational funds this time were all won thanks to Team Seven''s efforts. But as the saying goes, while some fret, others rejoice. At this moment, Nisen, Bucky, and the other members of Team Seven were ecstatic in their hearts. Last assessment period, because they had received operational funds, each group''s tax achievements were significantly higher than those of other teams. And this time they had gained three hundred thousand dors. With this money as support, once the new assessment periodmenced, they may not only be a cut above the rest but possibly double, triple, or even more! "Alright, since there are no objections, then it''s decided!" "As for the remaining three hundred thousand, Team Three showed exemry performance this assessment period and will receive eighty thousand, Team Six will receive fifty thousand..." "..." The rest of the three hundred thousand operational funds were quickly distributed by William. He then continued, "Additionally, a piece of news for everyone: this assessment period has seen the emergence of exceptionally talented inspectors from all over the country." "In recognition of the contributions of these inspectors, numerous branch offices have begun to promote them out of the ordinary, but I believe many people are concerned about one issue." "After these capable inspectors are promoted, will they no longer have a ce on the tax achievement leaderboard?" To tell the truth, this was indeed a concern of many, including David of course. Generally speaking, the level of Chief Tax Officer is responsible only for leadership work. As for the actual work of tax inspection, that is naturally the responsibility of inspectors. But now the question was, for example, like David and other exceptionally capable inspectors across the country, after being promoted to Chief Tax Officer, did it mean they had to abandon their inspection work? Of course, that was impossible! These individuals clearly possessed outstanding inspection capabilities; to have them only responsible for the leadership work of a Chief Tax Officer would be an utter waste. The National Tax Bureau would not undertake such self-defeating actions! "No!" "ording to thetest exnation from Washington D.C. Headquarters, all inspectors who were promoted due to the ck Tax Law will still participate in the tax achievement leaderboardpetition in theing times!" "The only difference is that they will not exist as part of a collective inspection team but will instead be ranked individually on the leaderboard!" At this point, David was the happiest person in the room. That way, if he generated tax revenue in the future, he wouldn''t have to share it with Nisen like before; instead, it would all belong to him alone! "Alright, the general affairs of this assessment period meeting arergely concluded. Next, I have an important announcement to make!" "Due to the outstanding performance and disy of Inspector David during the past two assessment periods, he has been granted the opportunity for an extraordinary promotion, and will take over the position of Chief Tax Officer Liu Yi!" William looked at David and said, "Come up here, David!" This news had been buzzing around the office for several days, and with the confirmation now, the people present weren''t too surprised. Amid envious and jealous nces from everyone, David stood up, straightened his cor, took a deep breath, and walked onto the stage. And at that moment, a staff member approached, bearing a tray, upon which there was a tax emblem and a document. This was the exclusive emblem and documents of a Chief Tax Officer. Unlike the blue and yellow emblem of an inspector, the Chief Tax Officer''s emblem was entirely golden and engraved with the National Tax Bureau''s scales of justice. Symbolizing that in the eyes of the National Tax Bureau, everyone is equal! "Congrattions Director David!" William took the emblem and documents from the tray and handed them to David, then led the room in a round of apuse. The other people in the room also erupted in resounding apuse. In such a moment, even with years of experience, David still felt deeply moved. The apusested for about thirty seconds. When it subsided, William said to him, "Say a few words, Director David!" David nodded, stepped up to the microphone,posed himself, and began, "Before the ck Tax Law was introduced, I never thought I would assume the position of Chief Tax Officer at my age." "But after thew was enacted..." David was naturally prepared for his inaugural remarks. After delivering a fitting speech, he looked toward Liu Yi, "Of course, I have to thank my supervisor, Liu Yi, for his great help to me, as well as my partner Nisen, and the other members of our team. Thank you..." Chapter 79: Chapter 77: Koffdale Arrested As his inauguration remarks came to an end, thunderous apuse erupted once again in the venue. And with that, the evaluation period meeting drew to a close. At the entrance of the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch, Lewis gazed upon the familiar doors and scenery, and couldn''t help but feel sentimental, "I really hate to leave..." Saying so, he waved goodbye to David and the others who hade out to see him off, "Alright, I''m off now, good luck to all of you!" David waved back as he bid farewell, then entered the building and made his way to the intelligence department to retrieve all the materials rted to the Dieter case. Eventually, he arrived at the door of his fourth-floor office. The sign that had previously read ''Chief Tax Officer Lewis'' now bore the name ''Director David''. He pushed open the door and, looking around the office that now belonged to him, David couldn''t help but feel a sense of aplishment swell within him. But that feeling was quickly subdued. He had just taken office as the Chief Tax Officer, and he needed some significant tax achievements to establish authority. Solving the Dieter case was the best option! An hourter. All the documents pertaining to the Dieter case had been reviewed, and he picked up the phone to summon Nisen and the other seven members to his office. About seven or eight minutester, they entered one by one, and in unison they asked, "Director David, you wanted to see us?" David nodded and said, "A new evaluation period has started, and I''m preparing to handle the Dieter case. Does anyone want to join in?" Upon hearing this, fear flickered across the faces of some of them. For starters, Dieter belonged to the Omaha family, whose presence in Las Vegas wasparable to that of a local tyrant. And Dieter was known to be brutal and fierce, so even for the National Tax Bureau to take him on, the risk was substantial. "I know this case carries significant risk, but we are from the National Tax Bureau, and tax collection is our primary duty!" "If you really don''t want to handle it, that''s fine; I will assign you to other cases!" "However, if you''re willing to work with me on this case, once it''s resolved, I promise that each team will get at least Ten Thousand US dors in tax achievements!" ording to intelligence department data, Dieter was estimated to earn about Three Million US dors a month. But data from the intelligence department was always a minimum estimate rather than an urate figure. So David thought that this guy''s ie was definitely more than that. And don''t forget. Dieter was not just one person, he had a number of core members, underlings, and coborators, among other forces under hismand. If this gang were taken down in one sweep, they could seize not just Three Million, but perhaps even Ten Million might not be enough to cover it! "Ten Thousand!" All present couldn''t help but have their eyes shine at the mention of that sum. You should know that in thest evaluation period, aside from David''s group, the other three groupsbined had only made a little over Ten Thousand in tax achievements. And now David was promising that each group could earn Ten Thousand in tax achievements for resolving this case¡ªthe offer was extremely tempting. Moreover, it''s important to note that their new Director was not like others, he was truly capable! With him leading the Dieter case, the chances of sess were naturally very high! "Chief Tax Officer, I''ll handle this case!" Nisen had long wanted to take on this case and, with the promise of Ten Thousand in tax revenue, he naturally and decisively stepped forward. Following him, Bucky also stood up, "Director, our team will handle it too!" "Our team will take it on as well..." "..." Lured by the promise of riches, all four teams and seven members reached a unanimous decision. Seeing this, David was extremely pleased. Although he had the golden touch, Dieter had a hugework and many involved individuals, and relying on David alone would be exhausting. With the concerted effort of these inspectors, it would alleviate much of the burden! "Good!" David sorted out four sets of documents from the multitude of case materials on Dieter, then said to everyone, "Each team will investigate one aspect. You may apply for operational funds from me at any time, don''t skimp on spending¡ªthorough investigation is most important!" The seven nodded in agreement and affirmatively. Afterward, David didn''t wish to dy them further and sent them on their way. However, Nisen paused, his face wearing a bittersweet expression as he hesitantly said, "Director, about my partner..." David had already mentioned it just now. By resolving this case, they would get at least Ten Thousand US dors in tax achievements as a baseline. But that was just the minimum. If one performed exceptionally well on this case, they would certainly receive more. However, his team consisted of just himself, which was inevitably less efficient than the other groups, which was precisely why he was troubled. "You go and get started, I''ll find you a partner as soon as possible!" "Alright..." Nisen could only leave, somewhat disheartened. After he left, David immediately turned on hisputer and logged into the National Tax Bureau''s intr ''Transfer Request Form''. Within the National Tax Bureau system, any inspector could actively apply for transfer to another Sub-Bureau Branch. So now what David was looking for was to see which inspectors across the country had submitted applications to their Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, and then screen out a sharp and capable inspector to partner with Nisen. ... Meanwhile. In the capital of Nevada State, Carson City, inside an apartment building. A thin man with sses was tirelessly tapping on hisputer, and hisputer screen was constantly filled with lines of code. He was no other than David''s old acquaintance, the hacker expert Koffdale. About ten minutes passed. Then, theputer''srge screen suddenly showed the Pentagon''s emblem, followed by the words ''ess Granted'' inrge letters. This instantly overjoyed him, and he eximed, "Hahaha, the Pentagon, it''s just that simple huh!" "Bang!" However, the next second, right as his excitement peaked, his apartment door was suddenly kicked open, and a squad of fully armed personnel wielding M4A1 rifles rushed in. "FBI! Hands up, get your damn hands up!" Already panic-stricken, Koffdale nearly wet himself upon hearing the word ''FBI.'' He immediately raised his hands and pleaded, "Don''t shoot, don''t shoot, I''m unarmed!" Once the situation was under control, the FBI personnel searched the room and, finding it safe, one of them spoke through an earpiece, "Jerome, Agent Brod, it''s secure, you cane in now!" About a minuteter. Two men dressed in suits, with a somewhat chilly aura, walked in. One of them first scrutinized Koffdale with a sharp look, then turned to therge screen, and finally said coldly, "You dare to infiltrate the Pentagon, who gave you such audacity!" Chapter 80: Chapter 78: The CIA Comes Knocking Koffdale looked at the person in front of him and tremulously asked, "Who... who are you!" The man sneered and slowly said, "Senior CIA agent, my name is Jerome!" "CIA!!!" Hearing these three letters, Koffdale went limp all over. Upon recalling the CIA''s cruel waterboarding, he almost copsed, but then it seemed as if he remembered something and clutched onto it like a lifesaving straw, shouting, "You can''t arrest me, I''ve already paid my taxes to the National Tax Bureau, I''m one of their good taxpayers..." In truth, he was desperately grasping at straws in his panic. At the time, David had promised him that his information would not be exposed. But if he was caught himself, then he could not me the National Tax Bureau! However, at this moment, where could Koffdale afford to think so much. In his eyes, having been captured by the FBI and CIA jointly, his only savior could be the National Tax Bureau! "National Tax Bureau!" Jerome was startled and turned to look at Brod beside him. With a solemn voice, Brod exined, "On December 3rd, Congress passed a bill called the ck Tax Law, which stiptes that from now on, ie earned from any illegal industry must be taxed by the National Tax Bureau..." Hearing this exnation, Brod finally understood. But he seemed to remember something, his face turning sour, he said, "That means the National Tax Bureau found this guy before us and also knew what he was up to!" Jerome nodded, his expression equally somber. They had been tracking down Koffdale for over half a year, yet had always been unable to pinpoint his whereabouts until he became overconfident and infiltrated the Pentagon, which allowed them to finally catch him. Unexpectedly, just over a month after the ck Tax Law came out, the National Tax Bureau had caught him first and even forced him to pay taxes. The CIA is supposed to be the top intelligence agency in the world, how the hell did the National Tax Bureau manage this? Gathering his thoughts, Jerome asked Koffdale, "I''m asking you,st month you hacked into our CIA system, took away a list from our Bear Country Station, andter handed it to a spy, didn''t you? Who is he?" "I... I don''t know..." "p!" No sooner had Koffdale finished speaking than Jerome pped him across the face, leaving a red and swollen mark instantly. "Come clean, or you''ll regret it!" Shivering, Koffdale covered his face and replied, "I really don''t know, that spy was very cautious, our trading doesn''t involve any direct contact..." "..." Half an hourter. Jerome and Brod exited the apartment building and got into a ck Cadic. "He''s probably telling the truth!" Brod nodded in agreement and then said, "ording to him, because of the tax break policy, he assisted the National Tax Bureau in digging out that spy, andter was indeed informed that he could enjoy tax relief, which means that the spy was unearthed by the National Tax Bureau''s people!" "I never would have thought that the guys in the National Tax Bureau would be so pervasive. We spent so much effort trying to find the person, but they effortlessly dug him out!" Jerome''s face hardened, and he was quite annoyed. He had originally thought that the National Tax Bureau unearthing Koffdale might have just been a stroke of luck. What they hadn''t anticipated was that not only did the National Tax Bureau''s people dig up Koffdale, they also unearthed the spy whom they had long wanted to eliminate swiftly! If word of this matter reached their superiors, wouldn''t the two of them be utterly useless? After all, intelligence had always been the CIA''s strong suit, yet they fell shortpared to the tax-collecting National Tax Bureau, which was somewhat humiliating. Jerome felt increasingly resentful and said, "That spy is too cunning. Even if we continued our investigation, we might not be able to catch her quickly. But Inspector David has already obtained her information. Perhaps we could have a talk with him!" Brod was taken aback and then shook his head, "ording to the confidentiality agreement of the ck Tax Law, the National Tax Bureau has the right to keep their taxpayers'' information secret, and we have no right to demand that they provide it!" Jerome''s expression turned cold, and he said, "That spy almost caused us to lose the entire Bear Country Station and has done considerable damage to other aspects of our country. If the National Tax Bureau had any sense of the bigger picture, they should discard their damn rules and cooperate with us fully!" These words left Brod somewhat at a loss for words. He was correct in saying that. But firstly, the National Tax Bureau''s only responsibility is collecting taxes; as long as taxes are paid, they are unconcerned with spies or criminals! And if they provided information on the spy to them, would the National Tax Bureau not be losing a significant amount of tax revenue in the long run? They would hardly be willing to do that! Before he could continue thinking, Jerome had already started the car. Brod hastily asked, "Where are you going?" Jerome, as he shifted gears, replied, "To Las Vegas, to have a chat with Inspector David!" At hearing this, Brod''s lips moved as if he wanted to speak, but he ultimately couldn''t voice any objection. Because he knew the character of his partner. Oh well, might as well take a chance! ¡­ Carson City and Las Vegas both belong to Nevada State, and the distance between them isn''t too far¡ªa little over an hour''s drive. Jerome''s car stopped in front of the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch. After getting out of the car and entering, he approached Debbie at the reception in the lobby and asked, "Is Inspector David in the office?" Debbie was momentarily startled, then promptly corrected him, "David is no longer an inspector; he has now be our Director of Taxation!" "Director of Taxation!" Hearing this, both Jerome and Brod were somewhat surprised. As far as they knew, promotions within the National Tax Bureau were quite challenging, perhaps even more so than in the CIA! From what they had gathered from Koffdale''s mouth, they knew a lot about David and understood that this inspector was very young¡ªonly in his twenties. A promotion to Director of Taxation in his twenties, his seniority alone wouldn''t suffice! Unless... This Inspector David demonstrated exceptional ability after the introduction of the ck Tax Law, which allowed him to be promoted exceptionally! But on the other hand, had David not been outstanding, how could he possibly have unearthed Koffdale and that spy before the CIA did? With this realization, the two men felt relieved. Then, Jerome took out his credentials and replied, "We are from the CIA. Please pass on the message to Director David, we would like to have a chat with him!" "From the CIA!" Debbie was taken aback, but quickly responded by picking up the phone on the counter. Chapter 81: Chapter 79: Big Exposure for the CIA? In the office, David, who was reviewing documents, heard thendline ring and quickly picked it up, "Hello." "Director David, there are two CIA agents who say they want to see you." Upon hearing the voice from the other end of the phone, a puzzled expression appeared between David''s brows. CIA agentsing to see him? What was this about? "Director David, are you listening?" "Then have theme to my office!" After all, the CIA is America''sw enforcement agency. David decided to meet with them and see what they wanted. Five or six minutester, someone knocked on the office door. Apanied by David''s invitation to enter, Jerome and Brod walked in. [Name: Jerome Bond.] [upation: CIA Senior Agent.] [Monthly Ie: 11,000 US dors, grey ie 46,000 US dors.] [Ie details: On December 7th, killed a Bear Country agent in Ukrania, seized 230 thousand US dors, pocketed 20 thousand US dors; on December 23rd, turned an engineer within Bear Country, swallowed up 20 thousand dors of turncoat funds¡­] [More details: ...] [Tax due: 11,500 US dors.] ... [Name: Brod Dodge.] [upation: CIA Senior Agent.] [Monthly Ie: 11,000 US dors, grey ie 46,000 US dors.] [Ie details: On December 7th, killed a Bear Country agent in Ukrania, seized 230 thousand US dors, pocketed 20 thousand US dors; on December 23rd, turned an engineer within Bear Country, swallowed up 20 thousand dors of turncoat funds¡­] [More details: ...] [Tax due: 11,500 US dors.] Uncertain of the reason for their visit, David subconsciously used his "Golden Finger" to check their information. But this check was shocking. Ever since the establishment of the CIA, its reputation had not been good. If it wasn''t stirring up trouble in various countries and instigating incidents, it was creating conflicts everywhere, earning scorn from around the globe. And in fact, not just from other countries, even the American public didn''t have a very good impression of the agency. Take, for instance, the Bay of Pigs incident in the ''60s. The CIA had nned a coup in the neighboring Ancient Nation, which ended in a humiliating failure, causing America to lose face internationally. Or consider the ''80s Kiki Investigator incident. This investigator was captured by drug traffickers and horrendously tortured for over thirty hours. Thereafter, much evidence suggested that Kiki Investigator was caught mainly because of information provided by the CIA. This nearly led to a showdown between the DEA and the CIA. And now these two agents, although ostensibly serving their country, were engaged in activities dirtier than the next. This was truly in keeping with the CIA''s modus operandi! "Director David, I am Jerome, a CIA Senior Agent, and this is my partner Brod!" "Good day to you both, agents." Putting aside his thoughts, David stood up and shook hands with both of them, allowing for a preliminary acquaintance. "Director David, just a short while ago today, a hacker invaded the Pentagon''s database, and our technical staff tracked him down, and then with the cooperation of the FBI, we arrested him. His name is Koffdale, and I believe you are acquainted with him!" Upon hearing this, David''s expression changed slightly. He had found Koffdale a while ago and had warned the guy to keep a low profile, considering that the CIA is no slouch! But who would have thought that this guy would forget his words as soon as he turned his head, and not only that, he even went on to invade the Pentagon''s database! Who else to arrest if not you! What a damned fool! David felt a twinge of pain in his heart; he had just taken office as Chief Tax Officer and hadn''t even ''opened for business'' yet, and here he was, already taking a loss on a long-term revenue source! But there was nothing to be done about it. Now that the guy had been caught by the CIA, he couldn''t possibly go and rescue him. That wouldn''t be in ordance with the IRS''s policies, so he could only ept his bad luck! But then again. If the CIA had already caught Koffdale, then why were theying to him? Could it be that they wanted to recover the taxes they had received? Seeming to notice David''s confusion, Brod chimed in from the side, "That''s right, Director David. As we understand, this hacker named Koffdale has long maintained a cooperative rtionship with a spy from Bear Country." "This spy recently used the information obtained from Koffdale to cause us very heavy losses." "And, ording to Koffdale''s statement, it seems that your IRS might have the identity of this spy, so could you please cooperate with us?" Upon hearing this, David finally understood, but his expression instantly turned cold. The fact that Koffdale had been caught was already depressing enough for him. Now, these people from the CIA actually wanted Maggie''s information? They were thinking way too highly of themselves! David crossed his arms in front of his chest and replied, "I''m sorry, but you agents must have heard of the ck Tax Act, and ording to the regtions of the ck Tax Act, as long as taxes are paid to us, the IRS is obligated to keep their identities confidential. No official organization has the right to demand their information from us!" What he meant by this was, basically, telling them to either investigate on their own or take a hike. Want information from me? No chance! Both of them clearly understood his point, Brod was fine, having anticipated this result already, and just felt a slight disappointment without any sign of dissatisfaction. But Jerome''s face darkened and he looked at David with some discontent, saying, "Director David, I am well aware of the regtions of the ck Tax Act." "But this spy is not just any criminal; he has caused great harm to our CIA, to our nation!" "Such criminals are to be condemned by every citizen of America, and I don''t think they should be protected by the regtions of the ck Tax Act. You understand what I''m saying, right?" This made David snort coldly in his heart. The harm to the CIA had nothing to do with the IRS! You''ve captured her, preventing me from collecting taxes in the future¡ªthat''s the real damage to me! Although he thought so, he did not show his cards outright but responded calmly, "Well, in that case, perhaps, Agent Jerome, you could persuade Congress to change the regtions of the ck Tax Act. Then I would be happy to provide you with the identity of the spy. How does that sound?" "Director David!" Jerome red at David. A singlew requires approval from severalmittees in Congress, plus the votes of more than 500 members of the Senate and House of Representatives. How could he, a mere agent, dictate a change?! David also grew angry, fearlessly meeting Jerome''s gaze head-on, and dered, "Agent Jerome, you need to understand where you are. This is the IRS, not the CIA. Here, we have the final say!" Chapter 82: Chapter 80: You Cant Leave Today (Please Subscribe First) As tensions between the two men escted, Brod hurriedly tugged at Jerome''s sleeve, signaling him to calm down. But by this time, Jerome was blinded by rage and beyond caring for such subtleties. His gaze bore into David as he said, "Do you have any idea how many people we''ve lost in Bear Country because of that damned spy?" David shrugged indifferently and replied, "What''s that got to do with the National Tax Bureau?" This response infuriated Jerome beyond words. He gritted his teeth and said, "Don''t forget, you''re an American too. All we''re asking is for a bit of information to eliminate a significant threat to the country. Why worry about your damned taxes?" "Heh, damned taxes?" David chuckled coldly and responded, "Without our ''damned taxes'', how would your CIA have so many weapons, so much high-tech equipment?" "Without our tax bureau''s funds, could your CIA operate all around the globe?" "Without our taxes, what would you use to feed your bunch of good-for-nothings?" "To think you pride yourselves on being the world''s leading intelligence agency. You can''t even root out a single spy. You might as well resign and go back to farming!" His words left Brod and Jerome''s faces alternating between shades of green and purple. The Tax Bureau had beaten them to the punch by exposing Koffdale and that spy, which was humiliating enough. Now, they hade asking the National Tax Bureau for information, and David''s scolding had made them lose facepletely! At that moment, Brod began to resent Jerome for deciding toe here. Just as Brod thought about dragging Jerome away, Jerome, unable to swallow his pride, red at David and demanded, "Are youpletely unwilling to provide any information for us?" David spread his hands and replied, "I''ve made it very clear. We cannot do that ording to the rules and regtions!" "Fine, since you''re not willing to give us any leeway, I suppose we don''t need to extend any courtesy to you either!" David''s eyes turned frosty as he asked, "What do you mean?" "We at the CIA may not be able to root out that spy for now, but digging up various criminals in the Lake District is quite simple for us!" "If we were to pass their details to the local police or the FBI, what do you think would happen?" Jerome let out a sinisterugh as his fingertips tapped back and forth on the table, continuing, "I know you''ve just been promoted to Chief Tax Officer. If you don''t have any tax achievements to your name, given your experience, it won''t be easy tomand respect." At these words, Brod waspletely taken aback. He knew his partner was impulsive and obstinate, but he didn''t expect him to go so far as to threaten the Chief Tax Officer of the National Tax Bureau on their own turf. And David was also beginning to feel a surge of anger. The CIA did not havew enforcement authority on American soil, nor was it their duty to apprehend regr criminals. However, that did not mean theycked the capability to punish or uncover them. On the contrary, given the CIA''s intelligence capabilities, it was all too easy for them to unearth ordinary criminals if they wished. And if they really went through with their threat to hand over the criminals'' information to the FBI and police, the Lake District would lose an untold amount in tax revenue. They were tantly threatening him! David hadn''t expected that before he could get his feet wet in his new role, the CIA would already be bringing the heat to his doorstep! David hadn''t wanted a conflict with the CIA. But now that they hade at him so aggressively, if he didn''t fight back, there was no point in him being the Chief Tax Officer! "So, Director David, if you''re willing to share the spy''s information with me, the CIA will also repay the favor." "Whatever you need, we can use our channels and resources to provide you with a detailed file on the Lake District criminals, helping you secure your position as Chief Tax Officer!" Jerome thought that David was in a difficult position and his face, previously stern, betrayed a hint of smugness. David was amused by his words. I''ve got the system, do I need your lousy information? Jerome''s expression turned stern as he asked, "What are youughing at?" David replied, "Even if I gave you the spy''s information, it''s toote for you to act on it now!" "What do you mean?" Both were somewhat perplexed. "Because you won''t be able to walk out of our Lake District Sub-Bureau door today!" Startled by these words, they instinctively reached for the guns holstered at their waists. But in the next second, they came sharply to their senses. This is the IRS, not the territory of warlords. David wouldn''t dare detain or eliminate them, would he? Jerome, confident and unafraid, said, "Heh, we''re from the CIA, not some criminals you can just handle at will!" "CIA or FBI, if you''ve evaded taxes, you''re a criminal in front of the IRS!" Sensing something wrong, Brod asked in a grave voice, "Inspector David, what do you mean by that? What taxes have we evaded?" David smiled slightly and looked at them, "Where were you on the 7th ofst month?" "The 7th ofst month..." They thought about it; on the 7th ofst month, weren''t they in Ukrania? Why would David ask this? What did it have to do with David? Brod replied, "We were on a mission, the details are ssified and we cannot disclose them!" "No problem, I''ll tell you!" "On the 7th ofst month, you received intelligence. In a warehouse in the suburbs of Zaporozhye, Ukrania, you targeted an agent from the Bear Country Security Bureau." "After a fierce battle, you killed him and seized 230,000 US Dors in cash. Each of you took 20,000, and the rest was turned in. Am I right?" Hearing this, Jerome and Brod stood stunned, their faces as if they had seen ghosts. Even Congress had no right to inquire into the CIA''s operations and finances. And this Ukranian operation was top secret within their organization, so how did David before theme to know about it? Before they could recover, David continued, "There''s also the mission on December 23rd, when you were sent to Bear Country to turn an engineer." "At that time, your superiors allocated 130,000 dors for turning the engineer, and each of you embezzled another 20,000, am I right?" "And on December 29th..." The revtion of the Ukranian operation had already caused a storm in their hearts. But unexpectedly, besides the Ukranian operation, recent covert operations, including the one in Bear Country, were also fully grasped by David. Now, even the two agents, seasoned in the midst of countless crises, could no longer remainposed. Brod, somewhat discontented, challenged, "Is the IRS wiretapping us? Have you hacked our database? Or perhaps you''ve nted a mole inside our organization?" These were the only exnations he could think of. Still, he couldn''t fathom how David had done it. Wiretapping, hacking, nting moles¡ªthese were all specialties of the CIA! How did the IRS manage to bypass their entire system and investigate them so thoroughly? David, imitating Jerome''s earlier manner, tapped his fingertips leisurely on the desk, and said slowly, "Do you think these things are important now?" "ording to the ck Tax Act, any illicit ie must be dered and the full amount of tax paid to the IRS!" "The both of you, as senior CIA operatives, pocketed more than 40,000 US Dors in a month but failed to report to the IRS. That is an intentional vition of thew!" The two were left speechless, theirplexions turning ugly. After about 30 seconds of heavy silence, Brod defended, "ording to CIA Regtion 76, the CIA has the right to decide the disposition of illicit gains. And the funds you mentioned are all involved abroad; the IRS has no jurisdiction!" "ording to Section 98 of the ck Tax Act''s ''personal principle,'' it''s explicitly stated that any American who generates tax revenues anywhere must pay to the IRS. What you''re talking about is just a regtion of the CIA. Can regtions be above thew?" Brod was simply making an evasive argument, and once David cited the provisions of the ck Tax Act, he was instantly pressed and didn''t know how to respond. Chapter 83: Chapter 81: Arrested (Asking for First Subscription) ``` "Tsk, tsk, tsk, a senior CIA operative, if the media got wind of your corruption, they would find that very interesting indeed!" The two who were already extremely anxious became utterly restless upon hearing David''s words. The CIA''s scandals have always been the focus of American media attention. And if their corruption was exposed, those damned media would definitely make a big fuss out of it. If the digging went deeper, it wouldn''t just involve the two of them¡ªit could implicate a series of higher-ups and even the entire image of the CIA. The most critical point is. The whole affair began with allegations of tax evasion. Senior CIA operatives suspected of tax evasion, arrested by the National Tax Bureau, causing such a scandal, is simply a farcical joke! They wouldn''t be the eternal sinners of the CIA only if a miracle happened! At this moment, Brod was inplete turmoil, cursing Jerome''s family countless times in his heart. He''d already said beforeing here, from the standpoint of the National Tax Bureau, how could they agree to hand over taxpayer data to them? But that bastard just wouldn''t listen, and now look at the fine mess we''re in! "Cough, cough..." Brod coughed to ease the tense atmosphere and looked at David, saying, "Director David, this is all a misunderstanding, we respect the regtions of your National Tax Bureau, and since you want to keep taxpayers'' information confidential, then keep it confidential..." After speaking, he secretly tugged at Jerome''s clothes, hoping he would step forward and bow his head, maybe then they could let the matter slide. Jerome felt both angry and helpless, but he also knew that if they couldn''t resolve this, they would be done for, so he steeled himself and said, "Director David, what I said just now were words said in anger, please don''t take them seriously, if you don''t wish to disclose anything, we''ll leave immediately..." David stood up from his chair, walked over to the two men, hands on his hips, looking down at them and said, "I know you CIA folks are used to throwing your weight around, but you really don''t have a sense of priorities. Did you think you could juste and go as you please here?" "This... then what do you want?" David picked up the phone on his desk, dialed a number, and after connecting said, "Bucky,e to my office!" Soon, Bucky and Nisen walked in. Though they didn''t understand the situation, they could tell the atmosphere was off, and Nisen immediately asked, "Chief Tax Officer, what''s the problem?" David replied, "Take the two agents, Jerome and Brod, to our detainment room." Upon hearing this, Nisen and Bucky were shocked. Agents? Taken to the detainment room? What''s going on? Brod was also anxious and immediately questioned, "Director David, we all serve our country, this is no way to treat us, right?" "You''re suspected of multiple counts of tax evasion, and we now need a detailed investigation into your affairs. We will decide what to do after that ends." "Director David..." "Gentlemen, please go." Though still confused about the situation, Nisen didn''t question further after David''s instruction, interrupting their speech. Watching Nisen and Bucky, ready to draw their guns at any moment, Jerome and Brod nced at Director David onest time, ultimately saying nothing and walking toward the exit. ... The detainment room was located on the third floor, in the Inspectors'' office hall. When Jerome and Brod were brought in, they attracted many sidelong nces from the Inspectors. It was apparent these two men, in terms of their demeanor and the way they carried themselves, were not ordinary people. Driven by curiosity, it didn''t take long for the Inspectors to find out the identities of the two men. But when they learned these two were senior CIA operatives, everyone was stunned. They had detained countless criminals, even police officers, in their detention room, but a heavyweight figure like a senior CIA operative was a first for them. Inside the detention room. Brod kicked the iron bars in a fit of rage and said, "Are you fucking crazy, why did you threaten him?" Ever since joining the CIA, it had always been they who threw others into ces like this¡ªwhen had anyone ever thrown them in? Even if this situation could be smoothed over, they would probably be a permanentughingstock within the CIA. Jerome was also at the peak of frustration. He had thought that David, young and newly appointed as Chief Tax Officer, would be easy to handle. But who would have guessed, not only was he difficult to handle, he somehow found out their secret of corruption. ``` Now, not only had they failed to obtain the spy data, but they themselves had be "prisoners at the foot of the stairs." "Fake Yau!" Brod cursed loudly and took out his cell phone. Jerome hurriedly asked, "Who are you calling?" "Who the hell could I be calling, of course I''m calling Elvis!" "What! No, we can''t let him know about this!" Jerome panicked, as Elvis was their superior officer. If their superior found out about this, they were not likely to die but certainly to lose some skin. "David is hell-bent on dealing with us. If we don''t resolve this quickly, and if he really blows this up, we are truly done for!" Brod was just as reluctant to tell his superior about this embarrassing incident. But there was no choice. In the current situation, only their superior could solve this mess; otherwise, things were feared to get even more out of control! Jerome''s Adam''s apple bobbed, but he ultimately agreed with his partner''s words. At this moment, he was filled with even more regret. He regretted speaking rudely to David earlier, resulting in their current predicament. ... Inside the office. William walked in with a somber face and asked, "Director David, I heard that you detained two senior CIA agents, what''s this all about?" "Chief, this is what happened..." William''s arrival didn''t surprise David, who then exined the causes and consequences of the incident. After listening to the exnation, William was first taken aback, then his expression darkened and he said, "Hmph, these CIA people really take our National Tax Bureau for their own backyard, wanting whatever data they wish!" At first, he was unaware of the situation. But now that he knew the details, William also believed that David''s actions were very appropriate. The CIA might act high-handed on a regr basis, but now they were so audacious as to run wild on their turf? Did they really think the National Tax Bureau was only good for collecting taxes? "You did nothing wrong with this matter, the only problem is... they are CIA after all, and we can''t detain them for too long!" David smiled slightly and said, "That''s not necessarily true, Chief." "What do you mean?" "What if the CIA agents were suspected of tax evasion?" David had only told William about the two men''s objectives and their threats but hadn''t yet mentioned the tax evasion. William showed a hint of interest and asked, "You mean, they are suspected of tax evasion?" David nodded. "Do you have solid evidence to prove this?" "Of course!" Seeing David so confident, William was somewhat skeptical. But remembering David''s auditing capabilities demonstrated time and again recently, his skepticism gradually dissipated, and he nodded, "If there''s evidence of their tax evasion, then it will be easier to handle!" After a moment of thought, William spoke with an implied meaning, "Then you handle this matter yourself. However, remember to clearly make them understand who truly is America''s foremostw enforcement agency!" "Understood!" David got William''s meaning. He was suggesting that teaching the CIA a lesson would be enough; there was no need to let the issue leak to the media or blow it up. In actuality, there was no need for William''s implication. Because David nned only to give Brod and Jerome, those ignorant fools, a lesson, certainly without turning to the media. After all, doing so would definitely earn him the CIA''s undying hatred. Although the National Tax Bureau did not fear the CIA, David himself did not want to be a target for the CIA''s viperous agents over such an issue. ... Because David had just taken office as Chief Tax Officer, and with the CIA matter at hand, he had many issues to deal with. It wasn''t until 8 p.m. that he finally returned to his apartment building. He took out his keys to unlock the door, then reached for the light switch beside it, preparing to remove his shoes and holster his service weapon. But suddenly, a figure appeared on the distant windowsill, causing his nerves to instantly tense. He drew his service weapon and held it in his hand, walking slowly forward... Chapter 84: Chapter 82: Maggies Temptation As he drew closer, however, he suddenly realized that the figure seemed strangely familiar. Meanwhile, the figure, without turning its head, uttered a familiar voice, "Don''t be so nervous, I bear no ill intent..." David slowly drew back the balcony curtains and, upon a closer look, realized that the visitor was none other than Maggie, the spy from Bear Country! Today, she wore a tight-fitting ck dress that adhered to her body. The high-neck design of the dress exuded elegance and nobility, while the form-fitting material hugged her shape, outlining her perfect curves. She sat in the chair, drinking from a bottle of red wine that had cost David 200 US dors, acting as if she were anything but a stranger. But even though he now knew it was her, David remained on high alert, maintaining a vignt state from head to toe. After all, he had seen what she was capable of. Even Nisen, a former tough guy from the Marine Corps, had been subdued by her in one move. "Breaking and entering, by thews of the America Federation, I could shoot you on the spot!" David had guessed some of the reasons for her visit. But the unsolicited ''ambush'' without his permission made him feel somewhat irritated. Maggie was not intimidated; instead, she responded with a shallow smile, "Well, if that were the case, the National Tax Bureau would be missing out on some taxes every month!" "Spit it out, what do you want to ask me?" "David Tax Inspector... oh no, I should call you Director David now!" After correcting herself, Maggie continued, "I heard that Koffdale has been arrested, and I also heard that CIA agents visited you at the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch this afternoon. Is that true?" "If you already know, why bother asking me?" Maggie lifted her head, her eyes fixed intently on David, and asked, "So, about my information, did you reveal any of it to the CIA?" Although David had promised before not to disclose her identity information to anyone. But the CIA and the National Tax Bureau are both official institutions of America, and who knows whether these two agencies might strike a deal and turn her in. And even if they did turn her in, she had nowhere to appeal. David sneered, replying, "If I had revealed your information to the CIA, do you think you''d still be sitting here talking to me?" "Oh? Really?" Maggie was still somewhat skeptical. "I''ve said it before, we at the National Tax Bureau have principles in our work; if you''ve paid your taxes, we will keep your identity confidential. You have nothing to worry about on that count." "After all, to us, the taxpayer is the most important, and we wouldn''t tarnish our reputation just because it''s the CIA!" Hearing these sincere words from David, Maggie finally began to rx a little. But then she seemed to remember something else and asked, "I have a question..." "What question?" "To my knowledge, two senior CIA agents came looking for you this afternoon, but why haven''t I seen them leave your bureau?" Maggie had taken the risk toe here, even knowing the danger,rgely because of this concern. "Because I''ve detained them!" "Detained!" Maggie was shocked; among her many guesses, she had never considered that CIA agents would be detained. While the National Tax Bureau was indeed powerful. The CIA was no pushover either, and to detain them just because they came asking for some information seemed a bit too far! Maggie suppressed her surprise and asked, "Can you tell me why?" "There is only one reason our National Tax Bureau detains people, and that is tax evasion!" At these words, Maggie''s expression appeared startled, her gaze flickering uncertainly. The CIA agents came to David to pry out her details. And David, in turn, had detained them on charges of tax evasion¡ªwhat did this imply? It certainly meant David had refused the CIA agents, which was beyond doubt. And the CIA agents were not the type to give up easily, which must have led to this situation! However, on the flip side. It''s normally the CIA catching others'' weak points; it''s rarer for someone to catch the CIA''s weak points. But David had managed to do so. It''s no wonder he had managed to expose both Koffdale and her! Maggie''s beautiful eyes kept rolling over David''s face, and she became more and more interested in him. She thought that if she could make him fall under her charm, it might be of great help in the future! With that in mind, she parted her seductive, silken eyes and said, "Director David, the night is long, don''t you want to have a drink?" "..." In the time that followed, Maggie tried all kinds of seductions and teases on David. If it had been anyone else, David would certainly have been more than obliging. But he knew exactly who she was and what she wanted to use him for, so naturally, he wasn''t interested. Finally, an impatient David directly grabbed her arm, pulled her to the door, and said, "Miss Maggie, just this once, the next time you dare toe to my ce without my permission, I won''t be so polite!" "Bang!" Watching the door close with a heavy thud, Maggie''s lovely face instantly turned frosty. Over the years, not a single one among the high-ranking politicians or wealthy businessmen could resist her seduction. Yet David, who was evidently young and virile, remained utterly indifferent and uninterested in her. This caused her self-esteem to crumble momentarily. Helpless, she could only grit her teeth and stomp her foot, leaving furiously. ... The next morning, the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch weed a man dressed in a ck coat and wearing a gentleman''s hat. "I want to see Jerome and Agent Brod." "May I ask who you are?" "Their boss!" "..." Detention room. At that moment, both Jerome and Brod appeared utterly drained. Even though they were agents trained through countless rigorous exercises, spending a whole night in a ce without even a bed was torture for them. Right then, footsteps from outside made both men immediately stand up and walk to the bars to look out. Upon seeing the man in the ck coat and gentleman''s hat, they were first startled, but then seeming to anticipate what would happen next, a hint of fear appeared in their eyes. Because the man was none other than their boss, Elvis! Approaching them, Elvis said to the escorting National Tax Bureau staff member, "Thank you. If Director David arrives at the office, please let me know." The staff member nodded and then turned to leave. Elvis looked at Jerome and Brod and cursed, "You idiots made me fly here overnight from Washington D.C. I''d rather you were dead!" Jerome and Brod didn''t dare retort and both bowed their heads low like children who had done something wrong. "Tell me everything from beginning to end, and make it damn clear!" Elvis also only knew the gist of the matter over the phone, with many specific details still unclear to him. "We were tracking that hacker..." Brod began to exin the details of the incident with precision. When Elvis heard that the National Tax Bureau had found Koffdale and even obtained the spy''s information before them, even he, a high-ranking officer, was shocked. These two were targets that the CIA had been chasing for a long time, but to think the National Tax Bureau had already taken them into their fold was far too outrageous. Was the National Tax Bureau''s investigation capacity now surpassing the CIA''s? Or was it that the CIA''s intelligence capabilities had be outdated? "After that, Jerome decided to try his luck with Director David, but in the process of negotiating..." Although they were partners, this matter was obviously heading for major disciplinary action, and Brod certainly did not want to share the me. He spilled the details of Jerome''s threat. Upon hearing this, Elvis, already full of rage, became even angrier and pointed at Jerome, shouting, "I thought you were an idiot, but I didn''t expect you to be this stupid. Not even the Chief would dare to make such threats on National Tax Bureau territory, you brainless fool..." "Supervisor, I..." Jerome''s face turned red with embarrassment, but he didn''t know how to defend himself. Elvis calmed down a bit and asked, "Let that hacker and the spy go, but what''s the deal with you two? How could Director David have known about you skimming off the top?" Chapter 85: Chapter 83: You Have No Choice! "We are not clear on that either..." This question had been troubling both Jerome Brod since yesterday''s detention. Even now, they could not understand how David knew so many of their secrets. Elvis''s brow furrowed, about to rebuke again. But at that moment, a staff member from the Tax Bureau entered and said, "Mr. Elvis, our Director David has arrived at the bureau!" Elvis gave the two men a re, then walked out. On the fourth floor, in the Chief Tax Officer''s office. Hearing a knock, David called out from inside, "Come in." Elvis walked in, extending his hand and introducing himself with a friendly expression, "Director David, I am the CIA Bear Country Station Manager!" [Name: Elvis Rigeca.] [upation: CIA Bear Country Station Manager.] [Monthly Ie: Fifteen Thousand US dors, illegal ie Seventy-Three Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 3rd, subordinates confiscated a batch of illegal funds, pocketed Two Thousand while depositing into the treasury; on December 7th, subordinates turned in some illegal funds, skimmed off Two Thousand during the deposit...] [More Details: ...] [Amount of Tax Owed: Eighteen Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty US dors.] "The guys at the CIA are indeed all cut from the same cloth..." Having silently reviewed Elvis''s dirty dealings, David felt some disdain in his heart, but on the surface, he pretended as if nothing were amiss and said, "Hello, Director Elvis, I am David!" "Director David, I have fully understood the situation now, and indeed, my subordinates were at fault. I apologize to your Tax Bureau on their behalf..." Compared to Jerome''s defiant arrogance yesterday, Elvis''s attitude now seemed quite sincere. Of course, this was also because David had a stranglehold on their lifeline. Otherwise, someone as high-ranking and slick as the other party would never stoop so low. However, Chief William had already conveyed to him yesterday that the CIA needed to clearly recognize who truly was America''s foremostw enforcement agency! Therefore, David certainly wouldn''t let the matter slide just because of an apology from the other party. "Director Elvis, I believe you are well aware of the Back Tax Act, yet your subordinates tantly came to me yesterday, threatening me to hand over our taxpayers'' information to them. If I don''t punish them severely, how would our Tax Bureau exin this to the taxpayers? Where would we put our face?" Elvis was somewhat at a loss for words upon hearing this. This damn thing, if you don''t speak of it and I don''t speak of it, how could it possibly get out? We would prefer if nobody knew about such an embarrassing affair! Although that''s what he thought internally, now that he was at their mercy, it was not his ce to show anger, and he could only inquire in an even tone, "Director David, this is all a misunderstanding. There''s no need for harsh punishment, is there? We are allw enforcement agencies of America; let''s make a big issue small and a small one disappear." David, pretending to consider the suggestion, responded, "To make a big issue small and a small one disappear is not without solution!" Elvis''s expression shifted, and he asked, "Please speak frankly, Director David!" "First, I need your CIA to use its channels and resources to conduct a detailed investigation of all the criminals andwbreakers in Las Vegas, and then provide me with that information." "Second, have your subordinates pay the taxes on their illegal ie ording to the rate set by the Back Tax Act!" While the Lake District had its own intelligence department, with such a powerful intelligence organization as the CIA now in their hands, it would be a waste not to use this resource! Hearing this, Elvis frowned. The first request was not bad; it was just to make use of the CIA''s channels and resources, which was quite harmless. But the second request was a bit harder to ept. Paying taxes to the Tax Bureau would mean recording the data. If someday David wanted toe after them, he could always pull out these records to deal with them. It felt like a bone stuck in his throat. Gathering his thoughts, Elvis responded, "Director David, the first request is no problem, but as for the second... perhaps we could let it go, give them a chance!" David folded his arms across his chest and replied, "Director Elvis, that''s my condition. Whether you agree or not is up to you!" The wrinkles between Elvis''s brows deepened, and after a long minute of thought, he spoke up, "May I have a talk with your Chief?" David picked up the phone on the desk, dialed Chief William''s number, and said, "Chief, CIA Director Elvis is in my office here, wanting to have a word with you." "Give him the phone!" David handed over the phone, and Elvis took it, saying, "Hello, Chief William..." "Good to hear from you, Director Elvis. I''m not in the office right now. Whatever it''s about that case of your subordinate, discuss it with Director David. He has the authority to decide!" The voice from the other end of the line left Elvis silent for a good while, and in the end, he could only muster an ''alright'' before handing the phone back. "So, what''s it going to be, Director Elvis? You know the ck Tax Bill was introduced just over a month ago, and the Washington D.C. Headquarters put us on this evaluation period to push us, so we''re really pressed for time here!" Elvis knew he was being pressured to make a decision. After 30 seconds of silence, he gritted his teeth and responded, "Fine, we''ll do it your way!" A smug smile crossed David''s face as he dialed another number, "Bring Agents Brod and Jerome to my office, and prepare two sets of filing materials as well!" 10 minutester. The office door was pushed open, and Nisen walked in with Agents Jerome and Brod. Seeing their superior with such a dark expression, Jerome and Brod sensed something ominous. "Pay that damn tax and fill out your damn personal information!" Hearing this, the color drained from Jerome and Brod''s faces. Brod even asked anxiously, "Director, this... we can''t do this!" "Yes, Director..." Jerome, too, caught on and echoed him. By paying this tax and filing their information, it was a small matter to lose money, but it would be like being yoked with a nose ring like oxen, forever led by the nose by the tax authorities. And this wasn''t even the worst of it. The worst was that in the entire CIA system, only the two of them would be tied down by the tax authorities. Wouldn''t their colleaguesugh themselves to death? "When I tell you to fill it out, you damn well fill it out!" Seeing Elvis so enraged, neither dared to argue. After another 30 seconds of silence, Brod, with a murderous look at Jerome, finally picked up the pen. And at that moment, Jerome, though utterly disheartened, likewise picked up the pen. Under Nisen''s guidance, it did not take long for the two toplete the information for the files. Nisen turned to David and said, "It''s all set!" David nodded and said to Elvis, "Director Elvis, you and your subordinates may leave now, but send us the tax money and the files as soon as possible!" Although Elvis was also implicated in tax evasion, for one, he had not provoked David, and for another, he had some status in the CIA, so after much consideration, David decided to let bygones be bygones and leave him alone. After all, the tax he needed to pay was less than twenty thousand dors, hardly worth offending him over! Elvis didn''t respond, he stood up and left with sharp strides, as if not willing to stay another moment. Jerome and Brod paused for a second before following suit and leaving. "Haha, you''ve really got a way with things, David. Even CIA people are sopliant with you!" Nisenughed at the sight of the three men leaving. But it soon seemed like he thought of something and said with slight regret, "It''s a pity though, turning a big issue into a minor one. If it could have been made public, our Tax Authority would have gained quite the reputation!" "I wish we could, but going public might bring fame; ites with many disadvantages!" David was certainly aware of the sensational nature of the news of senior CIA agents being arrested by the tax authorities for suspected tax evasion. But with the rigorous enforcement of the ck Tax Law, falling out with the CIA during this period could greatly harm tax work. Besides, neither he nor Chief William wanted to be the focus of the CIA''s ''special attention.'' So for now, teaching them a lesson, while ensuring they swallowed their pride, was the best oue imaginable. Chapter 86: Chapter 84: The Kennedy Family Parachutes In Nisen nodded, then his tone shifted, "By the way, about my partner''s issue..." David interrupted, "I know, I''m trying my best to look for someone for you, you don''t want just anybody to be a burden, do you?" "Of course not, okay, you go ahead with your work!" About half an hour after Nisen left, someone knocked on David''s office door again. "Come in!" This time, it was Deputy Director Megan who came in. She first inquired about some matters regarding the CIA. When she learned that David had already forced the other party to pay taxes and the information had been archived, she couldn''t help smiling and praised him. "Oh, there''s something I need to tell you!" Megan ced a document on the desk and said, "Isn''t your team missing an Inspector? Don''t bother looking anymore!" David''s face showed a hint of surprise upon hearing this. By all ounts, Megan''s position wouldn''t involve dealing with specific matters regarding Inspectors. Unless... She had a rtive or an acquaintance she wanted to ce in the role... If that were the case, Nisen was going to be somewhat unlucky! Pushing aside his thoughts, David picked up the document from the desk and started reading it. [Name: Selina Kennedy.] [Gender: Female.] [Age: 24.] [Graduated from Haver University with a major in Economics...] [...] After going through the document, David felt a bit surprised and then turned to Megan, "Deputy Director Megan, this Selina Kennedy, she wouldn''t be a member of that prominent Kennedy Family in America, would she?" "What do you think?" Seeing the meaningful expression on Megan''s face, David narrowed his eyes. It seemed to be the case indeed Otherwise, Megan wouldn''t have personally delivered this file! But that brought David back to what he couldn''t understand. As it was known, America had four recognized great families: the Adams Family, Roosevelt Family, Bush Family, and the Kennedy Family. Each of these families had produced a distinguished President. While the President from the Kennedy Family had met with a tragic end due to shing with interest groups, their family''s influence remained immense to this day. In American politics, it was often said that if one wanted to seed in the political arena, their best shortcut was to seek the support of the Kennedy Family! And Schwarzenegger did just that. He married the daughter of Kennedy''s sister, which ultimatelynded him the seat of Governor of California in 2003! And he held that position for seven years. So, what David was puzzled about now was, If this Selina was from the Kennedy Family, why would shee to their Lake District to be an Inspector? To the average person, the role of a Chief Tax Officer might seem prestigious, being able to call the shots. But in the face of a behemoth like the Kennedy Family, it was practically negligible! "As you guessed, her background is a bit special. Once she''s in our office, just arrange some clerical work for her, that would be good enough!" David picked up the underlying message in Megan''s words. Don''t let someone from such a major family stumble or have an ident in their Lake District; otherwise, it would be very troublesome! He had originally nned to find apetent partner for Nisen, but now a huge burden had arrived instead; he wondered what Nisen''s reaction would be once he found out! ... David spent the day familiarizing himself with the duties of the Chief Tax Officer. The seven members of his team, following his instructions, started a frenzied investigation into Dieter''s case. Bucky and two other teams seemed to have found some key information, evening special to apply for public funds. David was not stingy at all, directly allocating two thousand US dors to their team. With everyone performing their duties, the day came to an end. The next day arrived. Upon reaching the office, David immediately opened up the performance assessment board. The new assessment period had been going for two days now. Currently ranking first in the country was that familiar name, Brown Soros. In just two days, this guy had amassed a performance score of 4.369 million dors. Compared to thest assessment period, it seemed he had improved significantly. "Huh?" Suddenly, a look of surprise crossed David''s face. He had been preupied with Brown''s performance, but he hadn''t noticed that one person''s name was missing. Kelly Orsey, his former partner''s name, was no longer on the list! There was only one reason for this: Brown Soros, just like himself, had been promoted to Chief Tax Officer because of an outstanding performance during the assessment period! That was the only way one could rank separately on this list! But thinking about it, it seemed normal. Brown''s team had racked up a performance score of over 18 million dorsst period, ranking them first in the country. With such impressive performance, even if the Manhattan, New York Branch had no Chief Tax Officer vacancies, the leadership there would have likely found a way to elevate him. Otherwise, after three assessment periods and repeatedlying first in the country, it wouldn''t make sense if a top-performing Inspector didn''t ascend to the role of Chief Tax Officer! During his further observations, David also noticed. Apart from him and Brown Soros, there were quite a few Inspectors who had been promoted to Chief Tax Officers during this assessment period. Bemy Hardy from the Los Angeles Long Beach Branch, consistently ranking second in the country, had also been promoted to Chief Tax Officer. Besides, across the country, more than ten other Inspectors had also been promoted to the role of Chief Tax Officer! Chapter 87: Chapter 84: The Kennedy Family Parachutes In_2 One could imagine, with so many inspectors receiving promotions, what an encouragement it was to inspectors nationwide, and thepetition that would surely intensify... "Knock, knock, knock..." Just as David was deep in thought, someone knocked on the door. "Come in!" The door opened and Nisen, leading a team of seven, walked in one after the other. Bucky was the first to hand over a report and said, "Following your instructions, Director, I''ve checked, and the ''Mexico Gang'' is supplying Dieter''s establishments with forbidden goods." David nodded, picking up the report and reading it carefully. Soon, he had grasped the framework of the Mexico Gang. The Mexico Gang, as the name suggested, were drug dealers from Mexico; most of them had arrived here by smuggling themselves into the country. Since many of themcked legal status, they acted without restraint, using brutal methods to monopolize the Las Vegas trade in illicit goods. The boss of the Mexico Gang was known as Zimmerman Hel, a notorious figure in Las Vegas'' drug circles, yet few people had seen him or knew his whereabouts. David looked at Bucky, "As for this Zimmerman, you haven''t found out any information about him either?" Bucky shook his head and responded, "The guy hasn''t made an appearance for a year, but I''ve heard they''re nning a big deal with Dieter soon, so maybe he''ll show up¡ªit''s uncertain..." "Soon? When exactly?" "I''m not too clear on that yet, but I have an informant who has the information, although his demands are quite steep..." David pondered for a moment, then turned to Simmons from the third team and asked, "What about you, any progress?" Simmons ced the organized report on the desk and exined, "I''ve checked, Director. Dieter has been maintaining about 80 enforcers and bouncers, among them the ''Four Kings,'' who manage these establishments for him..." After listening to Simmons''s presentation, David picked up the report and studied it carefully. ording to the information gathered, these enforcers were not just muscle; from a certain perspective, they were more like sales representatives. Of course, what they sold were forbidden goods. They could distribute and sell the illicit goods that Dieter acquired through various channels to clients and then receive a certainmission. As the data showed, by selling these forbidden goods, each person earned an average monthly ie of over 9,000 US dors. If they could collect taxes on these earnings, it would be at least several hundred thousand dors! Of course, this was just the tip of the iceberg regarding Dieter''s financial assets, hardly worth mentioning. David then looked at Nisen, "What about you, any findings?" Nisen looked ufortable but still mustered the courage to say, "I''ve only found out that a person named Sapir is managing the funds for him. As for how his funds are beingundered and where they are kept, I have no leads yet!" Compared to the other teams, Nisen had indeed found little. But David did not me him, as Nisen''s team was currently just him alone, so it was normal that the efficiency wascking. "Bucky, then¡ª" "Knock, knock, knock..." Just as David was about to say something else, someone knocked on the door again, so he decided to leave it be and answered, "Come in!" As he spoke, Megan was the first to walk in. Following behind her was a young woman. She wore her hair in a ponytail, had delicate features, and her face was well-proportioned and symmetrical. She was dressed in a white blouse, the perfect curves of her body stretching the buttons tightly, "Everyone''s here, great. I''d like to introduce your new member." Megan pointed at the woman behind her and said, "This is Selina Kennedy!" Upon hearing the name Kennedy, Nisen, Bucky, and the others were instantly stunned. David, on the other hand, was okay as he had known about this news yesterday. He sized up Selina and then walked over to introduce himself, extending a hand, "Selina, I''m David. Wee to our team!" "Hello, Director David. I look forward to your guidance!" After shaking hands, Selina''s beautiful eyes lingered on David, sizing him up discreetly. At that moment, Bucky finally reacted and stepped forward, extending his hand, he introduced himself, "Hello Selina, I am Bucky." "I''m Simmons..." "I am..." The others, after a brief moment of being stunned, came forward to greet her one by one. Soon, only Nisen remained. At that time, his feelings wereplicated. He was not blind; he could see that Megan had a faint respect for this Selina. How could Megan, the distinguished deputy inspector of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, show such respect to a new inspector? Unless this inspector came with an impressive background! Or, as her name suggested, she was from the Kennedy Family! But no matter whether she was from the Kennedy Family or not, she definitely wouldn''t satisfy Nisen. He had emphasized many times to David that he wanted a partner with outstanding abilities, not a burden! Now this Selina, did she seem like a capable partner? Perhaps she was just here for ark, and if things didn''t go well, she could just leave without a backward nce. Then he would be truly unlucky! "Ahem..." Seeing Nisen still in a daze, David coughed as a reminder, then personally introduced, "By the way Selina, this is Nisen, and he will be your partner in the same team!" "Hello Inspector Nisen, I look forward to your guidance in the future!" Looking at Selina''s extended hand, Nisen, though reluctant in his heart, had no choice but to extend his own and said with feigned enthusiasm, "Hello Selina, I''m d to have you as my partner!" "Now that you''ve met, that''s good. Selina, you cane to Director David or me anytime if there''s anything you need. I''ll go tend to some official business now!" "Understood, Deputy Chief Megan!" After Megan left, David looked towards Ariel, the only female inspector in his team, and instructed, "Ariel, take Selina to the Inspector''s Office and familiarize her with our workflow." "Yes Chief!" The two of them left the office one after the other. At that point, Bucky, driven by curiosity, asked, "Chief, is Selina really from the Kennedy Family?" David replied expressionlessly, "If she weren''t, do you think Deputy Chief Megan would be so polite to her?" The others had already guessed as much, but David''s answer confirmed it. Nevertheless, they were still puzzled. The Kennedy Family, with its vast estate and business, wielded significant influence in both politics and business in America. Why would shee to their Lake District to be an insignificant inspector? "Shit, why would somebody from the Kennedy Familye to our Lake District Sub-Bureau?" Nisen''s discontent interrupted everyone''s thoughts. However, they could understand his feelings. Selina didn''t seem like someone who was here to seriously work as an inspector. Who would want to partner with such a high-maintenancedy? At that moment, Bucky and the others felt relieved, thankful that they were not the onescking a partner. Otherwise, they would be the unlucky ones. David went over to Nisen, patted his shoulder, and consoled him, "She was forced upon us by Deputy Chief Megan, I had no choice. But don''t worry, I won''t let you be at a disadvantage. I will try topensate you!" Although the matter was settled, Nisen felt somewhat better after David''s words. David then turned to Bucky, "Bring that informant of yours to meet with me!" It wasn''t that he didn''t trust Bucky''s intel. But just to be doubly sure, he felt it was best to have the person brought over and scrutinized through his "golden touch." "Understood!" An hourter, a fat man with a stubbly face was brought by Bucky into the office. Chapter 88: Chapter 85: Dealing with the Drug Dealer [Name: Nossano Rosenberg.] [upation: Gang member.] [Monthly Ie: $13,900 US Dors.] [Ie Details: On December 5th, provided a drug lord to the local police, received $1,000 US Dors. On December 9th, disclosed a drug stash to the FBI, received $2,000 US Dors. On December 18th, provided a drugb location to the Mexico Gang, received $5,000 US Dors¡­] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: $2,035 US Dors.] "Quite the sly fox..." After reviewing the information of this guy, David couldn''t help but be somewhat speechless. This guy, as long as the price was right, whether it was the police, the FBI, the Mexico Gang, or even their Tax Revenue Service, all could be potential trading partners. It''s clear, he''s someone whocks any principles when ites to money! But that''s not a problem. What''s important is, after a thorough information review, David indeed discovered, just as Bucky said, that this guy had information on a major deal between Dieter and the Mexico Gang! "Chief Tax Officer, his name is Nossano!" "Hello, Director David." Nossano knew the Tax Revenue Service was not to be trifled with, and at the level of Director, the power was immense, so he extended his hand with a fawning smile. However, David had no intention of shaking hands with him but cut to the chase, "I hear you know about a transaction between Dieter and the Mexico Gang?" Nossano retracted his hand, offering a sheepish smile, "I do know a bit about that matter, but, well..." "Out with it, how much do you want!" "Hehe..." Nossano chuckled, holding up two fingers. Before David could even speak, Bucky, standing beside him, scolded angrily, "Nossano, don''t push it too far, the money from our Tax Revenue Service doesn''t grow on trees!" "I know that, but I guarantee that if the Tax Revenue Service makes this deal happen, you''ll make a fortune!" After a brief contemtion, David said to Bucky, "Go to the vault and get the money!" Two Thousand US Dors was not a small amount, but David currently had over Two Hundred Thousand in official funds, so it wasn''t much of an issue. Soon, Bucky brought over the Two Thousand US Dors in cash. At the sight of the money, Nossano''s eyes lit up, and he licked his lips before beginning to count the cash fondly. This behavior irked Bucky, who reprimanded, "Why count it, would our Tax Revenue Service shortchange you?" "Hehe, it''s not that..." Nossanoughed sleazily, stopping his movements. At this moment, David, with a piercing gaze, warned him, "I''ll remind you, taking money from our Tax Revenue Service and not delivering something satisfactory to us, we will take it back ''with interest.'' Understood?" "Understood, absolutely understood!" "Since you understand, then tell us what you know!" "It''s like this, tonight at midnight..." "Wait!" Bucky abruptly interrupted, "Are you saying that the transaction between Dieter and the Mexico Gang is tonight?" "Yes..." "Snap." Bucky smacked him on the head, berated, "You bastard, why didn''t you say so earlier!" Nossano looked somewhat aggrieved, thinking to himself, how could I say without the money secured? "Alright, continue!" "Their deal is happening at the old Pompeii Chemical nt in the Lake District. From reliable information I have, the drugs they are trading are worth up to Four Million US Dors!" "Four Million!" Upon hearing this, both David and Bucky''s eyes zed with interest. First off, it is a transaction between two factions. Which means, the Mexico Gang will prepare drugs worth Four Million US Dors. Their Tax Revenue Service is not the FBI or the police; they''re not interested in seizing the opposing party''s drugs. Of course, that''s if the other side is willing to pay the taxes on these Four Million US Dors'' worth of drugs. Secondly, if Dieter''s people areing for the deal, they''ll definitely need to bring Four Million US Dors as well. Based on the tax rate, they could collect nearly Six Hundred Thousand US Dors in taxes from that amount, and about the same from the drugs, adding up to Three Million, Two Hundred Thousand! Indeed, it was a big deal for their Tax Revenue Service! Regaining hisposure, David continued to inquire, "Will the Mexico Gang''s boss, Zimmerman, be there?" Nossano replied, "He hasn''t shown his face for a year, and for a transaction like this, there''s no need for the boss himself to show up, so he probably won''te." David felt a bit disappointed but asked further, "Then for this transaction, approximately how many people wille from both sides?" "This is a drug deal, not a flour transaction. The more people there are, the more likely it''ll attract the attention of the relevant authorities. ording to past practices, both parties will probably only bring three to five people each!" Originally, David nned to apply for additional inspectors as backup if there were arge number of people on both sides of the transaction. But now, hearing that only three to five people would be showing up from each side, he instantly dismissed that thought. His inspection team, excluding the newly arrived Selina, consisted of eight people in total, including himself. Among these eight, aside from Bucky and Nisen, who were former members of the Navy SEALs, the rest were also well-trained. Equipped with elitebat gear, they should be able to easily deal with eight to ten narcotics traffickers! Therefore, there was no need to call in other inspection teams, especially since that meant having to share the tax revenue with them. "Mr. Nossano, it''s a bit inconvenient, but you''ll have to stay with our IRS for the night. That won''t be a problem, will it?" Using his golden touch, David believed that Nossano was telling the truth, but to prevent any idents or leaks of information, it was better to keep him under surveince first. "This... all right then!" Nossano didn''t want to agree, but given the circumstances, it looked like he''d have to regardless, so he reluctantly nodded his agreement. "Take him to wait there, and also, head over to Pompeii Chemical nt, check out the terrain, ande up with abat n!" As a former Navy SEAL, Bucky was trusted by David to handle this without any issues. "Understood!" Once Bucky left, David immediately gathered the six inspectors including Nisen in the office. He first looked at Ariel and asked, "How is Selina doing?" "She''s learning fast. She can already handle the document work." "Then let her be in charge of that from now on!" Ariel nodded to show her understanding. David continued, "We''ve made some progress on Dieter''s case. Tonight, there will be a transaction at Pompeii Chemical nt..." When they heard about the risk involved, a few of them frowned. However, their excitement returned when they learned that this transaction could lead to tax ie of over three million two hundred thousand US dors. David had already promised them before. If they resolved Dieter''s case, each team would be guaranteed a minimum of one hundred thousand dors from the tax revenue. But this transaction was just the tip of the iceberg in Dieter''s case. And just the tip might already yield over three million two hundred thousand in tax revenue. So, what about if they resolved the whole Dieter''s case? Could they get two hundred thousand? Three hundred thousand? Definitely more than one hundred thousand, anyway! David nced at his watch and said, "It''s still early. Everyone, get ready!" ... By 5:00 PM, Bucky, who had gone to survey the terrain, returned. He brought with him the photos he''d taken on site, pointing them out to David, "Director, look here, the transaction will take ce at this spot. We can ce our people here, here, and here. This way, we''ll have the high ground!" "Typical narcotics traffickers only bring handguns to a deal. If they resist, given our equipment and advantage, we could riddle them with bullets in an instant!" "Additionally, we could set up a few high-intensity searchlights. Once the operation begins, we can instantly impair their vision..." Bucky, worthy of his military experience,id out a thorough tactical n that seemed quite solid to David, who was quite satisfied with it. "Alright, we''ll do it just as you''ve outlined!" Time flew and soon it was 10:00 PM. David opened the cab, ced the documents he had reviewed and processed today inside, then left the office to head towards the third-floor Inspector''s Office. It was already ten o''clock. Besides those inspectors like Buckynison who had a mission, most of the other inspection teams had gone home. However, to David''s surprise, Selina was still there, diligently working through some paperwork. Ariel quickly stood up to exin, "Director, Selina asked to stay behind on her own..." Hearing this, Selina looked up from her work, realizing that David had arrived. She stood up and said, "Yes, Director, I know you have an operation tonight. I can''t be of much help, so the best I can do is to get familiar with the work as quickly as possible." David nodded and replied, "It''s gettingte, Selina. Would you like someone to drive you home?" Selina shook her head and responded, "No need!" Without further ado, David turned to Nisen and the others, "Go to the armory and get your weapons and gear!" This time they were facing merciless narcotics traffickers and Dieter''s men. Of course, they couldn''t go with just a sidearm. For safety''s sake, they needed to gear up with items like bulletproof vests and assault rifles. Then, when those traffickers saw them, it would also act as a psychological deterrent, making them surrender and pay their taxes willingly. Chapter 89: Chapter 86: Done with the trade? Time to pay taxes then! Under David''smand, the group quickly arrived at the armory. There, rows of handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and an assortment of other equipment were neatly lined up on shelves. A closer look revealed a selection of firearms, including the M16, M4A1, SCAR, HK416, and more. In addition, there was standard equipment for the SEAL Teams. Such as the FAT Tactical Helmet, Comtac-I noise-canceling headset, Gatorz Tactical Goggles, Belleville 550ST Combat Boots, LBT-6094 lightweight tactical vest, GPNVG-18 panoramic night vision goggles, among others. Beyond that, one could also find a plethora of specialized weapons and gear used by other branches of the American military, including special forces. Of course, this was just the tip of the iceberg for the Chief Tax Officer''s array of weaponry. At the Nevada State Bureau''s base within the tax authority, there were even the most elite American military aircraft like the F35 and F16 fighters. There were also Apache Armed Helicopters, ck Hawk Helicopters, M1A2 main battle tanks, M-1117 armored vehicles, and other heavy weapons. It could basically be said, except for aircraft carriers which the tax authority didn''t have ready at hand, if the American military had any weapon or equipment, the tax authority had it too. And even the weapons and equipment the American military didn''t have, the tax authority had them! Thus, a rumor has always persisted in America. That the weaponry of the tax authority is even more advanced than that of the American military, and this saying is not an exaggeration at all. This operation would be enough with Buckynison as the main force. Hence, David didn''t take too much equipment, just put on a bulletproof vest and took an M4A1 rifle, and that was enough. But Nisen and Bucky didn''t care about that much. In their eyes, drug traffickers were heinously vile. To y it safe, they equipped everything from tactical gloves, night vision devices, stun grenades, to hand grenades, truly armed to the teeth! Seeing that everything was about ready, David asked, "Are we good to go?" "OK now!" Some nodded, others gestured. "Then let''s move out!" ... Pompeii Chemical nt was established in 2013, but after environmental agencies detected significant pollution in the area, it was forced to close,ying dormant ever since. Because of the pollution, residents in the surrounding area had also evacuated in droves, leaving few human traces within a two- to three-kilometer radius of the ce. This was precisely why Dieter and the Mexico Gang chose this ce for their transaction. When the group arrived, it was already 40 minutester. David nced at his watch, it was 11:10 PM. There was still about an hour before the transaction between the two parties. "Hide the cars!" After giving the order, David approached the entrance of the chemical nt. With the aid of the moonlight and the car headlights, one could see that due to years of neglect, the outer walls of the nt had started to rust, with the color of the rust forming a stark contrast to the surrounding greenery. In the cracks of the walls, weeds stubbornly poked through, reaching toward the direction of the sunrise, with some parts of the wall even having copsed, revealing some of the mechanical equipment left inside. Through the rusty gates, the inside of the nt looked even more dpidated. The once clean and orderly production line was now covered with dust, and the machinery was draped in cobwebs. Abandoned barrels of raw materials were carelessly ced in corners, with the chemicals having leaked out and mixed with the soil, forming colorful stains. "Damn, there isn''t poison here, is there?" Nisen came over, covering his nose and mouth, continuously examining the interior of the nt. "It''s been abandoned for so many years, any toxic substances should be mostly diluted by now, and besides, we won''t be staying long enough for it to do any serious harm to our bodies!" Hearing David''s words, Nisen felt somewhat reassured. After hiding the cars, everyone proceeded to enter. Just like the photos Bucky had taken, the chemical nt was structured with two floors, with four t rooms to the southeast, northwest, providing hiding spots for the group. When the time was right, with the advantage of holding the high ground, they could instantly take control of both parties. "Get into position!" Following David''s order, Buckynison and the other seven scattered, each heading to one of the four cardinal directions on the second floor. Upon reaching the second floor, they assembled their brought searchlights, fitted batteries, and then concealed themselves at their positions. After everyone had finished preparations, David took out his cellphone and made two calls. The calls were to two Chief Tax Officers back at the bureau. For safety''s sake, he felt it was better to have a backup n. After all, while the money was the tax authority''s, the lives at stake were their own. They couldn''t risk their lives just for the sake of their performance on the job. Intelligence might say that neither party was bringing many people, but who could predict if there would be unforeseenplications. If something unexpected did happen, this backup could quicklye to their aid, potentially saving them from disaster! As the crescent moon set, the time soon reached midnight. Then Simmons, who was on lookout, seemed to notice something and called out to everyone, "They''re here!" Upon hearing this, everyone got serious, summoning their utmost alertness, also checking their gear and disengaging the safety on their weapons. After about seven or eight minutes, a sound of tires rolling over the ground came from outside the nt, followed by a beam of light shining through, and shortly after, David and others hiding on the second floor saw a van enter the middle of the factory. The van doors opened, and four men jumped out. Chapter 90: Chapter 86: Done with the trade? Time to pay taxes then!_2 All four of them were somewhat short in stature, with generally brownplexions, broad noses, thick lips,rge eyes, and rounder faces¡ªtypical Mexican features. Each of them had a pistol holstered around their waist. [Name: Richardson Marcus.] [upation: Mexico Gang Backbone.] [Monthly Ie: 100,000 US dors.] [Ie Details: Gang dividends, drug transportationmissions...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: 25,000 US dors.] ... [Name: Robin Zachary.] [upation: Mexico Gang member.] [Monthly Ie: 30,000 US dors.] [Ie Details: Gang dividends andmissions from transporting drugs...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: 4,500 US dors.] ... [Name: Walsh Abraham.] [upation: Mexico Gang member.] [Monthly Ie: 30,000 US dors.] [Ie Details: Gang dividends andmissions from transporting drugs...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: 4,500 US dors.] ... [Name: Warren...] "Eh?" From his concealed spot on the second floor, David, with his golden finger, had reviewed several individuals and confirmed that these men were indeed members of the Mexico Gang. However, when he saw the fourth person, a look of surprise appeared on his face. Because this Warren was no stranger. He was the very guy who had nned the Encar Casino armored car heist with Anthony and the others. What a coincidence! Meanwhile, The man named Robin from the group below, after finishing a cigarette, cursed impatiently, "Those damn bastards under Dieter, always dilly-dallying and making us wait half an eternity!" "Stopining, Robin, who made them our paymasters? Once we wrap up this deal, we might as well have a st at his night club to get back at them!" "You said it. He''s got a few new girls at his cestely, and they''re so stunning, you just want to stay there forever..." "..." While Dieter''s men were yet to arrive, the Mexico Gang members on the ground started to fantasize about the good life after they finished this transportation job. But soon, a noise from outside snapped their thoughts. Mexico Gang backbone Richardson ordered Robin, "Go check it out, see if Dieter''s people have arrived!" Robin immediately went out. About two or three minutester, he came back and nodded, "It''s their people!" A few minutester, An SUV drove in and stopped right across from where Richardson and his men were standing. The car doors opened, and four men stepped out. But when those hidden in the dark saw one of the men with a scarred face, they all reacted. Because this man was none other than Baldwin Ridge¡ªone of the top four aces under Dieter! "Hey, brother Baldwin, didn''t expect it to be you picking up the goods today!" Seeing Baldwin''s arrival seemed to surprise Richardson as well. Baldwin looked around, then turned back and said, "This time it''s a transaction of 4 million US dors; Dieter wouldn''t feel secure if I didn''te!" "Alright, did you bring the cash?" Baldwin turned to look at the two underlings behind him, who immediately returned to the SUV, took out two cases from inside, and opened them up. Inside were bundles of US dors. Seeing the money was in ce, Richardson also gave a look to Robin and Warren behind him; the two turned and went back to their vehicle, brought out two cases, came over, and opened them¡ªinside were packages of white powder. The two sides had an unspoken understanding. The underling holding the case of US Dors handed the money to Warren. Warren, in turn, passed the cocaine to the other party and then took out a device resembling sses, which he fitted over his left eye, and began examining the banknotes. The underlings on Baldwin''s side also opened a bag of cocaine, took a pinch, and licked it. Momentster, the other two underlings with cases performed the same procedure. "No problem here." "All good on my side, too!" "..." After both parties had checked the merchandise, neither found any issues. Richardson smiled and extended his hand, "Pleasure doing business with you, Brother Baldwin, and send my regards to Mister Dieter." "A pleasure, indeed. And send my regards to Mister Zimmerman." "Ha-ha, certainly..." Upstairs, once he saw both parties had finished the exchange and were preparing to leave, David, hidden in the dark, knew it was time and quickly gestured tomence the operation. Although the second floor was pitch-dark, Buckynison and the others were equipped with night vision goggles, naturally enabling them to clearly see David''s hand signals. They first pressed the switch for the searchlights. ''Pop, pop, pop, pop.'' Four high-powered searchlights at four different points suddenly turned on, instantly flooding the first floor with blinding light. The eight people below, caught by surprise by the intense illumination, instinctively covered their eyes. But they quickly regained their senses. "Trouble!" The panicked four immediately drew their guns, and while shielding their eyes from the re with one hand, tried to locate their adversaries with the other. "You''re surrounded,y down your weapons now!" David''s voice, although unintended, only added to the chaos among the two groups. Richardson''s group fared better. They were Dieter''s men, and Dieter wielded power and influence in Las Vegas, so they were not overly concerned about arrest. After all, they believed that even if they were caught, Dieter would have ways to bail them out. But it was different for the members of the Mexico Gang. Drug traffickers live on the edge, and most of them did not have legal status in America, so an arrest would likely mean a long stint in prison. Therefore, overwhelmed by panic and fear, a man named Robin blindly fired several shots towards the second floor. "Give them a taste of our strength!" David knew that without showing their strength, they couldn''t intimidate the men. ''Ratatatat...'' Buckyni and the others sprayed bullets around the perimeter where the two groups were positioned. This forced both parties to retreat behind their cars, hoping to use them as cover. However, they were in the center of the area. With David''s men positioned in all four directions, how could they possibly hide? The powerful barrage from Buckyni and hisrades continued to hammer down near Dieter''s and the Mexico Gang''s men, forcing them to cower and scramble for cover. "Don''t shoot, don''t shoot!" Witnessing such overwhelming firepower, Baldwin realized that resisting would mean certain death and hastily ordered his agitated subordinates to hold their fire. However, the Mexico Gang members were beyond such considerations. Knowing that not fighting back would certainly lead to prison, while resistance could offer a sliver of hope, Richardson raised his hand, preparing to order a counter-attack. But before he could give themand, he was interrupted by Baldwin, not far away. "Richardson, don''t shoot, we''re in the Lake District, and Dieter still has clout here!" The subtext of his words was that if you start shooting, the guys upstairs might just take us all out. The opposition''s firepower is so fierce, we could all be done for. If we don''t shoot and surrender, Dieter will be able to get us outter! Upon hearing that, Richardson weighed his options. The disy of firepower clearly indicated many adversaries, all armed with rifles and heavy weaponry. Forget those movie heroes, who can wipe out an army with just a pistol. That''s just an exaggeration for cinematic effect. Realistically, even the best Special Forces operatives would have slim chances, maybe 20% at best, facing rifles with just a handgun. After due consideration, Richardson decided against a counterattack. Dieter had significant influence in Las Vegas, and since they were partners and now caught together, surely he wouldn''t abandon them, would he? Upstairs, seeing both groups subdued, David shouted, "We don''t want to kill you, toss your guns aside, let''s have a proper talk!" Chapter 91: Chapter 87: Thats How We Do Things Richardson and his threepanions turned to look at Baldwin. Without the slightest hesitation, Baldwin tossed his handgun about five or six meters away. His three subordinates followed suit and did the same. Seeing this, a member of the Mexico Gang named Robin asked, "Richardson, are we really going to surrender?" Richardson hesitated for a moment, then looked up again, but with the strong lights above, he couldn''t see anything clearly. Ultimately, he gritted his teeth and also threw his gun away. Seeing Richardson do this, Robin and his three men, after a brief pause, also threw their guns away. Upstairs, noticing that the opposition no longer posed a threat, David gestured to Bucky and the others, who immediately understood and pointed the searchlights upward. Without the blinding re of the strong lights, the members of the Mexico Gang and Baldwin were finally able to see the people who had attacked them. But when they saw Nisen and his men armed to the teeth with M4A1s, M16 rifles, tactical helmets, tactical vests, and night vision goggles, they were stunned. They had been dealing drugs, sure, but there was no need to deploy special forces to catch them, was there? They weren''t some terrorist organization or warlord! Indeed, they thought David''s group consisted of special forces personnel. Because, as far as they knew, neither the police nor the FBI would be armed to this extent. In their minds, only special forces would go to such lengths! But whether or not to say it, they now felt somewhat relieved about the decision they had made earlier. If they had dared to resist earlier, with these people''s equipment and capabilities, wouldn''t they have been ughtered like pigs? Just as both groups were still in a state of shock, the sound of footstepsing from a nearby passage snapped them out of it, and they all looked in that direction. Soon, a figure appeared before their eyes. The others were just curious, as they didn''t know who David really was. But when Warren of the Mexico Gang saw David clearly, his expression changed drastically. "Ladies and gentlemen, don''t be nervous. We''re from the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch. My name is David, and I''m the Chief Tax Officer!" The two groups, who were still guessing David''s identity, were suddenly baffled when they heard the words "National Tax Bureau." They had suspected that today''s ambush was set by the police or the FBI, and they had wildly guessed that it might be a special forces operation. But they had never considered it would be the National Tax Bureau! I mean, the National Tax Bureau is just for collecting taxes, isn''t it? Is there any need for such a big disy of force? Wait a second... Apart from Warren, the other seven people suddenly came to their senses. If it was the FBI or the police ambushing them, it would be normal. But why would the National Tax Bureau stage such arge-scale ambush for them? What was the reason? Confused, Richardson asked, "Wait... Director David, what''s the reason for the National Tax Bureau to make such a big fuss over this?" "That, I think you could ask Mr. Warren!" David looked at Warren with a tone as if talking to an old acquaintance, "Isn''t that right, Mr. Warren?" "You bastard, did you betray us?" Richardson red fiercely at Warren, thinking that Warren was a mole who had set them up with the current David. Otherwise, how could their transaction today have been leaked? Warren immediately exined, "It''s not like that, Richardson. Listen to me,st month on the 3rd, the National Tax Bureau introduced some sort of ck taxw..." After Warren''s exnation, Richardson and the others finally understood. But their faces showed a mix of bemusement, speechlessness, and various other expressions. From the third ofst month, any ie from illegal activities had to be dered and taxed by the National Tax Bureau, including their current drug trade? In their home country of Mexico, there were numerous official agencies that took their ck money. Although these agencies took ck money, they dared not to do it openly. But now the National Tax Bureau, by openly collecting taxes, was essentially doing the same thing as taking ck money, right? And they even deemed it a legal act! This felt utterly preposterous to them! David, seeing everyone still in a daze, said, "So, do you all understand now?" Baldwin stepped forward, slightly disgruntled, and said, "Director David, if you''re here to collect taxes, just say so. There''s no need to ambush us with such a big show, is thre?" "There''s no need for others, but for dealing with a group of ruthless drug traffickers like you, I think it''s somewhat necessary!" This left Richardson and Baldwin somewhat at a loss for words. But upon reflection, they realized it was true. If David hadn''t shown up today with such a formidable disy, and had tried to discuss the tax issue with them, they would probably have resisted right away. But now, with so many guns pointed at them, they couldn''t dare to make a scene, no matter how unhappy they were. Without concerning himself with what they were thinking, David walked forward to the pile of money that had fallen on the ground in themotion, shuffled through it, and asked, "This is four million US dors, right?" Richardson''s brow furrowed as he replied, "What do you want?" "I''ve already said, I''m here to collect taxes. ording to the ck taxw, any amount over four hundred and fifteen thousand and fifty US dors is subject to a tax rate of 39.6%." David looked at Richardson and said, "This here is four million, so I will take one million five hundred and eighty-four thousand US dors. You don''t have any objections, do you?" Hearing that one million five hundred and eighty-four thousand was going to be taken, Richardson looked very displeased. Meanwhile, Baldwin secretly rejoiced inside. There was an unwritten rule in drug dealing transactions. If you''re caught a second before taking delivery, the loss of the goods has nothing to do with the buyer. Chapter 92: Chapter 87: Thats How We Do Things_2 ``` But the moment after receiving the goods, if someone gets caught, the buyer has to bear the loss. And now that he has received the cocaine, the money has already been handed over to Richardson, that is to say, if the IRS insists on taking away $1.58 million, then that loss has nothing to do with them. After a period of silence, Richardson still voiced his dissatisfaction, "If you take $1.58 million, we''ll only be left with a little over $2 million, which isn''t even enough to cover the costs, let alone how am I supposed to exin this to my boss?" David smacked his head as if he just remembered something and said, "I believe that you guys don''t want to be ambushed by us often, or have use knocking on your door, so to avoid this kind of situation in the future, please inform your boss to dere the amount of money you make from cocaine each month honestly to our IRS and pay your taxes!" At the end of his speech, he added, "By the way, this includes all the members of your Mexico Gang, it''s better to dere voluntarily than to have use after you, don''t you think?" Warren, on the other hand, was rather calm. Last time he had already paid his taxes once, and although it was quite annoying, he could still mentally ept paying them again. But Richardson and his people were not willing. I''m working myself to death for a job that couldnd me in jail, fighting other gangs for territory and business, barely making a bit of money, and you at the IRS want a piece of it? This made them feel as humiliated as if they were being forced to pay protection money to the mob. And keep in mind, they are drug dealers! Which mob dares to demand protection money from them? "What, you don''t seem willing?" Although Richardson was furious inside, with so many guns aimed at him, he didn''t dare utter a word of disagreement, and could only reply, "I can''t decide this alone, I have to go back and ask my boss!" "Fine, go back and have a good talk with your boss. If he cane to the IRS to discuss this with me, I promise I''ll give him the biggest possible discount on the tax rate!" "Once you''ve paid the taxes, your people can continue to stay in the Lake District, and you can continue your business. We guarantee we won''t interfere a bit!" "But let me be clear, if he is unwilling or dares to y any tricks, I will not be so courteous then!" "Not only will we wipe out your Mexico Gang members, but we''ll also clear your territory here, and make sure your business can''t continue in this area, do you understand?" Seeing David''s sharp gaze, Richardson ultimately did not dare to retort but also didn''t outright agree. David didn''t bother with him any longer and turned to Baldwin, saying, "Mr. Baldwin, you seem rather pleased, don''t you?" "Pleased? No, not at all!" Baldwin was certainly happy, since the IRS was only collecting taxes and wasn''t like the police who would confiscate his merchandise. And since he had already collected the goods, why should the Mexico Gang''s loss concern him? David saw through his thoughts, smiled meaningfully, then approached him and opened the suitcase to take out a package of cocaine, weighed it for a while, and finally asked him, "So do you want to hand over the goods or pay the money?" Baldwin, who had been secretly pleased, suddenly changed his expression and asked, "What do you mean by that?" "Don''t think the IRS only epts cash. The value of this batch is $4 million US dors, and ording to the tax rate, you need to pay $1,584,000 in taxes!" "What did you say!" Baldwin, with an angry face, discontentedly said, "Director David, the IRS collected $1.58 million from one side, and now you want to collect another $1.58 million from us, trying to eat from both ends? That''s not how you do things!" "That''s exactly how we do things at the IRS!" "You..." Baldwin, veins throbbing with anger, would have alreadyshed out at David if he weren''t an IRS official and if it weren''t for the numerous guns pointed at him. "This batch is worth $4 million, and with a turnaround, you''d make at least ten to eight times that amount. I''m only asking for $1.58 million in taxes, and that''s already quite low. If you don''t want to pay, we''ll just confiscate this batch!" "This is Mister Dieter''s merchandise; you wouldn''t dare!" ``` David, originally mild-mannered, lost his temper when the other party brought up Dieter, grabbing Baldwin by the cor and threatening, "You go back and tell Dieter toe see me tomorrow, and from now on, he better report his earnings to us at the IRS honestly, or else I''ll clean out all his joints!" Baldwin, infuriated, gritted his teeth and retorted, "Fine, I''ll ry every single word, every single letter, to Mister Ditter!" David knew that the other side was also making threats, but he didn''t care and responded, "Good, then tell him that!" With that, David waved a hand above him. Nisen first led three men down, maintaining control over the scene, and then Bucky''s trio finally left their positions and came down. "Ariel, Simmons, count out 1.584 million US dors!" Both of them immediately put away their guns and went over to the money crate to start counting the cash. Since the money was all bundled in tens of thousands, it took less than 10 minutes for them to finish counting. Ariel announced, "The count isplete, Chief Tax Officer!" "Pick up these two crates as well!" After saying that, David turned to Baldwin and said, "I''m taking the goods. If you want them,e with the money to our IRS office to redeem them!" At that moment, Baldwin''s heart was bleeding, but in the current situation where he was at their mercy, he dared not try to take them back by force. "Bring the car around, let''s go!" Nisen and Bucky quickly brought the well-hidden car over, then loaded the money and goods into the vehicle, and left with a flourish! "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Once David and his people had gone, Baldwin could no longer contain his rage, kicking the car door repeatedly with each foot. Meanwhile, Richardson, though not losing hisposure as much, looked just as frighteningly angry. After Baldwin had vented, Richardson approached him and asked, "Baldwin, what''s your n for this situation? Do you have any good solutions?" If it were just anyone or even the police, the Mexico Gang would certainly not let this go based on their way of doing things. But judging by these people''s weapons and equipment, he realized that the IRS was not an agency to be trifiled with. And since they, the Mexico Gang, were outsiders, it was clear that violent measures wouldn''t work. Baldwin, having regained some rationality, said fiercely, "Don''t worry, Mister Dieter definitely won''t let this slide!" "But I''ve heard that the IRS is a very powerful department, so much so that even famous agencies like the FBI, CIA don''t dare to provoke them. Won''t this affect our cooperation?" This time, it was Warren who spoke up. He hadn''t realized just how powerful the IRS was, having thought it was just a typical tax agency. It wasn''t until thest heist that Anthony and others filled him in, and after that, he did some research on his own, finally grasping the agency''s frightening potential. "Hmph, what about the IRS? Mister Dieter is part of the Omaha Family, the strongest Indian Tribe in Las Vegas, with special privileges no other race in America possesses!" This was the reason Baldwin had dared to talk back to David earlier. Hearing this, Richardson and others were also brought back to reality. They didn''t have a clear concept of just how formidable the IRS could be, being from Mexico. But they did know about the Omaha Family''s influence, and the various special privileges enjoyed by Native Americans in America. "Alright, if Mister Dieter can sort this out, that''d be great. If he can''t, we can''t afford the costs of paying the IRS over a million in taxes with every transaction!" "I got it, Richardson. Go back and tell your boss that we''ll handle this!" Chapter 93: Chapter 88: Reward for Merits, 100,000 for Each Group 109 Monarch Avenue, "DA Nightclub". It was one of thergest and most luxurious nightclubs in the Lake District, under the banner of the Ditter Family. At that time, an SUV stopped at the entrance, and Baldwin got out, walking in amid the greetings of many underlings at the door. Upon entering the nightclub, a wave of hot air hit him, mixing with the scents of alcohol, cigarettes, and sweat. Under the dim lighting, people in fancy clothes held their drinks, swaying in the dance floor with the lights streaking across the ceiling like shooting stars, casting their frenzied shadows. In the center of the stage, a singer performed passionately, their voice piercing through the crowd, straight to the heart, as dancers on the stage sweat profusely, each move filled with wild abandon. Baldwin didn''t linger, heading straight to the door of a private room on the second floor, where two burly men in suits stood guard. Baldwin asked, "Is Dieter inside?" "What''s it about?" "There''s been a slight issue with a deal, I need to report the situation to him!" The two men exchanged nces, and then the one who spoke before responded, "He''s high as a kite right now, probably won''t listen to you!" "I don''t care, I need to see him now!" Seeing how adamant Baldwin was, the guard hesitated for a moment, but eventually stood aside. Baldwin immediately pushed the door open, and the scene that met his eyes was a total mess. Bottles and fruit tters were scattered on the ground, remnants of white powdery on the tables, and a dark-skinned man with a prominent nose, his thick hair tied into a ponytail, was nked by a seductive woman on the sofa, all three of them nodding to the music. Baldwin''s brows furrowed slightly, and he walked forward to turn off the music, bringing the nodding trio to a semnce of sobriety. The man there roared like a lion, "Fake Yau, you turned off my DJ, I''ll kill you!" As he said this, he stumbled about searching for his handgun. But before he could find it, Baldwin rushed over, grabbed his shoulder, shook him, and said, "Dieter, it''s me!" "Damn it, Baldwin, it''s you..." Dieter sobered up a bit, but still remained in an angry state. "Listen, there''s been a problem with the goods..." Baldwin briefly recounted what had happened at the chemical nt. But Dieter, high as he was, didn''t fully grasp the situation. He only understood that someone had stolen their goods and they were being asked to pay 1.58 million for them back. This sent him into a rage, eximing, "Fake Yau, in all of Las Vegas, who dares to rob Dieter''s goods! Baldwin, I''m giving you one day, get the goods back by tomorrow, or else I''ll have you killed!" Baldwin was taken aback and then responded with a hint of grievance, "But Dieter, it''s the National Revenue Service..." "Fake Yau, I don''t care if it''s the National Revenue Service or the police station, if you don''t get the goods back, I''ll kill you!" Seeing Dieter almost losing his mind, Baldwin, in the end, couldn''t argue and left with a face full of gloom. Meanwhile, on the Mexico Gang''s side. Zimmerman, who had been out of the picture for a while, also received the news. When he heard the goods were snatched, he too was furious, but learning that it was the National Revenue Service''s doing, he was dumbfounded! "Boss, that David also had a message for you, saying..." Richard ryed exactly what David had told him beforehand. And when Zimmerman heard that they would have to pay taxes on time from now on, or else the National Revenue Service would eliminate their hideouts, seize their venues, and arrest their people, he was also ovee with rage. "What does the Dieter side say?" "Baldwin says they will handle it, so I think we should not act rashly for the time being. After all, I''ve heard that the National Revenue Service of America is not to be trifled with!" Zimmerman fell silent. Anger aside, it was not by brute force alone that he had managed his operations in Las Vegas for so many years, but more importantly by his cunning. After all, the National Revenue Service is an official institution. If they dared to sh with government officials, it surely would not end well. But it was different for Dieter. The Dieter Family had deep roots in Las Vegas and had the status of Native Americans. If they took the lead to negotiate with the National Revenue Service, it would certainly be more effective than if the Mexico Gang did it themselves! With this thought, Zimmerman discarded any other ns and decided to watch the changes quietly and see what happens, as Baldwin had suggested. ... A night passed quietly. The next morning, Director David took a cab to the department. As he got out and walked toward the building, suddenly a ck Cadic stopped behind him. Then, a brawny man in a suit and sunsses got out of the driver''s seat, opened the inner door, and Selina stepped out. Seeing this, a hint of curiosity appeared between David''s brows. The brawny man''s demeanor and pace were very simr to Nisen and Bucky''s, seeming like a military man who had retired from some special forces. And such a person was now acting as a chauffeur, indicating that this Selina might hold significant weight within the Kennedy Family. "Hi Director David, it''s early, isn''t it," Selina said. Selina hadn''t expected to run into David, so she seemed a bit surprised. David replied, "Yeah, how about you, did you sleep wellst night?" From her resume, David knew that Selina hade from somewhere else, so his question was also an expression of a superior''s care for a subordinate. Chapter 94: Chapter 88: Reward for Merits, 100,000 for Each Group_2 ``` "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¡ªhow 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! Chapter 95: Chapter 89: Two Chief Tax Officers Taking Bribes The office is this way. David, who was processing documts, heard a knock and said, "Come in!" The next second, two Chief Tax Officers from the bureau, Hector and Colton, walked in. "Director David, what happedst night? I waited all night for your call, and in the d, there was no peep!" "I felt the same way. Ever since I got your call, I was anxious and couldn''t sleep, fearing you might need support!" The two Chief Tax Officers that David had notifiedst night were other than these two m. It was quite normal for the various teams within the bureau to help each other out, and they didn''t mind too much. But they had just gott word. Last night''s operation led by David had resulted in several million US dors of tax revue earned. That was several million US dors! And, what was most distressing to them was that with a wave of David''s hand, each group under hismand had be allocated one hundred thousand US dors. And they had not gott a single hair of it, which was somewhat unsettling. David paused and replied, "Last night''s operation wt smoothly, so I didn''t disturb you two. Here''s what, Hector, Hutton, I''ll have Mary allocate twty thousand to your teamster aspsation forst night!" He knew they hade to cash in after seeing him rake in so much tax revue. Although they hadn''t be of much help, there was no helping it. After all, for safety''s sake, David had made a call to inform themst night. Requesting a bit ofpsation was also understandable. Upon hearing the number twty thousand, both of them were pleased. They knew David had brought in several million dors, and that each team under him had received a hefty hundred thousand. But indeed, they had not be of much help. The fact that they were giv twty thousand in tax revue was quite gerous of him. Hector, holding back his eagerness, feigned reluctance, "How can we ept this, Director David? We hav''t really helped!" "Yes, Director David, we really didn''t help much..." David saw their feigned reluctance but said nothing about it and replied, "Not helping is one thing, but I did call for your support, and that''s another. Let''s leave it at that!" "Well... Alright, Director David. If there''s any operation in the future that needs our team''s help, just give us a call anytime!" They were secretly delighted but maintained a fa?ade of reluctance on the surface. To be honest, they actually hoped that David would call on them at any time. Ev just speaking of the twty thousand dors, it might be ough to keep one of their small teams with four inspection groups busy for a few days. Ifst night David had indeed called them for support, not to say they would receive a hundred thousand per group like his own team, but sharing a hundred thousand in tax revue among their team wouldn''t be a problem, right? "Certainly..." Not long after the two left, a staff member from downstairs walked in with a stack of thick file bags and said, "Director David, this is for you!" "All right, thank you!" David took one of the file bags, pulled out the documts, and began reviewing them. About half an hourter, he stopped checking them and appeared thoughtful. This was information st from the CIA about criminals in the Lake District. It included smugglers, fraudsters, arms traffickers, among various cases. Many of these cases ovepped with those of their own bureau''s intelligce departmt, but the information was much more detailed. It must be said that the CIA really has a knack for intelligce gathering, living up to their reputation as the world''s leading intelligce organization. After some thought, David stood up and wt to the Inspector''s Office on the third floor. To Bucky and Nis, who were busy at work, he said, "Both of you,e with me!" He had Baldwin ry a message to Dieterst night, telling him to meet today. But since it was still early, and considering that one of the cases provided by the CIA looked rtively easy to handle, he would be waiting anyway. So, he decided to earn some ''extra cash'' based on the information in the documt first! And now was a time of crisis. He had already touched the interests of both Dieter and the Mexico Gang, so to avoid pottial ambushes and out of caution, it was natural to bring Nis and Bucky along as bodyguards. The two singled out didn''t waste words, pinned on their tax badges, holstered their assigned guns, and followed David out of the sub-bureau''s main door and into Nis''s Volvo. "Where to?" "Xis Building!" Xis Building, located at the intersection of Lake District and Main Street District, stood forty stories tall, mainly housing various small intepanies. ording to the information provided by the CIA, the thirty-fifth floor housed an intepany named ''Changwan.'' Thispany ostsibly dealt with game developmt and nning, but in reality, its biggest business was creating game cheats! Yes, cheats for games. In America, using game cheats is not considered illegal. But manufacturing and profiting from game cheats is a criminal act! And the reason David said this case seemed easier to handle, was mainly that these people were not ruthless like robbers or the likes of Dieter and the Mexico Gang. Besides, with apany here, if they dared say no, just seizing and freezing all of theirpany''s overt assets would suffice! To describe it in four words: ''easily manipted.'' Reaching the thirty-fifth floor and tering Changwan Inte Company, the first thing that caught the eye was the spacious and bright lobby. The walls were adorned with various gaming posters and award certificates, showcasing thepany''s glorious gaming achievemts. Dozs of programmers were busy, constantly tapping away at iprehsible code. [Name: Tobias Joe.] [upation: Programmer.] [Monthly Ie: Legal $4,000, Illicit Ie $3,000.] [Ie Details: Bonuses andmissions obtained through developing game cheats...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: $,300.] ... [Name: Faraday Gerald.] [upation: Programmer.] [Monthly Ie: Legal $4,000, Illicit Ie $,000.] [Ie Details: Bonuses andmissions obtained through developing game cheats...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: $,00.] ... [...] David used the Gold Finger feature to conduct a careful review of these programmers, and discovered that at least half of the several doz prest were involved in cheat developmt. And the ie from their illegal activities was at least $0,000. This showed that the CIA''s intelligce was fairly urate. At that momt, a man wearing a suit who had be instructing a few programmers finally noticed David and the other two outsiders who hade in. He approached them with a hint of caution and asked, "Gtlem, this is Changwan Inte Company, how can I assist you?" [Name: Gresham Bson.] [upation: Manager of Changwan Inte Company.] [Monthly Ie: Legal $7,000, Illicit Ie $36,000.] [Ie Details: Bonuses andmissions obtained through developing game cheats...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: $3,600.] After reading the man''s information without any change of expression, David showed his tax badge and said, "I''m from the National Tax Bureau, and I''d like to see your managemt team!" Upon hearing that it was the National Tax Bureau, Gresham''s expression changed slightly, th he replied, "Ourpany is registered with the National Tax Bureau, and we pay our taxes in full every month, there are no issues..." "I said, I want to see your managemt team!" Seeing David''s upromising manner, Gresham''s face darked, but in the d, he didn''t dare to say anything and turned to make a report. At this time, Nis, who was unaware of the situation, asked, "Director, is there a problem here?" That was also what Bucky wanted to know. This was an intepany, and everything about the employees seemed very normal; it didn''t look like a base for criminals! "Of course there''s a problem, and you''ll understand soon!" David didn''t exin further, and both m suppressed their curiosity. About t minutester, Gresham came back and said, "Gtlem, please follow me!" Following his lead, David and the others passed through the main hall and came to the door of a meeting room at the back, pushing the door op to ter. They saw that four people, two m and two wom, had already gathered there. [Name: Sacklee Nichs.] [upation: Geral Manager of Changwan Company.] [Monthly Ie: Legal $60,000, Illegal Ie $540,000.] [Ie Details: Profits obtained through developing game cheats...] [More Details...] [Tax Due: $,400.] ... [...] In the blink of an eye, David had finished reviewing the geral information of these four individuals. Besides the geral manager who had to pay over $,000 in taxes, the other three executives together had to pay over $500,000 in taxes. Adding the middle managemt and employees, they wouldn''t dodge paying at least $ million! This was thanks to the information provided by the CIA. Otherwise, who knows wh their intelligce departmt would have discovered this big fish. "This is Mr. Sacklee, our Geral Manager, this is Mr. Gana Qiao, our Deputy Geral Manager, this is our..." Gresham began to introduce them one by one. "I am Director David from the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch." "Nice to meet you, Director David!" Each of them stood up and shook hands with David in turn. Th, Sacklee took out a form and pushed it towards David, pointing and saying, "Director David, this is the tax statemt for ourpany for this quarter, we''ve paid every ct to the National Tax Bureau!" David reached out and took the form, nced at it, th crumpled it into a ball and finally tossed it into the trash can. Seeing this, the faces of Sacklee and the others darked. Chapter 96: Chapter 90: Rise to the Top 10, Shocking the Nation Following that, the vice presidt Gana Qiao couldn''t hide his dissatisfaction as he said, "Director David, what do you mean by this?" David looked at him and replied, "I don''t know if you''ve heard about the ck tax bill that passed in Congress on the 3rd ofst month?" The four of them were puzzled and looked at each other, each wearing a hint of confusion on their faces, clearly not quite clear on the matter. "It doesn''t matter if you hav''t heard about it, let me exin it to you!" "This bill is quite simple, as of the 3rd ofst month wh Congress passed it and it officially took effect, it stiptes that from now on, for any illegal activity such as smuggling, robbery, fraud, and the like, you must pay taxes to our Tax Administration Bureau, understand?" Now, ev if they were slow, they understood. Any illegal activity required paying a full amount of taxes to the Tax Administration Bureau? The purpose of the Tax Bureauing to them seemed quite clear th; they were targeting the illegal ie from their game cheats! But targeting is one thing. Thinking that they would justply with a few words and hand over the taxes obeditly was impossible. After all, ev though they earned illegal ie, it wasn''t blown in by the wind! It was created day and night by them and their programmers through coding! So after some contemtion, Gana Qiao put on an innoct face and replied, "Director David, as you said, we only have to pay taxes to your Tax Administration Bureau for illegal earnings, but ourpany develops games, that''s legal ie..." "Stop pretding. Is yourpany developing games, or developing game cheats? Don''t you know the differce?" With David''s pointed remark, the four m were instantly dumbstruck. Behind them, Nis and Bucky finally understood! It turned out that thispany, which appeared to be in the inte business, was actually dealing in the developmt of game cheats behind the sces! After a long silce, Gana Qiao, trying to keep hisposure, countered, "Director David, please don''t nder us, developing game cheats is illegal!" David turned his head to Nis and said, "Call the people from the forsic departmt at the police station, let them arrange for some personnel toe over!" "Understood!" Nis took out his phone right away. Meanwhile, the four m on Gana Qiao''s side were getting anxious. With David and his people right there, they couldn''t destroy the evidce ev if they wanted to. So once the forsic departmt of the policees to investigate, a detailed check would reveal the discrepancies. Th, theirpany would not only be sealed off, but the few of them might ev face prison time. Thinking of this, Saklee couldn''t sit still and hurriedly interjected, "Wait, Director David, there''s no need to alert the police for such a trivial matter!" David motioned for Nis to stop what he was doing, th crossed his legs and asked, "So, what do you propose we do?" "It''s just about paying taxes, we can negotiate that..." "..." In the subsequt conversation, although Saklee and the others agreed to pay the tax amount, they were still not very honest. They began covertly colluding to underreport the ie gerated from the game cheat profits as much as possible. What they didn''t expect was that David had some sort of tax cheat detector on him, which precisely idtified the taxes they should pay down to thest pny. The four were shocked that the Tax Bureau had investigated them so thoroughly, and they helplessly inquired about the tax rate. But upon hearing the exorbitant tax rate, they immediately became resistant and insisted that David lower it somehow. But this was the tax rate set by the Tax Bureau, not a vegetable market where they could haggle, how could they negotiate? Evtually, under David''s firm stance, although Saklee and his colleagues were very reluctant, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and agree. After leaving the Xis Building, the three got into the car, and Nis asked, "Chief, are we going back to the station now?" "Yeah." David hummed in affirmation, th said, "Later, wh they bring the people and money to our station, after you handle it, each of you will take $50,000 US Dors!" Upon hearing this, Nis and Bucky were instantly overjoyed. They had already heard that all the executives and employees of Changwan Inte Company were required to pay over a million US Dors in taxes. So of course, they had their own thoughts about it. Luckily, they didn''t ev have to ask, as David had voluntarily offered them $50,000 US Dors each, and all just for making a trip out, which was simply too good a deal! ... As David and the others returned to the station, at the same time, in the Lake District Police Station, in the office of Chief Smith, came a visitor. "Baldwin, my boy, what brings you here?" Seeing Baldwin arrive, Smith also stopped his work and greeted him warmly, "Chief Smith, there''s a situation I need you to handle!" Seeing how serious Baldwin looked, Smith also became stern and asked, "What happed?" "Last night..." Baldwin described roughly what had happed, how the Tax Bureau people took his goods away. After hearing all this, Smith was also shocked. Dieter was dealing with the Mexico Gang, but th fully armed inspectors from the Tax Bureau showed up, not only took the goods but also seized $.58 million in cash? Although he was aware of the ck tax bill, the braz actions of the Tax Bureau still unsettled him deeply. "Wait a minute... Who led the Tax Bureau''s operationst night?" Smith suddly thought of something and looked at Baldwin inttly for an answer. "The Chief Tax Officer named David, very young, with a very domineering style of action, ev specifically requested that Dieter meet him personally!" Chapter 97: Chapter 90: Rise to the Top 10, Shocking the Nation_2 "David!" Smith''s expression changed dramatically. "What is it, you know him?" He hade to Smith specifically to deal with this matter; if Smith knew David, th perhaps things would be easier to resolve. Smith regained someposure and spoke gravely, "This guy is not to be trifled with. Rectly, many people in our Lake District have tak a fall because of him..." Although he wasn''t part of the National Tax Bureau system, he still knew a thing or two about what was going on there. What he had learned thus far was that David had be performing exceptionally welltely, leading to his extraordinary promotion to the position of Chief Tax Officer. And wh he had received this news, he was indeed shocked beyond measure. David had previously threated him, demanding that he pay his taxes. To be honest, it was more about his fear of the National Tax Bureau; he wasn''t particrly intimidated by an inspector like David. But what he hadn''t expected was that this guy would be promoted to Chief Tax Officer so quickly, which admittedly made him start to worry. Though his rank as a chief of police was equivalt to that of a Chief Tax Officer, the power held by the Chief Tax Officer of the National Tax Bureau was something he, a chief of police, just couldn''tpare with. If the other party was hell-bt on targeting him, th ev the head of their departmt likely couldn''t protect him. Baldwin, somewhat displeased, said, "If he''s not to be trifled with, does that mean we''re to be trifled with?" At a loss for words, Smith fell silt for a momt before replying, "If you can''t handle this, why don''t you have Dieter step in?" "I fucking wish he would step in, but I lost the goods, and he''s told me to find them, what can I do!" Baldwin was also profoundly frustrated. Smith frowned and replied, "It''s not that I don''t want to help you, but I really can''t handle this situation; after all, the National Tax Bureau isn''t under our jurisdiction!" "Your police departmt and the National Tax Bureau are both official agcies of America, can''t you just invite him for a talk, and if need be, let him name his price!" This made Smith''splexion turn dark instantly. After learning that David had ris to Chief Tax Officer, he was now hoping that the other party would forget about him. Would he go out of his way to talk to him? That would be like volunteering to walk into the lion''s d! Although he was quite irritated, he had befited a lot from Baldwin on regr days, so he didn''t turn hostile directly but refused, saying, "I understand how David operates; if it were possible to talk to him, I would have interved a long time ago. This matter really is beyond me, you need to figure it out yourself!" Baldwin became so angry that he was seething, red at Smith hatefully, and evtually left the police station, getting into his car. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" As soon as he got into the car, Baldwin began to pound on the passger seat with his fists, vting the anger that was within him continuously. After he had let off steam, the driver trembled and asked, "Where are we... going now?" "To the Lake District National Tax Bureau!" ... Meanwhile, David returned to his office, and about an hourter, he received a notification that the taxation issues concerning Changwan Inte Company had be settled. The total tax collected from all the sior managemt, middle managemt, and regr employees amounted to .36 million US dors. After deducting the hundred thousand that were for Bucky and the Nis Group, his earnings were .036 million US dors. David oped the tax achievemt chart to have a look. Since the assessmt period had only just started three days ago, his total tax performance had already reached ,33,000 US dors, thus directly positioning him 53rd on the chart. He scrolled to the top of the list, his brow furrowed slightly. Wh he looked at Brown Soros''s figures yesterday, they were only at 4.369 million dors. Now, they had soared to 8.3 million. It had nearly doubled! Ev for a mega-city like New York, this couldn''t help but cause David to wonder. What exactly was Soros''s approach to handling cases? He was truly curious to know! "Giggle, giggle, giggle..." As David was pondering, there was a knock on the door, forcing him to collect his thoughts and say, "Come in!" Nis pushed the door and tered, with Baldwin following behind him. "How is it going, Mister Baldwin?" At this momt, Baldwin seemed drained, with his eyes exceptionally red. David could tell that Baldwin had not had afortable night since the confiscation of the goods. Baldwin pulled up a chair to sit across from David, his expression serious as he said, "I''vee here today to take back the goods!" David spread his hands and replied, "As long as Mister Ditter is willing to pay the tax of .584 million, you can take the goods back anytime!" "Sixty thousand, I can only give you sixty thousand, and I''m taking the goods with me!" Baldwin was well aware of Dieter''s temperamt. The goods were lost under his watch, and if he couldn''t retrieve them, his fate would be miserable. It seemed the National Tax Bureau was not an institution he could stand up against. So the sixty thousand wasing out of his own pocket, considered aspsation for the lost goods. David couldn''t help butugh at this remark and retorted, "Sixty thousand? Do you think our National Tax Bureau is a bunch of beggars, that you can just get rid of us with sixty thousand? Ridiculous!" Baldwin g his teeth and responded, "Two hundred thousand!" ".584 million US dors, if you want these goods back, bring that amount. Not a pny less, or I won''t return the goods to you!" "You..." Baldwin was so furious his veins were bulging, but remembering that this was the territory of the National Tax Bureau, he could only continue to grind his teeth and reply, "If I can''t get these goods back, Dieter will kill me!" David spread his hands again, responding without any emotion, "That''s your problem, what does it have to do with me?" After ring at David with a murderous gaze for several seconds, Baldwin seemed to make a decision and, swallowing his grief, said, "Fine, .584 million, I''ll pay it!" Chapter 98: Chapter 90: Rise to the Top 10, Shocking the Nation_3 Over these years, he''s made quite a bit of money too. One point fifty eight million US dors was a huge sum, but he gritted his teeth and decided it was within his ability to pay. As long as this matter was settled, ev if David had to confront Dieter, Dieter couldn''t possibly me him for it! "That''s more like it..." David could tell that the man in front of him had dug into his own pockets toe up with the money. But it didn''t matter, as long as they received the money, it was irrelevant who exactly had paid it! About half an hourter. Baldwin''s hchman brought over a case, oped it, and insidey bundles of US dors. David and Nis immediately began to count it. Another half-hour passed. Once they confirmed that the amount was exactly one point fifty eight million and four hundred US dors, David said conttedly, "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Baldwin. Go get the goods now!" Soon ough, Nis brought over the two cases of goods he had brought backst night. Baldwin did not waste words; letting his hchm carry it, he intded to leave. But the next second, David''s voice halted his steps. "I told youst night, ask Dieter toe see me. Is he unwilling, or what?" Baldwin turned his head and replied, "He''s very busy." "I don''t care if he''s guinely busy or just pretding, but if he doesn''te talk to me by 6 PM tonight, don''t me me for not being nice!" "I''ll pass along the message!" This time, Baldwin didn''t get angry. After responding, he left. "Take it to storage!" T minutester, Mary st news that the storage was sessful. David checked the tax achievemt list again; his total tax achievemt was now three million eight hundred thirte thousand four hundred US dors, and his national ranking had skyrocketed from number fifty-three directly to the tth. "Tth in the nation..." David was quite satisfied with this ranking. There were still twelve days left until the d of the assessmt period, and his ranking might climb ev higher. But taking down Brown Soros'' clique and reaching the top was unlikely, unless he could be transferred to a bigger city. Only th might he have a chance... Forget it, one step at a time. David put aside his musings and began to process documts and data. In one day, his ranking shot from twty-three hundred US dors to over three million eight hundred thousand, raising his national ranking to tth. David''s extraordinary growth, like a bomb dropped into the depths of the water, instantly ignited the tire Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. Meanwhile, in the Newtown District Sub-Branch. Keanu burst into Director Katharine''s office in a hurry, sharing the news of David''s explosive rise in tax achievemts and rankings. "What, he secured over three point eight million in tax achievemts in one day?" Wh Katharine heard the news, she was stunned and couldn''t recover for a long time. You see, their Newtown District Sub-Branch''s total tax achievemts for three assessmt periods wer''t ev up to three million. And now this David from the Lake District had bagged over three point eight million in tax achievemts in one day? Last assessmt period, David had already chopped down four point one two million in tax achievemts. And now, just three days into the new assessmt period, he had already secured three point eight million. Could it be that by the d of this assessmt period, he might break t million? Katharine grew more and more astonished as she thought about it, incredulously asking, "Have you received any news on how he did it?" "The specifics are not very clear, but from what''s be going a in their bureau, that David is investigating a case involving Dieter." "Dieter? Dieter of the Omaha Family?" "Yes." With confirmation, Katharine fell silt. As thergest Native American tribe in Las Vegas, she was well aware of how troublesome the Omaha Family could be. And if David managed to skim ayer off Dieter, one could imagine how ruthless his methods must be! "Director, I think we made a slight miscalction. If we had promised him a position as Chief Tax Officer back th, perhaps the situation wouldn''t havee to this..." Keanu was increasingly regretful as he thought about it. At the time, they only thought David was a very capable Inspector, so they wanted to lure him with the Newtown District tform, without any ns to promise a position like Chief Tax Officer. But looking at it now, David was more than capable; he had climbed to the tth spot on the national tax achievemt leaderboard. If he were in Newtown District, it might ev be possible to break into the top five! Upon hearing this, Katharine also grew regretful. It''s true that Newtown District didn''t have a vacancy for a Chief Tax Officer. But had they known David''s ability was so exceptional, it might have be worth it to force a promotion for him to Chief Tax Officer! But it was toote for any of this now. Firstly, David had already tak up the role of Chief Tax Officer in the Lake District, and secondly, after thest conflict with William at the Washington D.C. Headquarters, she dared not rashly poach him. "Sigh..." The more Katharine thought about it, the worse she felt, sighing helplessly. If things continued this way, unless David was transferred out of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, as long as he was in the Lake District, their Newtown District would never be able to rise! Beyond Newtown District, at that very momt, the New City District Sub-Branch, Las Vegas City Bureau, Nevada State Bureau, and ev the Washington D.C. Headquarters were all talking about David''s meteoric rise. Especially at the Washington D.C. Headquarters. They oversaw hundreds of sub-branches across the nation, and not just the rtively insignificant Las Vegas Lake District Sub-bureau Branch, but ev the economically strongest Newtown District Sub-Branch wasn''t their primary focus. Their main focus was on therge city sub-branches like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. But what many high-level executives at the Washington D.C. Headquarters had not anticipated was that the Las Vegas Lake District would produce an Inspector who killed his way up to the tth in the nation. Chapter 99: Chapter 91: Attention from the Headquarters Although it was only the third day of the assessmt period, and the final rankings were not yet determined, this developmt took them by surprise! After realizing that David might possess significant pottial, the sior officials at Washington D.C. Headquarters immediately called the Lake District Sub-Bureau, wanting to better understand David''s situation. Lake District Sub-Bureau, Director''s office. "To be frank with you, Deputy Director Donald, not long after the ck Tax Law wt into effect, I saw David''s pottial. And as you know, under my guidance, his inspection abilities have made great strides to get to where they are now..." William knew that David''s meteoric rise would definitely rm the higher-ups at headquarters. But he was surprised at how quickly they called. The call he was now taking was from the Deputy Director at Washington D.C. Headquarters responsible for the ck Tax Law. Facing such an important figure, he naturally took the opportunity to boast about his eye for talt. "Hmm, not bad, William. We need such capable elites for our ck Tax Law. I hope that by the d of this assessmt period, David''s ranking can advance ev further!" "I understand, Deputy Director Donald. I will make sure he maintains this state!" After hanging up the phone, William was in high spirits. But soon, a look of vy appeared on his face. From the conversation, he knew that David had caught the eye of Deputy Director Donald. That was a Deputy Director with high status and substantial power at headquarters! If David could maintain his performance, and with the Deputy Director''s patronage, a meteoric rise was a certainty! Putting his thoughts aside, William stood up. He needed to share this news with David to give the young man a bit of motivation! Quickly, he arrived at the door of David''s office. After knocking and hearing "Come in," he pushed the door op and tered. Upon seeing William, David immediately stood up, but William gestured for him to sit down. He first inquired about the source of the over $3.8 million in taxes and, after hearing the full story, he th asked: "David, do you know who just called me?" David asked curiously, "Who?" "Deputy Director Donald from headquarters. You''ve heard of him, right?" "Deputy Director Donald, of course, I''ve heard of him!" As one of the drafters of the ck Tax Law, David was certainly aware of him. "He thinks highly of you and wants you to perform well!" Davids was tak aback upon hearing this, th his heart began to swell with joy. Although there were five Deputy Directors at Washington D.C. Headquarters, Donald was the one in charge of the ck Tax Law, and his power was far greater than the other four directors. Now that his name was remembered by the Deputy Director, if he could continue to maintain such a standard of tax performance, his career was destined for rapid advancemt. "Alright, th I won''t disturb you any longer, carry on with your work!" ... At the Begio Hotel, in front of a presidtial suite. Seeing Baldwin''s arrival, the bodyguard at the door immediately oped it, allowing him try. Inside the room, a man with slicked-back hair wearing a vest sat with his legs crossed on the sofa, while Dietery on his back on a massage chair, letting the masseuse knead his body. "Mister Ditter, I''ve retrieved the goods; they''re being processed in our warehouse!" "Good job, Baldwin. You were lucky this time. If you lose the goods again, you won''t be so fortunate!" Baldwin inwardlyined. He had spt $.58 million to recover the goods, lucky his ass! Although he thought this, he dared not go into detail about the incidt and instead swiftly changed the subject: "Mister Ditter, Director David from the Internal Revue Service said to meet him before 6 o''clock tonight, or else..." At the d, Baldwin dared not continue. Dieter pushed away the masseuse behind him, turned a, and red macingly at him, demanding, "Or else what?" "Or else... they won''t be so courteous to you..." Possibly out of sheer fear, Baldwin hung his head low after speaking. "Damn it, what is the IRS to be discourteous to me, do they know who I am?!" As Dieter raged, Baldwin didn''t dare to ev breathe heavily. But the slick-haired man on the sofa couldn''t stay seated any longer, interrupting, "Baldwin, tell me the whole story in detail!" His name was Sapir, awyer, mainly responsible for helping Dieter manage funds, as well as strategizing. He found out about the stol goods only this morning. But as to how they were stol, since Dieter partied too hard the previous night, he didn''t convey much information. "Well, wer''t we trading with the Mexico Gangst night? Th the IRS suddly emerged, imed they had this ck Tax Law, and told us to pay taxes..." After hearing Baldwin''s exnation, Sapir understood the tire affair. As an attorney, he had indeed heard of the ck Tax Law. But what he did not expect was for the IRS to use thisw against them so swiftly. After pondering for a momt, Sapir looked at Dieter and suggested, "Mister Dieter, the IRS is no joke. From what I know, they''ve be vigorously promoting thisw rectly, so I rmd you talk to them!" "To hell with talking, are you out of your mind? In this part of Las Vegas, who do I need to talk to?" Chapter 100: Chapter 91: Attention from the Headquarters_2 After being scolded so harshly, Sapir frowned. He knew that in America, Native Americans had many privileges. In Las Vegas, the Omaha Family was thergest Indian Tribe, with power and influce, which led to Ditter developing such an arrogant character. But facing the police or ev the FBI, Ditter''s arrogance wasn''t really a problem. With his family''s influce, they could usually smooth things over. But now they were facing the IRS! These people were ruthless wh it came to collecting taxes. What was most crucial was that the IRS had its own courts,wyers, judges, and other facilities, and ev more outrageously, they had their own private armed forces. How could you, a Native American, no matter how tough your bones or how many people and how much influce you had, withstand a salvo from that massive private army? Of course, he wouldn''t say this directly to Ditter. Because he was well aware of the guy''s cruel nature, and if he really said that, it was tirely possible for the guy to shoot him dead with a single bullet. In the d, he could only say in an indirect way, "The IRS just wants to collect some taxes, we''ve already paid plty in Lake District, so let''s just consider it as giving them a gift..." "Taxes? Wh have you ever se our Native Americans pay taxes?" "Giving them a gift? I''ll give them a piece of my mind, they dare to snatch my goods, I''d be letting them off easy if I don''t wipe them out!" Ditter''s words left Sapir speechless. Indeed, Native Americans had tax privileges, but those only applied towful ie. This ck taxw clearly targeted illegal ie, and the privileges of Native Americans surely couldn''t dodge it. Forget it, since this guy wouldn''t list, there was no point in saying more! ... Time flew, and before long it was eving. At the Lake District Sub-Bureau, after an afternoon of organizing, David had nned the uing case actions from the information provided by the CIA. Stretchingnguidly, he looked at his watch and his expression darked wh he saw it was 5:30. It seemed that Ditter really didn''t n to meet him! Or did he think that just because he had the status of a Native American, he could rest easy? As he was deep in thought, the door oped, and Nis came in carrying a bag from McDonald''s, cing it on the desk, "Have something to eat!" It was already past time to get off work, but he knew that since Ditter hadn''te yet, today''s evts were far from over. David oped the bag and took out a burger for a few bites, th asked, "Which of Ditter''s spots in Lake District is the biggest?" After thinking for a momt, Nis answered, "The biggest would be the DA Nightclub." "Go to Judge Kiesa''s ce, have him sign a seizure order, and also, notify everyone to get ready and arm up!" "Understood!" ... DA Nightclub. It was now 6 o''clock, and although the club was not yet op for business, it was already brightly lit. Loads of dancers and hostesses were sitting in the booths, listing as the manager on stage gave the day''s assignmts. Just th, a waiter ran in hastily, shouting, "Bad news, lots of armed people have arrived outside..." Upon hearing this, the dancers and hostesses immediately panicked. And a bouncer with tattooed arms shouted, "Brothers, arm yourselves..." No sooner had he spok than Buckynison and others burst in with rifles, scanning for threats while warning, "Nobody move, we''re from the IRS, here for a routine inspection!" Learning it was the IRS, everyone on the sce breathed a sigh of relief. They thought they were about to face a raid. But soon after, many on the sce became puzzled. You say you''re from the IRS to do an inspection, fine, but whye fully armed? Are you trying to scare us to death? Watching the situation being controlled, David th walked in. [Name: Julian Borg.] [upation: Hostess.] [Monthly Ie: Legitimate ie $3,000, illegal ie $36,000.] [Ie Details: December 3rd, provided services to a clit, profit $,000, December 6th, provided services to a clit, profit $,00...] [More Details:...] [Amount of Tax Due: $3,600 US Dor.] ... [Name: Emily Emanuel.] [upation: Hostess.] [Monthly Ie: Legal ie $3,000 US Dor, illegal ie $4,000 US Dor.] [Ie Details: December 4th, provided contraband to a clit, profit $300 US Dor, provided services to a clit, profit $,000 US Dor, December 6th, provided contraband to a clit, profit $500 US Dor...] [More Details:...] [Amount of Tax Due: $6,300 US Dor.] ... [...] David nced roughly over the information of the people at the sce and quickly came to a geral conclusion. In America, Nevada State is the only state where selling sex is legal. However, it''s worth mtioning that Las Vegas is not within the legal selling sex areas of Nevada State. Therefore, the money these hostesses made from selling sex should also be subject to tax by the IRS. That was also a significant finding! "What''s going on with your IRS, we have special policies here, we don''t need to pay the IRS!" At that momt, a man with a crew cut and in a suit walked over. [Name: Congreve rdon.] [upation: DA Nightclub manager.] [Monthly Ie: Legal ie $,000 US Dor, illegal ie $83,000 US Dor.] [Ie Details: December 3rd, earned amission of $,000 US Dor by selling contraband, earned amission of $3,000 US Dor by arranging for hostesses to provide services, December 4th...] [More Details:...] [Amount of Tax Due: $,450 US Dor.] "I know, I''m not here to collect taxes from your establishmt!" "Th what''s your purpose here?" "On the 3rd ofst month, our Congress passed a bill that from now on, whether it''s drug trafficking or selling sex, you need to pay the full amount of taxes to us, the IRS!" As soon as these words were uttered, the dancers and hostesses at the sce were in an uproar. Pay taxes to the IRS for selling sex? Could there be some mistake! After being stunned for quite a while, Congreve finally regained hisposure and said with a dark face, "Do you know whose establishmt this is?" "I do, Ditter Omaha, right?" "So you know, and you still dare to do this?" "His establishmt isn''t all that impressive!" David was here today specifically for Ditter. He had already put his word out there, and if this guy still wouldn''te to see him willingly, th it didn''t matter! He would shut down one of the guy''s establishmts every day, and he couldn''t believe that the guy could remain calm! "Alrightdies, everyone please leave here for now, starting today, this ce is to stop doing business!" Congreve, who was about to call Ditter, heard this and quickly put down his phone and asked, "What do you mean by this?" David took out a closure order and said, "This is a closure order issued by Judge Kiesa, we now suspect your establishmt of tax evasion and hereby temporarily close it down!" "You..." Congreve was raged, their establishmt had be operating here for years, and no departmt had ever dared to cause trouble here, let alonee straight out saying it was going to be closed down. "Alright, you just wait!" Congreve picked up the phone and walked to one side. Meanwhile, over at the Begio Hotel. "What did you say? They have a closure order? Who issued it? Judge Kiesa? Alright, I got it, I''ll call you backter!" Sapir put down the phone, walked to where Ditter, who was dining, and said, "We have trouble, Mr. Ditter, the IRS is preparing to close down our DA Nightclub." Chapter 101: Chapter 92: Seal a Venue Every Day "Bang!" As Dieter was joying his steak, his right hand, holding a fork and knife, mmed down on the te upon hearing those words; the te shattered instantly. Th, his face contorted with rage, he stood up, walked to the counter, picked up his gold pistol, and was ready to leave. Seeing this, Sapir panicked and quickly stood up to block the way, "Dieter, what are you nning to do?" "They''re closing my club, I''m going to make them pay with their lives!" Everyone in Las Vegas knew that DA was his club. If it were shut down, where would Dieter''s face be? And what about the reputation of the Omaha Family? "Don''t be rash, Dieter. List to me, the IRS came fully armed. If you go over there and there''s a conflict, if they just..." Sapir originally meant to say that if you go like this, the IRS will just shoot you dead, and you''ll have died in vain. But realizing this might further agitate the already raged Dieter, he had to change his words to, "In any case, if you go like this, it will be very dangerous!" "Besides, the IRS is acting under official auspices, and if you go there with guns zing, it will provoke outrage from official circles and the public!" "It might ev impact the reputation of your Omaha Family." "Let me handle this. You just stay here and wait for news!" Sapir knew Dieter''s personality well. He knew that it wouldn''t be easy to calm down a furious Dieter; only bringing up the Omaha Family could somewhat cool his temper. Sure ough, hearing that the family''s reputation could be impacted, Dieter calmed down somewhat. "Alright, Sapir, you''d better handle this!" Hearing these words, Sapir finally sighed with relief, immediately left the hotel, and got into his car. On the way to DA Nightclub, he dialed a number and instructed, "Find out what kind of person Judge Kiesa is and whether he takes bribes!" His idea was simple. The IRS could close down their nightclub because they had a judge''s closure order. If he could get to this judge and have him withdraw the order, th the IRS wouldn''t be able to proceed with the shutdown. About sev to eight minutester, Kiesa''s phone rang again. But upon hearing the response on the other d of the line, his face instantly soured. This person called Judge Kiesa was the IRS''s designated judge. He might have managed to handle an ordinary judge. But this Kiesa belonged to the IRS, he wouldn''t help an outsider like him against his own people! With no other choice, Sapir could only go there with a thick face and see if there was a better solution. ... DA Nightclub. Under the expulsion of Nisbaki and others, the tire ce''s dancers,dies, waiters, and bouncers were all driv to the door. Next, Simmons closed the tworge doors and Ariel took out the IRS''s special seal and affixed it across the doors. Afterpleting these tasks, David approached the group of dancers anddies, raising his voice, "You all heard what I said just now." "Before the 3rd ofst month, whatever illegal gains you made, we won''t demand more from you!" "But from the 3rd to now, the illegal earnings you''ve made, you have to turn in honestly to me tomorrow, and it will be the same every month from now on!" The dancers anddies on site exchanged bewildered looks. Soon, a mixed-racedy stood up to protest, "Sir, this is the blood and sweat money we earned by selling our bodies and souls, you can''t just plunder it like this!" Her protest quickly garnered support from the other dancers anddies prest. They had earned their money through hard work, wasn''t it easy? The IRS, on the other hand, breezed in here and now demanded their money with a mere word, who would agree to that? "Plunder?" David''s face grew cold as he said, "Do you think that you can make so much money every day because of the wonderful tform your boss Dieter has created for you?" "If that''s what you think, you are gravely mistak!" "Without the taxes collected by our IRS to build this city, construct roads, manage public transport, and pay governmt employees'' sries and bonuses, would this city be so prosperous?" "Would people from all over the worlde here for tourism, incidtally seeking you out for tertainmt, allowing you to rake in hefty profits?" "Now we are only asking you to pay a little in taxes, to give back to society, and you''re unwilling?" The group of dancers anddies were left speechless by this rebuttal. The prosperity of Las Vegas drawing visitors from all a the world, thus abling them to earn a good ie every day, was indeed something they could not dispute. "It''s all right if you really don''t want to pay!" "For those who only want to earn money from this country without wanting to contribute, we''ll show no licy. All foreign personnel, or those who came with gre cards, will be expelled from the country after tax evasion is confirmed!" "Additionally, any funds in ounts will bepletely froz!" After saying this, David turned his head to look at Nis and said, "Go find the managerter and ask for detailed information on these people!" "Understood!" At that momt, all the dancers anddies fell silt, and those who had led the protests also started burying their heads like ostriches. Many of them had tered the country illegally. Having be ustomed to earning big money here, if they were expelled and st back to their impoverished home countries, they might as well be dead. Chapter 102: Chapter 92: Seal a Venue Every Day_2 As for those who have American citizship, they are ev less likely to protest. Because once the National Tax Bureau targets them, ev if they want to spd money in the future, they''ll probably have to do it with the same fear and trepidation as criminals. In any case, no matter how you look at it. It might be somewhat difficult for the National Tax Bureau to go after their boss, Dieter. But for these powerless and low-status dancing girls, it''s very easy! "Okay, since no one has any problems, go home!" "As for wh you can start working again, that depds on mymunication with your boss." "If you really can''t work here, th you just have to switch to another ce, which shouldn''t be too hard for you!" Ev though DA''s ce has closed, the customer flow will not change. If guests can''te to this ce, they will definitely go to other ces to have fun. And with other ces expericing a surge in traffic, they will certainly need to expand their staff of dancers and hostesses. So, these people might have lost their jobs here, but if they want to work, it''s very easy to get started elsewhere. Watching the girls and dancers being driv away, Congreve''s heart bled as he looked on, yet he was helpless. But fortunately, it wasn''t long before the arrival of a car finally gave him a pir of support. The person was other than Sapir. "Mr. Sapir, you''ve finally arrived. Look at our ce..." Sapir looked at the door sealed with tape and th turned his head toward David, who was not far away, and walked over with a grim face. [Name: Sapir Spildo.] [upation: Lawyer.] [Monthly ie: Legal ie two thousand US dors, illegal ie four hundred and thirty thousand US dors.] [Ie details: Bonuses andmissions obtained through helping Dieter with moneyundering, ounting, and group operations...] [More details:...] [Tax payable: One hundred and thirty thousand six hundred and eighty US dors.] As Sapir approached him, David sized up the other man. Wh he realized that this was Dieter''s trustedwyer, Sapir, his expression flickered instantly. The data provided by the intelligce departmt of the bureau initially showed that Dieter''s illegal ie was a three million US dors a month. But now, by reviewing this guy''s information, he discovered that Dieter''s ie was not just three million, but closer to eight million! That means, if he could take down this Dieter, it would be a baseline tax revue of more than three million dors. And that''s just for Dieter himself. If he could also sweep up Sapir, Baldwin, and all those underlings, the tax revue could reach a total of five million US dors! Such arge sum of tax revue made ev David excited siltly at this momt. His tax performance was already over three million eight hundred thousand, and by closing this case, it would be over eight million. Maybe this assessmt period he could break through to a tax performance of t million! Just imagine, the National Tax Bureau Lake District Sub-Bureau, a branch that doesn''t rank nationally, would create a ssation if he, alone, in one assessmt period, gerated t million in under-the-table tax revue! "You must be Director David. My name is Sapir, and I''m thewyer for this nightclub!" Sapir had alreadye to David''s side and introduced himself. "Mr. Sapir, right? What would you like to ask?" "I want to see your closure order!" David didn''t refuse and directly took it out of his pocket and handed it to him. After carefully examining it, Sapir indeed found the closure order, but as awyer, he still found an attack point on it and immediately queried, "It''s writt here, ''suspected of tax evasion.'' ording to American Federationw, without direct evidce or witness testimony, you can''t use this as a basis to issue a closure order!" "You want direct evidce, right?" David smirked disdainfully and first looked toward a lookout not too far away before turning to Bucky, "Search him!" Bucky stepped forward immediately. The lookout tried to resist at first, but seeing Nis and the others'' rifles ''itching for action,'' he had no choice but to submit. Soon Bucky found a pack of cigarettes, a bundle of cash, and a butterfly knife on the lookout. Th Bucky oped the cigarette pack and, while spilling out a few cigarettes, also discovered several baggies of powder. David walked over, picked up the powder, and said to Sapir, "Mr. Sapir, what do you think this is? Does this count as evidce?" Sapir frowned and retorted, "You are from the National Tax Bureau, not the police. This kind of thing shouldn''t count as direct evidce, right?" David wasn''t in a hurry to counter; he took the cash and said, "And this?" After speaking, he looked at the lookout, "Don''t tell me you found this money, right? Or is this tax-paid wages?" "This..." The lookout didn''t know how to respond and could only look desperately at Sapir for help. Of course, the money wasn''t found, nor was it his legal wage, but earnings from selling the powder. "Since you can''t exin the source, it proves that this money is untaxed!" David turned to Sapir, asking, "Mr. Sapir, does this count as evidce now? Is the tax evasion confirmed?" Sapir was left red-faced and speechless. Of course, he knew that ording to the provisions of the undered iew, they indeed had evaded taxes. But he was betting that David did not have any actual evidce at the momt. Unexpectedly, David directly used an underling''s unounted-for money as evidce for this closure. Chapter 103: Chapter 92: Seal a Venue Every Day_3 This might seem a bit far-fetched, but isn''t it clear that they are determined to get them, what more evidence do they need? Evidence? It''s nothing more than just finding some random excuse, that''s all! Gathering his scattered thoughts, Sapir continued, "Fine, if you insist on seizing this ce in one go, then that''s somewhat justifiable." "But first, I want to make it clear that this club''s legal person is not Mister Ditter, which means, tax evasion has nothing to do with Mister Ditter." "Additionally, Mister Ditter is a Native American, and ording to the American Federationw, Native Americans enjoy tax privileges, hence your summons for Mister Ditter might not necessarily requirepliance!" Since the IRS is set on seizing this club, what''s crucial for him now isn''t to quibble here but to first get Ditter out of the picture! "Who are you trying to fool, even if he''s not the legal person, everyone knows that DA is Ditter''s club!" Nisen couldn''t hold back and retorted directly. "Knowing it is one thing, but that cannot serve as legal evidence. Only the legal representative is recognized by thew, understand?" Sapir looked at Nisen with a provocative gaze, as though saying, you at the IRS might have great authority, but do you really think you can outmaneuver me in a legal fight? Nisen indeed felt stumped by those words, with a stern face, he didn''t know how to respond. At that moment, David spoke up, "No matter, since you say Ditter is not the legal person, let''s just assume he''s not for now!" "And if you say my summoning of Ditter may not beplied with, that''s fine too, but today we''re only seizing DA, and maybe tomorrow it will be ''Jia Ren'', ''Night Scene''... all these clubs!" Sapir''s face darkened again. Of course, he understood that David was threatening him; as long as Ditter did not voluntarilye to the IRS for a talk, this seizure operation would continue indefinitely. And now, with just one club being seized, Ditter was already furious. If they were all to be seized... Sapir dared not continue that thought and quickly adjusted his thoughts, hastily saying, "Director David, you can''t just focus on the ck market and ignore the on-the-books taxes. If all these clubs are seized, do you know how much legitimate tax revenue your IRS will lose?" The clubs'' legal persons have Indian backgrounds, so there are special policies regarding their ie for tax purposes. But for the staff inside, if they are not Native Americans, they don''t have any tax privileges, and they still need to pay the correct amount of tax on their wages each month. In addition, the clubs'' liquor, fruit, and various other supplies also involve arge supply chain. This supply chain can also generate tax revenue for the IRS. So, if all these clubs were seized, it would definitely have a significant impact on the IRS''s legitimate tax revenue. "I''m well aware, which is why you should advise your boss to pay up the taxes, and everybody can live in peace, right? Isn''t that the best choice?" David''s words made Sapir very angry in his heart. If he were Ditter, being targeted by the IRS like this, he might consider paying taxes. But unfortunately, he''s not. And Ditter, such an arrogant and stubborn person, paying taxes obediently to the IRS? That''s less likely than killing him! With this in mind, he spoke up again, "Director David, do you know how many people in the Lake District rely on these clubs for their livelihoods, and how many benefit from them? "If these clubs were really seized, and affected everyone''s interests, even though the IRS is powerful, it might not be able to smooth things over!" David chuckled dismissively, replying, "Well, if anyone''s interests are affected, they cane and have a talk with me at the IRS!" He was actually hoping for these people toe to him. That could mean a nice sum of taxes! "You..." Seeing his various threats were fruitless, Sapir felt dizzy with rage, and for a moment, he didn''t know how to continue. "Mister Sapir, please go back and have a proper talk with Ditter. Our IRS only wants his taxes, not his life!" "Paying a bit of money in exchange for peace; business can continue to thrive, that''s the best choice!" David had no intention of continuing this pointless argument and, leaving those words behind, led his team away. ... The next day, the Lake District Sub-Bureau weed arge number of women. These women were none other than the hostesses and dancers from yesterday''s DA Nightclub seizure operation. To prevent them from underreporting their ie, David personally took charge in the Inspector''s Office on the third floor. As expected, he soon caught several hostesses trying to underreport their earnings. After he pinpointed the discrepancies with the use of his "golden finger" function and handed out severe penalties, the rest of the hostesses and dancers fell in line, no longer daring to underreport and paid up the correct amount of taxes. Thanks to the team''s busy work, the specific tax amount wasputed swiftly. From this group of hostesses and dancers, a total of $369,000 in taxes was collected. Compared to the more than $3 million that David received the day before, this amount might not seem much, but it truly astonished the other teams. The reason was simple. All squads have collected taxes from prostitutes, or dancers before, but the amount of taxes they collected, let''s just take a one-to-one ratio for argument''s sake, was less than half of what David''s squad took in today. How could this not make them question their existence? Of course, if they knew about David''s golden finger bug, they might not have been so surprised. Back in the office. Seeing the total tax figure of $369,000, David was generally satisfied. He wasn''t stingy either, allocating $30,000 in tax credits to each of the four teams, which made them quietly happy. Chapter 104: Chapter 93: Kill David? "Dieter''s side is tightening the screws; if he still hasn''te by 6 p.m. today, we''ll proceed as usual!" "Understood!" Everyone responded in unison. ¡­ Time flew by, and soon, it was evening. David nced at his watch; it was 5:30 p.m. It seemed that sealing off the DA Nightclub hadn''t made Dieter budge! If that was the case, there was no need for courtesy! David immediately went to the third-floor Inspector''s Office, where he first had Nisen drive to Judge Kiesa to sign a new sealing order, and then he ordered everyone to prepare their weapons and gear for action. In this brief window, Selina, who hadn''t left yet, came to him and requested, "Director David, I''ve been at the department for several days and haven''t apanied you on a mission yet. Could you let me join and see what it''s like this time?" Hearing this, David fell silent. Megan had already instructed him to assign Selina some clerical tasks to avoid any idents. And this operation... there were indeed certain risks involved¡­ "Director David, I just want to observe your case-handling procedures, don''t worry, I won''t cause you any trouble," she assured. Hearing Selina''s request again, David found it difficult to refuse and could only remind her, "This is aw enforcement action against criminals; there may be some danger. Are you sure you want to go?" "So far nationwide, there has never been an incident where a tax inspector was killed by criminals. I don''t think I''ll be that unlucky!" "Alright¡­" David turned to Bucky andmanded, "Get her a bulletproof vest!" ¡­ The Nightshade Club, Dieter''s secondrgest venue. Due to the DA''s closure, arge number of hostesses and dancers were transferred here to make do for the time being. Meanwhile inside, the club''s manager was exining the rules and responsibilities to the newly arrived dancers and hostesses. But the very next second, Nisenbaki and others burst in with their guns drawn. "Nobody move, we are tax inspectors from the IRS, and we suspect your establishment of tax evasion. Everyone, go outside and line up now¡­" "¡­" While the sealing of the Nightshade was conducted smoothly, At the same time, within the presidential suite of the Begio Hotel, "Bang!" Upon receiving the news that a second venue got sealed by the IRS, Dieter smashed his phone fiercely onto the ground, his face twisted in fury. And not far from him, Sapir looked like a deted eggnt. Having failed to resolve the DA''s closure yesterday and being almost skinned alive by Dieter when he reported back, he dared not step forward again. "Where''s the Virginia man?" Virginia was one of Dieter''s top four henchmen. The bodyguard replied, "He''s on his way now." About ten minutester, A man with the same skin color as Dieter and wearing the distinctive braids of Native Americans walked in. After arriving in front of Dieter, he reported, "It''s clear now, the IRS has been wanting to take us down but never found an entry point. This David has just been promoted from inspector, and he''spetent, having caught many criminals in the Lake District. Our case is also under his supervision¡­" With murderous intent, Dieter asked, "So you''re saying if it weren''t for him, the IRS wouldn''t be able to touch us?!" "Whether it can be handled or not is hard to say, but it definitely won''t be as easy as it is now!" "Fine, then find someone to take him out!" Virginia seemed to have anticipated Dieter''s response, replying, "I''ve already prepared someone for the job!" "Then what are we waiting for, do it!" Sapir, who had been burying his head in the sand, couldn''t sit still any longer upon hearing this, and hurried over, saying, "Dieter, Virginia, what are you doing?" "That damn bastard won''t let me be, so I''ll send him to meet Jesus!" "What, you''re going to kill him? Are you out of your mind... Dieter, listen to me, you can''t kill someone from the tax bureau, let alone the Chief Tax Officer!" Sapir was really anxious. He never expected Dieter to be so heartless and actually daring to kill someone from the tax bureau. That''s a massive organization with private armed forces! If they really provoke the other party into deploying armed forces, ten lives wouldn''t be enough for them! "Hmph, what''s the tax bureau to me? Even if I kill him, who would know it was my doing?" "At worst, I''ll just spend some money afterwards, nobody wants to stick their neck out for a dead person!" In Dieter''s view, killing David would deter the others at the tax bureau from investigating him and alleviate the current crisis of constant crackdowns on his establishments. Sapir was utterly speechless at Dieter''s foolish thought process. If they''re already investigating you and someone suddenly gets assassinated, even a ghost would know it was your doing! And spending money afterwards as if it''s no big deal. The tax bureau''s new "ck taxw" has just been enacted, and it''s currently a period of strict enforcement nationwide. If a Chief Tax Officer is killed while enforcing thisw, it would be tantamount to pping the tax bureau in the face; there''s no way they would just let it go! They will definitely make a big deal out of it, to serve as a warning to others! How can this guy not understand such a simple logic? Does he really think his Native American heritage makes him untouchable? Or has he fried his brain with drugs? Although he was very dissatisfied with Dieter''s foolish actions, if this incident really happened, as a member of the Ditter Group, Sapir definitely couldn''t escape responsibility. He could only continue to advise, "Dieter, you can''t do this, it will bring disaster to your family. We can find another way to solve this..." "Fake, shut your mouth." Dieter, enraged, pulled out a gun and pressed it against Sapir''s forehead. He was a pure-bred racist; to him, family was holy and invible! Yet Sapir was saying his family would face disaster, which was enough to enrage him. "Don''t be rash Dieter, we''re all on the same side..." Virginia also couldn''t sit still in such a situation and quickly stood up to mediate. Dieter slowly put down his gun, cursing, "If you were any good, DA wouldn''t have been raided by those damn people yesterday. Get out!" Sapir gave Dieter aplicated look, then walked out of the room with a face full of helplessness and immediately took out his phone, dialing a number: "Book me a ticket to China as fast as possible!" He was well aware that no matter whether they could take out David or not, this matter would not end well. Once the tax bureau started investigating, everyone involved would be in trouble. So he was nning to flee. Why flee to China? Because the tax bureau''s power was immense, and he was worried about being extradited back, while China and America had no extradition treaty! Chapter 105: Chapter 94: The Start of Counter-Terrorism? Nightshade Club. With the doors sealed by the exclusive seal of the Tax Bureau, it signified that the nightclub was officially shut down. "Lots of familiar faces here today, I''m sorry to disturb your employment, but there''s no helping it, thew is merciless!" David expressed his regret to the hostesses and dancers from the DA who hade there to work, then turned to the new faces and said, "You all know about the DA affair, I assume. Let''s all cooperate and pay the taxes due at our Tax Bureau tomorrow. Alright, everyone go home!" With the example of DA before them. Therefore, even if the dancers and hostesses harbored grievances, they dared not say more and could only disperse one after another. When most of the people had gone, Nisen stepped forward and said, "Chief Tax Officer, something doesn''t seem right. There has been no reaction at all from Dieter''s side." When they had shut down DA yesterday, Dieter had at least sent Sapir over. But today, with the shutdownplete, there was still no response from Dieter''s side, which struck Nisen as somewhat abnormal. David''s face showed contemtion, and after a moment he replied, "Whatever he''s thinking, as long as he doesn''tpromise, I''ll keep sealing up one of his clubs every day. I don''t believe he can keep his cool for long!" "Understood!" David walked up to Selina and asked, "This is how we handle cases. How about it, anyments?" "Is this how direct the Tax Bureau always handles cases?" Actually, Selina wanted to describe it as ''overbearing.'' Why say so? Possibly because she had less previous contact with the Tax Bureau. In her experience, unless it was a direct life threat, be it the police or the FBI, investigations tended to emphasize evidence and a more democratic process. After all, we''re in the inte age now. As a member ofw enforcement, if you took even a slightly rougher approach, once someone uploaded it online, it could immediately provoke public opinion. But today, seeing the site with her own eyes, she realized David''s investigative approach couldn''t be further from democratic; it was just short of putting a gun to someone''s head. Moreover, in terms of evidence, there seemed to be none; entirely relying on a special warrant, they had shut down a sprawling club, which was somewhat unsettling for her as she was new to the Tax Bureau system. David, hearing the implication in her words, patiently exined, "Selina, I think you first need to understand who we are dealing with here!" "When dealing withw-abiding citizens, of course, we can''t adopt such overbearing methods!" "But when confronting these criminals, we must be firm, otherwise you can''t intimidate them, and naturally, they won''t pay their taxes willingly, understand?" At that moment, Selina finally came to her senses. That''s indeed the case... The people they were dealing with weren''t ordinary; these were unscrupulous criminals motivated by profit. If they stillmunicated with such individuals in the usual way, it certainly wouldn''t work. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures! With that, Selina tacitly epted David''s methods, and then she asked, "Like today, what if these criminals still refuse to pay taxes?" David smiled and exined, "Refuse? We have many ways to ''help'' them. For instance, the mostmon method is to arrest them first and then check their ounts. If there''s money, we can freeze it directly." "If not, we''ll see what assets they have, apply for an auction order or something of the sort, and turn those assets into tax revenue." "If they have no assets either, then let them borrow from loan sharks or whatever!" "In any case, when dealing with these criminals, don''t think about talking to them about human rights. The day they stepped onto the path of crime, they should have considered the possibility of being preyed upon." "Rather than being preyed upon by others, it''s better to be preyed upon by our Tax Bureau, at least that way they''re indirectly contributing to this country, this society!" Selina had been taught a lesson and nodded, "I understand, Director David!" "Good that you do!" David turned around and said to everyone, "That''s it for today, pack it up!" ... After returning to the office and storing away the equipment, David took a ride in Nisen''s car back to his own apartment building. "See you tomorrow." Leaving this sentence behind, David prepared to go upstairs. Just as Nisen was about to drive away, a phone call suddenly halted his movement. He picked it up and had just exchanged a few words when he noticed a motorcycle driving past. The motorcycle rider wore a helmet and a ck jacket, but the right side of the jacket seemed bulging, which immediately caught Nisen''s attention. Before he could continue observing, the next second, the man stopped his bike, unzipped the jacket, and pulled out a small submachine gun, aiming it at David who was ready to go upstairs. Witnessing this scene, Nisen was shocked, but his Marine experience enabled him to react in an instant. He drew his sidearm wildly, without even having time to aim, and based on his instincts, he pulled the trigger at the man. As Nisen fired, the gunman also squeezed the trigger at the nearby David. Fortunately, Nisen''s bullet was just 0.001 seconds faster, hitting the man''s shoulder and causing his shot to veer off,nding half a meter in front of David. Chapter 106: Chapter 94: The Start of Counter-Terrorism?_2 At this moment, David, who was about to go up the stairs, finally reacted and immediately turned around to draw his service pistol. Soon, he saw the man lying on the ground not far away, and seeing Nisen still sitting in the car, he instantly understood everything! He had been attacked! And Nisen had seemingly saved his life! His thoughts shing by, David aimed at the man on the ground while rushing forward, and Nisen also got out of the car and joined him in the charge. The man on the ground tried to pick up the gun to resist, but Nisen kicked his wrist, causing the gun to fall to the ground. [Name: Iman Prich.] [upation: Assassin.] [Monthly Ie: Sixty Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: December 7th, instructed by Virginia, killed the owner of the Lake District Paris Nightclub, profited Ten Thousand US dors, December 23rd, instructed by Virginia, killed a wealthy businessman, profited Ten Thousand US dors...] [More Details...] [Tax Due: Fifteen Thousand US dors.] "You dare to kill someone from the IRS, tell me, who sent you!" As Nisen interrogated the man, David also used his golden finger to quickly read the man''s information, darkening his expression as he did so. He knew Virginia, one of the four under Dieter''smand. This guy instructing the man before him to kill him was certainly Dieter''s doing! David had thought Dieter, though audacious, would not dare to have him killed at this critical juncture. After all, he was investigating Dieter for tax evasion; if anything happened, everyone would know it had something to do with Dieter! But now, it seemed he had underestimated Dieter''s audacity! "David, he''s definitely one of Dieter''s men!" Even though the man was clenching his teeth, Nisen was not a fool, he wondered why during their seizure of the nightclub, Dieter had shown no reaction. Apparently, Dieter had already nned for this! "Call an ambnce first!" Initially, David''s n was to coerce Dieter into paying his taxes; he had no intention of actually causing his death. After all, there was no personal vendetta between them. As long as Dieter was willing to pay his taxes honestly, then David would get his revenue, the IRS would have a substantial amount of taxesing in every month, and everyone would be happy. But now, not only was Dieter unwilling to pay the taxes, he had actually tried to have him killed, which meant David could not be lenient. He had to kill this "chicken" to warn those criminals that resorting to such methods would have grave consequences! Just as David was caught in his thoughts, his phone rang, interrupting him. He picked it up and saw that it was a call from his team member Ariel and quickly answered, "Speak!" "Director David, Immigration just called me, saying Sapir has booked a ticket to China!" While investigating the Dieter case, David had instructed his team to not only focus on Dieter but also keep an eye on his key personnel to prevent them from fleeing. So now that Sapir was trying to run, he naturally couldn''t escape the surveince of the IRS system. "Notify Simmons to intercept him and bring him to our IRS interrogation room!" The appearance of this assassin,bined with Sapir''s attempt to flee, quickly led David to surmise the reason. Unlike Dieter, Sapir was awyer and a smart man. He knew exactly what the response would be if an IRS director was assassinated, so the best course of action for self-preservation was to flee! But David naturally would not let him escape; he was one of the weapons to be used against Dieter. Rescue operations in America are very quick. In the few minutes that David had been on the phone, the ambnce arrived at the scene. And apanying the ambnce was a police car. The car door opened and two officers stepped out. To the slight surprise of Nisen and David, these officers were none other than Smith''s subordinates, Wade and Balk. Approaching Wade Balk, who upon seeing David also looked perplexed. They were patrolling nearby and had received a call from a concerned citizen about a shooting here, so they immediately rushed over. But they hadn''t expected to find the one person they least wanted to see! However, wait a moment... A shooting? Wade and Balk nced at the motorcycle on the ground, the submachine gun that had fallen, and then at the gunman. Suddenly, a thought urred to them. This gunman... could he have been here to kill David? Obviously, they knew about the IRS''s investigation into Dieter. Could it be... this gunman was sent by Dieter? Realizing this possibility, a surge of shock washed over them! If that were the case, this was serious trouble! "Isn''t that Officers Wade, Balk!" Hearing Nisen''s words, the two men came back to reality, and Wade spoke, "I received a report from the citizens that there was a shooting here. What happened, Inspector Nisen, Director David, are you both alright, what happened here?" Nisen pointed at the man and said with a snort, "This guy dared to try to murder our Chief Tax Officer in broad daylight!" Nisen''s words confirmed the officers'' suspicions. Balk then stepped to the side, dialed a number, and said, "We''ve got trouble chief, Director David of the IRS has been the target of an assassination attempt..." Chapter 107: Chapter 94: The Start of Counter-Terrorism?_3 Lake District Police Station, within Smith''s office. Hearing these words, Smith''s expression changed dramatically as he asked anxiously, "What''s the situation? Who did it? Is David still alive?" "David is fine, as for who did it, I think in the entire Lake District, the only one capable of such a thing besides Dieter is no one else, and he also has the strongest motive!" Smith''s face twisted in rage as he roared, "Fake Yau, this damn bastard, he''s going to get us killed sooner orter!" Balk asked timidly, "Then Chief, what should we do?" "Is the gunman still alive?" "He''s not fatally wounded, he should survive." "Then take him into custody for now, and wait for my instructions!" "This... okay!" Although, a case like this involving a shooting should be within their police jurisdiction. But this clearly touched on the assassination of someone from the National Revenue Service, how could the IRS possibly let them handle it all? But there was no helping it, hearing how enraged Smith was, he had to agree despite his reluctance. Balk returned to the scene, where the gunman had already received some basic aid and was being prepared for transfer onto the ambnce. He immediately said to David, "Rest assured, Director David, Lake District is under our jurisdiction. Such an incident happening in broad daylight, we will get to the bottom of it and give you an exnation!" David narrowed his eyes and said to Nisen, "Follow them to the hospital, keep an eye on him!" Both Wade and Balk were Smith''s men. And as far as he knew, Smith and Dieter also had a beneficial rtionship. It was necessary to prevent the gunman from being silenced! "Understood!" Nisen saw what David was getting at and immediately agreed. On their end, both Balk and Wade looked grave, but in the end, they didn''t dare to object. ... Begio Hotel. Virginia, having hung up the phone, said to Dieter with a look of disappointment, "The n''s gone awry, Dieter..." "What did you say!" Dieter, with a start, stood up and grabbed Virginia by the cor, his eyes widened in rage and he bellowed, "What sort of people did you hire? That damn bastard isn''t invincible, how could they screw it up!" "Dieter, I... I..." Virginia was also frustrated and couldn''t muster an exnation. The hitman had served him for quite a while, and nearly every task had beenpleted impably; Virginia couldn''t understand what went wrong this time. He could only me it on David''s luck. "Get out of my way, let me see Mister Dieter!" ¡Ò@§ä¦Ò§ñ?¦Ã*-?§à!§è§Ô?$¦Å%-+ As the two were stuck in a stalemate, themotion outside the door caught their attention. A secondter, the bodyguard opened the door and said, "Mr. Dieter, Chief Smith is here to see you!" Dieter let go of Virginia, his impatience evident as he said, "Let him in..." Before he could finish speaking, Smith barged in swearing, "Are you out of your mind, or just in crazy? Such a big deal as shooting the Chief Tax Officer in the street, why didn''t you inform me?" Dieter gave no regard to Smith''s status, snapping back, "What are you, Smith, that I should take lessons from you?" Smith, already furious, became incensed upon hearing this and lunged forward, only to be swiftly intercepted by Virginia. But Smith still did not let it go, angrily spat out, "That''s the IRS, for Christ''s sake! Don''t drag us down with your damn death wish!" At that moment, he deeply regretted getting involved with Dieter. Because he knew full well that with David''s temperament, this matter would not end so easily. And with a high-profile IRS director assassinated in the street, the IRS definitely wouldn''t let it go either. If Dieter were to be caught, how could those with connections to him possibly escape? "So what about the IRS." Dieter continued with an unconcerned demeanor. Smith felt that Dieter''s stupidity was killing him, but he continued, "Dieter, you still don''t realize the gravity of this situation!" "They are armed!" "Why haven''t they touched you yet? They''re just gathering evidence to tax you!" "But now that you''ve assassinated someone from the IRS in the street, they won''t be so polite!" "They want your evidence for tax evasion to tax you, but for anti-terrorism, they just need your name!" "Don''t think that your Native American identity is a get-out-of-jail-free card." "Do you really think those few rusty guns of your Indian Tribe can stand up to the IRS''s elite armed forces?" Upon hearing his tribe insulted this way, Dieter flew into a rage, ready to grab the handgun on the table. Luckily, Virginia was quick to intervene, blocking him and saying, "Don''t be rash, Dieter!" After speaking, he waved at Smith to leave, "Chief Smith, please leave now!" Smith had no more patience to continue talking with the fool and immediately turned and walked out of the room, heading back to his car. After much deliberation, he still pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Meanwhile, at the Las Vegas City Council Office, within an office. "What''s going on, Smith?" "Senator Angstrom, there''s been an incident..." Over the phone, Smith ryed the whole story of David being stabbed. After listening, Senator Angstrom frowned, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "Don''t get involved in this matter!" "But Senator Angstrom, if Dieter is really caught by the IRS, given my rtionship with him, I''m afraid... I might get implicated..." Chapter 108: Chapter 95: The Situation Ferments, Dieter Returns to the Reservation Angstorm was silent for a moment before replying, "You guys have taken care of the ''handover'' beforehand, I''ll handle the rest!" "Handover..." Smith''s face showed his bitterness, but in the end, he agreed, "All right, Senator Angstorm, I know what to do!" After ending the call, Angstorm opened his address book, found a contact named ''Chief Gael Omaha'', and dialed the number. Before long, at the Begio Hotel. Virginia put down the phone, her face grave as she said to Dieter, "Dieter, it seems things might have really escted. Chief Gael wants you to return to the reservation immediately!" "What did you say?" "The Chieftain wants you to go back to the reservation, and it''s immediate!" Despite Dieter''s obvious annoyance¡ªa reaction he would typically vocalize with a curse at anyone else¡ª this wasn''t just the Chieftain of their tribe but also his uncle, so he suppressed his temper and reluctantly stood up to leave. ... National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch. "How is it, Chief Tax Officer, are you okay?" Upon seeing David''s arrival, Simmons and Ariel hurriedly came to greet him, asking with concern on their faces¡ªthey were evidently aware of the shooting incident. Although David had recently taken office, they had alreadye to regard him as a highlypetent boss. The reason was simple: under David''s leadership, they had achieved greater tax sess than ever before, surpassing the other inspectors in the bureau. "I''m fine. Is the person here?" "Yes, in the interrogation room." David nodded, then said, "Help me look up a person named Iman Prich from Somalia in Africa!" "Okay." Ariel immediately turned to carry out the task. David then entered the interrogation room, where the sight of him caused Sapir''s face to turn several shades paler. If David had died, that might have been better. At least the National Tax Bureau''s attention would certainly have centered on dealing with Dieter, and perhaps he could have taken advantage of the chaos. But now that David was still alive, not only was Dieter doomed, but as Dieter''s right-hand man, he was sure to share the misfortune. "How are you, Mr. Sapir? What''s the rush to get to China? Don''t tell me you''re going there for tourism!" Sapir, feigning calm, replied, "Director David, I''m neither a criminal nor restricted from leaving the country by any authorities. It''s not illegal to go to China, right?" David smiled and said, "You''re right, you aren''t a criminal and you haven''t been restricted from travel. But who knows, maybe you will be very soon?" Sapir''s face tensed up, and he said, "What do you mean?" "You know exactly what I mean!" David crossed his arms over his chest and leaned slightly back as he spoke, "Mr. Sapir, just for aiding Dieter in moneyundering, drug trafficking, and tax evasion, you could end up sitting in prison for a long time, not to mention conspiring in the assassination attempt on a National Tax Bureau Chief!" Desperate, Sapir quickly defended himself, "Don''t nder me, I was definitely not involved in your assassination attempt, it has nothing to do with me!" Sapir thought to himself, if I had dared to get involved in this, would I need to run away? David looked at him with a half-smile, saying, "Mr. Sapir, I never said you were involved in my assassination, how did youe to know about it?" "This..." Realizing he had spoken out of panic, Sapir quickly tried to cover it up, "I only heard about it..." "All right, Mr. Sapir, I y fair, and I stick to the facts. If you''re willing to cooperate with me, I''ll only hold Dieter ountable for this and won''t implicate you!" Sapir asked, "What kind of cooperation do you need?" "I need your group''s operations, ledgers, warehouses, ounts, and... at some point, you may need to testify in court against Dieter!" It was all reasonable until the mention of testifying in court against Dieter, at which point Sapir shook his head vehemently, "No, I can''t testify against Dieter in court!" He knew Indian Tribes were known to look after their own. Even if the National Tax Bureau took down Dieter, his tribe might not be able to do much against the Bureau, but taking care of him would be straightforward. David''s face hardened as he said coldly, "Do you think you still have a choice?" "You..." Sapir''s face turned red with indignation, protesting, "If I testify against Dieter, I won''t survive either!" "It''s not as exaggerated as you think. Their tribe may have some power, but if you''re willing to testify, not only will you get a reduced sentence for cooperating, but if you want to go to China, I can arrange protection for you. Their tribal influence can''t stretch that far, right?" Sapir fell silent. After struggling in his mind for about three minutes, he gritted his teeth and said, "I have one more condition¡ªyou cannot confiscate my assets, National Tax Bureau!" David was right. The Ditter Family had substantial influence, but once he fled the country, they would be unable to reach him no matter their power. ?§ç§â?-§ñ&?¦Å#§á?¦Å$-- The money he''d earned over the years was enough for the rest of his life; there was no need to continue a fruitless battle with the National Tax Bureau, which could result in him spending the rest of his days behind bars. "Fine, we won''t seize your assets, but only if you pay your taxes in full first!" Sapir replied, "Okay!" "Tell me about the specific operations of your organization..." "..." In the following time, Sapir exined in detail the operations of the Ditter Group, the moneyundering process, and the location of the warehouse for prohibited goods. Additionally, he wrote down several ounts. ording to his statement, these were all Ditter''s ounts. "Alright, Mr. Sapir, for your safety, you''ll have to stay with us at the bureau for now!" David walked out of the interrogation room, and just then, Ariel happened toe face to face with him and said, "I found out, this person named Iman Prich, he smuggled himself over three years ago." "Later he joined Virginia''s crew, and with Virginia''s help, he obtained a green card for America." "Right, he smuggled over with his wife and two children, named..., they also entered our Lake District schools to study with Virginia''s help!" After hearing everything, David nodded, passed the note with the ounts to her, and said, "Check these ounts, and if there''s arge amount of funds, apply to freeze them immediately!" "Yes!" For safety, David went to the equipment room and took out a bulletproof vest to wear. He had always disliked wearing bulletproof vests as they were ufortable, only wearing them when on missions, but the recent assassination attempt served as a reminder. Compared tofort, staying alive was most important! After putting on the bulletproof vest, he drove to the hospital where Iman Prich was staying. Iman had already had the bullet removed and was lying in a private hospital room, while Nisen, along with Wade and Balk, was monitoring him. "How is he doing?" Nisen answered, "The bullet didn''t hit any vitals; it''s been removed!" David nodded, then turned to Wade and Balk and said, "I have something to discuss with the suspect, you two step out for a moment!" "Director David, Chief Smith instructed that..." "I said step out!" Seeing the look in David''s eyes and his upromising tone, Wade and Balk''s faces fell. After exchanging nces, they did not dare to retort and walked out of the room. David pulled up a stool and sat in front of Iman, looking at him handcuffed to the bed, his expression ashen, and said, "Virginia sent you to kill me, right?" Iman continued to maintain the same expression as before, as if he hadn''t heard a word. "I''m here to help you. If you are set on being a hitman for Virginia, then I can''t help you!" Seeing that he was still unmoved, David''s expression hardened and said, "Halis Nick is your wife, right? Belly Pulichi, Julie Pulichi, are they your son and daughter?" Upon hearing his wife and children''s names, Iman showed a flicker of a reaction. He turned his head sharply to stare at David, a hint of murderous intent in his eyes. But soon, he calmed down again. Because in his view, David was a public servant, not a mobster nor a merciless killer like Virginia; regardless, he wouldn''t hurt his wife and kids. David seemed to have caught on to his thoughts and continued, "Rest assured, I am not one of those peoplemanding you. I won''t do things that would harm your wife and children." "But think about it, if your children''s school learned that their father is a murderer, what do you think would happen?" "Having been in America for so long, you must be very clear that though they chant slogans about equality, it''s not equal at all!" "Whites discriminate against cks, and cks discriminate against neers like you, especially when you''re a murderer!" After hearing this, Iman felt a dull pain in his heart. He obviously knew what David was saying was true. If his murder case was exposed to the school, even if the school wouldn''t expel his children, being ostracized and even mocked by their peers was certain! But there was nothing he could do. Virginia had shown him kindness, and he knew what Virginia''s methods would be if he betrayed him. David wouldn''t hurt his wife and kids, that was true. But Virginia wouldn''t be so easy to talk to! Seeing that Iman still wouldn''t talk, David''s brow furrowed, and he continued, "I know Virginia got you and your family green cards." "But don''t think that just because you have green cards, you and your family can stand firm here; we have plenty of means to deport criminals like you and your family!" "Think about it, why did you struggle to smuggle yourselves here if not to have a better life?" "Do you really want to send your wife and kids back to the hell on earth that Somalia is?" Anxious, Iman immediately said, "No, you have no right to do that!" Somalia was in constant conflict, with various pirates and warlords ruling different areas. For a family like his, without power or influence back home, being sent back meant either starving to death or being killed in the chaos. Chapter 109: Chapter 96: Do you think the reserve will keep you safe? David couldn''t be bothered to argue with him any longer and pulled out his phone, immediately dialing the number for the Las Vegas Immigration Office. Soon, the call connected, and a female voice came from the other end, "Hello, Las Vegas Immigration Office, how may I assist you?" David activated speakerphone and then addressed the person on the phone, "I am the Chief Tax Officer at the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch, my name is David, my code is XXXX..." "Hello, Director David, how may I assist you?" "Check on Halis Nick, Belly Pulichi, and Julie Pulichi for me, residents of the Lake District of Las Vegas, former nationals of Somalia!" "One moment, please..." story-at-MvLeMpYr About a minuteter, the voice on the phone spoke again, "Halis Nick, obtained U.S. permanent green card on January 7th, 2019, USCIS code 783-663-135; Belly Pulichi, obtained U.S. citizenship on January 7th, 2019, USCIS code 783-663-136; Julie Pulichi, obtained U.S. citizenship on January 7th, 2019, USCIS code 783-663-137..." Already restless, Iman became even more anxious upon hearing this series of data over the phone. He was well aware of the dates on which his wife and children had obtained their green cards, and their USCIS codes, confirming that the person on the other end was indeed from the immigration office. He hurriedly cut in, "What are you doing?" David ignored him and continued speaking into the phone, "We are currently investigating a tax evasion case, and these three are beneficiaries. Could you help me apply for the cancetion of their green cards?" As the National Tax Bureau was investigating tax evasion, he could not use a murder charge and could only invoke tax evasion as the crime. "Please hold, I need to report this to my supervisor..." Meanwhile, at the Las Vegas Immigration Office. The operator who had been speaking with David immediately reported their conversation to a balding man. After contemting briefly, the balding man went to theputer and retrieved the files on Halis Nick and the others. "Former nationality, Somalia..." As the supervisor of the Immigration Office, he could tell at a nce that Halis Nick had not immigrated through the proper channels. Normally, there would be no chance of obtaining a U.S. green card! But why did all three now have them? There was only one reason! Someone had used improper means to help these three obtain them! Since they were acquired through improper means, and now that the National Tax Bureau was requesting cooperation, there was nothing to hesitate about! He immediately made his decision, picked up the phone, and said, "Hello, Director David, I am the Supervisor at the Las Vegas Immigration Office. Regarding the cancetion of the green cards for Halis Nick, Belly Pulichi, and Julie Pulichi that you have requested, we can proceed with the cancetion right away, please confirm once more!" In the ward. This time, David did not respond, instead, he ced the phone in front of Iman, signaling that the decision was in his hands! At that moment, Iman not only felt intense torment but also a deep sense of despair. He had gone through almost two years of grueling work for Virginia, enduring countless bloody nights, only to finally obtain this permanent residence status with great difficulty. Yet now, David could destroy the status he had worked so hard for with just one phone call! It made him realize that no matter how ruthless he was or how many people he killed, he was still a small yer in this world. And the fate of small yers is always at the mercy of those in powerful positions! David hung up the phone, seeing that Iman had no choice left, and then spoke into the phone, "I apologize, Supervisor, but I think we still need to investigate the case; let''s hold off on the cancetion for now!" His words also served as a message to Iman: I can ensure that you and your family can''t get by in America any time I want! Iman clearly understood, and the endless agony and torment still lingered in his mind. "Okay, Director David, contact us if you need anything!" After ending the call, David looked at him and asked, "Mr. Iman, now do you understand if we possess that authority?" With a struggle evident on his face, Iman asked somewhat rhetorically, "What do you want me to do?" "I need you toe forward and testify against the person who ordered you to assassinate me." "If I do that, my family and I won''t survive..." "As long as you cooperate, I can promise to protect you and your family until we officially bring down Ditter Group. Afterwards, you can have your family relocate, and they will naturally be safe!" Iman fell silent, and it was nearly two minutes before he finally responded, "I have three conditions!" "Let''s hear them." "First, unless I am mistaken, my family must now be detained by Virginia. I need you to get them out first!" "No problem!" "Second, if Ie forward to testify, I''ll be out of a job. I need a witness fee!" David shook his head and replied, "A witness fee is impossible, but we can apply for a relief fund policy for your wife and children. Like other American citizens, they would receive 400 US dors a week, which should be enough to ensure your living expenses!" Iman wasn''tpletely satisfied with this, but he didn''t push further and continued, "Third, after testifying, I want to enjoy the benefits of turning state''s evidence, no prison time!" "That''s impossible!" Although killing was not Iman''s intent, since he had already attacked personnel of the National Tax Bureau, the notion of him getting away scot-free would be aplete joke. Chapter 110: Chapter 96: Do you think the reserve will keep you safe? _2 David added, "The IRS needs to maintain its dignity, but I can assure you, at most you''ll only serve 7 years. If you behave well, maybe you can get out in 5 years!" After a few minutes of silence, Iman gritted his teeth and replied, "Fine!" Just 5 to 7 years. And their family wouldn''t be deported or have their green cards revoked; they''d also receive some financial aid every week. Under the circumstances with no other choices, this seemed to be the best option! David stood up and said to Nisen, "This ce isn''t safe. Help him pack up and move him to a different ce for custody!" This was the person who had attempted to assassinate him, and a witness. Dieter might be dumb, but surely someone among his subordinates must realize this. If the witness were silenced, that would be troublesome. So, moving him to a different location for custody was indeed necessary! "Got it!" David opened the door. Weihe and Balk, who were standing outside, immediately approached. Upon seeing Nisen packing things up, they hastily asked, "Director David, what''s going on here?" "We need to take this man into IRS custody!" chapter-source-MvLeMpYr Wade''s expression darkened. He hesitated before saying, "Director David, this guy was involved in an armed assault. He should be under our police jurisdiction!" David looked at him and challenged, "Why do you think he attacked me with a gun?" "I''d need to investigate to find out!" Of course, Wade didn''t dare specte. "I''ve checked already. He was acting under someone else''s orders. Since he was taking orders, he must have received money, and since he received money, he also evaded taxes. So, is there a problem with the IRS taking him into custody?" The two were left speechless by his reasoning. David''s words seemed to make sense. However, their chief had already ordered them to take the man into custody. They obviously couldn''t just let David take him away. After a pause, Wade argued, "The issue of tax evasion... we''re not certain, but hemitted an assault right on the street. That was seen by many citizens. If we don''t arrest him, we can''t exin it to the public..." "Exin! You owe an exnation to us at the IRS as well!" David interrupted them with force. "I''m taking the man now. If there''s any issue, have your chiefe to me!" With that, David didn''t give them a chance to object further and promptly walked away. As for Balk and Wade, they exchanged nces with ugly expressions on their faces. In the end, Wade took out his phone and called Smith. ... Back at the station. Besides Simmons and Ariel, who were already there, Bucky and several other squad members had arrived. They too immediately expressed their concern for David''s safety after the attack. Then, another inspector named Kerklof arrivedte and announced, "Chief, ording to the information I''ve gathered, that damn Dieter has fled back to the Indian Reservation!" Upon hearing this, Bucky and the others'' expressions darkened. The Indian Reservation was almost like an independent kingdom. Within theirnds, they had autonomous jurisdiction, management rights, and various other powers. Generally speaking, now enforcement agency had the authority to enforcews within their reservation, except under special circumstances with special authorization. Now, with suspicions of viting the ck Tax Law, and the attempted assassination of the Chief Tax Officer, these indeed qualified as special circumstances, giving them the right to conduct an investigation. However, the Indian Reservation was not within their Lake District jurisdiction, and it was home to tens of thousands of Native Americans. If they intended to go there for an investigation, there would be considerable obstruction and danger. "Damn it, Kerklof, why didn''t you keep an eye on him!" Bucky was angry, clearly aware of the trouble in apprehending Dieter now that he had returned to the reservation. "By the time I got the message, he was already driving out of the city..." The inspector named Kerklof felt wronged. He was indeed responsible for watching Dieter, but he hadn''t expected him to act so recklessly to the point of ordering an assassination of their Chief Tax Officer. Moreover, the reservation wasn''t far away, just about 40 kilometers, and by the time he reacted and thought to intercept, it was already toote. "He''s only gone to the reservation, not heaven. No worries, he can''t escape!" David did not seem overly concerned. The Indian Reservation may very well be an independent kingdom, but let''s not forget, the IRS had armed forces. Dieter had fled to the reservation, but if his uncle, the Chieftain, insisted on protecting him... They could simply apply to deploy armed forces and show these Native Americans the ''muscles'' of the IRS. He did not believe the Chieftain would be stubborn enough to continue protection in that case! David turned to Bucky and said, "By the way, there''s something you need to do. Iman has a wife and two children named..." "I understand. I''ll find them and make sure they''re secured!" Bucky nodded and then walked out. David addressed the remaining people, "It''s gettingte. You all head back and rest. There''s a lot to do tomorrow!" "And what about you, Chief?" The team members showed concern again. David had just been the target of an assassination attempt. Who knew if Dieter, driven into a corner after his failed hit, might strike again? "I''ll stay at the station tonight!" Ever since Maggie had shown up at his house, David had been considering moving. Chapter 111: Chapter 96: Do you think the reserve will keep you safe? _3 He had been ambushed again, and that only made him more resolute. "The bureau? How can that work? Look, Chief Tax Officer, I have a room at my house, why note to my ce instead?" "I have a room at my ce too; you''re wee toe if you don''t mind. It''s safer for everyone to look out for each other." "..." The team members each extended an invitation. "No need, I''ll just stay at the bureau. It''s just for one night anyway!" Seeing David so determined, no one insisted further; they simply told him to contact them if he needed anything and then they all left. The next morning. Waking up in his office, David''s first call was to a real estatepany, to look for a residence close to the Lake District National Tax Bureau. Then he arrived at the Director''s office and knocked on the door. "Come in!" Seeing David enter, William greeted him with a friendly expression. However, noticing that David seemed to have not slept well, he quickly asked with concern, "What''s wrong, Director David? Are you too tired from worktely? Do you want a couple of days off?" "No need, something happened yesterday, and I need to report to you about it." William asked curiously, "Oh? What happened?" "When I was returning home yesterday..." David told him about the attack. After hearing the whole story, William was initially stunned; clearly, he had not expected Dieter to be so bold as to dare to assassinate a tax bureau official. Then he angrily responded, "Damn it, Dieter doesn''t want to live anymore, daring to resort to assassination. Where is he now? Arrest him immediately!" "He probably caught wind of something and fled quickly back to their Native American reservation!" David had thought it through; with Dieter''s intelligence, having had the audacity to try to assassinate him, there was no way he would run away so cowardly. There had to be someone behind him guiding him, or a demand made, for him to have escaped back to the reservation so quickly. "Escaped back to the reservation?" William frowned, clearly aware of the difficulty in making an arrest on reservationnd, then asked, "The assassination attempt on you, is there aplete chain of evidence?" "The assassin side is almost taken care of, and he will testify. Moreover, one of Dieter''s key henchmen has also surrendered. After an audit, whether it''s for tax evasion or assassination, there will be aplete chain of evidence!" Hearing there was aplete chain of evidence, William had no more hesitations and said fiercely, "Good, ry a message to Chief Gael then. He must hand over the man. If he doesn''t, we will request the state bureau to deploy armed forces and roll up to their tribe!" "Director, there''s no hurry on this. Dieter is right there on the reservation, he can''t fly away. What we need to do now is to start tallying up his assets in the Lake District first, we can''t let him deal with them or move them away!" William thought about it and agreed. The man was on the reservation and couldn''t escape, but it would be troublesome if the other side managed to transfer the assets away. They wanted to capture the man, but they definitely wanted his taxes too! Immediately he nodded and said, "Alright, then do as you''ve nned. Keep me informed of any issues or progress!" "Understood!" When he returned to his office, all eight team members had arrived. Selina was the first to speak up, "Director David, I heard you were attacked yesterday. Are you alright?" David had not informed her of the previous night''s events. And since the other team members knew that this scion of a prominent family wasn''t truly here to be an Inspector, naturally, no one had informed her either. "I''m fine, thank you for your concern, Selina." David looked at Nisen and asked, "How about you, any problems on your end?" Nisen replied, "I''ve already ced him securely; he''s very safe. Butst night, I was informed that two individuals of unknown origin went to the hospital to snoop around him. Fortunately, Chief Tax Officer, you moved him just in time; otherwise, there might have been some trouble!" MVLeMpYr-unofficial-text Hearing this, David felt grateful for his wise decision the previous night and then turned to Bucky to ask, "Any leads on that guy''s wife and kid?" "I''ve checked their home and other ces they could be, but haven''t found them. They must be hidden away by some of Dieter''s men!" David''s expression darkened, and he replied, "Call the CIA, ask them to do us this favor." Gathering intelligence was CIA''s forte; they could likely discover information faster than his own system. And since the CIA owed them, they would probably be very ''happy'' to help. "Got it!" David then looked at Ariel and inquired, "What about those ounts you were checking yesterday? Any results?" "Checked it, Director, and they are indeed Dieter''s ounts. Combined, they hold about 15 million US dors." "Have you applied for a freeze?" "I''ve applied, and we can now initiate the freezing process!" David nodded, then pulled a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to Nisen, saying, "This is a warehouse that Sapir mentionedst night. Take some people and seal it immediately. Control all the goods and cash!" "Yes, sir." Nisen immediately left with his team, and soon the room was left with only Selina standing awkwardly, as everyone else had tasks assigned and she didn''t, which made her feel slightly out of ce. Noticing her difort, David said, "You go to Ariel. Have her teach you how to apply for an ount and funds freeze." "Okay..." Relieved, Selina turned and left immediately. Chapter 112: Chapter 97: Whats the Sheriff Count For? After Selina had left, David picked up the phone and called both Colton and Hector, the Chief Tax Officers at the bureau, asking them toe to his office. Seven or eight minutester, the two of them pushed open the door and entered. Hector was the first to ask, "What did you need us for, Director David?" David took out two pieces of paper from a drawer and pushed them in front of the two men, saying, "Don''t say I didn''t remember you when good things happen. I''ll let your teams seal these two ces first, and after the case is over, I''ll share a portion of the taxes with you!" Dieter''s assets and the number of prohibited goods processing factories were not small; he currently didn''t have enough personnel under him. Another thing was that although the case against Dieter was currently being led by him, Inspection teams like Hutton''s and Hector''s had already done their own investigations on Dieter. If he were to take all the tax revenue for himself now, it would seem a bit insensible. Hearing there was good news, both Hutton and Hector''s eyes lit up, and they quickly picked up their respective pieces of paper. Soon, they saw that each contained an address. With some confusion, Hector asked, "What is this ce?" "These are Dieter''s prohibited goods processing factories!" "Oh?" The two men were somewhat surprised, clearly not expecting that David actually had information on two of Dieter''s prohibited goods processing factories. Hector then asked, "We know you''ve sealed two of his venues; are you sealing these prohibited goods factories to force him into submission as well?" "No, something happened yesterday, and it went like this..." David immediately recounted the ambush he faced and his ns toprehensively strike at Dieter. When they heard that David had been ambushed, the two were shocked, having not anticipated Dieter to be so ruthless. But soon, they were pleased. Since David had already taken care of Sapir and now had the locations of these prohibited goods factories, plus the liquidation of Dieter''s other assets, there was definitely a substantial amount of tax revenue to be collected. And David had just said that he would share a portion of the taxes with them, which certainly meant a significant amount! It was too much to ask for, but at a minimum, it would save their inspectors a struggle of at least ten days to half a month, that was certain! Hector pounded his chest, assuring, "This Dieter is so brazen, daring to ambush you, Director David; rest assured, our team will definitely cooperate!" "Our team as well!" "Alright, then go and arrange it with the inspectors of your teams!" The two did not dawdle; knowing that Dieter''s people were likely also in a hurry to deal with the factories, they quickly got up and left to make arrangements. About half an hour after the two had gone, the phone on David''s desk rang; he picked it up, "This is David." "Director David, Chief Smith from the Lake District Police Station is here to see you," Hearing Chief Smith had arrived, David was momentarily stunned. But he quickly guessed some reasons for the visit. ording to his investigations, Chief Smith had a vested interest in Dieter, and now that Dieter had made such a big mess and fled back to the reserve, Chief Smith was definitely not in a position to escape. To prevent the IRS from blowing this matter up and implicating him, his best choice was toe to the IRS first to clear his association! "Let hime up." A few minutester, there was a knock on the office door. Apanied by an invitation to enter, Smith walked in with Wade and Balk. [Name: Smith Rodriguez.] [upation: Chief of the Lake District Police Station.] [Monthly Ie: Legal ie 8900 US dors, illegal ie 96000 US dors.] [Ie Details: December 4th, profited 2000 US dors by protecting a gang of ouws; gained 5000 US dors in bribes for human smuggling, through... January 1st, acquired 40,000 US dors in bribes from Dieter...] [More details: ...] [Tax Due: 24000 US dors.] After a detailed review with his Golden Finger, David found, as the investigations showed, that Smith indeed had deep financial ties with Dieter. "Director David, I have long heard of your great reputation, but I didn''t expect it to only be today that we''d finally meet!" Smith extended his right hand with a smile, as if the previous threat from David had never happened. David, of course, knew this guise was just for show, but he didn''t call it out. He likewise reached out his right hand with a smile and replied, "Chief Smith, I too have long heard of your great name. What wind brings you here today, I wonder?" Seeing David feign ignorance, Smith felt a bit irked but had to forcefully reply, "Nothing much, I heard from these two subordinates a while back that the IRS hade up with some ck tax bill. As the Chief of the Lake District, I naturally need to set an example for my subordinates and colleagues!" His words were an implicit hint to David: there''s corruption in the Lake District, and it''s not just me; plenty of people in the police department are involved, so just don''t solely target me! David understood perfectly and replied with a meaningful tone, "So you are admitting that you have illegal ie?" Smith, who had forcibly conjured a smile, looked suddenly crestfallen upon hearing these words. I''ve already hinted at it, do you really have to spell it out and make everyone ufortable? Although he was annoyed, the current situation wasn''t good, and with Senator Angstorm already pressing for a handover, he had no choice but to suppress his anger and reply, "As you know, once you reach our level of position, it''s inevitable that some criminals will send us things." "I''m okay, I can control myself, but my family... they can''t." "So after you had your subordinate remind me, I immediately had my family tally up the illicit gains, and today just happens to be the day we''vepleted the ounting!" It was fortunate Smith''s family wasn''t there, otherwise they would surely have cried foul! Hearing about ming his family, David could hardly contain his amusement and asked with a smirk, "Oh? And how much did you tally up, Chief Tax Officer Smith?" "ording to the ck Tax Act, from its inception to the monthly tax deadline, it''s about 23,600 US dors, does that sound about right?" "Close enough, it''s simr to what our National Tax Bureau''s system has calcted!" The figure disyed on the golden finger was 24,000 US dors. But David knew that everyone is human, not a database; it can be very hard for anyone to remember exactly how much bribery they''ve received in a month. As long as the difference isn''t too significant, he wasn''t going to seriously pursue it. Smith pulled out a thick envelope from his pocket and pushed it across the desk to David, "This is mine!" Following suit, Wade and Balk, standing behind him, each took out an envelope andid it on the table, saying in unison, "This is mine!" Seeing the three of them so understanding, David was also quite satisfied and picked up the phone, "Ariel, bring up three entry forms!" Upon hearing the words ''entry form,'' Smith, Wade, and Balk all frowned in unison. Because they knew very well. Once recorded in the National Tax Bureau''s database, if they ever dared to evade taxes or offend the Tax Bureau, the Bureau could destroy them at any moment. But there was no choice, since they had chosen toe, they had to ept this oue. At this moment, their resentment towards Dieter grew even stronger. If it weren''t for Dieter, things wouldn''t have escted to this point, and they might still have some leeway to salvage the situation. A few minutester, Ariel and Selina walked in. "Director." "Count this money and help register Chief Smith, as well as Officer Wade and Officer Balk in the records!" Hearing this, Ariel merely nced at Smith in surprise, but Selina was thoroughly shocked. She had been in the Lake District for several days now. In these days, she had seen many criminals being processed, either by herself or other inspectors, but it was her first time dealing with public officials. And that wasn''t even the most important part¡ªthe person in front of her was a chief of police! "Selina..." Ariel was ready to count the money, but noticed Selina still in a daze and quickly prompted her. Selina snapped back to reality and hurriedly came to help. The taxes paid by the three men together amounted to just over 20,000 US dors, so it wasn''t long before Ariel came up with the figures. "Together... it''s a total of 24,750 US dors." David nodded to indicate his approval. Then, Ariel and Selina brought the entry forms before Smith, Wade, and Balk. "Chief Smith, you need to write your badge number here, as well as your workce, and..." "Officer Balk, you need to write your badge number here, as well as your workce, and..." Under their guidance. -chapter It wasn''t long before the three filled out the forms. Once Ariel checked that there were no issues, she and Selina took the money and entry forms and left. They hadn''t gone far from the door when Selina couldn''t help but ask, "Ariel, isn''t Smith a chief of police? What method is Director David using that they''re so willing to pay us taxes?" Ariel smirked disdainfully and replied, "What''s a chief of police? Do you know that before you arrived, the CIA''s people were caught by our Chief Tax Officer, and in the end they were even locked up? It was only after their supervisor came to pay the tax that they were let go!" "CIA!" Selina was stunned, and her forward stride came to an abrupt halt. The CIA is America''s, and indeed the world''s, top-ranked intelligence agency! In her mind, matters like turning armed groups around the world or capturing terrorists for waterboarding had always seen them manipting others, never someone daring to manipte them. Yet unexpectedly, they had been held in David''s grip and were even locked up? If not for Ariel''s own words, Selina would never have believed it! Chapter 113: Chapter 98: The Congressman Steps In Over here in the office. Smith pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, pushed it in front of David, and said, "Director David, I''d like to offer a favor to your national tax authority, and I wonder if you are willing to ept it!" David was momentarily startled, then picked up the paper and started examining it. When he saw the information on the paper, his eyes narrowed slightly. It contained information about many criminal gangs in the Lake District, including the dealings they were involved in, their addresses, and a rough estimate of their specific ies. Presumably, these were the gangs that had dealings with the Smith in front of him. In principle, Smith had no obligation to provide these people''s information to him. After all, handing over these people''s information to the national tax authority would damage Smith''s own prestige and revenue. But why did he do it? Could it really be, as he said, just to give a favor to the national tax authority? Or was he afraid that Dieter''s case might implicate him? After thinking for a while, David tentatively spoke, "Chief Smith, your offer of favor seems rather precious..." Smith spread his hands and answered, "Well then, are you interested in epting it?" After thinking for a moment, David replied, "Since you''ve already handed it over to me, naturally there''s no reason not to ept it. I''m grateful for Chief Smith''s cooperation with our national tax authority!" With that response, Smith breathed a sigh of relief. What is a favor? A favor is worldly wisdom! Not only did he pay his own taxes, but he also made his subordinates pay, and on top of that, he had turned in a list of criminals from the Lake District. As per worldly wisdom, Dieter''s case shouldn''t possibly involve him anymore, should it? MVLeMpYr-official-text And the handover directed by Senator Angstorm could now be considered thoroughlyplete! Without lingering further in thought, Smith stood up. However, just as he reached the door, something suddenly urred to him, and he turned his head to ask, "Director David, may I ask you a question?" David looked at him and responded, "What question?" "I want to know, will your national tax authority send armed forces to capture Dieter?" "Whether or not to send armed forces is not for us to decide, but rather up to Chief Gael!" David''s words made his meaning clear enough. If the Indian Tribe willingly surrendered Dieter, they naturally would not bring in armed forces. But if the Indian Tribe insisted on protecting him, then there would be no other choice, and it would merely be a matter of whose fist was harder. Clearly understanding, Smith made no further dy and left with Wade and Balk. After stepping out of the national tax authority and getting into the car, Wade said thoughtfully, "Do you think that Gael Omaha will really hand over Dieter?" "I don''t think he will hand him over easily. Native Americans are known for their protectiveness, and Dieter is Gael Omaha''s nephew. If the Chieftain can''t protect his own nephew, what will the rest of the tribe think?" Listening to Balk''s answer, Wade found it quite reasonable. If Chief Gael Omaha couldn''t protect his own rtive, how could he protect other tribal members? Whether for familial ties or the sake of pride and dignity, it certainly wouldn''t be easy to give up Dieter. And if the Indian Tribe dared not surrender him, the national tax authority wouldn''t be passive either! Thinking this, Wade expressed some anticipation, "If that''s the case, then if a conflict breaks out between the two sides, it will be major news!" In his memory, after the national tax authority deployed armed forces to clear out Al Capone''s influence in thest century, they had not used armed forces again. And this time, if they showed their ''might'' once more in Las Vegas, the newsworthiness would be imaginable. "You two, don''t collect any money for the time being, and make sure to keep a low profile!" Smith knew that if such a conflict erupted, a vast amount of media would certainly get involved and delve into what was happening. It wouldn''t be good to have the trouble with the national tax authority settled, only to end up in the hands of the media. "Got it!" Both men understood the seriousness of the situation and agreed in unison. ... 40 kilometers north of the Lake District, this area was once just a desert, but then, because of government development in Las Vegas, many Native Americans who lived in the city were relocated here, gradually forming thergest Indian Tribe in Las Vegas. Here, removed from the urban noise and devoid of skyscrapers blocking the sky,y a vast expanse ofnd under the blue sky and white clouds. From above, the architecture is another highlight of the tribe, as both residential and public buildings maintain traditional Indian styles. Wooden houses, grass huts, and adobe houses are distributed throughout the tribe in an orderly manner, with each building featuring unique designs and decorations, walls adorned with exquisite totems, and eaves hung with colorful feathers and ribbons, filled with a mysterious and rich indigenous ambiance. The most distinctive feature within the reservation is the casino. It differs from those luxurious casinos in the city of Las Vegas, appearing more primitive and rich in ethnic characteristics. The casino is built with earth-colored wood, with the roof covered in straw, blending into the natural environment, allowing people to enjoy both the pleasures of heaven and hell, along with a return to the pure nature of things. Chapter 114: Chapter 98: The Congressman Steps In_2 To maintain order on the reservation, teams of Native American police patrolled the area, wearing traditional uniforms, feathered headdresses, and carrying firearms, their demeanor solemn. Meanwhile, deep within the reservation, in a house adorned with an eagle totem. "Senator Angstorm, is the tax agency really that difficult to deal with?" Inside the room, seven or eight people d in Native American traditional attire were gathered, including Senator Angstorm and a gaunt old man wearing a white feather crown, sitting separately at the front row. The one who asked the question was an elderly man seated on the lower left side; his name was Tewin Omaha, Dieter''s father. "ording to the federal constitution, the tax agency has the authority to freeze anyone''s ount, seize anyone''s property, and possesses all investigative powers in tax matters. Additionally, it has its ownwyers, courts, judges, and armed forces. Would you say that is difficult to handle?" Angstorm''s words made the Native Americans present gasp in shock. Being Native Americans who enjoyed special tax privileges granted by the American government, they had never dealt with this department before and were unaware of its capabilities. It was only after Angstorm''s exnation that they realized their tribal member might have truly gotten into trouble! Tewin pleaded, "Senator Angstorm, no matter how difficult the tax agency is, that''s still my son. Please, I''m asking for your help..." Angstorm''s face showed difficulty as he responded, "Everything else is negotiable, but your son dared to attempt assassination on a tax agency member; that part is tough to resolve..." "No matter what..." Just as Tewin wanted to continue speaking, a disturbance from outside caused everyone to look over involuntarily. Soon, two Native American men arrived, carrying the somewhat unconscious Dieter, followed by Virginia who dared not lift her head. Seeing such a big issue at hand and Dieter still acting carelessly infuriated the Native Americans present. His father, Tewin, rushed up to him, continuously pping his cheek, cursing, "Dammit, wake up... bring some ice water!" Before long, the Native American men brought up two buckets of ice water and, at Tewin''s signal, immediately doused Dieter with it. The icy chill brought the groggy Dieter to a clearer state of mind rather quickly. He looked around at the scene then towards his father. His father, however, scolded him, "Dammit, where were youst night?" "Last night..." Dieter rubbed his head. Last night, after returning to the tribe, he didn''t immediately go back to the family because his addiction kicked in, and instead, he found a ce to indulge excessively for a while. Tewin grabbed Dieter''s cor, demanding, "I''m asking you, why did you order someone to assassinate a member of the tax agency? Why did you do it?" Tewin might have been alright without mentioning this, but as soon it was brought up, he became livid, breaking free from his father''s grip, cursing, "That damned tax agency, that damned David, it''s one thing to take other people''s taxes, but he even dares to tax me?" "The tax policies we enjoy are granted by this country; what right does he have to tax me, and why on earth should I pay him!" Dieter was a pure racist. In his view, those white people who had massacred their race and forcibly driven them away from their homes owed them. These tax policies and special privileges should be consideredpensation! Yet the tax agency and David dared to take what was supposed topensate him¡ªhow could he tolerate that? This was the reason he had resolved to eliminate David! "Yes, if your business were legitimate, the tax agency would naturally respect the tax privileges granted by the nation to you. But, Dieter, you need to understand, is what you''re holding a legitimate business? The tax agency''s actions under the ck Tax Act are entirely appropriate!" This time Angstorm spoke. Although a senator, with high power and authority in Las Vegas and even in the state of Nevada, he was honestly reluctant to get involved in such matters. After all, this was a matter involving the tax agency, and as a senator, he knew better than anyone how tricky they were to deal with. However, he had no choice; first, he had financial connections with the Omaha Family, and second, he needed the votes of the Indian Tribe. "Even if my business isn''t legitimate, the tax agency can''t..." "Shut up!" Before Dieter could continue, the old man with the white feather crown beside Angstorm interrupted him. Seeing him speak up, even the vtile Dieter obediently closed his mouth. The elder was none other than the chieftain of the tribe, Gael Omaha. Gael looked at Dieter with an authoritative tone, "List your assets and pay whatever taxes you owe to the tax agency immediately!" Although Dieter was extremely unwilling, he dared not defy his uncle''s authority publicly and acquiesced to themand. MVLeMpYr-unofficial-text Then, Gael turned to Angstorm and spoke in a more congenial manner, "Senator Angstorm, I''m going to need your assistance with this matter!" Upon hearing this, Angstorm''s expression darkened slightly before he reluctantly replied, "Chief Gael, if it weren''t for the assassination attempt, this matter could be negotiable, but now¡­it''s a bitplicated to resolve..." "No matter what, my tribal member cannot just be sent to jail, no matter the cost or the resources, we must find a solution!" Chapter 115: Chapter 98: The Congressman Steps In_3 Angstorm inwardlyined, but in order to secure votes, he dared not refuse the request. After some thought, he said, "I heard that the assassin we sent wasn''t killed on the spot. If we can shut him up, there might be some room for maneuver..." At the end of the day, the key issue stilly with the assassination attempt on the Chief Tax Officer of the National Tax Bureau. If the National Tax Bureau couldn''t exploit the situation, then at worst we''d pay the taxes due, along with a certain amount ofpensation, and the National Tax Bureau might just let bygones be bygones. By then, Dieter might be able to downy the major issue into a minor one, or dissolve it altogether. "Chieftain, after the event was exposed, I sent people to shut the assassin''s mouth, but the tax bureau''s people are too cunning. They moved him somewhere else..." Virginia stood out, trembling as he spoke. Upon hearing this, whether it was Gael or the other Native Americans, their faces all darkened. Fortunately, Virginia added, "However, the assassin''s wife and child are currently under my control. I think with such a threat, the assassin won''t spill anything to the National Tax Bureau!" Knowing they had hostages, the Native Americans at the scene finally took a breath of relief. Then Gael said, "Where are his wife and child now? Bring them to our tribe immediately!" In the reservation, now enforcement has jurisdiction; only by bringing the assassin''s family there could he feel at ease. "I will have my men transfer them right away!" Virginia immediately took out his phone, and the call was quickly connected. He said, "Vird, bring the people to the tribe!" "Mr. Virginia, I''m afraid I can''t do that!" Hearing the unfamiliar voiceing from the other end of the phone, Virginia was stunned. It was only after quite a while that he regained his senses and demanded, "Who are you? Where is Vird?" "Inspector Bucky from the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch!" "National Tax Bureau..." Virginia''s eyes widened like copper bells in disbelief, then he quickly hung up the phone and said to the people present with a dejected face, "The people have been ''snatched'' by the National Tax Bureau..." "Damn it..." "..." The Native Americans on-site immediately erupted in curses. After a short pause, Gael turned to Angstorm and said, "Senator Angstorm, it''s all up to you now!" "Chief Gael, I can''t make any promises, but I can only do my best!" only-found-at-MVLeMpYr Angstorm was very annoyed, but he still didn''t dare to refuse. After saying this, he walked straight out. Once outside, he got into his own car and took out his phone to dial a number: "Gray, there''s something that you need to show your face for..." ... In David''s office at the Lake District National Tax Bureau Sub-Bureau Branch. Bucky walked in and reported, "As expected of the CIA''s intelligencework, I''ve managed to save the person!" David nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Everything is settled, right?" Arranged in a totally secure ce!" David grew interested: "Totally secure? How secure?" "The CIA''s safe house, how about that for security!" Hearing this answer, David was also taken aback, not expecting Bucky to arrange for the person to be taken there. However, on second thought. CIA safe houses are mostly designed to withstand terrorist attacks, or the infiltration of enemy agents. Although Dieter''s gang had some influence, in the end, they were just a crime ring, and breaking into a CIA safe house would be virtually impossible. "Was it at your request or did they arrange it voluntarily?" David felt that just having leverage over the CIA was probably already causing them difort, and asking them to arrange a safe house might be pushing it too far. "Don''t worry, they volunteered to help, and they even said they were very happy to do us this favor!" Reassured by this, David then replied, "Then give them a call back and tell them I appreciate the help they''ve provided!" "Understood!" While the two were conversing on this side. Outside the National Tax Bureau, a ck Cadic stopped at the entrance. The car door opened, and a man around 40 in a suit got out. He was Las Vegas''s Deputy Mayor, Gray Ivorson. Given the arrival of the deputy mayor, Chief William in his fourth-floor office was soon informed. After pondering for a while, he replied to the receptionist on the phone, "Have hime up to my office!" A few minutester. There was a knock at the door, and upon hearing e in," Gray pushed the door and entered. Looking at William, he said with a smile, "Chief William, long time no see, how have you beentely?" "All good, I just don''t know what wind blew you, Deputy Mayor Gray, to our Lake District National Tax Bureau today of all days?" Gray took a seat and said, "Nothing much, the Lake District is under my jurisdiction, right? I heard that your bureau has been closing down several nightclubs these past few days, and a lot of unemployed workers haveined to our city hall. I thought I''de and understand the situation." "I see..." William pondered for a moment and replied, "As you know, our National Tax Congress passed a tough taxw on the 3rd ofst month and we''re now actively enforcing it." "The owners of the clubs you mentioned have been warned explicitly by us more than once. Not only did they refuse to pay taxes, but they even dared to openly attack our Chief Tax Officer, which is a heinous crime, and they must be severely punished!" William knew that the Deputy Mayor Gray in front of him was likely sent by someone to advocate on their behalf. So he didn''t beat around the bush andid out his stance right away. Chapter 116: Chapter 99: Is It Your Turn to Whine? Gray''s expression darkened slightly before he responded, "A tant attack on the Chief Tax Officer of your national tax authority? Is such a thing even possible? There must be some mistake..." William scoffed dismissively and replied, "A mistake? Do you think our national tax authority would make a mistake?" Gray appeared somewhat helpless and after a pause, he said, "Let me speak frankly, Chief William. The owners of these establishments you''re investigating have over a dozen venues in the Lake District and other businesses. If they are all shut down by your tax authority, it could result in thousands of people beingid off!" "These unemployed workers could not only bring instability to the Lake District, they may also significantly increase the demand for welfare and relief funds." "I''ve already heard that the owner from the Indian Tribe has realized his mistake. He''s willing to pay his taxes to your national tax authority and is even prepared to pay a penalty fine!" "Chief William, why don''t we just let bygones be bygones? This would be beneficial for both your tax authority and our city administration!" William thought to himself, they attempted to assassinate one of our national tax authority''s officials, and it was our most relied upon Chief Tax Officer at that. Could we really let this slide? Although he thought this, he didn''t reveal his true thoughts and instead answered, "The additional cost of welfare and relief funds for a thousand people is something our national tax authority can handle." Gray''s face became thoroughly grim as he asked, "Chief William, your national tax authority might have the funds, but what about our city hall? We are all serving our country; shouldn''t we show some sympathy here?" William pondered for a moment. After all, the other man was Las Vegas'' Deputy Mayor, and it wouldn''t be good to burn bridges. If the city''s administrative office didn''t cooperate or even worked against them, it could obstruct their tax collection efforts in the future... But soon, he had a thought and answered, "Deputy Mayor Gray, it''s not that I don''t want to consider the city hall''s position, but our Director David has suffered a severe psychological injury. Who will show understanding for him?" "Moreover, I''ve delegated the lead on this case to him. He''s now a star Chief Tax Officer in our department and even the whole of Las Vegas. It wouldn''t be appropriate for me to interfere too much. Do you understand?" As a leader, the ability to pass the buck was still very important. What he actually meant by his words was that he was not the one calling the shots in this matter! Of course, if you can sort things out with David, then there''s a chance to minimize the issue! However, he knew David''s character well enough to know that David would definitely not let the matter rest so easily! And if David wasn''t willing to let it rest, then it naturally wasn''t his problem as the Chief! Gray also understood the subtext in William''s words. From the information he gathered from various sources, he knew David could be hard to deal with, which is why he hadn''t approached David directly but had instead sought to exert pressure through Chief William to resolve the matter. But now that the conversation hade this far, It was clear that William was unwilling to relent, leaving Gray with no choice but to go and try his luck with David! With this thought, Gray responded, resigned, "Alright then, where can I find Director David? I would like to meet him." William picked up the phone and said, "Ottilia,e and take Deputy Mayor Gray to see Director David!" Soon, a female came in and said, "Deputy Mayor Gray, please follow me." Gray followed her to an office door, knocked, received a response, and then entered. "Director David, this is Deputy Mayor Gray from our city''s administrative office," she announced. Hearing it was the Deputy Mayor from the city''s administrative office, David was also surprised and immediately took a good look at the man before him. [Name: Gray Ivorson.] [upation: Deputy Mayor of Las Vegas.] [Monthly ie: Legal ie, neen thousand US dors, illegal ie one hundred seventy thousand US dors.] [Ie details: December 3rd, profited fifty thousand US dors by subcontracting a project in the Lake District to a corporation, December 7th, made twenty thousand US dors through equipment procurement, December 28th, made one hundred thousand from epting bribes from Lynch Aldridge...] MVLeMpYr-your-novel-source [More details: ...] [Tax owed: Forty-seven thousand six hundred US dors.] After scrutinizing the information about the Deputy Mayor, David was taken aback. When he had set his sights on Lynch, he knew the man had significant connections, but he hadn''t expected him to be entangled with the Deputy Mayor before him. It seemed that he regretted not looking into Lynch''s background more thoroughly before; otherwise, he wouldn''t have been so surprised now. "Greetings, Director David." "Hello, Deputy Mayor Gray, what matter brings you to me?" In principle, the city hall and the national tax authority were different administrative branches, and generally, there wouldn''t be much ovep. Yet here was the Deputy Mayor visiting him at the critical moment when they were cracking down on the Ditter Group. Could it also be about the Ditter matter? "It''s like this, these past few days..." Gray repeated what he had initially said to William. After listening to Gray''s words, David understood. Although Gray didn''t explicitly say it was for Ditter''s sake, David could infer his meaning from the conversation. It was nothing more than wanting to minimize the serious issue to a trivial one! But how could David let go so easily when Ditter had so brazenly attempted to murder him? David, dissatisfied, replied, "Deputy Mayor Gray, it''s our national tax authority''s duty to reim taxes andbat criminals. Facing such violence and refusal to pay taxes, and the audacity to attack the national tax authority, if we don''t take severe action, how can we deter otherwbreakers?" "You are right, but the main responsibility of the national tax authority is taxation. As for fighting crimes, I think it would be better left to the police!" "How about this, our city hall will step in, and ensure he pays his taxes down to thest penny. In addition, aspensation, he''ll pay a penalty fine. And for Ditter''s assault case, let our police department handle it, how does that sound?" Gray''s idea was good in his own right. If the national tax authority didn''t go after Ditter, the police could arrest him, detain him symbolically for a few days, and once the fuss had died down, they could slowly deal with the situation and the matter would be considered closed. But he had overlooked one thing. That was David''s determination to use Ditter as an example to establish his authority. David outright refused, "Deputy Mayor Gray, since when does the police get to intervene in matters that the national tax authority should handle?" Upon hearing this, Gray instantly became furious. ording to the rules and regtions, the police department was under the direct leadership of the city hall. Now that David was saying that it wasn''t the police''s ce to intervene, didn''t that imply that it wasn''t the city hall''s ce to meddle either? Chapter 117: Chapter 100: Think Youre Cool? Then Youre Arrested! Gray was getting angrier and angrier and retorted directly, "Fine, fine, Director David, it seems that from now on, with the presence of your tax bureau here in the Lake District, there''s no need for our police station, city hall, or any other department to get involved!" this-chapter-is-MVLeMpYr His words clearly conveyed his meaning. "If your tax bureau is so capable, then don''t expect to find our police station and city hall''s various departments to cooperate with you on tax matters from now on!" Hearing such a statement, David''s anger red up as well. He was already displeased with Graying to intercede on Dieter''s behalf, and now he was directly threatening their tax work. Did this guy not know what happened to thest person who threatened them from the CIA? With that thought, David picked up the phone on the desk, got through, and said, "Come to my office!" Gray, on the other side, was instantly bewildered. What did this mean? But before he could figure it out, Bucky soon pushed the door open and asked David, "Chief Tax Officer, did you call for me?" David, devoid of emotion, said, "Escort Deputy Mayor Gray to our detention room!" Upon hearing this, Bucky was instantly stunned. Gray, who was seated across from him, looked equally dumbfounded. As the Deputy Mayor of Las Vegas, he might not have been able to cover the sky with one hand here, but he was still a man of high status and power, wasn''t he? Whenever he visited various departments, didn''t they all venerate him like an ancestor? But now, upon arriving at the tax bureau, not only did they show him a cold face, but they were actually about to throw him into the detention room? This was preposterous! After a good while, Gray finally reacted, stood up, pointed at David, and bellowed furiously, "David, don''t think you can do whatever you want just because you''re the Chief Tax Officer. I tell you, I am the Deputy Mayor of Las Vegas. If you dare to detain me with abuse of power, the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch will not be able to stand here any longer!" David sneered in disdain and replied, "Deputy Mayor Gray, do you really think our tax bureau would arrest someone without just cause?" "Then isn''t what you''re trying to do to me right now an abuse of power?" Gray still looked ferocious, as if he wanted to devour David on the spot. David ignored his gaze and spoke slowly, "On the 3rd ofst month, you epted fifty thousand US dors. Afterward, through irregr approval procedures, you awarded a road project in the Lake District to the Buanni Road Engineering Group, is that correct?" "How about it? Should I invite the CEO of this group and the relevant person in charge toe and have a talk, to exin this matter in detail?" The formerly intimidating Gray felt as if he was struck by a heavy hammer upon hearing this, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. After a long time, he regained hisposure and attempted to argue back in feigned anger, "What irregr means, what Buanni Road Engineering Group? I have no idea what you''re talking about. Don''t make baseless nder. The city hall would never ept bribes for personal gain!" "Alright, since you say it''s baseless nder, then let''s not talk about this case!" "On December 7th, your city hall was going to purchase a batch of equipment, and the Dingbang Equipment Company from the Lake District approached you, giving you twenty thousand US dors. This can''t be nder, can it?" At these words, Gray''s chest felt as if it had been hit by another hammer, and if one were to observe carefully, they would even notice his legs trembling. "If you still say this is nder, that''s fine too!" "Lynch Aldridge, who deals in antiques in the Lake District, you must be familiar with him, right?" "He has already paid taxes to our tax bureau, which I believe you know. And you epted one hundred thousand US dors from him on the 28th ofst month for protection money. I think he probably hasn''t forgotten yet. Shall we invite him over to have a talk with you?" The mention of Lynch''s name effectively shattered Gray''s psychological defenses. Lynch had approached him when the tax bureau started investigating, hoping he could mediate on his behalf. But knowing how troublesome the tax bureau was and that Lynch wasn''t significant enough for him to go out on a limb, he outright refused. As a result, Lynch paid his taxes and got on the records. If the tax bureau reached out to Lynch, asking him to spill the beans about their mutual benefits, it was needless to think; Lynch would surely spill the truth! Then, even with eight mouths, he, the Deputy Mayor, would have a hard time clearing his name! "As a public official, you sought personal gain amounting to over a hundred thousand dors this month alone, despite being fully aware of the new taxws, yet failed to proactively report to our tax bureau. Now, we are detaining you, what is the problem? Can this still be considered abuse of power on our part?" This response from David momentarily sobered up the frenzied Gray. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t figure out when the tax bureau had investigated him so thoroughly. But it seemed pointless to consider this now. At this moment, he deeply regretted his actions. He regretted not outright refusing when Senator Angstorm called and asked him to step in; he shouldn''t have waded into these muddy waters. As the Deputy Mayor, even if the tax bureau had already gotten hold of so much tax evasion information on him, considering the city hall''s rtionship, they would likely have avoided creating such a deadlock between the two parties. But now, he had not only made it impossible for himself to save face, but once he was taken into the tax bureau''s detention room, the city hall would also be disgraced. Chapter 118: Chapter 100: Think Youre Cool? Then Youre Arrested!_2 And if the media found out, it would be an even bigger mess! Gray grew more and more fearful, forcing a small smile as he said, "Director David, I was just considering the work of the city hall just now. My words were a bit excessive. I apologize for that, it was just a misunderstanding..." These words made David feel somewhat amused inside. Misunderstanding? Why didn''t you say it was a misunderstanding just now? Now that I''veid out the tax evasion evidence, it bes a misunderstanding? "Deputy Mayor Gray, as I already made it very clear, our National Tax Bureau will not wrongly use anyone or abuse power, so..." David paused, giving Bucky, who was standing by, a look. Bucky got the hint immediately and stepped over to Gray''s side, saying, "Sorry, Deputy Mayor Gray, please follow me!" Seeing that David had no intention of letting it go, Gray became anxious and quickly changed his tune, "Director David, for extremists like Dieter, they should be severely punished. I, on behalf of the city hall, support the measures of your National Tax Bureau!" Now, when he himself was nearly unable to save his own skin, how could he care about Dieter or not Dieter? "Deputy Mayor Gray, you are a man of status. Don''t make me take action myself!" Bucky, seeing that David had no intention of backing down, continued to usher Gray away. Gray clenched his teeth and said, "Director David, I am willing to pay the taxes, to file it. That should be fine, right?" "Deputy Mayor Gray, there''s a big difference between paying taxes voluntarily and being forced to pay taxes. These are not things one can just confuse!" Even at this point, David still didn''t intend to push Gray into a corner to death. After all, no matter what, there had only been a conflict between them, not a vendetta to the death like with Dieter. So, as long as Gray was willing to pay the taxes, David wouldn''t push him to his demise. However, Gray daring toe to the National Tax Bureau to intercede for Dieter, he certainly had to be taught a lesson! Like a trip to the detention room, for instance. This would also send a message to the outside world: anyone else who dared toe to the National Tax Bureau to plead for Dieter would end up like this! "Director David..." "Take him away!" David didn''t give Gray another chance to speak. And without further ado, Bucky grabbed Gray and escorted him away. Gray, who was ustomed to luxury and ease, certainly couldn''t resist Bucky, an ex-Marine, and was quickly taken out of the office entrance. Third floor, Inspector''s Office. Originally, the ce was bustling, but when everyone saw Bucky escorting Gray, they all froze as if a spell had been cast upon them, instantly stunned. As the Deputy Mayor of Las Vegas, the inspectors were certainly familiar with Gray. But what was going on with this deputy mayor? Why did it look like he was a criminal being escorted away by Bucky? Before they coulde to their senses, when they saw Bucky heading towards the detention room with Gray, their hearts were once again shaken. The detention room was always reserved for criminals. MVLeMpYr-your-novel-source Since when did the dignified Deputy Mayor of a city also have to be thrown into such a ce? Thest time a CIA agent was put into the detention room, the inspectors were greatly shocked. But after all, that was just an agent from the CIA, which did not have the same impact as detaining the current deputy mayor! All inspectors looked at each other, seeking an exnation. However, this incident had just urred, and none of them knew what was going on. Fourth floor, the Chief''s office. "Come in!" Ottilia entered hurriedly and quickly said, "Chief, I don''t know what happened, but Director David has put Deputy Mayor Gray into our detention room!" "What did you say?" William, who had been looking down and approving documents, suddenly looked up, incredulous. "I said, Deputy Mayor Gray has been taken to the detention room by Director David!" "Oh, shit, what''s going on!" William finally reacted, his tone slightly frantic. Gray was no small figure; as the Deputy Mayor of Las Vegas, and now the National Tax Bureau had taken him to the detention room. If they couldn''t provide a reasonable exnation, the National Tax Bureau might be in serious trouble! After all, the city hall was not to be trifled with! Ottilia shrank back a little and weakly replied, "I''m not clear on the details yet!" William immediately stood up and almost ran out of the office, heading for where David was. But before he could get halfway there, he ran into David,ing from the opposite direction. William, not caring for formalities, directly challenged, "I heard you''ve thrown Deputy Mayor Gray into the detention room, what the hell is going on?" "I was just on my way to report this to you, Chief. Here''s what happened..." David recounted how Gray had requested to downy Dieter''s case, his refusal, and then how Gray invoked the city hall and various departments''ck of cooperation in tax matters. After hearing this, William was not satisfied, saying, "He''s the Deputy Mayor of the city hall. Even if he threatened us, we can''t be so direct, it will..." "What if he was evading taxes?" Before William could continue his tirade, he stopped abruptly at the mention of tax evasion, urgently asking, "He evaded taxes? Do you have evidence?" "Chief, you remember Lynch, don''t you?" "Lynch... Isn''t he the antiques dealer?" Last assessment period, Lynch generated over a million in tax revenue for the Lake District Sub-Bureau. Such a high-profile criminal was still remembered by William. Chapter 119: Chapter 100: Think Youre Cool? Then Youre Arrested!_3 ``` "He''s definitely involved with that Gray in some lucrative dealings!" "Are you sure about that, you''re certain?" Lynch had already been entered into their Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch''s database; in a sense, he was already at their mercy. If Gray really had a vested interest with him, then with just a word from the Lake District National Tax Bureau, Lynch would have no choice but to obediently step up as a witness! But the precondition is, the two must indeed have a real vested interest! "Of course I''m certain, and aside from Lynch, I also have materials on manypanies and conglomerates in the Lake District that he''s tied with financially. Otherwise, how could I dare to throw a deputy mayor into detention?" William listened and thought the same. During these past assessment periods, almost every case handled by David was impably done, leaving no room for anyone to find faults, so how could he suddenly lose his mind? It seemed his worries had beenpletely unnecessary! "Since that''s the case, you''ve done a good job on this one, not only teaching Gray a lesson but also sending a warning to those who solicited him to plead their cause!" William could see David''s intent. "Yes, I indeed intended to use Gray as a warning to those forces trying to acquit Dieter: to stop their futile efforts and choose the only path left¡ªsurrender!" William nodded and said, "With Gray''s case, give him enough of a lesson but don''t blow things out of proportion; it''s more useful for him to be under the limitations set by our National Tax Bureau than to have him fallpletely!" Firstly, as long as Gray doesn''t fall, the Tax Bureau could increase its monthly revenue. Secondly, as a deputy mayor. Once he is in their National Tax Bureau''s file, he would certainly not sing a contradictory tune in the future, and would obediently cooperate with their tax collection efforts. This was much more useful than letting him fall and recing him with a new deputy mayor! David replied, "Rest assured, Director, I know what to do!" William, as if struck by a sudden realization, eximed sentimentally, "Last time it was the CIA''s men, now it''s Deputy Mayor Gray. You really have a knack, Director David!" William was bing increasingly impressed with David. To deal with criminals in a clean and efficient manner was one thing, but to perform like this against high-level individuals from the CIA and City Hall was simply astounding. He now felt more than ever that promoting David quickly to the position of Chief Tax Officer was the most astute decision! "Alright then, there''s a lot more to do with Dieter''s case, you go on and handle that!" ... City Hall. "What did you say? Gray was detained by the National Tax Bureau personnel?" As a senator, Angstorm had weathered countless storms but was still shocked to hear that Gray, whom he had sent to lobby the Tax Bureau, had been detained. That was a city''s deputy mayor! How could the Tax Bureau dare to do this? If they don''t provide a reasonable exnation, did they still expect to continue operating in Las Vegas? "I was a bit incredulous when I received this news too, but after pondering over it and gathering information from various sources, I think that the Lake District National Tax Bureau must be very sure of themselves to detain Gray, Senator Angstorm, this trouble seems quite serious..." The wordsing from the other end of the phone made Angstorm snap back to reality, sinking into deep thought. Come to think of it, that made sense. How could the Tax Bureau dare toy hands on an eminent deputy mayor without absolute certainty? Unless the entire leadership of the Tax Bureau had gone mad! But was that likely? Obviously not very likely! And if the Tax Bureau dared to detain Gray, what could be the main reason? brought-to-you-by-MvLeMpYr It certainly couldn''t just be for speaking on Dieter''s behalf; while Dieter was a target for the Tax Bureau, mere persuasion did not constitute illegal activity. That left only one possibility: Gray must have been caught on tax matters by the Tax Bureau! But what Angstorm couldn''t understand was. He had just sent Gray to the Tax Bureau, and even if they had superhuman abilities, they couldn''t have possibly acquired evidence of Gray''s tax evasion so quickly, could they? Unless... The Tax Bureau had already been investigating Gray in secret, even obtaining evidence of his tax evasion, but had been holding back, waiting until today when Gray showed up, finally falling into their ''trap''. This thought made a chill run down Angstorm''s back. If Gray had been targeted by the Tax Bureau for some time, could it be that he too was under their surveince? "Senator Angstorm, are you still listening?" The voice on the phone brought the chaotic-minded Angstorm back to his senses. He said, "The Tax Bureau won''t do anything to Gray; go to the Lake District National Tax Bureau and find out what happened, and by the way, get him out of there!" Angstorm, having be a senator, naturally had a sharper mind than most. He was well aware that if the Tax Bureau had indeed caught Gray red-handed, they would not go after him relentlessly; they just wanted to warn those interfering with Dieter''s case. After all, a deputy mayor held in the Tax Bureau''s grip was far more useful than a newly appointed one! "Senator Angstorm... I can go, but as for Dieter''s case... I better hold my tongue, that''s all right, isn''t it?" Gray ended up in this predicament precisely because he went to the Tax Bureau to speak for Dieter; naturally, the person on the phone was afraid of suffering the same fate. ``` Chapter 120: Chapter 100: Think Youre Cool? Then Youre Arrested!_4 "You just take care of Gray''s situation, and don''t speak of anything else!" "Alright, I understand!" After ending the call, Senator Angstorm immediately put on his suit jacket, then called for his driver and headed toward the Indian Reservation. About 40 minutester, Senator Angstorm arrived at the gate of the Chieftain''s family estate. "Senator, ." As soon as Senator Angstorm got out of the car, a Native American guard immediately stepped forward to inquire. "Tell Chief Gael I want to see him!" "Please follow me, Senator!" The guard led Senator Angstorm to the same hall where they had talked that morning and then said, "Please wait a moment, Senator, I''ll go inform the Chieftain right away!" About 10 minutester. Chief Gael arrived at the scene with Tewin and other high-ranking Native Americans, and Dieter was among them. Seeing Senator Angstorm''s grim face, the Native Americans suddenly sensed that something was amiss, and Gael was the first to ask, "Senator Angstorm, what''s the matter?" Senator Angstorm first nced at Dieter, then said, "Regarding the matter of your tribesman, I''m afraid I''m not able to help much anymore!" A deputy mayor had already fallen. And he did not know whether he was under investigation by the IRS, so the best choice now was to pull out and retreat, in order to avoid the fire spreading to himself. Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Native Americans present all darkened, and Dieter''s expression became particrly anxious. As the effects of the contraband drugs dissipated, his mind cleared considerably. Now, as one influential senator after another expressed their inability to help, he felt the seriousness of the situation was escting. Gael spoke in a heavy tone, "Senator Angstorm, what exactly happened?" "As you requested, I had someone go to the IRS with a proposal to try and y down the situation, but..." Senator Angstorm immediately exined the incident of Gray being thrown into a detention cell by the IRS. After understanding the cause and effect, the Native Americans present were stunned. They might not fully grasp the significance of the IRS, but they were quite clear about the weight of a deputy mayor. But now, a deputy mayor went to the IRS hoping to resolve the matter, only to be thrown directly into prison by the IRS? Had Senator Angstorm not told them himself, they would have never believed it. Meanwhile, Dieter''s emotions were exceedinglyplex. He had thought his way of doing things was domineering enough, but it turned out to be insignificant in front of the IRS. After all, in confronting someone like a deputy mayor, he still had a certain reverence. But the IRS, not to mention showing any reverence, did not even offer a facade of respect, throwing him directly into detention. "Senator Angstorm, this... this can''t be possible, can it? We are talking about a deputy mayor here, how can the IRS act so outrageously?" Tewin responded, questioning. Senator Angstorm nced at him and said, "If the IRS dares to take down a deputy mayor like that, they must be absolutely confident, otherwise they couldn''t handle the aftermath, there''s no need to question that!" "This..." Tewin was speechless, paused for a moment, then said, "Then, Senator Angstorm, isn''t there any other way we could try, we can''t just admit defeat, can we?" Senator Angstorm, slightly irritated by thement, replied, "I have no more options, if this continues, I could even be involved!" Having said that, he turned to look at Dieter and added, "At the end of the day, when the IRSes to you demanding taxes, if you had just paid, it would have been over, why resist? They would have only taken maybe 40% of your ie, and you would still have had plenty left over!" -chapter "Even if you chose not to pay, that''s okay, at most they would have just detained you, but you shouldn''t have chosen such a foolish method as an assassination attempt!" Chapter 121: Chapter 101: Then Change a Member of Parliament to Solve It Dieter was so rebuked that his face turned red and his neck swelled up. If only he had known how serious the matter was, he would have never resorted to assassination. But now, it was toote for regrets! The atmosphere at the scene became stagnant for quite some time. Gael looked at Angstorm and spoke, "Senator Angstorm, now that things havee to this, it''s pointless to talk about it anymore. Let''s see if there''s anything we can do to resolve this." Angstorm''s expression darkened. He had made himself very clear just now, and yet Gael was still asking him to find a solution, which was somewhat embarrassing. But for the sake of the Indian Tribe''s votes, he couldn''t just turn hostile and could only make an excuse, "Chief Gael, it''s not that I don''t want to find a way, but as you can see, the National Tax Bureau is showing no signs of backing down. "In the future, if you ask for my help, I''ll never refuse, but with the current situation, I''m truly powerless. You wouldn''t want to see me get into trouble, would you?" With that said, the atmosphere once again fell into stagnation. Angstorm continued to speak, "Well then, Chief Gael, I have a lot on my te so I''ll be heading back to the city first. Contact me if there''s anything else!" Without caring what everyone else was thinking, Angstorm turned and left. "Hmph, these politicians, they''re nothing but timid rats, always protecting their own feathers!" Watching Angstorm''s retreating figure disappearing in the distance, Tewin cursed angrily and then approached Gael, asking, "Chieftain, he''s my only son. Although he''s somewhat ipetent, as a father, I can''t just watch him rot in jail for life!" Gael did not respond immediately but continued mulling over in his thoughts. Firstly, Native Americans ce great importance on tribal and blood rtions, so no matter what crime Dieter hadmitted, he would definitely try every means to save him. Secondly, there was still the issue at hand. As the chieftain of the tribe, if he couldn''t even save his own nephew, it would be a great blow to his credibility. So now it wasn''t just a matter of whether to save Dieter but also an issue that escted to his ruling over the tribe! "Go, contact Senator Marcus, and tell him toe visit us!" The reason why Gael''s Indian Tribe held so much power in Las Vegas wasn''t just because of their connection with important figures. The main reason was their tens of thousands of tribespeople, plus others who came to the reservation for employment, totaling up to 70 or 80 thousand people. Don''t underestimate these 70 or 80 thousand people. That''s 70 or 80 thousand votes. Positions like Governor, Deputy Governor, as well as other legitors and senators, all require the support of these votes. Therefore, the Indian Tribe holding 70 to 80 thousand votes naturally became an important target for all sides to curry favor with. Over the years, the tribe had been a staunch supporter of Angstorm, but now that Angstorm was acting unruly, it didn''t matter. If worse came to worse, they would simply switch their support to someone else! Of course, on the condition that this ''someone else'' must help them settle Dieter''s matter first! "Senator Marcus? Good, I''ll contact him personally!" Tewin, grasping Gael''s intention, immediately turned to make the arrangements. ... As the sun set in the west and evening approached, The three inspection teams from the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau that had been out on a raid operation gradually returned, assembling in the 3rd-floor Inspector''s Office. Before long, David came downstairs. Seeing the triumphant expressions on the faces of the various teams, he knew that today''s operation must have had a bountiful harvest. After surveying everyone, he asked, "How did it go, everyone? Was the operation smooth? Did anyone get injured or anything of the sort?" From their expressions, it seemed there were no casualties. But as the Chief Tax Officer, he needed to show some concern for his subordinates. Nis was the first to stand up and report, "No casualties in our inspector team, and the mission waspleted sessfully. We found 50 pounds of narcotics at the scene, along with 300 kilograms of various contraband, plus one million US dors in cash." "Our inspector team had no casualties either, we found 60 pounds of narcotics on site, 250 kilograms of various contraband, and seized 960,000 US dors in cash." The one reporting now was a member of Hector''s team. Next, a member of Hutton''s team stood up and shared, "Our inspection team also has no casualties. We found 53 pounds of narcotics, 300 kilograms of various contraband at the scene, and seized 920,000 dors in cash!" After hearing the reports from the inspection teams, David finally understood why they were so overjoyed. Not to mention the contraband from the three warehouses, the cash alone added up to nearly three million US dors. And with these three million US dors, even if they just shared a small amount among the teams'' heads, it would be enough for them not to struggle for three assessment periods, so of course, they would be happy. "Good, let''s end today''s task here. Starting tomorrow, we''ll initiate an arrest operation targeting the core members, mid-level staff, and the underlings of the Ditter Group!" brought-to-you-by-NovelFire Now that Dieter''s ounts had been frozen and his warehouses raided, the only thing left was to extract value from his personnel. After that''s done, they could officially clean up Dieter! After the meeting, as he had asked a relocationpany to help him move this morning, David found Nisen and Bucky, hoping that the two would lend him a hand. Chapter 122: Chapter 101: Then Change a Member of Parliament to Solve It_2 The two of them had no hesitation, directly agreeing to the request. But just to be safe, they still went to the equipment storage room, took out two assault rifles and put them in the surveince vehicle of the Bureau, then unloaded some of the equipment from the vehicle to make more space. After that, they headed to David''s apartment building. When they arrived at the apartment building, it had already been half an hourter. David''s furniture and other belongings were not particrly numerous. With thebined efforts of the three people, it took just over an hour to pack all the furniture and items and load them onto the truck. What followed was the handover with thendlord, then they headed towards the house arranged by the agent. The location of the house, as per David''s request, is in an apartment building about 700 meters away from the Lake District National Tax Bureau. When they arrived there, the agent was already waiting. "Mr. David, I presume? I am Gaskell, the one who''s been in contact with you all day." "Hello, Mr. Gaskell, let''s go up and take a look at the apartment!" "Please follow me!" Gaskell led David all the way to the 13th floor, took out the keys, and opened the door. The primary color of the room was light grey,plemented by a white ceiling and dark floors, conveying a sense of stability andyering. There was afortablerge bed ced by the window. David went over to test it and found that the bedding was made of high-quality cotton and linen, soft to the touch and breathable. He then looked at the kitchen and noticed it was designed as an open space; with ck quartz countertops that had various cooking appliances and tableware on them¡ªit indeed seemed convenient for his daily cooking. The bathroom was located on the other side of the room, separated by a clear ss door. It maintained the openness of the space while adding indoor natural light. The facilities wereprehensive, and the dry-wet separation design made the space more practical. Overall, the apartment was virtually identical to the video that Gaskell had sent him that morning. After inspecting the ce in person, he was quite satisfied. "Okay, this one will do!" "All right, Mr. David, the monthly rent for this apartment is Two Thousand US Dors. A deposit of Six Thousand US Dors is required, and you need to pay three months'' rent upfront as a one-time payment. Is that all right with you?" "Yes, that''s fine!" The monthly rent of Two Thousand US Dors was considered a significant expense for the average working-ss and even for government employees in Las Vegas. But David, as Lake District Sub-Bureau''s two-time assessment period ''sales champion'', had earned close to a six-figure sum inmissions and bonuses, which made the rent seem trivial to him. "Great, I''ll prepare the contract now..." In the brief moment Gaskell was preparing the contract, David walked over to the window, stuck his head out, and gave Nisen an ''OK'' signal waiting below. Both men understood immediately and began unloading items from the truck and carrying them upstairs. "The contract is ready, Mr. David, pleasee sign it!" Hearing Gaskell''s call, David walked over, took the contract and reviewed it briefly. Finding no issues, he signed his name. Lastly, he paid Gaskell a total of Twelve Thousand US Dors in cash. After Gaskell counted and found no issues, he said, "The count is correct, Mr. David. Here are the keys, and please feel free to contact me anytime if you need any assistance!" As Gaskell left, Bucky and Nisen happened to finish moving things in. After surveying theyout of the apartment, Nisen asked, "Chief Tax Officer, the rent for this apartment must be quite steep?" "Two Thousand US Dors a month!" Both were taken aback by the high rent, and Nisen then remarked, "Two Thousand a month, that''s Twenty-Four Thousand a year. In that case, it might be more economical to buy a ce!" For this type of studio apartment, buying one might cost somewhere around a few hundred thousand US Dors. In Nisen''s view, this was a lot more cost-effective than renting. After all, rented housing would still belong to someone else, while purchasing it would make it your own. David smiled and replied, "I don''t even know how long I will stay in Las Vegas; buying doesn''t seem necessary!" He had considered buying a house before. But given the current situation in the National Tax Bureau''s system, the tform in the Lake District was still too small. If he really wanted to defeat Brown Soros and his group, and take first ce on the tax performance chart, his only option would be to move to a more powerful city. Maybe then he could achieve that goal! ording to the n he had for his career, the Lake District was nothing more than a stepping stone, and he wasn''t going to stay long. So, naturally, there was no need for him to buy a house here. Hearing this, Bucky and Nisen both snapped back to reality. Indeed. With David''s capabilities, staying in the Lake District¡ªit seemed like an underuse of his talents. Not to mention his own advancement, if the higher-ups at headquarters had any insight, they would definitely cultivate such a talent vigorously. It was inevitable that he would be transferred sooner orter! But at the thought of David being transferred, both felt a twinge of pain in their chests. During this period, thanks to David, they had reaped much higher tax achievements than other inspectors across the nation. If David were to be transferred, they might ''revert to their original form'' overnight. Looking at the two dumbstruck men, David asked, "What''s wrong?" "No... Let''s continue bringing the stuff up!" The two quickly dismissed their thoughts and, after putting things in their ce, headed back down the stairs. Before long, all the items were moved up. Embracing the spirit of helping to the end, despite David''s refusal, the two still helped him set up the items they had carried up in the room. Another hour passed, and the once somewhat empty house finally felt like a home. "You two have worked hard, let''s go have a meal after washing our hands!" "No need, Director. You probably didn''t sleep wellst night and you were busy all day, so we''ll just head back..." "What are you talking about, it''s just a meal!" The two had indeed worked hard for a few hours helping David, and it was necessary to invite them for a meal as amon courtesy. Eventually, unable to resist David''s insistence, they went with him to a nearby restaurant. After enjoying a delicious steak, the three of them dispersed. David indeed hadn''t slept well the previous night and, after the day''s moving exertions, even though it was a new house and a new bed, he felt no strangeness and quickly fell into a deep sleep. But that night, for many people, was sleepless. The Omaha Family was still running around because of Ditter''s matters, trying various solutions. And after being raided by the National Tax Bureau, Ditter''s gang and their backbone members were also in a state of constant panic, hiding here and there. The next day, after a night of rest, David was full of energy again. But as soon as he entered the bureau''s doors, he was immediately blocked by a crowd of people. On closer inspection, these were none other than the other seven Chief Tax Officers, apart from Hutton and Hector. "Director David, I heard thatst night you conducted a raid against the Ditter Group, seizing nearly Three Million US dors in cash, is there any truth to this?" "Director David, with the Ditter Group''s enormous influence, since we''re conducting a full collection, why didn''t you notify our inspection team to join forces?" "Yes, Director David..." "..." In fact, it was no wonder these Chief Tax Officers were so agitated. You see, that was nearly Three Million US dors. And what made them most indignant was, why were Hutton''s and Hector''s teams allowed to participate, while their teams could only watch them eat meat, without even a sip of soup? So, after receiving the newsst night, the seven of them had agreed to confront David this morning¡ªthey at least deserved a sip of the soup! Chapter 123: Chapter 102: Gray: I Want to Be a Good Person! David surveyed the crowd and asked, "Fellow Chief Tax Officers, there are other cases to be dealt with in the bureau. Surely you can''t alle and handle the Ditter case, leaving the other cases unattended?" "Director David, since Dieter dared to attempt a murder on you, he clearly doesn''t take our National Tax Bureau seriously. We must now severely punish him, and the other cases can be dealt withter!" "That''s right, the dignity of our National Tax Bureau must not be vited, and as the Chief Tax Officer of the Lake District National Tax Bureau, I must be involved as well!" "..." Listening to the seven Chief Tax Officers'' ''righteous and eloquent'' words left David speechless. On the surface, these Chief Tax Officers seemed to be advocating for revenge on his behalf and upholding the bureau''s dignity, but in reality, weren''t they just jealous of the taxes seized and eager to get a piece of the action! But there was no choice, as the saying goes, it''s difficult to defy the will of the many. David couldn''t just snub the face of the seven Chief Tax Officers outright, so he reluctantly replied, "In that case, I personally agree to let you join the Ditter case. However, we need the Director''s approval. If he agrees, then I''ll let you join!" Upon hearing this, the seven Chief Tax Officers frowned. But before they could say anything, they realized David had already walked away. One of the Chief Tax Officers hurriedly spoke up, "Are we just going to let him walk away like that?" "What else can we do; he said if the Director agrees, we could join." "So, we... go find the Director?" "To the Director''s office!" The temptation of yesterday''s nearly Three Million US dors was too great; naturally, they were unwilling to let David, Hutton, and Hector''s teams eat all the spoils. Under any circumstances, they wanted a share of the pie! Half an hourter, while dealing with today''s affairs, David heard a knock at the door and said, "Come in!" The next second, William pushed the door open, looking somewhat upset, and said, "David, Peggy and the others found you earlier, wanting to join the Dieter case, right?" David nodded and replied, "Yes." "Well, my point is... if it''s convenient, let them join as well. What do you think?" Obviously, William had also sumbed to the onught of the seven Chief Tax Officers. But he also knew that letting these seven inspection teams join would mean sharing the tax achievements nearly within David''s grasp. And now David was the most important Chief Tax Officer in the Lake District, so William dared not rashly annoy him. His words were not so much a request as they were a consultation. Of course, if David disagreed, William wouldn''t push it further, for no matter how numerous those seven Chief Tax Officers seemed, even bound together, they were not as significant as David alone. He would know what to prioritize! "Since the Director says so, let them join!" The funds frozen in Ditter''s ount, as well as the nearly Three Million US dors in taxes seized yesterday, he naturally wouldn''t share with these seven Chief Tax Officers. What was needed next was to arrest the core, mid-level, and lower-level personnel of the Ditter Group, and those were indeed tasks suitable for these seven inspection teams. After all, there''s strength in numbers! Later, he would distribute some of the tax achievements based on the contributions these seven audit teams made in the arrests! "Then that''s good. You can decide how to assign them to carry out the following tasks!" Hearing that David agreed and detecting no dissatisfaction in his tone, William breathed a sigh of relief. This way, he could give the seven Chief Tax Officers an exnation! "Oh, by the way..." William seemed to remember something, smiling as he said, "The way you handled Gray yesterday really scared the folks at the city hall." "Oh? How so?" David became curious. "Yesterday, just as I was about to go home, I got a call from Deputy Mayor Meredith. He asked to meet me at the coffee shop across from our bureau; when he got to our door, he was too scared toe in. What does that tell you?" "It tells me they are now very afraid of you, even scared to step inside our bureau, just in case they run into you and face the same fate as Gray, hahaha..." By the end, William couldn''t help butugh heartily. In the past, everyone was indeed fearful of their National Tax Bureau, it''s true, but never to the extent that they dared not step foot inside their doors. But now, after David''s recent action, he truly had terrified the city hall staff. Understanding this, David also disyed an expression of amused resignation. William continued, "Oh and, I had quite a talk with Meredith yesterday. He promised that the city hall will actively cooperate with our work from now on and also expressed Gray''s apologies on his behalf. Let''s leave it at that!" Since locking Gray up in the detention room yesterday, it''s been a full night, which is punishment enough! "Understood, Director. I''ll have someone release him right away. Once we''ve received the taxes andpleted the documentation, he can go back!" "Alright, let''s do that." After William left, David picked up the phone and said, "Bring Deputy Mayor Gray to my office, and prepare an entry form." Approximately ten minutester, there was a knock on the office door. After granting permission with a "Come in," Bucky entered with Gray, and at that moment, Gray, looking gaunt with bloodshot eyes and an utterlyckluster appearance, bore none of the authoritative image of a deputy mayor he had just the day before. "How do you find our bureau''s detention room, Deputy Mayor Gray?" "Director David, after reflecting on it all night, I''vee to a clear realization of my mistakes. I promise to fully cooperate with your National Tax Bureau from here on out. Additionally, we will deal seriously with ouws like Dieter. Please, give me a chance; I want to be a good person!" With the stature of Deputy Mayor Gray, these words were said in extreme humility. But there was no other option when his fate was in David''s hands. If David were willing, there was no need for the National Tax Bureau to act; just a slight leak to the media would instantly make him a target for public vitriol. So humbling his words was nothing, even if David now demanded he kneel and kowtow, he would do so without the slightest hesitation. After all, as long as David and the National Tax Bureau were willing to let him off, his illegal activities would still remain unknown, and he could continue to be the influential Deputy Mayor of Las Vegas. Compared to these, what''s bowing and scraping before David? It''s nothing at all! It doesn''t count for anything! Chapter 124: Chapter 103: Street Subdivisions Little Tricks Gray''s nearly pleading posture is what made David pretty satisfied. He spoke up, "Whether you get to be the good guy is up to the court, our Internal Revenue Service only cares about collecting taxes. Pay the taxes you owe, leave the documents with us in the IRS archive, and we''ll call it even!" Upon hearing this, Gray, who had been in a state of despair, instantly brightened up and agreed hastily, "Yes, yes, yes, I''ll pay the taxes, and leaving the documents in your archive is doable!" Bucky immediately stepped up, spread the archiving form in front of Gray, and exined, "Deputy Mayor Gray, please fill in your upation and ie details here..." About ten minutester. Gray signed his name at the end of the form, and Bucky picked it up to have a careful look. After confirming there were no problems, he nodded at David to signal all was in order. David spoke up, "You may leave now, Deputy Mayor Gray, but make sure to send the taxes you owe as soon as possible!" "Understood!" Gray, as if granted a pardon, stood up and, apanied by Bucky, quickly stepped out of the IRS''s doors. Once he stepped out into the golden sunshine, a sudden surge of joy welled up inside him! Thinking back over the events from yesterday to today, falling from heaven to hell and then back from hell to heaven, it was an experience he never wished to live through again in his life! So he resolved in his heart. Not only would he pay his taxes punctually to the IRS every month, but he would also never involve himself again in anything rted to Dieter or tangled with the IRS and other criminal syndicates even if it killed him! Over in the office area, David stepped out and made his way to the 3rd floor Inspector''s Office. Seeing him arrive, all the inspectors present stopped what they were doing, stood up, and prepared to listen. David looked around at the group, and said, "Everyone, I believe many of you have received notifications about getting involved with the Dieter case. Next, I''ll give you a brief task assignment!" Upon mention of task assignments, the seven inspector teams on the scene immediately became excited. As for Hutton, Hector, and the members of the inspection squad led by David, their faces showed a hint of displeasure. They were well aware that these seven inspection teams mingling in clearly aimed to share in the spoils. But it couldn''t be helped. They had already received the notice, which was agreed upon by both Chief Tax Officer William and David, so although they were quite annoyed, they could only begrudgingly ept it. "The situation we know now is that Dieter and Virginia have escaped back to the reservation, while Sapir has fallen into our hands. Baldwin, Biden, and Gustav are the three individuals we need to focus on capturing!" Dieter had four lieutenants under him, each managing the venues and the illicit goods trade. Aside from Virginia, the three individuals David named were the other three lieutenants. "In addition to these three, there is also Benjamin, Wozworth..." David named a group of Ditter Group''s mid-to-upper management backbone, and then finally said to everyone, "Understood?" "Understood!" The inspectors on site chimed in unison. "Then let''s get moving!" No sooner had he spoken than the inspectors wasted no further words, strapped on their sidearms, donned their coats, and left in an organized manner. In less than a moment, the Inspector''s Office, previously bustling with activity, grew silent. ... Time flew quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed. During this period, quite a few of the lower-ranking members and mid-level operatives of the Ditter Group were captured. These individuals, scrutinized by David with his "golden finger" and under threat, could not talk their way out and coughed up the taxes they owed. As of today, 96 people were arrested, and the total tax collected amounted to 1.443 million US Dors. However, there was something that was slightly disheartening to both David and the other inspectors. Baldwin, Biden, and Gustav seemed to have gotten wind of the operation and gone into hiding; they had not been apprehended yet. Inside the Chief Tax Officer''s office. David made some rough calctions. The frozen assets from Dieter''s ounts amounting to over 15 million plus nearly 3 million US Dors collected from raids on warehouses, along with 1.44 million plus from the arrests over these days, the total was just over 19 million US Dors. After reviewing the tax achievement leaderboard, since he had been investigating the Dieter case for the past 4.5 days and as the Dieter case had not yet beenpletely closed, ording to IRS regtions, it was not yet eligible to be filed. So his current tax achievement sat at 4.368 million US Dors. As for his ranking, because tax filing had not kept up over these days, his position had fallen from 10th nationally down to 39th. The current top ranker nation-wide remained Brown Soros, whose total tax achievement reached 19.63 million. Second ce was held by Bemy Hattie from the Los Angeles Long Beach Branch, with a tax achievement of 15.11 million. The ones ranking 3rd to 10th had also each broken through the 10 million mark. With one week left until the end of the assessment period, going by the time and proportion, it seemed that Brown Soros and Bemy Hattie would have no problem surpassing the 30 million marks. Those ranked 3rd to 10th were sure to surpass 20 million too. As for David, his tax achievement figure of 4.368 million, plus the over 19 million from the Dieter case, would total around 23 million plus. Chapter 125: Chapter 103: The Little Tricks of the Main Street Subdivision_2 However, the Ditter case had involved every inspection team in the entire National Tax Bureau, so it was impossible for the 19 million-plus to all end up in his pocket. ording to David''s thinking, of the 19 million, he had to take at least about 2 million or so and distribute it among the heads of the 10 inspection teams in the bureau. Truth be told, it was quite painful for him to take out 2 million. But first, let''s not talk about the seven teams that had joinedter to catch the tail end of autumn, his own team and the teams led by Hutton and Hector had made significant efforts. Now, with the taxes amounting to over 19 million, if he were to give just 30-50 thousand or even 100-80 thousand, it would seem a bit selfish, not to mention petty. So his thought was to give each of the three inspection teams 400 thousand, with the remaining 800 thousand to be divided among the seven teams that had joinedter. In this way, the taxes he would take would be around 17 million. With the current 4.368 million, that would be over 21 million in tax achievements. If there were no idents, these tax achievements were enough to let him make aeback to the top 10 of the leaderboard, and given the current situation, it was even very likely that he could enter the top 5! Of course, this had to be done quickly! Those guys in the top 10 of the leaderboard these days, their tax achievements might not be rocketing up, but the pace was still incredibly fast. He only had to resolve this case quickly, to promptly record the funds from the Ditter case, so he could give the higher-ups at headquarters another impression just likest time when he rocketed into the national top 10! While pondering this, David''s brows furrowed slightly. Baldwin''s three bigwigs, he had no idea where they had hidden themselves, capable of not showing any trace for three days under the full force search of all the inspectors in the Lake District and the system... As he was deep in thought, someone knocked on the door. "Come in." Bucky walked in, looking troubled, and said, "ording to the intelligence we have, these three couldn''t have managed to flee Las Vegas in time, but we''ve turned their residences and frequent haunts upside down and still can''t find any trace of them... It''s really getting tricky..." Hearing this, David''s mood grew heavier. Bucky then changed the subject, "Since this guy is hiding so well, Chief Tax Officer, then I think we should stop spending effort on searching for them and just go after Ditter instead..." Obviously, he didn''t want to drag things on either. Now that they had Sapir and Iman as two important hostages and had confiscated contraband and cash as evidence, he felt it was enough to take down Ditter. David shook his head and replied, "The current evidence is enough to bring Ditter down, but one thing we must be fully prepared for is whether the Native Americans will hand someone over!" Upon hearing this, Bucky also snapped back to reality. Yes, although they had irond evidence of Ditter''s various crimes, Ditter was, after all, on a reservation now. Would those Native Americans so easily hand someone over? ording to the current information from various sources, it obviously seemed unlikely! David continued, "If those Native Americans refuse to surrender him, then we''ll have to apply for armed forces support. "But you know, although we the National Tax Bureau have armed forces, they cannot be deployed whenever we want, as it requires very rigorous review and procedures." "Only by catching the three bigwigs and forcing them to testify against Ditter, as well as to provide more incriminating evidence against the Ditter Group, will we have aplete chain of evidence for the case. "Then the approval process on the state bureau''s side can proceed quickly!" With this exnation, Bucky finally understood and wasted no more words, leaving at once to continue the search for the three bigwigs. Two hourster, at the National Tax Bureau Avenue Sub-bureau Branch. Director Katharine was dealing with official business in her office when suddenly the door was knocked on, and without looking up, she said, "Come in." The next second, Keanu entered, very excited, "Director, our sixth team just went out on a task, and guess what person they caught?" Upon hearing this, Katharine also became somewhat interested and replied, "Who did you catch?" "Baldwin, Biden, Gustav!" "Baldwin..." Katharine felt that these names sounded familiar, but couldn''t quite ce them at the moment. She quickly asked, "What''s the background of these three?" "Isn''t the Lake District Sub-Bureau investigating the Ditter case? These three are Ditter''s key henchmen, known as three of the ''Four Heavenly Kings''!" "The Three Heavenly Kings!" Katharine finally remembered, wondering why these names seemed familiar¡ª they were Ditter''s trusted lieutenants. "Chief, ording to the information I have, these three were high on David''s list of people to capture, and now that they have fallen into our hands, they could be very valuable..." Towards the end, Keanu revealed a sinister smile. "Valuable..." After thinking for a moment, Katharine replied expressionlessly, "This is the Lake District''s case, these three are wanted by the Lake District Sub-Bureau, and no matter what, they are just Ditter''s subordinates¡ªthey can''t be that valuable, can they?" If they had caught Ditter himself, then naturally there would be great value. But now they merely had three of Ditter''s henchmen, and Katharine did not think that David would be willing to pay any significant price for them. "Chief, you might not be aware, but ording to the information I''ve obtained, these three are quite important to David." "The main issue is that Ditter has now fled to the reservation, and David may very likely need the support of armed forces. You are aware of how stringent the process of applying for armed forces support is!" "So the testimonies of these three close aides to Ditter could be very important!" After hearing Keanu''s exnation, Katharine snapped back to attention and then asked, "So, you''re saying that we could use these three to...get some benefits from the Lake District Sub-Bureau?" Although she was not clear on how much tax revenue the Lake District would gain from the Ditter case after a thorough search. But given the scale of the Ditter Group, there would definitely be around 15 million US dors. experience mv,le,mp,yr content If they could use these three to get some benefits from the Lake District side, it seemed like a good option too. "No, Chief, that would seem rather shortsighted, and using these three to demand favors from the Lake District Sub-Bureau feels a bit like coercion, and it''s not really worth doing that..." Seeing Keanu with a look of having nned ahead, Katharine couldn''t help but ask, "Then what do you suggest...?" "Chief, our Avenue Sub-bureau has been struggling with the Yalman case, the Gaden case, the Gaboures case... Perhaps we could use these cases as bargaining chips and ask David to join in and help out!" At those words, Katharine suddenly looked interested. The so-called Yalman, Gaden, and Gaboures cases were actually the names of the heads of three criminal organizations in their Avenue Sub-bureau. ording to information obtained by their Avenue Sub-bureau. These three crime lords each had a monthly ie of over four million US dors, not to mention the illegal earnings of their other key members. After the introduction of the ck Tax Law. They in the Avenue Sub-bureau hadunched an offensive against these three major criminal organizations. Unfortunately, these three groups were meticulous in their operations, never leaving any loose ends. And each group had a top-tier team ofwyers. This led to the Avenue Sub-bureau struggling over several assessment periods without sess. Although Katharine was irritated by David''s repeated sesses in leading the Lake District Sub-Bureau to suppress their Avenue Sub-bureau, she admired and respected David''s abilities. If David could join their Avenue Sub-bureau''s investigation into these three major cases, Katharine believed that even if they couldn''tpletely break through, they would at least not be as utterly stagnant as they currently were! Chapter 126: Chapter 104: Ill take 70%, you choose the rest! "The significance of these three ajor cases is extraordinary. Are you sure that you can persuade him to join our investigation by offering these three individuals?" What Katharine meant by this was essentially that she was hinting to Keanu that he should personally handle the matter. Keanu certainly understood and replied confidently, "Don''t worry, Director, considering the importance of these three to the Ditter case, I''m quite hopeful that I can make it happen!" "Good, then go!" Keanu didn''t waste any words, immediately walked out, descended the stairs, and headed to the parking lot. He started his vehicle and drove towards the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch. ... More than half an hourter. The phone ringing at the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch interrupted David, who was processing documents. He picked up and said, "I''m listening." "Director David, Inspector Keanu from the Main Street area has arrived and wishes to see you." "Inspector Keanu?" David was startled. He was busy with the Ditter case, so why would an inspector from the Main Street areae looking for him at this critical moment? He couldn''t possibly also want a share of the action, could he? With this suspicion in mind, David replied, "Bring him to my office, please!" It took about five minutes. Keanu was brought in and immediately extended his right hand, saying, "Director David, I hope I haven''t disturbed your work?" "Not at all, but what brings you to our Lake District, Inspector Keanu?" "I heard your Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch has been investigating the Ditter case recently, is that right?" Without showing any emotion, David answered, "That''s correct." "And from what I understand, you''ve already pretty much cleaned up the Ditter Group''s people, with only Dieter and Virginia remaining in the Indian Reservation outside of the three major ''Kings'' you seek to capture, right?" David became impatient and replied directly, "Inspector Keanu, if you have something to ask or say, please just get to the point!" Keanu smiled and said, "Speaking of which, it''s somewhat coincidental. Earlier on, our Main Street inspection squad raided a criminal den and stumbled upon the three ''Kings'' gathered together. We have already captured them!" Upon hearing that the three ''Kings'' were caught, David was somewhat surprised. He thought to himself that they had nearly turned the Lake District upside down in the past few days without finding a trace of these three ''Kings.'' So they had fled to the Main Street territory! Buting back to it... Looking at Keanu and the way he spoke, it seemed that he wasn''t intending to hand over the people directly to them. Could it be... that he wanted some benefits? If that were the case, it wouldn''t be unreasonable! Even though the three individuals were specifically wanted by their Lake District, after all, it was the inspectors from Main Street who had captured them. It was only right and proper to give them a reward for their efforts! Gathering his thoughts, David responded, "I see... Since that''s the case, Inspector Keanu, you must know these three are quite important to our Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. Could you hand them over to us? Of course, I won''t let your inspectors'' efforts go unrewarded. I''ll apply to allocate... from the bureau." "No need, Director David, I haven''te for the money!" This answer baffled David even more. If not for the money, then what could he possibly want? "The thing is, Director David, our bureau has a few tough cases, and with your remarkable abilities, I was hoping you could assist with the investigation. Would that be possible?" Hearing Keanu''s reasons, David finally understood; this was their angle. thanks for reading on m|v|l|e|m|p|y|r But then again, it was a shrewd calction. If it were just about money, a gesture of 100,000 or 80,000 would have been plenty fair and generous from David''s side. But asking for his help on a case was different. Who knows how much ie those cases could yield? And judging by the economic size of the Main Street and the difficulty the Main Street Sub-Bureau Branch faced, David estimated the cases'' value was definitely more than a million, perhaps even millions of US Dors! Thinking about it, if he agreed just like that, it would definitely be a loss! However, he couldn''t refuse either. After all, they had the people he needed, which essentially meant they had a favor over him. If he were to refuse their request now, it would seem a bit ungracious. With that in mind, David first inquired, "May I ask, what kind of cases are they?" "The Yarman case, the Garden case, and the Gaboures case. Have you heard of them?" David thought for a moment; these were Main Street cases, and he didn''t have much of an impression or understanding, so he shook his head, "I haven''t heard of them." "The Yarman case involves a..." As Keanu borated without interruption, David quickly got a rough idea about the three cases. To put it simply, the Yarman case was about arge-scale smuggling ring. The Garden case involved counterfeit currency. The Gaboures case pertained to a group suspected of arms dealing. Although Keanu didn''t specify the criminal groups'' economic ies, David gleaned from the conversation that they wouldn''t be trifling amounts. He then asked directly, "Inspector Keanu, I want to know, what''s the ie situation for these criminal groups?" Keanu thought for a moment, then blurted out, "ording to our data, the leaders of these three groups have a monthly ie that''s definitely in the range of several millions!" ording to the intelligence department at the Main Street Sub-Bureau Branch, the leaders of the three organizations each had a monthly ie of over 4 million US Dors. Chapter 127: Chapter 104: Ill take 70%, you choose the rest!_2 But he also knew that the intelligence departent''s information might not always be urate. Therefore, he didn''t dare to report this figure directly; he could only give a rough estimate. "As expected..." David had anticipated this and wasn''t too surprised. After some thought, he looked at Keanu and said, "Inspector Keanu, since each of these three cases involves several million US dors, they certainly qualify as major cases. Using the three big guns to rece me in handling these, that wouldn''t be fair to me..." "Director David, we are just asking for your help in investigating these three major cases. Although I admit your inspection skills are outstanding, but what if, just in case, you join us and there is no progress?" "By then, I will have given you my support, and I definitely won''t be able to get it back, so in that case, we would still be at a loss!" These words made David inwardly amused. With the golden finger at my disposal, as long as I''m willing to handle it, how could I fail? But speaking of which. After hearing that each of these three major cases involved millions in taxes, he was indeed somewhat tempted. Currently, in the Lake District, besides the Dieter case and the Mexico Gang case, there didn''t seem to be any other big cases. If he could get involved in the big cases of the Avenue Sub-bureau Branch and make a profit, that would be a good choice! Of course, that would have toe with a sufficient reward! Otherwise, he certainly wouldn''t be so dedicated to making a bridal gown for the Avenue Sub-bureau. Gathering his thoughts, David replied confidently: "Inspector Keanu, if there is no progress in these three major cases with my involvement, I willpensate your Avenue Sub-bureau for the three big guns." "But if I join and there is not only progress, but even a decisive role yed, I can''t be left out of the share for taxes that could potentially amount to tens of millions, can I?" Keanu''s expression darkened slightly and he asked, "What you say makes sense, so how much do you want?" David paused before speaking: "If I y a decisive role in these three cases, I want 70 percent!" "70 percent!" Keanu, who had been rtively rxed, suddenly stiffened upon hearing this. He had thought that David would at most ask for 20 to 30 percent, considering that the cases belonged to their bureau, and they were now prepared to hand over the three big guns to David, which was somewhat of a favor. But he never expected David to ask for so much right off the bat¡ª70 percent! Keanu, with a hint of anger, said, "Director David, you''re asking for 70 percent right out of the gate; isn''t that a bit disrespectful to the efforts of our Avenue Sub-bureau inspectors?" David wasn''t surprised by the reaction and continued, "Inspector Keanu, the fact that you came to me implies that these three cases are a thorn in the side of your sub-bureau." "As I said, if I don''t y a decisive role, I won''t take a penny. Taking 70 percent is better than you holding onto these cases indefinitely without solving them, and this could be a good deal for you as well!" Keanu, with a grim face, replied, "The ounts don''t work like that, Director David. These three major cases are the hard work of all the inspection teams in our bureau. If you take 70 percent, the others won''t ept it. We can give you at most 30 percent!" Although he hadn''t consulted Catherine, based on his understanding of the director, 30 percent should be within an eptable range. David thought for a moment as if he had something in mind, and responded, "30 percent is not impossible, but... I have a condition..." While Keanu was initially pleased that David had agreed, the notion of an additional condition made him feel uneasy, yet he still inquired, "What condition?" "I know, your bureau''s intelligence department must have made an estimate of the funds involved in these three cases, perhaps 3 million, maybe 5 million." "Let''s just go with 5 million then!" "If you let me handle these three cases and the taxes I collecte close to this 5 million, then I''ll have no objections to taking 30 percent." "However, if I collect more on top of the 5 million, that extra tax money will belong to me. What do you think of this condition?" Generally speaking, when various sub-bureaus pursue criminals, they only proceed with estimated taxes after they have confirmed the syndicate indeed has that much uwful ie, as provided by the intelligence division. After all, you can''t just p an estimated tax on someone when you''re eyeing a group of criminals without knowing anything about the illicit funds or goods, right? Even if the tax inspectors and intelligence channels of the National Tax Bureau are powerful, it''s impossible for them to investigate and understand all transaction funds of a crime syndicate. Therefore, this leads to a situation where the information on criminal groups'' taxes provided by the sub-bureaus'' intelligence divisions are always underestimated and never overestimated. But in front of David, a man with a golden touch, none of the transactions or financial details of these criminal gangs could escape his eyes, which is the reason he is now making this offer. Though he was only going to receive 30% of the 5 million estimated taxes, he believed that, if Inspector Keanu agreed, he would definitelye out on top in the end! Latest chapters on -mp _yr. "On the basis of 5 million in taxes, to collect a little more..." Inspector Keanu was still digesting David''s words, but before long, something suddenly struck him, and his eyes widened in realization. He suddenly thought of thest case with Li Gensheng! At that time, two inspectors from his bureau were responsible for the investigation. They happened to encounter David, who ended up settling the case for 80,000 in taxes, while David himself pocketed almost 250,000! That incident left their Avenue Sub-bureau Branch feeling yed and left its leaders fuming with rage. Could it be that David was trying to pull the same trick again? But on the other hand, David surely must have conducted a detailed investigation into Li Gensheng in advance, in order to outy the inspectors from the Avenue Sub-bureau Branch. But with these three major cases, David shouldn''t have researched them in advance. So how could he be so confident to get more than what the intelligence division of the Avenue Sub-bureau Branch had estimated? Watching Inspector Keanu, who had been lost in thought, David couldn''t help but interrupt, "How about it, Inspector Keanu, made up your mind yet?" Inspector Keanu snapped out of his reverie and replied, "No, no, no, Director David, just as I said, no matter what, you can only take 30% of the taxes from these three major cases!" No matter why David was so confident, as long as Inspector Keanu insisted on 30%, there would be no loss, and he would not be yed like in the previous Li Gensheng case. David shook his index finger and said, "Inspector Keanu, that doesn''t seem quite fair. You have to make a choice between the two options: either giving me 70% overall, or any additional amount I collect on top of your intelligence division''s estimated taxes is mine." "Director David..." "If you don''t choose one, then there''s nothing more to discuss, Inspector Keanu!" David cut him off before Inspector Keanu could finish. Seeing David''s resolute stance, Inspector Keanu stood up with a slight sense of helplessness and said, "I''m going to make a phone call!" David, unbothered, gestured for him to proceed. He knew that even though Inspector Keanu was a Tax Investigator of the Avenue Sub-bureau Branch, he couldn''t make decisions on matters involvingrge amounts of taxes on his own and had to consult the Chief Tax Officer of the branch. Meanwhile, Inspector Keanu stepped out of the office to the stairwell, lit up a cigarette, and dialed Katharine''s number. Soon, the call was answered, and Katharine''s voice came through, "How''s the negotiation going?" "Chief, there''s been a bit of an issue. Here''s what''s happening..." At the same time, in the Chief Tax Officer''s office of the National Tax Bureau Avenue Sub-bureau Branch, Upon hearing the two options David had presented, Catherine was also taken aback. Chapter 128: Chapter 105: Fully Armed, Heading to the Reserve (Major Chapter) It took her a good half day to digest everything, and with a frown, she replied, "What do you think?" "Considering the previous case with Li Gensheng, I think we can''t go for the option where he gets the excess..." "So what you mean is, he gets 70% and we get 30%?" As she said this, Katharine''s tone was somewhat unpleasant. The case was, after all, in theirrger jurisdiction, and so many inspection teams from theirrge district had participated in the investigation of this case. If they really could only get thirty percent after solving it, it would feel like a very unfavorable deal. "Of course, I also know that this is not favorable for ourrge district division, but at this rate, who knows how long it will take us to collect enough evidence to solve this case. However, David seems very confident, he even said that if he personally doesn''t y a decisive role in the three major cases, he won''t take a penny..." In Keanu''s opinion, of course, he didn''t want these three major cases to drag on any longer. After all, every day that passed involved taxes. The sooner they settled the three major cases, the sooner they could collect more taxes. And theter it was, the more difficult it would be to gather evidence and make calctions, resulting in significant tax revenue loss. As the head of a bureau, Katharine also understood this, so after weighing it carefully, she replied, "Go talk to him again, negotiate for a 55 split, or, at worst, 64!" "Okay, I understand!" After hanging up the phone, Keanu immediately returned to the Chief Tax Officer''s office and said to David, "Director David, our director said that for these three major cases, the best we can do is split it fifty-fifty, how about it?" David shook his head with calmposure, unfazed. Keanu''s expression darkened, and he stared at David intently for three seconds before speaking again, "The most we can do is 46, you get 60% and we get 40%. That''s our bottom line, we really can''t give any more!" David revealed a triumphant smile and said, "Deal!" He had seen that this was indeed the bottom line for therger district, and didn''t push any further. After all, whether it was 37 or 46, there was only a ten percent difference. In the end, once the three major cases were cracked, the majority share would be his! Looking at David''s expression, Keanu felt a disgusting sensation, like having to swallow something he knew was excrement. At this moment, David spoke again, "You know I''m currently investigating the Ditter case. Let me finish this case first before joining the three major cases. That won''t be a problem, right?" Of course, Keanu also knew that David couldn''t disengage so quickly and was prepared, replying, "Of course. As for the three kings, I''ll have someone bring them over right now." "Good, that would be very helpful!" ... One hourter A prison van stopped at the entrance of the Lake District National Tax Bureau. When the back door opened, three inspectors from therger district division escorted three handcuffed men out of the van and into the building. In the Chief Tax Officer''s office. Ariel entered and reported, "Director, we have received the three kings from the Lake District inspectors and are currently detaining them in the holding cells." "Bring Baldwin to the interrogation room first!" "Okay." 10 minutester. Baldwin was brought into the interrogation room, looking disheartened, possibly due to being subdued by the arrest. "Click..." Just then, the door opened, and Baldwin hurriedly looked up, but his face turned sour instantly when he saw who hade in. The neer was none other than David. "Surprised to see me, Mr. Baldwin?" David pulled up a chair and sat across from him, looking at him with amusement. Baldwin asked irritably, "What do you want?" "I''ll get straight to the point. I need a statement from you, admitting what your responsibilities were at the Ditter Group, including any illegal and criminal activities you carried out for Ditter, andter you might also need to personally identify Ditter." Upon hearing this, Baldwin became furious, retorting scornfully, "Hmph, I am loyal to Ditter; to think I would betray Ditter¡ªdream on!" David wasn''t angered; instead, he pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and pushed it toward Baldwin. Baldwin looked closely, and in the next second, his expression changed drastically. On the paper were his several covert ounts, all with funds that had been cleaned. He had nned that once the heat of the case died down, he would immediately flee the country. After all, over the years, he had made quite a bit of money. Although he wouldn''t be rich abroad, he would be able to livefortably. But he had underestimated the Lake District National Tax Bureau''s determination to catch him. read first on m v _l,e m _p _y _r Nor did he expect to be so unlucky as to run off to therge district''s territory, coincidentally get spotted by inspectors there, and then caught and sent back to the Lake District. "Are you surprised that I found these ounts?" Baldwin didn''t respond, but his eyes were filled with curiosity. The ounts weren''t under his own name, nor those of his rtives or friends; they were held by others through certain special arrangements. So, he was very curious as to how the National Tax Bureau had traced them! "It''s simple; Sapir told me!" Indeed, David, with the aid of the ''golden finger'' function, could eventually have discovered these ounts, but because Sapir had too many of Ditter Group''s secrets, he effortlessly obtained this information without much effort on his part. "Sapir, he was caught by your National Tax Bureau as well!?" Baldwin finally understood. Chapter 129: Chapter 105: Fully Armed, Heading to the Reserve (Major Chapter)_2 He wondered how his secret ounts had been discovered by the tax authorities. It wouldn''t be surprising if Sapir had fallen into the hands of the tax authorities. Because within their group, the moneyundering business was entirely managed by Sapir alone. Thinking of this, Baldwin''s mood becameplicated. A few days ago when the tax authorities swept through their group, he had tried contacting Sapir repeatedly but found it impossible to get in touch. He had thought at the time that Sapir had gotten wind of the situation and fled first. But unexpectedly, Sapir had ended up in the hands of the tax authorities. And now, judging from David''s tone and the ounts in front of him, it could be deduced that Sapir had probably sumbed to the tax authorities'' pressure! "Our tax authority is fair in its dealings, we are not bandits, nor robbers. As long as you do as I say, we will neither take your money by force nor freeze it. Just pay the taxes you owe, and you will still have the right to use it. What do you think?" Baldwin fell silent. Why had he joined the Ditter Group, doing dangerous work, if not for money? These ounts contained his life''s savings. If they were confiscated by the tax authority, it would be more painful than death! But what the tax authority was asking him to do now was to betray Ditter... To be honest, he certainly wasn''t as loyal to Ditter as he imed to be. Over the years, Ditter had treated him like a workhorse. Furthermore, the recent troubles with the Mexico Gang had cost him over 1.5 million, which had already made him very dissatisfied with his boss. But considering the boss''s power, he dared not act recklessly. However, the recent assassination attempt on the Chief Tax Officer, which in this case was David, had resulted in the assets in the Ditter Lake District being seized and cleaned out, forcing Ditter himself to retreat back to the reservation. It was a clear sign that the empire was about to fall. If he stubbornly continued to follow Ditter, it would undoubtedly lead to a dead end. At least Ditter had the identity of a Native American as a shield, but Baldwin did not. Considering all these factors, Baldwin decided topromise and then said, "Fine, I can give you the testimony you want, but on the condition that, in addition to returning my money, you don''t send me to jail!" "As long as you provide a detailed testimony and stand out to use Ditter, I can agree to these two conditions!" First of all, David and Baldwin had no personal grudges. Baldwin was different from Ditter, Virginia, and Iman. These three were involved in the attempt on his life and had to be severely punished. Secondly, their tax authority was only tasked with collecting taxes. As for criminals like Baldwin willing to pay, arresting them was the job of the police and the FBI. Lastly, keeping Baldwin around might allow him to continue creating tax revenue for the tax authority in the future, which would be far more cost-effective than sending him to prison and wasting the tax authority''s resources. "Good, it''s settled then!" Seeing David agree so readily, Baldwin was very satisfied. As for whether Ditter lives or dies, Baldwin didn''t care much¡ªwhat mattered was that he could continue to live freely and happily. Everyone for themselves, that''s thew of nature! David turned to Simmons who was in front of him and instructed, "Take him to write the testimony, and bring the other two as well!" Simmons nodded and immediately took Baldwin away. About ten minutester, he came back with two men, who were two of Ditter''s top enforcers, named Biden and Gustav. Although they had never actually seen David, they had already imprinted his image in their minds through photographs. Therefore, upon seeing the ''culprit'' responsible for their downfall, a hint of murderous intent shed in their eyes. "Don''t look at me with that kind of demeanor; I bear no ill will towards you!" At David''s words, they couldn''t help but sneer, thinking to themselves that the tax authority had been relentless in their pursuit and crackdown over the past few days, nearly flipping the Lake District upside down. How could they im to have no ill will? "I''ll get straight to the point; I need a testimony from you, detailing what you were responsible for in the Ditter Group, and ultimately, taking the stand to use Ditter!" "Dream on!" "We won''t be traitors!" David, still undisturbed, took out two pieces of paper from his pockets, unfolded them, and slid them across to the two men. Seeing that these were rted to their hidden ounts, they too showed the same shock as Baldwin had earlier. "You''ve been fighting and killing for years over money, haven''t you? What if I freeze all of your funds, or even seize them? How would you feel?" NovelFire,le mpyr story Upon hearing this, they immediately became enraged as if they wanted to devour David. "Of course, as long as you cooperate with me and pay the taxes due, we can return your money to you!" They looked at each other, but Biden seemed more loyal to Ditter and immediately refused, "Money is just an external possession. If the tax authority wants to freeze it, then freeze it. But to ask me to stab Ditter in the back, sorry, I can''t do that!" David did not rush, he turned to Gustav and asked, "And what about you?" "I... I can''t do that either!" Chapter 130: Chapter 105: Fully Armed, Heading to the Reserve (Major Chapter)_3 Gustav, though he said he couldn''t do it, was clearly wavering in his stance. It was just that he felt embarrassed to be the only one to sell out, seeing how resolutely Biden had refused. David naturally saw through this and leaned back slightly, saying with a yful smile, "What if I return the money to you, and also your freedom?" "What did you say, our freedom too?" At that, Gustav''s expression changed, and he immediately pressed, eager for an answer. In his view, ever since Dieter got involved with the assassination, it was inevitable that the entire group would meet a bad end. Everyone would have to suffer the consequences! Exclusive tales at m-vl-empyr. Even if he was now willing to testify and stand out to use Dieter, at best that would only be considered a minor meritorious deed; he was certainly still going to end up behind bars. But who could have thought that David was now talking about giving them back their freedom? Could it be that they really weren''t going to pursue the assassination? David said, "I know you didn''t directly participate in the assassination attempt against me, so I''m a fair man. I''ll only go after Dieter and his associates, not you!" "So you''re saying, if we testify and stand out to use Dieter, we can keep the money in our ounts, and we don''t have to go to jail?" "Yes." "Can you guarantee it?" David smiled and replied, "If you think I can''t guarantee it, who else do you believe can?" "Fine, if you can guarantee we won''t go to jail, I''m willing to do as you ask!" As the saying goes, life is indeed precious, love even more so, but for freedom, both can be cast aside! Now that David had promised not to send them to prison and furthermore not to freeze their funds¡­ So forget about Dieter, Gustav felt even his own parents were worth betraying! David turned to Biden and asked, "What about you? Will you make the same choice as Gustav, or choose to keep Dieterpany in prison?" At this moment, Biden''s face was fluctuating between shades of green and purple. Internally, he was caught in a fierce struggle. To say he was loyal to Dieter would be an overstatement. He was merely angry about David ruining their Lake District ventures and chasing them like rats through the streets. And regarding David''s recent offer to return their money, to tell the truth, he found it somewhat insulting. After all, if one ended up in prison, what use would all that money be? Where could you spend it while locked up? But if their money was returned and they weren''t sent to prison, that changed everything. David nced at his watch and said, "I''m short on time, I''ll give you ten seconds to think it over. If you don''t agree, then let''s forget it..." The Four Heavenly Kings had already been dealt with, three of them, that is, along with Sapir and Iman, not to mention the confiscated illicit money and property. The case against Dieter now had aplete chain of evidence. Even without Biden, it wouldn''t make much of a difference. When the timer reached the seventh second, Biden''s face hardened, and he said through gritted teeth, "Fine, I agree!" In the face of freedom and money, what was the so-called loyalty and brotherhood worth? Besides, Dieter had never treated him like a brother. To people who weren''t Native Americans, they were almost no different from animals in the eyes of someone like Dieter! So for Biden, there was simply no reason to continue risking his life for Dieter when faced with the prospect of money and freedom. David stood up and gave a few instructions to Simmons, then returned to his office. About half an hourter, Simmons walked in, putting several written testimonies on David''s desk, saying, "All three of them have finished writing." David picked them up, perused them briefly, found no issues, and then took out a stack of documents from a cab underneath. These were testimonies, criminal information, and other materials like photographs given by Sapir, Iman, and other key members of the Ditter Group. Afterpiling everything together, David stood up and walked out towards the chief''s office, knocking on the door. "Come in." David entered and ced the files on William''s desk, saying, "Chief, here is theplete evidence for the Dieter case, all ready to go!" "Complete evidence?" William was initially surprised, then quickly asked, "Didn''t you say that the three Kings hadn''t been caught yet?" David pped his forehead and replied, "Right, just earlier, over at the main district..." Because he had been so busy, he had nned to report everything together once it was fully resolved, but he had forgotten about it until William mentioned it. "Are you saying they were caught in the main district and Inspector Keanu even personally came to talk to you?" William didn''t focus on the fact that the three Kings had already been taken down; instead, he was keenly aware that Keanu''s visit seemed intriguing. "That''s right, Chief. They were apprehended by the Main District Sub-Bureau, which sort of puts us in their debt, so I made a deal with him..." David then exined the matter regarding the three big cases. When William heard about the deal rted to the three big cases, he was stunned for quite a while beforeing back to his senses and said with a hint of approval, "Since each of these three cases involves more than millions of US dors, and they''ve agreed to give us a 60% cut, we might as well get involved..." Lake District was indeedcking in big casestely. If they could get a share of the Main District Sub-Bureau''s action, it would help Lake District Sub-Bureau continue its high-performance streak, which William found quite agreeable. Chapter 131: Chapter 105: Fully Armed, Heading to the Reserve (Major Chapter)_4 "Let''s put aside these three major cases for a moment. Right now, what we need to do is take down Dieter first!" read first on m v _l,e m _p _y _r William gathered his thoughts and looked at David, asking, "What do you want to do?" "The evidence chain for this case is already here. I think you, Chief, should swiftly forward it to the state bureau so they can review it as soon as possible, and then have the armed forces on standby!" William nodded and replied, "Since we have aplete evidence chain, there''s no problem with approving it and having the armed forces on standby, but what exactly do you want to do? Are you suggesting we send the armed forces directly to the Indian Reservation?" David shook his head and said, "My n is to go to the reservation myself and have a talk with their chieftain. If they hand him over, it would be good for both sides. If they don''t, notifying the armed forces toe over won''t be toote!" "No, no, no, the Indian Reservation is too dangerous. Those Native Americans are used to bullying with their special privileges. They have always been hostile tow enforcement, let alone you going there to take someone!" Without a second thought, William outright rejected David''s suggestion. Now, David was a pir of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. If something were to happen to him at the reservation, it would be a huge loss for the Lake District. He would even rather not have all the taxes from the Dieter case than risk something happening to David! "But Chief, from what I''ve learned, those Native Americans are trying every means possible and pulling all strings to resolve the conflict with us, which means they''ve realized our strength!" "Even if I go, at most they will be unweing but definitely won''t dare do anything to me!" "What''s more, I''m not going alone. I''ll have our inspectors from the bureau arm themselves and apany me!" Hearing David''s resolute words, William considered for a moment but still refused, "It''s not going to work, it''s better to be safe than sorry. We can send someone else, it''s the same!" "No, Chief, it''s not the same. The Indian Reservation has always been a kingdom unto itself." "Their smuggling, drug trafficking, selling Y and various other illegal dealings have always been hidden from the outside world." "While I am officially going to see their chieftain, I actually intend to conduct a preliminary investigation of the illicit trade within their reservation!" The main reason David so strongly insisted on visiting the Indian Reservation himself was exactly this. He had been contemting this very idea ever since Dieter escaped back to the Indian Reservation. Like before the ck Tax Law was enacted. In the Lake District, Newtown District, the entire country''s major cities, at least the police, FBI were cracking down on these criminal industries. But ces like the Indian Reservation were always off limits tow enforcement, preventing any investigation. This led to rampant illegal dealings on various Indian Reservations, even bing an important economic pir for the Native Americans. The Native Americans provided the reservation, ensuring absolute safety for criminals to conduct their trades, and the criminals, having such a sheltered heaven, were quite willing to pay for protection. But now it''s different. With the enactment of the ck Tax Law, which stiptes that any profits from illegal trades fall under the jurisdiction of the tax authorities for investigation. This means that David has the authority to enforce thew on the Indian Reservation and tax all criminal activities there. While his official reason for going there was to have the Indian hand over Dieter, he could also conduct a private investigation into the tribe''s illegal trades. If the Indian Tribe refuses to hand over Dieter, their armed forces would mobilize. Whether Dieter is handed over or not, and all the illegal dealings will likewise end up paying taxes. It is practically a case of killing two birds with one stone! Although going there in person is indeed somewhat dangerous, as the saying goes, no risk, no reward. He felt it was a risk worth taking! "To conduct an investigation on the reservation..." William, who was initially worried, suddenly lit up at these words. This indeed reminded him. In America, the Indian Tribes have always existed with the status equivalent to that of sovereign nations, and except for special circumstances, almost no institution could enforcews within these tribes. That included their own IRS! But now they had the ck Tax Law in hand, which gave them the authority to investigate illicit transactions and their proceeds within! For such arge tribe, if they could collect all the unpaid taxes within it, the sum would undoubtedly be substantial. Perhaps, this amount of tax revenue could even surpass that of the Dieter case and all previous casesbined! After all, in ces like the Lake District, criminals still had some reservations due to the presence of police and FBI oversight, not daring to be too rampant. However, on the Indian Reservation, criminals had far fewer inhibitions! "Chief, let me go, this is an opportunity!" After thinking for a moment, William''s face tightened as he said, "Fine, go ahead, but as you suggested before, for safety sake, have all the armed Inspectors from the bureau join in. I don''t believe they''d actually dare to poke the tiger''s buttocks!" "Understood!" Seeing that he had persuaded William, David also felt a sense of relief and promptly made his way to the Inspector''s Office on the third floor. At this moment, the Inspectors were clearly aware of Baldwin and his team''s downfall and knew that the time hade to take action against the final BOSS, Dieter. Each one of them was brimming with energy. Because they understood, once the Dieter case came to a total close, it would be time formendations and rewards! David first scanned the crowd, then said, "Listen up, everyone, I''m nning to personally make a trip to the Indian Reservation, and I need you to be fully armed and apany me. You all know that the Indian Reservation is not like the Lake District, so if anyone doesn''t wish to go, they''re free not to join this operation!" Many Inspectors on site were already mentally prepared, but what caught them off guard was the thought of David personally going on the mission. Nisen immediately stood up and advised, "Chief Tax Officer, although the Native Americans seem to know our strength now, it''s still dangerous. I think you shouldn''t go. Just stay back andmand from here!" "Yes, Chief Tax Officer, there''s no need for you to personally put yourself at risk..." "..." Bucky Simmons and others also came forward to dissuade him. "No need for further words, I have other purposes for going. Again, if anyone does not want to participate, it''s fine, you can opt out!" Upon his deration, the Inspectors looked at each other, but not a single one of them actually made a move to opt out publicly. They weren''t fools. If they backed out now, their share of the tax rewards would be severely cut once the case was resolved and rewards were distributed. On the other hand, if they participated and stood out during the operation, remembered by David, perhaps they could earn enough tax revenue to save them several assessment periods of hard work. Moreover, with dozens of armed Inspectors, even though the Indians might be foolish and fierce, they wouldn''t likely start a war with them, would they? So in terms of safety, they weren''t too concerned, and naturally, no one truly wanted to drop out of the operation. "Since everyone is willing to participate, let''s go to the armory to get equipped!" Following David''s order, The Inspectors orderly made their way toward the armory. Soon, the Inspectors who were originally dressed in in clothes and suits turned into armed personnel, each holding an assault rifle, wearing tactical gloves, a bulletproof vest, equipped with grenades and stun bombs, ready for action. Finally, they each wearily boarded the bureau''s official vehicles, heading en masse to the Indian Reservation. Chapter 132: Chapter 106: Preparing Ammunition, Ready to Deal with the IRS at Any Time Indian Reservation, West District First Entrance. "Hey, Deyou, I heard West District got a batch of new girls recently; how''s the quality?" "Not bad, the quality of this batch is decent enough, but that old guy charges way too much. Gotta have a word with the chieftains about it sometime. We should get a discount on our own turf!" "A discount? They did pay up..." The Indian Guard Squad stationed here was discussing with lewd smiles on their faces. However, before long, the roaring sounds from the road in the distance caused the group of guards to halt their conversation as they turned their heads to look. At first nce, when they saw the armed personnel on each vehicle, they were instantly frightened. But quickly, the captain of the guard squad regained hisposure and said angrily, "Who dares to make trouble on our reservation without fearing death!" Even though he saw that the vehicles were filled with armed personnel to the teeth. He was not the least bit afraid. Behind him was the Indian Tribe, and with just one call, other guard squads would immediately rush over to support them! "Captain... Captain, those seem to be vehicles from the National Tax Bureau..." At this moment, another member of the guard squad appeared to recognize something and spoke with a trembling voice. Upon hearing it was people from the National Tax Bureau, the guards, who had originally intended to teach these ignorant neers a lesson, instantly stiffened. The incident with Dieter had caused such amotion; it was not only their concern but had also be a hot topic throughout the entire Indian Tribe. Through this incident, the entire Indian Tribe hade to realize that people from the National Tax Bureau were not to be trifled with. And now, people from the National Tax Bureau had arrived here fully armed. What did this mean? Without saying, it must be rted to Dieter! In the midst of these thoughts, the convoy had already reached the entrance. The car doors opened, and leading them, Director David stepped out first, with Buckynison and others following closely behind. Then, they all approached the guard squad together. "Stay calm, don''t panic, and don''t you fucking fire without my order!" Seeing his subordinates'' tense expressions with their fingers tight on the triggers, the captain of the guard squad hurriedly reminded them. Dieter was the nephew of their tribe''s chieftain, but after running afoul of the National Tax Bureau, he had to return to the reservation like a stray dog. And they were merely the tribe''s guards. If they got into conflict with the National Tax Bureau, they would definitely be in a situation they couldn''t handle. "I am the Chief Tax Officer of the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch. My name is David!" The guard squad captain looked at the badge David presented and responded, "I''m Mitchell, the captain of the West District Entrance guard squad. May I ask, Director David, is there anything we can assist the National Tax Bureau with?" "We are investigating a case in which the mastermind is said to have entered your reservation. We need to conduct an inquiry inside!" Get thetest from m-vl-emp _yr. Mitchell frowned slightly and then replied, "Director David, ording to America Federationw, unless special permission is granted, now enforcement agency may operate on our reservation, so I''m sorry!" David was not surprised by this response and retorted, "ording to the ck Tax Act passed by Congress on the 3rd ofst month, our National Tax Bureau has the right to investigate any person or case involving illegal ie. If you don''t understand, go ask your tribe''swyer!" Mitchell paused for a moment before replying, "I apologize, Director David, but we don''t have the person you are looking for here!" "What did you say!" Seeing Mitchell''s obstinate demeanor, Buckynison and the others behind David grew impatient, stepping forward with their guns at the ready. And the already edgy Indian guards grew even more tense at this moment, but facing an armed group and having only a revolver themselves, they seemed somewhat less confident. David raised his hand, signaling his people not to act rashly, then moved within a meter of Mitchell and looked him in the eye, "This isn''t something you can decide. Notify your chieftain now, and tell him the National Tax Bureau is here!" Watching David''s demeanor that suggested he would turn hostile if refused, Mitchell, merely a captain of a guard squad, dared not push back any longer and walked into the guardhouse to pick up the phone. Meanwhile, at the Chieftain''s Manor in the Indian Tribe. "Chieftain, people from the National Tax Bureau have arrived at our reservation entrance fully armed!" Gael, who had been ying with his grandson, could not help but change his expression drastically upon hearing this news. He knew that the National Tax Bureau would eventuallye knocking. And he had long been mentally prepared for it. But what he hadn''t expected was that the National Tax Bureau would send armed troops without any formal notice. Although he wasn''t sure about thebat strength of the National Tax Bureau''s armed force, from what Senator Angstorm had insinuated, it was said to beparable to the America Army. If they caused a ruckus in his reservation, what would be left of his position as chieftain? "Chieftain?" Snapped back to attention by the messenger''s reminder, Gael hurriedly asked, "How many of them are there, and do they have heavy weaponry?" "ording to the message from the guard squad, it''s about 60-70 people, and they all came by car!" "Oh?" Upon hearing this, Gael thought for a moment and then his expression rxed. Only 60-70 people, and they came by car, so it probably wasn''t the real armed force of the National Tax Bureau. It could well just be the Inspectors from the Bureau armed for the asion. Chapter 133: Chapter 106: Preparing Ammunition, Ready to Deal with the IRS at Any Time_2 ``` This way, there''s no need to worry too much. "Tewin, where are Weidingled and the others?" "They... they''re receiving goods in the warehouse..." The tone of this young Native American man became somewhat unnatural when talking about receiving goods. "What goods? Tell them toe see me immediately!" The National Tax Bureau''s armed forces had made a fully-armed appearance here, clearly aimed at Dieter. He needed to gather the tribe''s leadership to figure out how to deal with the situation. About 1 kilometer away from the Chieftain''s Manor, in a warehouse. Two trucks were parked there, while a dozen or so young Native Americans continuously moved crates of sealed items from the trucks and into the warehouse. In the warehouse''s rest area, a man with a slicked-back hairdo and sunsses sat leisurely with his legs crossed, drinking a type of tea unique to Native Americans. Opposite him sat Tewin and a square-faced Native American man. A couple of minutester, a Native American man walked over and said to Tewin, "The count is correct!" Tewin nodded and then took out a check. He wrote down an amount of 5 million US Dors, tore it off, and handed it over to the man across from him. After taking a look at it, the man put it into his inner pocket, then stood up, extended his hand to Tewin, and said, "Mr. Tewin, if you need anything like this in the future, feel free to contact us. Aside from aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, F35s, F16s, Apaches... we can''t get our hands on these strategic weapons, but for everything else, as long as the money is right, I can get it for you!" Tewin nodded and replied, "Send my regards to Mr. Gabourey." "Certainly, I''ll take my leave now!" After dropping this line, the man turned around and left. The square-faced Native American man next to Tewin, wearing an anxious expression, asked, "Tewin, are you really nning to confront the National Tax Bureau with all these arms purchases? Senator Angstorm has made it very clear, the armed forces of the National Tax Bureau are not to be trifled with, just our guys..." The man initially wanted to say "a bunch of nobodies," but considering it an insult to the Tribal Warriors, he swallowed the words back down. Despite being granted many privileges by the American Government as historicalpensation, the American side is quite wary of them. For example, Native Americans can''t enter military academies like West Point Military Academy to receive professional military training. Furthermore, their ess to weapons and equipment is strictly restricted, leaving them with virtually no heavy weaponry. Even though they have now acquired a batch of sophisticated weapons and equipment, along with some heavy weapons, through the arms dealers. But if their untrained young men and the Guard Squad were to confront the National Tax Bureau''s elite armed forces, it would be a miracle if they weren''t beaten thoroughly. "Don''t worry so much, Weidingled. This is just a precaution. And the weapons might not even need to be used. They are more for deterrence, to add weight to our negotiating position!" Although Tewin wanted to firmly protect his son, he had no intention of engaging in a full-on confrontation with the National Tax Bureau. Just as he had said, this was merely to strengthen their position in negotiations. If a conflict with the National Tax Bureau''s armed forces did ensue, these weapons would at leastmand some respect. Without them, they might well be at the mercy of others! "Do we not need to inform the Chieftain?" "No need, he has enough on his te already. Let''s not bother him with this..." ``` Just as the two were still conversing, the strapping young man who had previously reported to Gael hurried in, panting and said, "The people from the National Tax Bureau are at the entrance to our reserve, the Chieftain wants you to see him!" Upon hearing that the people from the National Tax Bureau had arrived, the expressions of the two men changed instantly, but they quickly regainedposure and hurriedly walked out and got into a car. When the two arrived at the Chieftain''s Manor Hall, besides Gael himself, the other high-ranking members of the tribe had also arrived early. Seeing the two arrivete, Gael could not hide his annoyance and questioned, "Where have you two been?" Tewin was slightly sheepish but replied, "I... went to receive some goods being delivered to the tribe." Since it was his own brother, Gael couldn''t get too upset and instead returned to the matter at hand, saying, "The people from the National Tax Bureau came fully armed, and they are led personally by Director David. ording to the Guard Squad, they seem ready to use force if they can''t get in, what do you think?" "The people from the National Tax Bureau have no authority to enforcews on our reservend!" "Hmph, they dare toe to our reserve fully armed. If the other tribes knew about this, where would our tribe put its face?" "..." Native Americans are used to lording over their own reserves. Even knowing the power of the National Tax Bureau, seeing them dare toe fully armed to their doorstep still provoked a feeling of being seriously challenged. Gael frowned slightly and replied, "I called you here to discuss strategies, not toin. Right now, it''s just David leading the team, but once their armed forces arrive, the conversation won''t be so easy!" At this statement, the room fell silent instantly. Clearly, the words "National Tax Bureau Armed Forces" were enough to instill fear in them. After a moment, one of the senior tribesmen suggested, "If that''s the case, let''s let him in to talk. They haven''t shown any intention to deploy their armed forces yet, which means they want to negotiate!" "Exactly, David probably doesn''t want to use force either and wants to negotiate. Let''s let him in. Our tribe doesn''t have much, but we have plenty of money and beautiful women. As long as he is willing to talk, however much money he wants, whatever kind of woman he wants, we''ll let him choose. I don''t believe a Director from the National Tax Bureau would be so duty-bound!" "I agree with Raman''s words. Don''t underestimate David for not taking money in the Lake District, that''s because the National Tax Bureau is watching there. But now, on our reservend, no one can monitor him. Everyone is human, everyone has desires, unless he is a saint. Whatever he wants, our tribe can surely satisfy him. Once he''s had his fill, this matter might well be dropped!" Listening to the options presented by his men, Gael also felt quite convinced. The people of modern America live in big cities, ustomed to various glitzy scenes, but they seldom experience our Indian Tribe''s almost primitively authentic ''local customs''. Consequently, city folk entering their tribe and experiencing the various ''games'' would quickly capitte. As for David... he''s a young man, after all. A young man, unless he is a saint or a eunuch, cannot resist the impact of various desires¡ªthat''s quite normal! With that in mind, Gael turned to Weidingled andmanded, "Weidingled, you go personally to the West District Entrance and bring that David here. Afterwards, take him on a tour around our tribe and give him a proper ''arrangement''!" As an Elder of their tribe, having Weidingled personally wee David was, in Gael''s view, offering significant respect. "Me?" Weidingled pointed to his own nose, clearly uneasy. He had just received a shipment of arms with Tewin, preparing to deal with an armed enforcement from the National Tax Bureau, and now he was expected to y the ''host''. This made him somewhat apprehensive. "What, are you unwilling?" "No, no, no, Chieftain, of course I''m willing, I''ll go right now..." "Wait a minute..." Just as Weidingled was about to turn and leave, one of the Elders sitting on the side thought of something and interrupted, "There are too many of them, and every one of them is fully armed. If we let them in like this, it will affect our business!" Chapter 134: Chapter 107: Indian Tribe, Terrible as Such Gael also thought that there were indeed various kinds of illegal trades going on within their reservation. If these people saw the fully armed National Revenue officers storming in, wouldn''t it mean that the sanctuary provided by their Indian Tribe was no longer absolutely safe? Thinking of this, he immediately ordered, "Weidingled, go and talk to them properly, try to make them leave the main force outside and enter in a low-key manner!" "Yes." ... West District Entrance. The crowd had been waiting there for quite some time, and many Inspectors were beginning to show signs of impatience. But just then, they suddenly saw two trucks and a Mercedes-Benz G-ss driving out from the reservation, which instantly drew their attention. "Mr. Kane, it seems like there are a lot of armed people at the entrance ahead..." The man seated in the leading G-ss, who had justpleted an arms deal with Tewin, was the one speaking to his driver. Sitting in the back seat, the man known as Kane hurriedly rolled down the window and stuck his head out to look ahead. Indeed... Just as the driver had said, there were dozens of armed personnel ahead. "Mr. Kane, it looks like it''s the people from the National Revenue..." "The National Revenue!" The words from the driver in front caused a shudder in Kane''s heart, although he was not in the Lake District, he had heard something about Dieter''s big mess. These armed officers from the National Revenue must being for Dieter... With this in mind, Kane felt much relieved and said, "Don''t worry about them, let''s just go our way!" As they spoke, both parties began to converge. David originally wanted to wave his hand to signal for everyone to make way for the vehiclesing out, but when he saw the information presented by the man inside through the windshield, he was also taken aback. [Name: Kane Darnell.] [upation: Arms Dealer.] [Monthly Ie: 2.3 million US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 7th, provided arms to the Mexico Gang and received amission dividend of 400,000 US dors, on December 19th, provided arms to the Main Street Mafia and received amission dividend of 300,000 US dors...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: 910,800.] "What a coincidence..." David hadn''t expected that a visit to this reservation today would lead to an encounter with a high-ranking member of the Main Street arms case. And this Kane Darnell was none other than the younger brother of Gaboures, the head of the arms conglomerate! Wait a second... ording to the information provided by the Golden Finger, Kane was here today for an arms deal, and the other party was a high-ranking member of the Indian Tribe. These Indian higher-ups, at this critical moment... What were they doing purchasing so much weaponry? Could it be to confront their National Revenue? If that was indeed the case, then these Native Americans were being rather reckless! Did they really think that the few lousy guns they had bought would pose a threat against the National Revenue''s F35s, F16 fighter jets, and Apache Armed Helicopters? But that didn''t seem quite right either. ording to the records of the National Revenue, Chieftain Gare Omaha of the tribe wasn''t overly foolish or ipetent. This chieftain should very well be aware of the impact going to war with the National Revenue would have on their tribe. And ording to the information gleaned from Kane by the Golden Finger, this matter didn''t seem to have much to do with the chieftain. Does that mean someone else was behind the arms purchase? Or perhaps... it was the chieftain''s brother, Tewin Omaha. The records showed that Tewin Omaha was Dieter''s father and that he had the same reckless character as Dieter. This same character had led to his defeat whenpeting for the role of chieftain against his brother. In this tribe, it seemed that only Tewin would dare to do such a thing behind Gael''s back! In an instant, David pieced together most of the situation through the information he had gathered. "Hey brothers, could you let me through and give me a way?" At this moment, the G-ss in front had already reached where David and the others were standing, and since David had not signaled, Nisen and the others had not made way on their own ord. David thought for a moment and then waved his hand to signal the crowd to disperse. His primary purpose today was to investigate the scale of the illegal trade taking ce in this tribe. Another was to force Gael to hand over Dieter. As for the arms case, it would be better to investigate it slowly after this case was settled! As the Inspectors dispersed to both sides, the G-ss and the two trucks behind it smoothly passed through. And just as everyone watched the three vehicles leave, they saw another open-top jeep driving into the reservation. Aside from an Indian youth driving, Weidingled Lennon was in the car. [Name: Weidingled Lennon.] [upation: Indian Tribe Elder.] [Monthly Ie: Legal ie 3 million US dors, Illegal ie 800,000 US dors.] [Ie Details: Earned through tribe dividends...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: 316,800 US dors.] After reviewing the data of this Indian Elder, David found himself amazed. All this time, whether he was investigating uwful individuals or corrupt officials, the illegal ie had always far exceeded the legal ie. But this Indian Tribe Elder was an exception. However, after giving it some thought, David quickly understood. ording to thews of the America Federation, Native Americans not only have the exclusive right to run casinos but they are also exempt from taxes. Chapter 135: Chapter 107: Indian Tribe, Terrible as Such_2 Casinos, no matter where, are always one of the most profitable ventures. That''s why it''s not hard to exin why the legitimate ie of this Native American Elder far exceeds his illegal earnings. Thinking of this, David suddenly felt a sense of imbnce in his heart. In America, every person has to pay taxes, but Native Americans are the exception to this policy. If it weren''t for this policy, just this Chieftain alone would have to pay the IRS nearly 1.2 million dors in taxes. Adding in the other elders, key members, and even the chieftains of the tribe, that would conservatively amount to tens of millions each month! But fortunately, the silver lining is that the enactment of the ck Tax Bill has allowed the IRS to skim ayer of oil from these people! "Director David, right? I am an elder of this tribe, my name is Weidingled." Weidingled got out of the car and introduced himself. David put away his thoughts and asked, "What''s the matter, Elder Weidingled, are you here to stop the IRS from enforcing thew on the reservation?" Weidingled shook his finger and replied, "No, Director David, you can go in, but we have many people ''doing business'' within the reservation, so you can''te in with so many people, nor can youe in fully armed, I hope you can understand us!" David thought for a moment. Today he had brought about 70 armed inspectors, along with civilian inspectors like Selina. Entering in such a manner would indeed be too ostentatious and also not conducive to his investigation into the illegal activities within the tribe. It would be better to have most people stay here. After all, with so many armed inspectors here, the Indian Tribe probably wouldn''t dare to cause trouble, unless Chief Gael truly went insane! With that in mind, he agreed, "Okay, can I bring a few people in, then?" Weidingled''s expression rxed, and he immediately nodded, "Of course that''s fine..." David turned around, but before he could start selecting people, Nisenbaki leaned in and whispered, "Chief Tax Officer, the Indian Reservation is no ordinary ce, we must be cautious..." "Don''t worry, they wouldn''t dare do anything. You Bucky, and..." Apart from Bucky and Nisen, David picked three others, one of whom was from the National Guard, and the other two were inspectors from the Coast Guard, all of whom were top-notch. Then, he instructed Simmons, "Keep everyone on their toes, and if anything goes wrong inside, rush in regardless of the consequences, understand?" Although he thought Gael wouldn''t dare to do anything to them, it was necessary to be prepared for any eventuality. "Understood!" Having given his instructions, David was about to get into the car when Weidingled suddenly said, "Director David, I gather you''ve never been to our Indian Reservation before. Why don''t you ride with me? I''ll show you around, give you a feel for our tribe''s local culture!" David had been worrying about not having an excuse to look around the tribe, and here Weidingled was offering him one. He couldn''t help but feel secretly pleased as he showed interest and agreed, "Indeed, this is my first time in the Indian Reservation. Let''s take a look around then!" Seeing David so readily agree, Weidingled felt a surge of joy in his heart. As long as there were things in which David was interested, their Indian Tribe naturally had a breakthrough point! Thus, Weidingled ushered David into an open-top Jeep, while the other car with Nisenbaki and the rest followed, both vehicles driving into the reservation. After passing through an uninhabited area of nearly a kilometer, the state of the tribe quickly came into David''s view. Though there were no skyscrapers or bustling streets of cities, it also did not give off the backward or primitive feelings typically associated with tribes. On the contrary, it was exceptionally lively. Not only were there tourists from all over the world, but there were also traditional markets, with Native American vendors in tribal attire selling all kinds of local products such as stones, animal bones, tea, coffee, and various specialities from the reservation. "This is just the exterior area. The interior is not open to the general public. Come, let me take you in, Director David..." Under Weidingled''s guidance, after another 7 or 8 minutes of driving, they arrived at a grassy area enclosed by fencing. Through sight, it could be seen that in the grasnd there were several tents propped up withrge canvases, as well as rows of traditional Indian buildings constructed of wood. After the vehicles stopped, the Guard Squad stationed there immediately surrounded them, and upon seeing it was Weidingled, they performed an Indian bowing gesture. "Get out, Director David, let me show you inside!" Weidingled led David in, and upon entering the area, a sharp light suddenly shed in David''s eyes. [Name: Thompson Ban.] [upation: Drug dealer.] [Monthly ie: 440,000 US dors.] [Ie Details: Profits from selling contraband within the Indian Reservation...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: $134,640.] ... [Name: James Leve.] [upation: Loan Shark.] [Monthly Ie: $480,000.] [Ie Details: Profits from illegal lending within the Indian Reservation...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: $150,480.] ... [Name: Kitty Morgan.] [upation: Human Trafficker.] [Monthly Ie: $630,000.] [Ie Details: Profits from trafficking girls to the Reservation...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: $249,480.] ... [...] Upon arrival, David had already anticipated that illegal transactions would be rampant within the Indian Reservation. But he had underestimated it. He had only been here a short while and had already seen several big fish that would be difficult to even locate in his Lake District. With just a glimpse, he knew that if all illegal earnings from the Indian Reservation were tallied, the tax collected each month would be astronomical! This trip had definitely been worth it! "Director David, this is one of our tribe''s casinos. Though it may not have the mour and grandeur of those in the city, I can assure you the foot traffic is no less than in your city districts. Come, let me show you around!" David followed Weidingled inside and, as he had said, the casinos in Las Vegas were familiar to David, but none in the city quite matched the customer flow of this Indian casino. But soon he understood why. In Las Vegas, gamblers who win money have to pay taxes, and Native Americans do have tax policies; winning here might mean paying taxes to Native Americans, but certainly not more than at the national tax bureau! Therefore, most gamblers naturally preferred ying here. "What do you think, Director David, want to y a hand? Here, give Director David a million in chips..." "No need, I am on official duty and it would not be appropriate!" Before Weidingled could finish, David interrupted him bluntly. Weidingled was initially stunned, then said, "Director David, this is our reservation, feel free to y. This one million is for you to enjoy, keep anything you win, and if you lose, it''s on us!" He remembered Chief Gael''s and the other elders'' words, trying everything to please and make David happy. "No need, I''m not interested in gambling!" Seeing how adamant David was, Weidingled felt somewhat disappointed, but then something quickly came to mind, and energetically said, "Since you''re not interested in gambling, Director David, let me take you to a ce that''s much more exciting!" David was slightly puzzled, "An exciting ce?" "Yes, I can promise you, this is the paradise of all men in Las Vegas, only avable in our tribe!" Weidingled gave David a knowing look and then turned to lead the way. David''s interest was indeed piqued by his words, a paradise for all men? He was curious to see what this so-called paradise was all about! Of course, curiosity aside, his main purpose was still to investigate the ce and see what kind of illegal transactions were urring! Chapter 136: Chapter 108: Eve of the Storm Under the guidance of Weidingled, David and the others exited through the back door of the casino and walked about 100 meters to the entrance of "Indian Style Street". The flow of people entering the entrance was not small, but thoseing in and out exhibited two markedly different demeanors. Those entering bore faces full of anticipation, eagerly yearning. However, the mening out appeared listless, their gazes dim, as if they had been hollowed out inside. "Let''s go in, Director David!" Following Weidingled, David entered and was greeted by a sea of flowers. Yet more eye-catching than the flowers was the sight that everything here seemed to return to a state of pure nature, where people seemed to forget all outside morals and customs, mingling in all sorts of ways (ten thousand words omitted here). Half an hourter. The group browsed from the head of the street to the tail. Seeing David and the others with their ''eyes wide open'', Weidingled proudly said, "What do you think, Director David, would you dare say this isn''t a paradise for men?" David didn''t respond, but he indeed was thoroughly shocked by this Indian Style Street. He even dared to guarantee that even DG Street in China during its heyday could not match the variety found here! Here, there was only what you couldn''t imagine, nothing that couldn''t be yed; even without legal constraints, anything and everything was fair game! "Paradise for men" was indeed a fitting title! As these thoughts passed through his mind, an Indian youth approached Weidingled and whispered a few words to him. Weidingled nodded and waved to David and others, saying, "Come, Director David, please follow me this way!" He led David and the others a few hundred meters further to a tent, then lifted the tent''s cover and said, "Director David, as it''s your first time visiting our tribe, it''s customary for us to give a small gift to our guests." "A small gift?" David pondered for a moment before approaching; he was curious to see what kind of trick this man would y. Soon, David and hispanions entered the tent. But when they saw the stack of neatly piled money in the middle of the tent, he and those like Nisenbaki behind him were stunned. It was a small mountain of banknotes, neatly stacked; they couldn''t estimate how much money was there, but there must have been at least 20-30 million! At that moment, a thought arose in everyone''s mind, that this Indian tribe was indeed wealthy! "Elder Weidingled, what do you mean by this?" David was the first to react and turned to confront him. With a smile on his face, Weidingled replied, "This is just a small gift. You and your brothers, Director David, are wee to take as much as you can carry... Oh right, one moment." As he reached the end of his sentence, Weidingled seemed to remember something and pped his hands together. The next second, the tent p was lifted, and a line of women entered, each with a somewhat nk expression yet their movements were quite proper, as if they were animals in a zoo that had been trained countless times. In no time, ten women had wholly entered and lined up in front of David and the others. David scrutinized the women and noted that although they were well-developed, their faces and skin were very youthful; he guessed their real age was around 16 or 17 years old. "Director David, these are some of the prime neers to our tribe, and they''re all maidens. If you like, ..." Weidingled trailed off, but his implication was clear. Ignoring him, David approached a tall and fair-skinned girl and asked, "What''s your name?" "Caroline, sir!" This girl named Caroline, to facilitate David''s detailed observation of her features, tilted her chin up but did not dare to meet David''s eyes directly, indicating that her posture too was a result of specific training. "How old are you?" "Fifteen." "Where are you from?" "Phdelphia..." "Why did youe here?" "This..." Caroline looked down, a flicker of pain crossing her eyes, but it seemed as if she recalled something terrifying and forcefully adjusted herself back to a normal state before lifting her head again. By this time, David had his suspicions confirmed. While walking through the street earlier, his ''golden finger'' had detected several traffickers. And these girls were presumably kidnapped by those traffickers and then forcefully sold here. In such awless reservation, one could only imagine the fate of these girls. What''s key is that these girls were only around 15 or 16 years old, still of school age! The more David thought about it, the more despicable he found the traffickers and Elder Weidingled in front of him. He then turned to confront Weidingled, "Elder Weidingled, what is the meaning of this?" "There''s no other meaning, just a small gift. If Director David doesn''t like them, I can have someone bring a different group..." Weidingled thought David was displeased with the choice and hurriedly signaled his subordinates to bring others. Before he could speak, David interrupted, "No need, take me to see your Chieftain!" David had seen enough of the reservation''s illicit dealings and, now stumbling upon such a matter, he had no desire to linger any longer. Chapter 137: Chapter 108: Eve of the Storm_2 Although he felt some sympathy for the plight of these girls, there was nothing he could do¡ªtheir taxation bureau was responsible only for tax matters, and they had no authority over these illegal and criminal activities! "Ah?" Weidingled was somewhat confused and hastily said, "Then Director David, these..." "I said, take me to your Chieftain!" "This...okay then..." Weidingled really hadn''t expected this. He had made so much groundwork beforehand and thought David would be on board, but things turned out contrary to his wishes. But there was nothing to be done. With David taking such a firm stance and tone, he didn''t dare say more and could onlyply. Meanwhile, at Gael''s residence. "What did you say? Understood!" Gael put down the phone, his expression grim, and then said to those present, "People from the tax authority areing!" Upon hearing this, the collected Elders all frowned. From Gael''s expression, they could tell that, most likely, Weidingled had not managed to handle David! They were unsure what kind of ''blood and thunder'' would arise once David arrived. While they contemted, half an hour passed. Then, a young Indian man came in and said, "Chief, Elder Weidingled has brought the people from the tax authority." "Let them in!" "Yes." Soon, David and his entourage were ushered in. [Name: Gael Omaha.] [upation: Indian Tribe Chieftain.] [Monthly Ie: Legal ie Twelve Million US dors, illegal ie Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: Earned through ruling the tribe, sheltering criminal elements within the tribe for a cut...] [More Details:...] [Tax Amount Due: Two Million Nine Hundred Seventy Thousand US dors.] ... [Name: Antote Lance.] [upation: Indian Tribe Elder.] [Monthly Ie: Legal ie Three Million Six Hundred Thousand US dors, illegal ie One Million Three Hundred Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: Earned through tribal dividends...] [More Details:...] [Tax Amount Due: Five Hundred Fourteen Thousand Eight Hundred US dors.] ... [Name: Roman FitzGerald.] [upation: Indian Tribe Elder.] [Monthly Ie: Legal ie Three Million Five Hundred Thousand US dors, illegal ie One Million Four Hundred Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: Earned through tribal dividends...] [More Details:...] [Tax Amount Due: Five Hundred Fifty-Four Thousand Four Hundred US dors.] ... Although he had already anticipated it in his mind, after inspecting the ie of Chief Gael and the other Elders, David couldn''t help but be taken aback. Just Chief Gael alone had illegal monthly earnings of Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand US dors, with tax due amounting to nearly Three Million. The tax due on the illegal ie of the other Elders also started in the hundreds of thousands. If he could collect it all, David roughly calcted, it would be at least Eight Million US dors. Moreover, with the added tax money owed by other criminals doing business on the Indian Reservation, if everything was sessfully collected, he might very well take the top spot in this assessment period''s revenue rankings! Bear in mind, this is Las Vegas. If he, a tax officer from the Lake District, were to take the top spot in the revenue rankings, what kind of sensation would that cause? "Director David, wee to our tribe on behalf of the tax authority. What do you think, is the scenery of our tribe still pleasing?" Just as David was immersed in thoughts of taxation, Gael interrupted his reverie. David replied, "That''s right, Chief Gael, your tribe has nned well. Evenpared to our Lake District, it isn''t far behind!" "Then, Director David, you are always wee to visit our tribe in the future. We will certainly treat you as our most honored guest!" The implication in Gael''s words was very clear. As long as you don''t trouble us, our Indian Tribe will regard you as a distinguished guest in the future; just give us your orders! With an expressionless face, David replied, "Let''s talk about the matter of visiting some other time, Chief Gael. You know why we from the IRS havee. Hand over the person to us, and we will leave immediately without harming a single flower or de of grass in your tribe!" These words caused Gael and the other seated elders to suddenly look grim, and the atmosphere at the scene immediately became tense. What was all of this for? Isn''t it to downy this matter, to make a big issue small, a small issue disappear? Yet now that they had been so humble, David still seemed hell-bent on not letting go, which was really too much! Tewin was growing increasingly upset and said irritably, "Why must it be this way, Director David? There''s a saying, it''s better to have one more friend than one more enemy. This does no good for either side!" David nced at him with disdain and retorted, "You must be Tewin. There is an old saying in China, ''If the son is not taught, it''s the father''s fault.'' Perhaps your son has met this fate because of you!" "What did you say!" Tewin suddenly stood up, ring at David with a menacing look. As an elder of the Indian Tribe, even mayors and senators had to treat him with respect. When had anyone ever dared to speak to him with such disrespect? "Shut up!" Gael gave Tewin a re, then turned his head to David and said, "What if the person you''re looking for isn''t here with us?" David sneered, "Not here? Then our IRS will conduct the search ourselves!" "You dare, this is our Indian Reservation!" "ording to federalw, now enforcement agency has jurisdiction on our reservation!" "This is our reservation, not your Lake District!" Upon hearing David''s words, the other elders also became enraged, standing up and pointing their fingers in usation. David''s attempt to apprehend their tribe member was already humiliating enough. If they conducted a search, wouldn''t it be like trampling on their dignity? "Whether you have the authority or not is not for you to decide, Chief Gael. You are a smart man; you should make the smart choice!" "I give you one day''s time. Hand over Dieter before 1 PM tomorrow, or bear the consequences yourselves!" With that, David stood up and prepared to leave. As he was about to walk out the door, Gael suddenly called out, "Director David, is there really no room for negotiation in this matter?" "No, you only have one option: hand over the person!" With nothing left to say, Gael could only watch as David left. "That damned bastard, he''s just a Chief Tax Officer of the IRS, earning just a few tens of thousands a month; why does he have to be so desperate?" "He doesn''t take money, he doesn''t want women, this bastard is really the IRS''s loyal dog!" "..." Seeing David''s departure, the elders couldn''t help but curse loudly. Gael said solemnly, "Contact Senator Marcus!" ... At the West District Entrance. Seeing David return safely, Simmons and the others stationed there heaved a sigh of relief and hurried over to inquire about the situation. David didn''t say much. After giving a brief report, he led the team back to the office, then headed straight to the chief''s office. Seeing David''s return, William immediately asked, "How did it go? What''s the situation in there?" "The illegal transactions inside are indeed rampant; it could involve tens of millions of dors a month!" "Tens of millions of dors a month." William''s eyes lit up, then he agilely changed the subject, "What about Dieter? What did they say?" David answered, "Just as expected, their tribe, be it the Chieftain or the elders, are unwilling to hand over the person!" "Unwilling?" William''s expression darkened initially, then he sneered, "No matter, let me share some good news. The material sent to the state bureau has been approved, and our armed forces can be dispatched at any time!" David wasn''t too surprised and replied, "I have given them a deadline of 1 PM tomorrow, but I think they are unlikely toply. When the timees..." The two ''conspired'' for several hours, and it was not until 5 PM that David stepped out of the office. Chapter 138: Chapter 109: Have You Ever Seen an Armed Tax Collection? This evening was destined to be a sleepless night for many. Ever since the Al Capone incident, it had been a long time since the IRS had deployed armed forces for tax collection. Therefore, the inspectors of the Lake District were very much looking forward to what kind of national reaction there would be if such an event really urred tomorrow. And to what extent it would deter criminals in the Lake District and even across the whole country. Meanwhile, at the Indian Tribe. "Father, you mustn''t let me fall into the hands of the IRS. If I do, I''ll probably never get out again in this lifetime. I might as well be dead!" By this point, Dieter was genuinely scared. Because after David left today with a final deadline, many elders in the tribe realized that they could not let matters worsen and began wavering on the decision to hand him over. Although no one had yet spoken inly, he knew very well that as soon as one person stepped forward, it could trigger a chain reaction. Then, not to mention his father, even his Uncle Gael might not be able to protect him. "Now you know fear? What the hell were you doing earlier!" Looking at his good-for-nothing son, Tewin felt anger surge within him. When Dieter had first mentioned venturing outside the tribe, Tewin had been strictly against it. He was well aware of what kind of character his son was. Within the tribe, misconduct could still be suppressed with his influence and power. But outside the tribe? That was a different story! Yet, here they were, facing the very situation he hoped to avoid. "Father, I know I was wrong. I won''t go outside the tribe anymore. I''ll stay in the tribe and take care of you when you''re old¡­" Seeing Dieter showing remorse, Tewin felt helpless in his heart. The Indian concept of masculinity was deeply ingrained; the more men in the family, the more confident their voice. He had this one son, and if he really got taken in by the IRS... Not only would heck authority in the tribe, but he might end up without anyone to observe mourning rites for him! So, no matter what, he had to protect him. "Stay put here for me!" Tewin dropped this line and walked out of the door. Twenty minutester, he arrived at the tribe''s training ground for warriors and the Guard Squad, where approximately 1,000 Native American youths had already gathered. Also present was Weidingled. Upon seeing Tewin arrive, he immediately came up to him and said, "ording to your orders, I''ve summoned the tribe''s most elite warriors here!" Tewin nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Is the Chieftain ''well-looked after''?" "I''ve arranged for someone to watch him, but, Tewin, isn''t this a bit improper? If things blow up, we won''t be able to contain it!" "What''s there to be afraid of? We aren''t really looking to fight the IRS; we just want them to see we are not easy to provoke and to try negotiating again!" "What if we can''t negotiate?" Tewin turned and red at Weidingled, questioning, "What do you mean by that?" "Tewin, I think I shall stop here. I want no further part in these matters!" "No part? You think you can get away from it? Don''t forget, who helped you deal with the incident six months ago!" "You..." As soon as he heard about the incident six months ago, Weidingled instantly became angry. Half a year ago, he made a big mistake, and by all ounts, he should have been stripped of his Elder status. However, it was Tewin who forcefully suppressed the matter. He initially thought that Tewin was just being kind or wanted him to owe a favor. But unexpectedly, ever since Tewin had this leverage over him, he had been ckmailing him, up until today. If he hadn''t been caught by such a handle, how could he possibly have made the foolish decision to go along with Tewin in purchasing arms and equipping the tribe''s youth to confront the tax bureau? "Alright, you can rest assured. If you sort this out for me, then I promise, I''ll wipe the te clean of the previous matter, and I''ll never bring it up again!" Hearing this, Weidingled''s anger subsided a bit, and he said through gritted teeth, "You better keep your promise!" Tewin smiled, then stood up on the stage, and said, "Fellow tribespeople, I believe you have all heard about the issue with the tax bureau. Do you know why they dared toe into our reservation to apprehend Dieter?" "It''s simple, because they concocted this ck tax bill. What does this ck tax bill mean?" "In short, from now on, many industries within our tribe will have to pay taxes to them. You heard me right, it means all of you will have to pay taxes to the tax bureau..." It must be said, Tewin indeed had a brain. He was well aware that these warriors were not fools. It wasn''t a time of defending the homnd, so asking these warriors to confront the tax bureau for his son''s sake would be a hard sell! But if it were for their own interests, that would be a different story! And the ck tax bill provided just the excuse he needed. Today, David and his people hade to investigate their reservation under the pretext of the ck tax bill. That meant the ck tax bill gave them the authority to enforce thew on illicit trade within the reservation! The profits from the reservation''s illicit transactions, besides beingrgely imed by these high-ranking Elders, were also shared among the Native Americans of the tribe. Everyone had a vested interest in standing against the tax bureau, so naturally, there was motivation! And sure enough. Upon hearing that the tax bureau intended to carve into their flesh with the ck tax bill, the over a thousand people present began to grow restless. The Native Americans had never paid taxes since the founding of the country. By what right did the tax bureau demand tax from them! It was tolerable to apprehend Dieter, and although it bothered them, it wasn''t a major concern. But touching their profits, that was uneptable! "Fake Yau, if the tax bureau dares to tax us, we''ll mess them up!" "That''s right, we don''t care about other ces. This is our reservation. If they daree here and ask us for money, we''ll kick them out!" "..." Seeing that he had sessfully stirred up the atmosphere, Tewin was secretly delighted. Sensing the right moment, he immediately gave a sign to his dozen or so trusted followers. His followers quickly caught on and went into the nearby tent, bringing out boxes of arms. ... The following morning. When David arrived at the office, he noticed a significant change in the atmosphere. All the Inspectors were distracted, full of anticipation. David did not pay much attention to it and directly went into his own office. Just like that, time quickly advanced to 11:00 A.M. Bucky walked in: "There''s still no word from the Indian Tribe about handing someone over!" David let out a coldugh, then stood up and walked towards the director''s office. Chapter 139: Chapter 110: The Entire Army Strikes, Shaking the Entire Network As he pushed the door open, he saw William on the phone. "Alright, Director Jon, I understand, we''repletely prepared here and can connect with the armed forces at any time. Okay, let''s leave it at that..." After hanging up, William looked towards David, his eyes sparkling with excitement, and said, "State headquarters has alreadymunicated with the central headquarters. This armed deployment is a perfect opportunity to ''flex our muscles'' to criminals nationwide; the Indian Tribe is going to be in trouble!" David felt a surge of joy at these words. The central headquarters had indeed nned to use this incident to promote the ck Tax Bill. In that case, the weaponry and equipment deployed would certainly be extraordinary! Never mind tanks and armored vehicles¡ªApache Armed Helicopters, F16s, F35 stealth fighters were likely to be paraded as well! Soon, the Indian Tribe would understand what cruelty meant! Collecting his thoughts, David asked, "So, chief, what''s our next move?" "You went into the tribe yesterday and are aware of the illegal transactions there. I''ve discussed this point with State headquarters. To avoid unnecessary tax loss, once the troops arrive, you will take fullmand!" "Alright, no problem. So, should I take a team to the Indian Tribe now and wait for the arrival of the armed forces there?" "Go!" Without wasting words, David turned and headed to the third-floor Inspector''s Office, greeting everyone, "Folks, get ready, we''re going to the Indian Tribe!" The inspectors present were already brimming with anticipation. At his words, they orderly proceeded to the equipment storage to gear up. However, Bucky and Nisen did not follow the crowd immediately but approached David, with Bucky asking, "Chief Tax Officer, is the armed force on its way?" David nodded, then replied, "They''reing from Carson City. It won''t take long!" The capital of Nevada State is Carson City, and the headquarters of the State''s armed forces base is also located there. Something urred to Nisen, who asked, "It''s still over an hour until one o''clock, what if they suddenly surrender the person?" Nisen, of course, knew the deterrent effect that the deployment of armed forces would have on the criminals of Las Vegas. If they were to suddenly give up their efforts, it would not be fun. David smiled and responded, "The central headquarters is ready to use this case for publicity, so even if they surrender now, they definitely won''t call the troops back!" At these words, Bucky and Nisen immediately brightened and promptly turned to head for the equipment storage. ... Indian Reservation, West District Entrance. Compared to yesterday, a significant change in personnel had taken ce at the entrance today. Yesterday there were only about a dozen members of the Guard Squad here. But today, there were not only hundreds of armed Native American youths with submachine guns, AK47s, bulletproof vests, and grenades, but several machine guns and Gatlings were mounted on positions at the entrance for intimidation. It was clear Tewin had transformed this once-ordinary entrance into the shape of a wartime bunker. "Everyone, stay alert! If the IRS people arrive, no one fires without mymand. Got it?" One of Tewin''s loyal men was loudly reminding these armed Native American youths. However, not long after he spoke, a rumbling sound suddenly came from the road not far away. The Indians at the entrance looked up and quickly identified that these were vehicles from the IRS, causing everyone''s nerves to instantly tense. Soon, David''s convoy reached within 30 meters of the entrance. But when they got out of their vehicles, many inspectors were stunned to see so many armed Native American youths and the heavily armed checkpoint with Gatlings and machine guns. They knew the Indian Tribe wasn''t nning to hand over the person, but they hadn''t expected these Native Americans to be so bold, arming so many people and setting up so many heavy weapons overnight in preparation for a confrontation! Was this a rebellion? Nisen came to David''s side, seething with anger, "These damned Indians, too audacious!" David, however, was not overly surprised. For yesterday, he had already detected the arms deal between Kane and Tewin using his golden finger. That''s why these Native American youths were able to arm themselves overnight. "Everyone, take a step back, let''s not rush this!" Since the other party had armed themselves, David wasn''t sure if the Native Americans would suddenly start an undered war. It was better to step back and wait for the arrival of the armed forces. Meanwhile, inside the Reservation, in the Chieftain''s Manor Hall. "Chieftain, the IRS''s armed inspectors from yesterday have returned!" With the time nearing the one o''clock deadline given by David, Gael and the Elders present were already anxious. Now that they heard the IRS people were back, everyone became even more silent. After a long while, an elder finally made a tough suggestion, "Chieftain, it''s not wise to keep opposing the IRS. Before their armed force arrives, maybe... maybe we should just do as they say. If Dieter goes to jail, we can just spend some money on a goodwyer and grease some palms in prison. Maybe he won''t be locked up for long!" Chapter 140: Chapter 110: The Full Force Strikes, Shocking the Entire Net_2 ``` "Yes, I agree too." "..." The words of this elder were instantly endorsed by many people present. But Tewin couldn''t stand it any longer and stood up to refute, "Hand Dieter over to them? Do you know that the Tax Bureau has its own courts,wyers, judges? Handing Dieter over to them, it would be a miracle if he ever got out!" In fact, the elders were just looking for a way to step down gracefully; they knew that with the crimes Dieter hadmitted, it was not just about smoothing things over; it would be a miracle if he could evene out alive. But when Tewin scolded them like this, many became instantly infuriated. The first elder who had spoken out directly countered, "Tewin, we can''t suffer for the sake of your son!" "Yes, why should your son meddle with the Tax Bureau people? He should bear the consequences for his actions and not drag our tribe down with him!" "..." "Enough, all of you shut up!" Gael''s rebuke interrupted the arguing crowd, and he said to a confidant beside him, "Call Marcus again and insist that no matter what, he must hold off the Tax Bureau''s armed forces. In gratitude, our Indian Tribe''s votes will certainly be given to him without reservation!" "Yes..." ... Carson City, Nevada State Tax Bureau. Two men were conversing face to face in the director''s office. They were Jonathon Langdon, Director of the Nevada State Tax Bureau, and Nevada State Senator Marcus Tumore. "Director Jon, deploying arms against the Indian Tribe could provoke a national Indian uprising; that simply cannot be done. Think it over..." In order to gain the support of the Indian Tribe''s votes, Marcus had been lobbying hard at the state bureau these past few days. But no matter how much he lobbied, the state bureau showed no intention of abandoning their n. Thus, with no other choice, today he threw caution to the wind, ignoring his image and status as a senator, and came directly to the director''s office, stubbornly. "I don''t want to do this either, Senator Marcus, but I have no choice. A person from the Indian Tribe dared to assassinate our Chief Tax Officer," said Jon. "And do you know who he tried to assassinate? It was David, our star Chief Tax Officer here in Nevada, who has generated tens of millions in revenue for us. If we don''t impose a strict punishment, where would the Tax Bureau''s face be?" Jon showed no sign of relenting due to Marcus being a senator. "But Director Jon..." Jon couldn''t be bothered to continue and directly took out his cell phone from his pocket, typed a messagebeled ''action'' to a contact named ''Colonel Clevnd,'' and pressed the send button. ... On the eastern outskirts of Carson City, a Nevada State Tax Bureau military base is established here. The base was surrounded by a high wall topped with sharp iron spikes, gleaming with cold harshness. At the gate, two fully-armed personnel stood on either side, expressionless, with steadfast gazes. Entering the base, the first thing that caught one''s eye were rows of ''steel beasts'' that demanded attention. A closer look would reveal that the base housed M1, M1A1, M1A2 the main models of tanks known as the kings ofnd warfare, as well as the M1A2SEPv3, the most advanced model currently in the America Army, along with various ALFV armored vehicles. Towards the back of the base was a helipad. Many fighter jets were neatly arranged on it, including the F35 stealth fighter jet and F16 fighter jet, both touted as America''s strategic weapons, as well as the F22 Raptor and the F/A-18 Ho, all gleaming in the sunlight. As for the famous killing machines such as the Apache Armed Helicopter and the ck Hawk Helicopter, their presence was equally evident here. ``` If an uninformed person were toe here, they would certainly think this ce is a military base of the American Army, and they would never guess that it is actually the armed base of the Tax Bureau! On one side of the apron is a training field. At this time, many soldiers enlisted in the Tax Bureau were undergoing various training exercises. Some were practicing shooting, some were doing physical fitness training, and others were conducting tactical drills in simtedbat. Their faces were covered in sweat, but their eyes were resolute and cold, as if they were telling people they were ready for battle at any moment. In the center of the training field, a man wearing a colonel''s uniform with a straight nose felt the vibration of his phone inside his clothing and immediately took it out to have a look. He then showed a slightly amused smile and said in a deep voice to the soldiers who were training, "Alright, today''s training is over, everyone prepare to head to Las Vegas for a mission!" Upon hearing this, the soldiers, who had been looking dull due to the monotonous training, all stopped their movements and became spirited. But soon, a soldier asked, "Colonel, how many people are we mobilizing, and what equipment?" With the soldier''s question, many people on site started to be anxious. As armed personnel of the Tax Bureau, other than training at the base, they rarely had the opportunity to go out and execute real missions. Luckily, just yesterday, their base had finally received instructions from the State Bureau to prepare for a mission in Las Vegas. This rare opportunity to go out on a mission was naturally something everyone wanted to be a part of. The colonel chuckled and replied, "Apart from those on duty and staying at the base, everyone who can breathe is going. Also, these big guys at our base are almost rusting, so anything that can drive or fly is going to get some action!" Not long ago, he had already received instructions from the State Bureau. The intent from the State Bureau was to make as big amotion as possible for this mission, so he naturally had no reservations! When the colonel said this, the soldiers on site were instantly overjoyed. "Alright, now each team get ready, we leave in 15 minutes!" Following the colonel''s order, the teams of soldiers went to the equipment warehouse, the equipment warehouse, started up the armored vehicles, the helicopters, the fighter jets preheating, and got ready at their respective posts with clear tasks. The 15 minutes passed in a sh. The tworge gates of the base slowly opened, and rows of M1 series tanks and ALFV series armored vehicles, apanied by the thunderous roar, drove out. In the sky, 10 ck Hawk helicopters carrying hundreds of armed Tax Bureau personnel were headed in the direction of Las Vegas. Surrounding and following the ck Hawks were an additional 10 Apache Armed Helicopters as escorts. Onnd and in the air, thousands of armed Tax Bureau personnel were heading towards the Las Vegas Indian Reservation in a mighty force. Since the Tax Bureau''s armed base was located in the suburbs, it was okay at the beginning, but as soon as such a massive armed force left the suburbs, it quickly rmed the residents along the way. When these residents saw tanks, armored vehicles, ck Hawk helicopters, and Apache Armed Helicopters all around them, they were instantly stunned. Many thought that there was a riot somewhere, or that terrorists had appeared and the military was being deployed to suppress them, so they immediately searched online for news. But after searching for a long time, they found nothing about riots or terrorists; everywhere seemed peaceful, not even a major shooting incident had urred, which left thempletely bewildered. In order to understand the truth, many people immediately recorded videos of the Tax Bureau''s armed forces and posted them online to find out what was happening. It has to be said, there are quite knowledgeable people online. It didn''t take long for some to recognize the uniforms and insignia of some of the armed personnel, discovering that they belonged to the Tax Bureau. When it became known that it was the Tax Bureau''s armed forces that had been deployed, the entire inte was in an uproar. Chapter 141: Chapter 111: Enforcing the Law in the Reserve! ``` In their memory, thest time the National Tax Bureau deployed armed forces was during the era of Al Capone. But there is a point worthparing. The crime syndicate of Al Capone was arrested by the National Tax Bureau in the ''30s of thest century. At that time, the National Tax Bureau was the American Army, but it didn''t have the heavy weaponry like M1 tanks, ck Hawk helicopters, or Apache armed helicopters. But now, not only has the National Tax Bureau deployed so many armed personnel, but they''ve also brought out so much strategic equipment from the America Army. Who in the world are they trying to capture? Or is there an even more brazen tax evader than Al Capone emerging? As this incident fermented on the inte, it quickly topped the charts on major social tforms like Facebook and YouTube. All the people were waiting to gobble up this sensational piece of news. And the media in Nevada State, of course, couldn''t miss this great opportunity for traffic, and they too took helicopters and cars, following the trail of the National Tax Bureau''s armed forces to see what was going on. ¡­ Indian Tribe, West District Entrance. David''s side was still waiting for the arrival of the armed forces, while the armed Native American youths opposite did not drive them away or engage in any dialogue. Both sides spent nearly an hour in this undisturbed state. "Director, it''s 1 o''clock..." Nisen came up to remind him, and David also looked at his watch, which indeed showed it was 1 PM. "Da-da-da-da..." As David and the others were lost in thought, a sudden roar from the distant skies caused the inspectors to involuntarily turn their heads to look. "That''s... our armed forces are here!" "Oh shit, that''s a ck Hawk helicopter, I''ve only seen those in movies!" "Not just that... there''s also the Apache armed helicopter, so cool!" While the National Tax Bureau has its own armed forces, apart from the Al Capone case in thest century, it hadn''t mobilized them again. And for many inspectors on the scene, not only was it the first time they witnessed the mobilization of the new era armed forces, but it was also the first time many of them saw heavy weapons like the ck Hawk helicopter and Apache armed helicopter with their own eyes. This excited them greatly at that moment. On the other side, the armed members of the Indian Tribe, naturally weren''t blind and saw the helicopters whizzing towards them. When they saw these heavy weapons, only familiar from television, appearing before their eyes, many youths were instantly scared stiff, even feeling that the guns in their hands weren''t guns anymore. In front of these significant killers, they suddenly felt as if they were holding a piece of wood. But before they could react, a long line of vehicles suddenly appeared under the helicopters... oh no, to be precise, tanks and armored fighting groups! Facing such an aggressive steel torrent, the already stunned Native American armed youths felt their legs weaken. Many had never left the tribe in their entire lives, much less been on a real battlefield, faced with the impending sense of war, no one had such mental fortitude; at that moment, all they wanted to do was drop their weapons and run back into the reservation behind them. In the midst of these thoughts, the helicopter formation had arrived at the scene, and the leading ck Hawk helicopter descended first. Soon after, seven or eight fully-armed personnel carrying assault rifles disembarked, adeptly dispersing to the surroundings, seemingly protecting some important person disembarking from the helicopter. Shortly, a Colonel stepped out, walking straight up to David, extended his hand, and introduced himself, "Hello, Director David, I''m Colonel Clevnd from the National Tax Bureau Nevada Armed Base, and I''m in charge of this operation!" Although it was his first time meeting David, he had already seen David''s photo through files, so he recognized him immediately upon arrival. David also extended his hand for a handshake and said, "Colonel Clevnd, hello, I''m Director David from the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau, and I''m d for your support!" "Just part of the job. What would you like us to do next, Director David?" Clevnd had merely been ordered to lead the armed deployment but didn''t know much about the case. Hence, upon arriving, he had to listen to David for instructions. David nced at the two majorbat helicopter formations in the sky and the tanks and armored groups preparing to arrive from behind, and asked meaningfully, "Colonel Clevnd, is this it?" Clevnd knew what David meant and responded with a smile, "Our base isn''t too far from here. With the speed of thebat aircraft, just one order, and we can be here almost instantly!" David nodded and then gestured for Nisen toe over. Understanding the cue, Nisen promptly took out a map from the car and spread it in front of them. "Colonel Clevnd, I need your helicopters and tank armored group to enter from here, here, and here. Also, try to avoid these, these, and these ces from getting destroyed. On the way, if you encounter any resistance, you''re free to execute them on the spot, and then surround this ce!" As David spoke, he pointed out theyout of the Indian Tribe to Clevnd. He specifically instructed not to destroy certain areas because they were bustling districts for ck market transactions within the tribe ¨C after all, he still needed to collect taxes and did not want to cause significant tax revenue losses. As for the areas to be surrounded, they were the dwellings of the Indian elders and Chieftain ¨C controlling these meant controlling the entire tribe! ``` "Understood, and what about the fighter jets, when do they need to be deployed?" "There''s no rush for that, just move in first. The fighter jets will make their final appearanceter, to give them a bit of a shock. That way, afterwards, our National Tax Bureau will have an unquestionable presence in their tribe. They will all bring their taxes in ordance with the ck Tax Act every month!" "Got it, understood!" Colonel Clevnd immediately picked up themunication device andmanded, "All squads, listen to my orders. First group ¡­" Over at the West District checkpoint. "Laurie, Laurie, what do we do now?" The armed Native American youths had finallye to their senses. They began to fix their gaze collectively on Tewin''s trusted envoy. Just as this envoy named Laurie was about to say something, he hadn''t even spoken when he suddenly noticed the helicopters overhead starting to advance towards the tribe''s territory. And the tank and armored vehicle groups below were also converging from all directions, causing his scalp to tingle. He could only suppress his fear and shouted, "Everyone listen, do not fire, do not retaliate, we''ll talkter!" In fact, there was no need for him to shout, these Native American youths might be interested in defending their interests, but they were not foolish. With their few broken guns against the two massive helicopter formations in the sky, and the ground tank and armored vehicle groups, it would be strange if they weren''t blown to smithereens! "To the individuals up ahead, this is the National Tax Bureau Armed Forces enforcing thew. Lay down your weapons and do not make any hasty moves; otherwise, it will be met with deadly force without question!" The lead armored vehicle, while moving forward, also used a loudspeaker to issue a warning. And the Native American armed youths at the checkpoint, watching the powerful steel tide approach, although angry about their territory being invaded, most of them still hadn''t lost their reason and slowlyid down their guns and raised their hands. Seeing that the Native Americans were being reasonable, the tank and armored vehicle groups did not fire but gradually drove into the reservation. Because of the two massive helicopter formations. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the reservation area, some tourists, as well as other Native Americans, were stunned upon seeing such a scene. But before they could react, the entry of the tanks and armored vehicles set off unparalleled panic among everyone. The uninformed tourists and members of the Indian tribe thought the military was about to go to war with the tribe. Some screamed in terror. Fortunately, the loudspeakers on the armored vehicles assured them that it was merely the National Tax Bureau carrying out a mission and that they would not fire indiscriminately, which somewhat calmed the tourists on the periphery. Meanwhile, at the Chieftain''s Manor Hall. The deadline had passed, and everyone''s nerves were stretched to the limit because they knew very well that even though Senator Marcus had managed to constrain the National Tax Bureau''s armed deployment, Director David was not going to let it go easily. They might have put a stop to it temporarily, but certainly not forever! Just as everyone was frowning and anxious, a Native American in his prime rushed in, anxious and flustered. He first looked at Gael, then turned to Tewin and hesitated to speak. "What has happened!?" Seeing the young man''s expression, Gael knew something must have happened, and that Tewin was definitely keeping something from him. "Chieftain ¡­" The young man still did not dare to speak directly and looked towards Tewin again. "If you don''t speak up now, you''ll be punished ording to tribalw!" Hearing the reference to tribalw penalties, the young man didn''t dare to hesitate any longer and quickly said, "The National Tax Bureau''s armed forces have already invaded our reservation!" "What did you say!" Upon hearing this, Gael, including the rest of the elders present, all turned pale with shock, and some even stood up in fright. "When did their armed forcese, and how could they suddenly invade our reservation? Tewin, you damned fool, aren''t you going to exin!?" Gael turned and red at Tewin, knowing that the news of the National Tax Bureau''s armed forces'' arrival must have been suppressed by Tewin. It was only because the National Tax Bureau''s forces had now entered the reservation that the information could no longer be held back and was exposed. At that moment, Tewin also cursed inwardly, repeatedly cursing Senator Marcus''s ancestors in his heart. He hadn''t expected that even after promising so many benefits to the Senator, he still couldn''t handle things on the Nevada side and had allowed the armed forces to be sent over. "Dada dada dada¡­" Before Gael, Tewin, or any of the elders present could say anything more, a huge roaring noiseing from outside made them rush out the door. But once they got outside and saw the Apache Armed Helicopters and the ck Hawk Helicopter formations sweeping back and forth in their tribal skies, everyone felt an inexplicable panic. Senator Angstorm had warned them that the National Tax Bureau''s armed forces were very powerful, but they did not expect it to be so powerful that even the ck Hawk fighters and Apache Armed Helicopter Formations would be brought over. Given the destructive power of Apache Armed Helicopters, which could easily destroy tanks and armored vehicles, if they were to drop a few bombs on their tribe, how many people would die? ``` Chapter 142: Chapter 112: Dare to Fight Back? Eat a Missile! About 500 meters from the Chieftain''s Manor, inside Tewin''s house. Virginia rushed in hastily, kicking the door open with one foot, only to find deafening music ying inside. There, Tewin was embracing a blonde Western girl, swaying passionately to the music. Virginia immediately shut off the music and went to Dieter''s side, grabbing the incoherent man and violently shaking him as she spoke urgently, "Wake up, Dieter, the Tax Bureau''s armed forces are here!" "Tax Bureau... armed forces... Damn it, why shut off my music, I''ll kill you, I''ll kill you..." Seeing that Dieter was still out of it, Virginia helplessly turned and quickly walked out. In less than a minute, he returned with a bucket of water, grabbed Dieter by the mouth, and poured water continuously into it, asionally dousing Dieter''s face and head as well. "Cough cough cough..." Feeling his stomach churning, Dieter immediately vomited uncontrobly. After emptying his stomach, his head began to clear, and he saw Virginia still poised to pour water into his mouth. He immediately struggled free and red at him, demanding, "Damn it, what the fuck are you doing, trying to kill me?" "Big trouble, Dieter, the Tax Bureau''s armed forces are here!" "What!" Dieter was first shocked, then quickly asked, "Their forces are here? Where?" Virginia hastily replied, "Where else would they be? Their tanks and armoredbat groups have already charged into our reservation, and there are two helicopterbat squads circling above our territory!" Hearing that tanks and armoredbat groups had entered the reservation, Dieter was dumbfounded, then suddenly snapped to action, dashing out like a cheetah. When he rushed out and looked up, he indeed saw helicopter squadrons circling in the distant sky, just as Virginia had said. For a moment, he waspletely dumbstruck. In recent days, he had heard about the Tax Bureau''s armed forces, but he had never imagined they would dare to directly invade their reservation. And it was just the helicopter squads so far, but Virginia had said the tanks and armored vehicles had already charged in as well. Although their tribe had tens of thousands of Native Americans, they couldn''t stand against such a tide of steel; no amount of lives could fill the gap. Fear started to spread through Dieter''s heart. "Dieter, what should we do?" At that moment, Virginia also came to Dieter''s side. "Quick, go find my father..." Dieter was truly panicked; in his view, only by getting to the Chief and his father would there be any chance of safety. Since the two locations were merely 5-600 meters apart, soon Dieter and Virginia raced by car to the entrance of the Chief''s Manor, but found that whether it was Gael or the other Elders, everyone was dazedly staring at the sky. Dieter got out of the car and rushed to Tewin''s side, about to plea for help, but before he could say a word, a sudden roar drowned out all sound, sending a buzzing vibration through everyone''s eardrums. Regaining theirposure, they all turned their heads to look toward the source of the explosion. About two kilometers away, a massive explosion had ignited a huge fire, with surrounding houses burning and sending billowing smoke into the sky. "Damn it, without my orders, who the fuck dares to open fire, Fake!!!" Gael was both shocked and afraid, cursing frantically. He knew it must have been some hot-blooded young warriors from the tribe who, seeing their homnd invaded, lost their heads and fired at the helicopters overhead, thus provoking the Tax Bureau armed forces'' bombardment! Not just Gael; at that moment, every Elder was extremely anxious. Hell, how could those stubborn youths knowingly fire at the helicopter squads circling in the sky! Wasn''t this suicide? And it was okay if those stubborn youths died, but artillery shells were indiscriminate; what if a stray one hit their way, wouldn''t that spell disaster for them too? "Weidingled, this the fuck is your jurisdiction, go personally, calm those stubborn youths down, tell them not to open fire indiscriminately; a few more shells and our tribe is finished!" Gael felt the situation couldn''t escte any further and urgently looked to Weidingled. Being called out by name, Weidingled inwardly cursed his luck. Just yesterday he and Tewin had been stirring and arming those young warriors; now he had to go back and tell them toy down their arms and surrender. Where would his authority stand? But a loss of authority was the least of his worries right now. The worst thing was that the area was clearly a battlefield. If he rushed over there and the Apache helicopters above dropped another shell, would he even have a life left? "What are you staring at, go now!" Faced with Gael''s renewed urging, even if Weidingled was unwilling a thousand times over, he couldn''t openly defy the Chieftain''s orders in public. He had no choice but to jump into a nearby convertible jeep. As he drove toward the battle zone, he stared fixedly at the helicopters in the sky, wary of artillery suddenly raining down. Meanwhile, at the same time. Within an ammunition depot in Weidingled''s jurisdiction, Chapter 143: Chapter 112: Dare to Fight Back? Eat a Missile!_2 "Brothers, the reservation is the homnd promised to us by the American Government for our self-governance. Now these damned white people have gone back on their word and want to encroach on our homnd again. This is absolutely intolerable!" A husky man with traditional Native American braids and a ferocious look on his face stood on a high tform, shouting loudly. "Intolerable! We must fight back, defend our homes and country!" "We can''t let those damned white people trample on ournd and families. We must fight back!" "Fight back, fight back..." Below him, a dozen or so Native American youths were gathered. More precisely, these were youths from the tribe who had been awarded the title of ''warrior,'' the same youths that Tewin and Weidingled had armed the night before. In this world, although most people fear death, there are those who do not. The husky man on the stage and these impassioned Native American warriors belonged to thetter. In their minds, the white people had taken over theirnd and killed countless of their ancestors in the past. This was already a matter of life and death. And now, when they finally had this small corner of peace, the white people wanted to exterminate thempletely, which was absolutely unbearable! "Alright, bring out the RPGs. We''re going all in with them!" At themand of the sturdy Native American, the warriors below immediately went into the warehouse, and soon came out with five RPG rocketunchers. The RPG rocketuncher is one of the most well-known rocketunchers in the world. Its operation is quite simple: just insert the grenade into theunch tube, aim at the target through the sight, and then the shooter pulls the trigger and the grenade is immediately fired. Thus, even the Native American warriors present, who had not received professional training orbat experience, could master its usage in a short amount of time. "Listen for mymand, everyone aim at that one!" Seeing that the warriors armed with RPG rocketunchers were ready, the sturdy Native American pointed at an Apache Armed Helicopter circling in the sky. He knew very well that although the operation of the RPG rocketunchers was notplicated, their warriors were using them for the first time, so uracy was definitely not enough. Therefore, he directed five warriors with five rocketunchers to aim at one of the Apaches, hoping to increase the rate of destruction by sheer numbers. ording to his thoughts, as long as they could shoot down an Apache, the morale within the tribe would certainly boost, and more and more warriors would join them in the counterattack! With tens of thousands of Native Americans in their tribe, if everyone joined in the counterattack against these invaders, they could perhaps repel them! "Ready... 3, 2, 1... Fire..." "Whoosh, whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh..." Five warriors pulled their triggers at the same time, and five rockets whooshed out of the RPG''s barrels, heading straight for the Apache they had just locked onto in the sky. At the same time, in the sky, inside the Apache that was targeted. The Apache Armed Helicopter is different from the ck Hawk Helicopter. Because it has to carry arge amount of ammunition, the cabin can only amodate two people. A pilot and a gunner, respectively. "Report, everything is normal on unit 3, no threats detected for now..." "Damn it, RPG, pull up Jared, pull up fast..." The pilot, Jared, was momentarily distracted by piloting and reporting the situation, so he didn''t notice the threating from the ground. But the gunner was not idle; he suddenly spotted the iing rocket from the ground and shouted hoarsely. Jared, being an Apache pilot, had quick reflexes and situational adaptability. The moment he heard the warning, he yanked up on the control stick and pulled off a very difficult evasive maneuver while ascending. "Boom..." Two rockets, having missed their target, collided where the Apache had been, resulting in a huge explosion. Because the Apache had not gotten very far in its evasive action, many of the fragments from the explosion hit Jared''s Apache. Fortunately, as a top-tier armed helicopter, the Apache''s durability is unquestionable, so it did not suffer significant damage! "Fake Yau, I think these bastards are asking for it!" After surviving a close call, Jared looked toward the ground and finally spotted the group of Native American warriors who had fired RPG rockets at them. If it hadn''t been for hispanion''s quick warning, his timely reaction, or the Apache''s excellent performance, allowing him to quickly ascend and make tactical evasive maneuvers, he might well have ended up with a destroyed helicopter and lost lives! How could he not seek revenge for this? Clenching his teeth in anger, Jared said, "Peter, let them have a taste of a ''Hellfire Missile!''" Hellfire Missiles are designed to destroy tanks and armored vehicles, and their power is immense. Using them to strike down the Native American''s flesh and blood bodies below felt a bit like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. But Jared was clearly enraged. He wanted to use this powerful missile to show the Native Americans what happens to those who dare to fight back! "Understood!" The gunner grinned viciously and immediately began to operate. Below. Seeing that their five RPGs had failed to bring down the Apache, the Native American brutes cursed, and then loudly scolded theirpanions to keep loading for another shot. But just then, a Native American young man let out an exhausted cry: "Missile..." Those were thest words heard by the Native Americans present. Immediately following was an enormous roar that echoed through the air, and the group of Native Americans who were preparing to load and fight were instantly reduced to nothingness. As for the warehouse and various facilities that were originally at the site, they too were instantly leveled to the ground. At the Chieftain''s Manor''s side. Watching the skies two kilometers away light up in mes and the deafening explosion sounding through, Gael and several Elders were left with their mindspletely nk! It was only after a long time that Gael came to his senses, grabbed Tewin by the cor, and furiously demanded, "Exin to me, how the hell our tribe got its hands on rocketunchers!" Even from a distance, Gael''s eyes were not blind. He too had seen their tribe firing rocketunchers at the Apaches above, which then led to this retaliation. "I... I..." Tewin stammered for quite a while, unable to utter aplete sentence. The rocketunchers were of course purchased from Kane''s arms group, but he only wanted to arm the tribe with them as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Tax Bureau''s armed forces. He could not have imagined that so many headstrong young men in the tribe would dare to use them to attack the Tax Bureau''s group of armed helicopters without his orders. As the two were at a standoff, a car arrived before them. It was none other than Weidingled, who had returned. But while Weidingled was well-dressed when he had left, he returned disheveled and wounded. He jumped out of the car and spoke in a trembling and desperate tone, "It''s over, everyone over there is gone..." The power of that single missile was truly immense. Just now, because he hadn''t approached the core area, he was only hit by the shockwave. If he had been any closer, he wouldn''t have been able to return. Gael released Tewin''s cor and asked, "How many people died over there?" "It''s impossible to count exactly, but I think... there must be dozens..." "Dozens..." Gael covered his chest, looking deeply anguished. "Chie... Chieftain, they areing..." Before Gael could continue his grief, the words of an Elder interrupted his thoughts; he quickly looked up. He saw tanks and armored forces from the Tax Bureau now appearing before their eyes. Chapter 144: Chapter 113: Fighter Jets Scramble, Shocking the Norms The appearance of two major helicopterbat groups in the sky was already overwhelming enough, but now, seeing the arrival of tanks and armored fighting groups, everyone''s psychological resilience neared copse. However, soon one of the elders seemed to think of something and loudly reminded Gael, "Chieftain, it''s not toote to turn things around. What are we waiting for? Let''s hurry up and hand over the people!" "Yes, only a few dozen people have died so far. If we don''t hand someone over now, it won''t be just a few dozen anymore!" "I fucking said we should have handed them over earlier. If we had, things wouldn''t have gotten this bad!" The other elders also started to respond, echoing one after another. And Tewin, who had always opposed this, was now out of steam, shrinking his head and burying it like an ostrich. Seeing himself as the target of everyone''s criticism, Dieter couldn''t sit still. He rushed in front of his father, pleading, "Father, we can''t do this. If I fall into the hands of the Internal Revenue Service, I''m as good as dead!" "Hmph, as good as dead? You deserve it!" "If it weren''t for the huge mess you caused, would our tribe be in such misfortune? You damned fool!" "You''ve already brought enough disaster upon our tribe. Do you want to continue causing more harm?" With things having reached this point, and Dieter still daring to beg for mercy, the elders at the scene were seething with anger. As for Tewin himself, at this moment his heart was filled with both anger and helplessness. The Internal Revenue Service''s tanks, armored fighting groups, and helicopterbat groups had all moved in and even opened fire, killing so many people. What else could he do? Could he continue to be stubborn and choose to keep fighting? Even if he chose to keep resisting, who would listen to him now? Moreover, arming the tribal warriors had led to so many deaths. He surmised that he would likely face a severe reckoning afterward; his own safety was almost uncertain! ... At the West District Entrance. "Continue to stay alert and report any developments!" Colonel Clevnd had temporarily stoppedmanding to join David and the others, saying, "It seems that some Native Americans inside have chosen to resist, nearly causing us to lose an Apache. We gave them a taste of their own medicine!" David nodded. Although still at the entrance, he had naturally heard the explosions and seen the fire and smoke caused by the Hellfire missiles. But speaking of which, these Native Americans really aren''t afraid of dying. They know they have two major helicopterbat groups circling above yet they dared to attempt an attack. That''s seeking death! "Director, there are a lot of mediaing!" Bucky came over to remind them during the conversation. David turned to look. Indeed, many television stations from Las Vegas and Nevada State had arrived at the scene. It was only because their inspectors were blocking the way that they could not get close to the entrance. "Colonel Clevnd, you continue the operation. I''ll go and give the media a brief update on the situation here!" In order to avoid unnecessary panic and dissatisfaction, which could impact the reputation of the Internal Revenue Service, David decided it would be best to go over and provide a brief statement first. "Alright." Clevnd agreed and continuedmanding. Meanwhile, David quickly approached the media, gesturing with both hands for them to calm down. Once the media had quieted down to listen, he began exining, "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I am the Director of the Las Vegas Lake District Sub-bureau Branch of the Internal Revenue Service. My name is David..." "Director David, can you tell us why the Internal Revenue Service has deployed so much firepower? What exactly is the target?" "Director David, to my knowledge, ahead lies the Indian Reservation. Are the Native Americans involved in a case of tax evasion?" "Director David, from photos taken byizens, it seems the Internal Revenue Service has deployed ck Hawk and Apache armed helicopterbat groups, as well as M1 tank fighting groups. Do you n to deploy other equipment, such as the legendary F35 and F16 fighter jets?" Interrupted by the mor of the media, David was slightly annoyed but then spoke up, "We are currently conducting an operation. The specifics are not convenient to disclose, but what I can tell everyone is that the tribe is indeed suspected of tax evasion!" "Moreover, the main culprit is not only guilty of tax evasion but also involved in the attempted assassination of Internal Revenue Service personnel, fleeing from justice, and other serious offenses!" "That is the current situation. Later we will give out a detailed announcement and exnation..." After listening to this statement, the media at the scene and the viewers watching online were all stunned. They were just wondering. It had been decades since the Internal Revenue Service had mobilized so heavily. Why had they suddenly deployed armored fighting groups and helicopterbat groups this time? It turned out that the criminal was not only evading taxes but was also involved in the assassination of Internal Revenue Service personnel! No wonder the Internal Revenue Service went to such lengths! David returned to Clevnd''s side and said, "Colonel Clevnd, the media are here as well. I think it''s about time." Clevnd clearly understood the implication in David''s words. He was about to issue an order when David suddenly called out to him. "Hold on..." David grabbed a map of the reservation and pointing to several spots, he said, "Since the fighter jets are out, it''d be a waste not to show off their firepower. Let''s just drop a few missiles on these uninhabited areas to intimidate them a bit!" Chapter 145: Chapter 113: Fighter Jets Scramble, Shocking the Norms_2 ``` "That makes sense..." Clevnd picked up themunication device. Meanwhile, at the Carson City Tax Bureau Armed Base tarmac. The pilots were joking andughing just a second ago, but as soon as a soldier came over and ryed an order, they were ecstatic, rubbing their hands together and leaping into their fighters with the utmost speed. Apanied by the roaring engines, F-35, F-22, F-16, F/A-18 Hos, and other types ofbat aircraft taxied and took off, racing towards Las Vegas. At the West District Entrance. After David''s exnation, the situation blew up online and across the country. Everyone was anticipating what would happen next with this incident. The media at the scene, in a bid for viewership, were verbally sparring to broadcast every single detail first. Just then, the screeching sound of sonic booms filled the sky, causing everyone to stop talking and turn their heads up in unison. But when they saw the jets streaking towards them, shock was evident on everyone''s faces. However, a reporter quickly recovered and urgently signaled the cameraman, "Quick, point the camera at the sky!" "Is that... the legendary F-35 stealth fighter?" "Is that an F-16 fighter jet?" "Fuck, that''s the F/A-18 Ho..." "How is this possible, how does the Tax Bureau even have fighter jets..." As they watched the fighters zoom past in the sky, the viewers watching the live broadcast were dumbfounded. The Tax Bureau''s armed force was known to be very powerful. Military experts had said that the America Army has the weapons, the Tax Bureau has them all! But it was just talk, and no one had ever witnessed it firsthand. The truth of this im was not something that could be verified. But today, they were forced to believe it. Because the F-35, F-22, F-16, F/A-18 Hos, and other types of fighters were right there on disy in the sky. Each of these aircraft was among America''s top strategic weapons, and the Tax Bureau had them all. Besides aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines, what other weapons did the Tax Bureau not possess? Simultaneously, inside the reservation. The tens of thousands of Native Americans living there had already been panicked upon seeing thebat choppers, tanks, and armored groups rushing in. And now, seeing the fighters that they only ever saw on television appear in the sky, desperation filled everyone''s hearts. Because they knew all too well that the missiles hanging on those fighters were notparable to those on the Apache. The fighters were equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, AIM-120, AGM-179, and other types ofrge-scale destructive missiles. Given the poption density of their reservation, just one bomb randomly dropped by these fighters could result in the deaths of thousands! In the reservation''smercial district. Although this was the area David specifically instructed not to disturb, with the sky filled withbat helicopters and artillery fire, the local people realized something big was happening. Gamblers at the casino stopped betting, men seeking pleasure on the streets of the red-light district also grabbed their "guns" and ran outside to observe and gather information. Learning that the Tax Bureau''s armed forces had stormed the reservation, everyone there felt a huge impact. But the appearance of the fighters in the sky was even more shocking. They had thought that the Tax Bureau bringing inbat helicopters and the tanks and armored vehicles was already extravagant enough. But who could have imagined that these were just appetizers, and the real heavy weaponry was yet toe! At the Chief''s Manor Entrance. A group of Elders continued to recount and criticize Dieter''s crimes. ``` Just then, the thunderous boom of fighter jets reached their ears. Everyone looked up in unison. When they clearly saw the jets overhead, they, like the media and people in themercial district outside, had an expression of shock on their faces. It wasn''t until the squadron of fighter jets had roared past overhead that Weidingled said, in disbelief, "The Tax Bureau, how the fuck does it have fighter jets..." In fact, this question was on the minds of many of the Elders present as well. Originally, when Angstorm told them that the Tax Bureau''s armed forces were very powerful, they thought it just meant they had more men and more guns. They already found the appearance of the tworge helicopter squadrons, tanks and armored vehicle squadrons extremely exaggerated. But what they hadn''t expected was that they had still underestimated the Tax Bureau''s armament strength. They even rolled out the fighter jets! Was this what Angstorm meant by "very powerful armed forces"? It was ridiculously powerful! If it really came down to it, could the Tax Bureau even produce a nuclear bomb? Although it seemed far-fetched. But after seeing so many warnes, they suddenly thought that for the Tax Bureau, maybe a nuclear bomb wouldn''t be such a big deal after all. "Boom boom boom boom..." While they were still in a state of shock, the loud booming soundsing from all directions, along with the feeling of the earth shaking, staggered Gael and the other Elders. At that moment, Gael and the other Elders felt despondent; it seemed like it was all over,pletely over. Because the Apache hadunched a missile just a while ago, but although the missile''s power was great, it wasn''t enough to send shockwaves to their location. But now, the area where they stood felt the earth shake, surely because the fighter jets that had just whizzed by had dropped powerful missiles on their reservation. The missile from the Apache had caused dozens of casualties among their tribe already. How many would the missiles from these fighter jets with such destructive power cause? 300? 500? Or 1000? Neither Gael nor the other Elders dared to think any further. After a while, an Elder gathered his courage, began to lift his head, and looked in the direction from which the sound of the explosion came. Soon he seemed to have noticed something, some color returning to his eyes, then he frantically looked around everywhere. After seemingly confirming something, he shouted with a trace of relief, "Wait... they... seem not to be targeting us!" Upon hearing this, the utterly despondent Gael and others rallied their courage to look around, and quickly they, too, had a look of relief on their faces, like the Elder who had spoken out just before. Having managed the tribe for so many years, they were, of course, very familiar with the reservation here. Judging from the areas in their line of sight, those were uninhabited forests and mountain ranges. In other words, the Tax Bureau was only using the fighter jets to give them a warning, not actually to start a massacre in their tribe! "Chieftain, what are we still waiting for? They just want that bastard Dieter, right? Why don''t we just hand the son of a bitch over and be done with it!" "Exactly, hand over that damned fool, and the Tax Bureau won''t trouble us anymore!" "..." Before the appearance of the squadron of fighter jets, although the Elders had suggested handing over Dieter, out of respect for Tewin, they refrained from using insulting words like bastard and fool. But now, after the fighter jets had not only intruded into their territory to show off but had also dropped so many missiles all around, they naturally wanted to take out their anger on Dieter! Chapter 146: Chapter 114: Gael: I Put Justice Above Family Ties! Gael finally snapped out of his daze and immediately ordered his confidant, "Quick, get me the tax authority''s phone!" Now, he didn''t care about his nephew or the chieftain''s face, he needed to get those fighters and armored vehicles from the tax authority to stop firing first! Otherwise, a few more missiles and their reservation would be ruined! Hearing this, Dieter, already panicked, simply plopped down on the ground, his face ashen as death. At this juncture, he was well aware that not even the king of heaven could save him now, he was as good as dead! West District Entrance. Feeling the shockwaves from the missiles dropped by the fighter jets, everyone on site was greatly shaken. In the past, although they had known about the destructive power of fighter jets, they had never experienced it first-hand. But now, having witnessed it up close, they finally understood why so many billions, even trillions of dors had been invested by countries around the world in developing fighter jets. This thing was a genuine airborne weapon of mass destruction! "Chief Tax Officer, Chieftain Gael has called, saying he wants to have a talk with you!" Nisen came over to ry this message. David stopped gazing at the swarm of fighter jets in the sky, feeling that the intimidation had been sufficient, and figured the elders of the Indian tribe probably understood the power of the tax authority by now! He then ordered, "Reply to the bureau, tell them to send over the civilian staff, bring along the bill counters, filing forms, and... all the necessary materials and equipment. Oh, and we might be short-staffed, so have them request some extra people from the municipal bureau!" This time, he wasn''t just going in to demand Dieter from those Indian elders, but also to take advantage of their residual fear to secure their tax payments! The Indian tribe was toorge and there were those illegal businessmen conducting trade within themercial area. The work that needed to be done was simply too much for a single Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch to handle! "Chief Tax Officer, the workload really is huge, so why don''t we have them process it at our bureau instead?" In Nisen''s view, Moving personnel over was troublesome, and they had to bring over equipment and materials, which would make processing procedures much slower than at the bureau. David looked at him, somewhat speechlessly, and exined, "What do you think is easier: collecting taxes in front of our nes and cannons, or back at the bureau?" Upon hearing this, Nisen immediately pped his forehead, realizing his question had been quite foolish. With their nes and cannons still situated here, it acted as a tremendous psychological deterrent; whether it was the Native Americans or the criminals inside, they dared not act rashly and had no choice but to obediently pay taxes! "Alright, I''ll go inform them!" ... Main Street Sub-Bureau Branch, Chief''s Office. Apart from Katharine, the bureau''s deputy chiefs, Keanu, and another Tax Investigator, along with two Deputy Tax Inspectors, all senior officials had gathered here. They were currently watching the live broadcast from the Indian tribe ying on the big screen hanging on the wall. "Damn that Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, they really made a name for themselves this time!" Pullman Quinel from the Main Street Sub-Bureau Branch cursed with dissatisfaction. Although the others didn''t voice it, they too disyed jealousy, envy, and frustration. Since the era of Al Capone, this was another instance of the tax authority''s armed forces making a reappearance! Moreover, critically, the tax authority had this time deployed M1 series tank squadrons, armored vehiclebat squads, Apache, ck Hawk helicopterbat squads, as well as various top-tier fighter jet squadrons, stunning the entire United States and the world. As the masterminds behind all this, whether it was David or the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, they were destined to be famous and go down in history! If only such an honor had been bestowed upon the Main Street Sub-Bureau Branch, oh, how wonderful that would have been... "Damn that Dieter, and the Indian tribe too, giving the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch such a great opportunity. Why can''t our Main Street Sub-Bureau Branch encounter something like that!" Pullman grumbled again resentfully. The tax authority''s armed forces were not something one could simply request to deploy at will. Firstly, it had to involve a very bad incident. Like the attempt on David''s life by Dieter, and considering that David was currently the star Chief Tax Officer of Nevada State, the incident was extremely serious. Secondly, the state bureau had very strict procedures and paperwork for dispatching armed forces, so you needed aplete chain of evidence, along with all the necessary paperwork, to get approved. Both of these were encountered by the Lake District and dealt with. That''s why the deployment of the armed forces ended up under the Lake District''s name! "Giggle giggle giggle..." Just as the office atmosphere had turned a bit somber, someone knocked at the door. "Come in!" The next second, Katharine''s assistant entered and said, "Chief, we just received a notice that the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch is applying to the municipal bureau for civilian staff to go to the Indian reservation!" "Applying for civilian staff?" This caught Katharine and the others somewhat off guard. With such a big move by the Lake District, wasn''t it just to capture Dieter? What were they doing sending civilian staff to the reservation now? "Wait a minute..." Keanu seemed to realize something and immediately said, "As far as I know, there are many criminals conducting transactions within the Indian reservation. Could the Lake District''s request for personnel have something to do with that?" Chapter 147: Chapter 114: Gael: I Put Justice Above Family Ties!_2 His words made the other senior members present realize the gravity of the situation. Before the ck Tax Act was introduced, the Indian Reservation was an independent kingdom. Becausew enforcement had no jurisdiction there, it became a favorite trading haven for criminals! But now the ck Tax Act is in ce, and their Tax Bureau has the authority to enforce thew against illegal trading on the Indian Reservation! Now that the Lake District is requesting additional personnel from the city bureau, they must be nning to tax those criminals! Moreover, one point worth mentioning is this. The armed forces of their Tax Bureau, including tanks, armored vehicles, armed helicopters, and fighters, had all been deployed, undoubtedly scaring the living daylights out of the criminals there! Now, if the Lake District side asks them to pay taxes, dare they notply? In the face of those war machines and tanks, they have no choice but to pay up! With this realization, Katharine became restless and immediately questioned, "What is going on here? With such an important matter, what have you all been doing? How could not one of you think of this?" Although there hasn''t been an investigation into the reservation. Just by the scale of it, she felt that a conservative tax estimate of 10 to 20 million dors was definitely achievable! Yet, the Lake District Sub-Bureau had hogged all the limelight and raked in such a huge amount of tax revenue, while her Newtown District hadn''t gotten a thing. How could this be eptable to her? Keanu and the other senior members also bowed their heads slightly. The Indian Reservation was not under the jurisdiction of the Lake District, Newtown District, or their own district. This meant that whoever had the capability to collect taxes from there, owned the rights to do so. Before the ck Tax Act, some of them had thought about collecting taxes from the reservation. They knew all too well the temperaments of the Native Americans. If it hadn''t been for the Tax Bureau''s military forces intimidating them this time, attempting to collect taxes would have provoked a fight to the death! "They''re requesting personnel from the city bureau at the Lake District, right? No need for all this trouble!" Katharine suddenly had an idea, looked at Keanu, and said, "Like this, take all the inspectors we can muster, and bring along some cash counting machines and such, Everyone is from the Las Vegas Tax Bureau, after all. We ought to help each other out when needed..." Hearing this, Keanu was stunned. Of course, he understood that, although their director appeared to be offering help on the surface, she was actually intent on grabbing a share of the glory. But the reservation was clearly conquered by the Lake District Sub-Bureau. If they brazenly snatched credit for it, the others would hardly be pleased. With this in mind, Keanu softly replied, "Director, this... this might not be appropriate..." "What''s inappropriate about this? There are only a handful of people from the city bureau, and think about how vast the reservation is. Can they handle it between the Lake District and the city bureau? Go ahead, I''ll speak to the city bureau. It shouldn''t be a problem!" Katharine was quite confident in persuading the city bureau. "Well then... alright!" Seeing that Katharine had put it this way, Keanu had no choice but to muster up the courage, stood up, and started to gather personnel at the Inspector''s Office. Meanwhile, over at the New City District Sub-Branch. When they heard that the Lake District was requesting personnel from the city bureau, the leaders here also quickly realized the massive ck tax benefits of the reservation. Subsequently, their Director, just like Katharine, asked a Tax Investigator, along with inspectors from the bureau, to shamelessly head to the reservation to im a share! Of course, David, who was far away at the reservation, was still unaware of all this. At this moment, he was driving with Bucky and others towards the direction of the Chief''s Manor inside the Reservation. A few minutester, their convoy arrived at the scene. After getting out of the car, he saw that Gael was already waiting for them at the entrance with the Tribe Elders, and behind them, Dieter was being held up by two sturdy Native Americans, looking like a prisoner. "Director David, there is no need for such a show of force. How could our Indian Tribe dare to oppose the Las Vegas Tax Bureau..." Gael was very perceptive. At this point, he couldn''t care less about the Chieftain''s dignity or the Indian Tribe''s honor, and he began with a tone of weakness as soon as they met. This made David and the others feel somewhat amused. If it weren''t for their armed forcesing in, would you Native Americans still be so easy to talk to? Although he thought this, he did not say it out loud, but replied, "Chief Gael, our Tax Bureau is usually very reasonable. Yesterday I already gave you a deadline of 1 PM to hand over the person, and if you did, there would have been no trouble. But you chose not toply, then of course the Tax Bureau has methods to ''help'' you!" This statement made Gael and the Elders at the scene stiffen, thinking that if they had known that the Tax Bureau even had fighter jets, they wouldn''t have waited until 1 PM, they would have handed over the person to the Tax Bureau overnight! Putting his thoughts aside, Gael said sternly, "Bring him up!" At his words, the two strong men brought Dieter in, who seemed limp like mud. Gael said, "Although he is my nephew, here in America, when a princemits a crime... oh no, when a prince evades taxes, he is punished just like amoner, I would certainly never shield him. Now I am handing him over to the Tax Bureau!" David walked up to a meter in front of Dieter, staring at him with a disheveled look, and said with a hint of mockery, "Mister Dieter, I didn''t expect our first meeting to be under such circumstances!" At these words, Dieter seemed to regain someposure. He raised his head to look at David, and then said almost crazily, "Director David, I know I was wrong, give me another chance, I am willing to pay taxes. I still have money, a lot of money, I can pay you 3 times, 4 times, even 5 times the amount!" He was truly scared. Because he had been indulged all his life and could not tolerate the conditions of a prison. And it might have been bearable if it were just a regr prison, where as long as he had money, he might be able to live like an emperor with enough bribes. But if he were to be arrested now, he would be taken to the Tax Bureau''s prison! In there, let alone living like an emperor, not being tortured to death would be considered lucky! "It''s already toote for you to be afraid now, Mister Dieter!" "I... you... I..." Dieter''s face turned red, as if his throat was being strangled, and he could not utter aplete sentence. With Dieter having surrendered, David had no interest in continuing the verbal skirmish and turned to Gael, saying, "Chief Gael, I must give you a thumbs up for bringing about justice in this situation, but there are a few more things for which I would like to ask for your help!" On hearing the former part of the statement, Gael felt relieved, but thetter part tensed him up again, and he uneasily asked, "What would that be?" "I know that the Reservation is greatly favored by criminals, they choose to deal or do business here!" "But I believe you are aware of the ck Tax Act. I want you to gather the leaders of these criminals. I have a few words for them!" Hearing this, David and the Elders present felt a lurch in their hearts. It seems that the Tax Bureau aimed not only to apprehend Dieter but also to take from their Indian Tribe its interests! "So, are you unwilling?" Of course, Gael and the others wanted to express their reluctance, but seeing the tanks, armored vehicles, and armed helicopters continuously circling above their territory and the fighter jets asionally whizzing by with sonic booms, how could he dare to say no. Gael replied, "Of course not. If it''s thew, then our Indian Tribe certainly supports it!" He turned his head to one of his confidants and ordered, "Go to themercial street and call those leaders here!" Chapter 148: Chapter 115: Father and Son Reunite in Prison! "It will take them some time to get here, Director David, so why don''t we go sit in the living room and talk it over slowly?" David thought it made sense, and then led everyone inside. Once inside, he looked up at the chieftain''s throne and pondered for a moment. He was in the superior position now, and he would be levying taxes on the crime leaders in themercial streetter, so he certainly couldn''t let his imposing aura falter! Afterward, he walked straight up and, facing the chieftain''s throne that originally belonged to Gael, he sat down on it boldly and confidently. Gael and the others who followed inside were stunned at this scene, and the young Indians showed anger on their faces one after another. The chieftain''s throne was not just a seat, it was the face of their tribe, and now it was being upied by an outsider¡ªthey felt as if they had been pped hard in the face. Just when a few fiery young men could hardly restrain themselves from reacting, they were scolded by Gael who noticed something was amiss, "You lot, this is none of your business now, go outside and stand guard!" As a symbol of his own status, Gael was certainly very angry. But there was no helping it; when under someone else''s roof, one must bow their head! Those armored vehicles and tanks, nes, and fighter jets were just outside. If they dared to act rashly, what awaited them would be a dire fate. Gael hadn''t lost all reason yet to not know what was at stake; of course, he chose to endure! After finding a seat below, Gael, in order to mask the embarrassing atmosphere, spoke again, "Director David, didn''t you say there were a few things earlier? Now, dealing with thosewless leaders is one, so what are the others?" David turned his head to look towards Tewin, who had been ying ostrich since his arrival, then back at Gael. "Chief Gael, to my knowledge, your Indian tribe does not have the authority to use RPG rocketunchers, could you exin where they came from?" Earlier at the entrance, Colonel Clevnd had said their Apache helicopter was nearly hit by an RPG, and David certainly couldn''t let this matter slide so easily! "This..." Although Tewin had betrayed him, Gael didn''t want to doom his own brother to death, but now David was clearly asking for an ounting, and he could only continue in the vein of renouncing kin: "Our tribe does not have the authority to use RPGs; they were all illegally armed by some individuals inciting our warriors!" Pretending to be ignorant, David asked, "Oh? And who might that be?" Gael, feeling helpless, raised his hand and pointed towards Tewin, saying, "It was all him acting on his own to arm them; it has nothing to do with us!" "Gael, you bastard!" Tewin was already heartbroken that Dieter had fallen into the hands of the National Tax Bureau, but when he heard that he was also going to be implicated, he became even more frantic with rage. "Because of this RPG, we almost lost an Apache helicopter of the National Tax Bureau. Since your brother is the mastermind, he must be severely punished. No problem with that, Chief Gael, right?" As soon as David finished speaking, two inspectors immediately came to Tewin''s side and took hold of him, one on each side. Tewin panicked, struggling while shouting, "Gael, I''m your brother and an elder of the tribe, you can''t just hand me over to them like this!" Gael, as if he hadn''t heard his words, calmly replied, "No problem from me!" "You bastard, are you selling our tribe to the National Tax Bureau? Are you really content to lead our tribe to serve them like ves¡­" Watching a nearly berserk Tewin, David, impatiently, waved his hand, and the two inspectors dragged him out without dy. While the other elders not only did not seem angry at this scene but some actually seemed rather pleased. If it weren''t for Tewin''s son, if it weren''t for him arming the hot-blooded warriors of the tribe, would the situation have escted to this point? You, Tewin, want to protect your son, then fine, you two father and son can go look after each other in the National Tax Bureau''s prison! However, while these elders were secretly rejoicing, Weidingled, in a corner, was shivering with fear. Though Tewin was the mastermind behind the purchase of arms to equip the tribal warriors, he was also an aplice. Now that Tewin had been dealt with, it wouldn''t be his turn next, would it? But fortunately, in the time that followed, David did not express an intention to pursue the matter further, and Weidingled secretly wiped away sweat. About 10 minutes after Tewin was dragged away, the sound of vehicles arriving could be heard from outside. Soon, Gael''s confidants led a group of people into the room. Among them, David also met a few old acquaintances, precisely thosewbreakers he had assessed with his golden finger during his undercover visit to the Indianmercial street the day before. It was apparent that possibly due to the presence of tanks, armored vehicles and armed helicopters, and fighter jets outside, thesewbreakers were quite shaken, entering with expressions of anxiety and scanning their surroundings. "Cough cough, let me introduce myself first. My name is David, Chief Tax Officer of the National Tax Bureau Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch." Upon entering, thewbreakers who were still surveying their surroundings looked up in unison upon hearing this. They saw that the person sitting on the chieftain''s throne was no longer Gael, but this man iming to be the Chief Tax Officer of the National Tax Bureau. This left them somewhat dumbfounded for a moment. Soon after, they quickly located Gael on the left side and discovered that the chieftain, who usually exuded so much authority in front of them, now seemed to havepletely lost his edge. This made some of them even more uneasy. After all, many among them were aware of some matters concerning Dieter. They also knew about the new "ck tax" bill introduced by the National Tax Bureau, which mandated that a certain amount of tax must be paid on any illegal earnings from this point on. Could it be that the reason the National Tax Bureau called them this time was for this same purpose? "Everyone, please remain calm. We just had a small misunderstanding with Chief Gael''s tribe, which has already been cleared up!" "A small misunderstanding?" The criminals were somewhat speechless in their minds. If this was a small misunderstanding, would the National Tax Bureau really need to roll in tanks, armored vehicles, and fighter jets? This was clearly about teaching Gael''s tribe a lesson! Ignoring what everyone was thinking, David continued: "As it stands, our misunderstanding with the tribe has been resolved. From now on, those of you conducting business here can continue doing so with peace of mind, everything can stay the same!" "However, there is one condition!" "I believe many of you have heard about our National Tax Bureau''s ck tax initiative. Let me exin it to you. Thisw stiptes that from now on, whether it involves..." After listening to the exnation, the criminals who knew about Dieter''s case weren''t too surprised. However, those unaware of Dieter''s case were left looking dumbfounded. But on second thought, while the idea of paying taxes on their illicit gains seemed absurd, it wasn''t as ridiculous as the National Tax Bureau rolling out those tanks, armored vehicles, and fighter nes outside,ing armed to collect taxes from them! "You all understand now, right? If anyone has any opinions, feel free to share them. We at the National Tax Bureau are reasonable and operate ording to the rules. We''re not out to specifically trap you!" David''s words left the criminals internally speechless once more. If the National Tax Bureau were really reasonable, they wouldn''t have brought out those tanks, armored vehicles, and fighter jets, let aloneunching missiles around the tribe to intimidate people! Of course, they definitely wouldn''t dare to say this to his face. After some careful consideration, a loan shark plucked up the courage to stand up and said in a low voice, "Director David, we have to pay a considerable amount of protection money to the tribe here every month. Now, we''ll have to pay another share to your National Tax Bureau every month, which is a bit too much to bear..." "Yes, indeed, we don''t earn that much to begin with. Having to pay another share to the National Tax Bureau too, it would be a bit overwhelming..." "Exactly..." The man''s words instantly garnered the agreement of the other criminals present. David looked at the first man who spoke up and asked, "Your name is James Leve, right?" The man called out was surprised that David knew his name, but then his mouth twitched violently as if he suddenly realized something. If David knew his name, the logic was simple; he must have been secretly investigated by the National Tax Bureau. Without a doubt, he was about to be in trouble! "ording to the data we have, on the 7th ofst month you made a loan to apany executive named Fast in the main street area and collected a return of sixty thousand US dors." "Furthermore, on the 11th, you lent money to andlord in Newtown District named Tony and harvested another sixty thousand US dors in returns, and there''s more..." "Just these transactions, along with various other lending gains, amounts to a ie of about five hundred thousand US dors a month." "From this sum, you only need to pay us, the National Tax Bureau, around one hundred and fifty thousand. You still have a profit of three hundred and fifty thousand. Are you telling me it''s a bit too much for you now?" "Do you know that in America, many CEOs of listedpanies don''t earn as much as you do in a month? Don''t be ungrateful!" Prior to David''s reproach, the man named James had anticipated his impending misfortune. Now it had indeede to pass! The National Tax Bureau had not only unearthed the rough details of his monthly ie, but they were also fully aware of the specific sources of his earnings. It seemed this time, he had to pay whether he wanted to or not! David then turned his gaze to another man who had just echoed James''s remarks, saying, "And as for you, Thompson, you make a tidy sum of over four hundred thousand US dors a month just from drug trafficking in themercial street area under Elder Weidingled''s jurisdiction. Are you saying you can''t handle paying a share of tax to us?" "And then there''s you, Base Morgan..." "..." In the ensuing time, David singled out several other high-earning criminals and pinpointed their exact ies. Now, these individuals could no longer argue back and all hung their heads in defeat. Chapter 149: Chapter 116: Made a Fortune, Over 20 Million At the same time, on the road to the Chief''s House on the Indian Reservation. Selina, riding in the car, looked at the surrounding M1 series tank units, armored vehicle units, Apaches and ck Hawk units in the sky, and the fighter jets that asionally swept past with a sonic boom; her face showed both shock and contemtion. "Impressive scene, isn''t it? It''s my first time seeing it too!" Selina turned her head and looked at Ariel, who had spoken, and asked, "Ariel, aside from these, does our National Revenue Service have other armaments?" "Other? What do you mean?" "I mean... like B2, B52 bombers and so on..." "If you''re talking about nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers, our National Revenue Service might have some trouble, but as for things like B2 bombers, if we need them, I can''t say we could get many, but securing three or five wouldn''t be a problem." Speaking of B2 bombers, because they cost as much as 2.4 billion US Dors each, there are only 21 of them in America at present. But whether it''s the cost of production or the expenses forter maintenance, it''s all funded by the money collected by their National Revenue Service. Therefore, if their National Revenue Service needed them, all they had to do was give a shout to the military, and the military would somehow deliver a few over. However, the National Revenue Service was only about collecting taxes, not about going to war. Storing armored vehicles, tanks, helicopters, and fighter jets in the base was sufficient; there was no need to have costly and high-maintenance B2s lying around. As the two of them talked, the car arrived at the Chief''s House and slowly came to a stop. Ariel and Selina, among others, got out of the car one after another, then started unloading items like cash counting machines and forms, and carried them into the house. Seeing that the ''advance team'' from their office had arrived, Director David looked around at the gathered criminals and said, "Well, I was clear enough just now, weren''t I? No issues, right?" With their secrets thoroughly investigated by the Tax Investigators, and military vehicles still parked outside, those criminals didn''t dare to voice any objections; their silence was taken as consent. "Okay, then, we''ll have Chief Gael and his people set an example for you. Maybe you should go back and get your money ready!" Director David''s words caused Gael and the Native American Elders nearby to look utterly shocked. Gael forced a smile and asked, "Director David, what kind of example should we... we set?" "What do you think?" David red at him before saying, "You tribes have been collecting so much protection money from people, isn''t that illegal ie?" "This..." Gael and the others felt as if they had been struck by a heavy hammer, struggling to catch their breath. They had originally thought that by giving in and gathering these leaders, cooperating to this extent, David would cut them some ck. But unexpectedly, just like the other criminals, they would also be heavily fined by the National Revenue Service. At this moment, while Gael and his peers were indeed in distress, many of the criminals below found some joy in their hearts. Seeing that not only they had to pay taxes but the chieftains and elders as well, it brought them a lot of mental bnce. After that, they were no longer dragging their feet, each of them briskly turned and left to prepare the taxes they owed. "What are you standing around for, go get the money ready!" Displeased as he was, Gael dared not defy David''s will and hastilyshed out at the elders. The Elders, not daring to waste words, immediately stood up and walked out. Most Native Americans are not adept at dealing with banks. These elders usually received their dividends in cash, so it didn''t take long for them to return, carrying boxes of money. "Director David, I did some calctions; my monthly ie, converted into a tax rate, means I should pay about 510,000 US Dors in taxes. Please check." "Director David, I calcted as well; based on my ie and tax rate, I need to pay taxes around 480,000 US Dors. Please check." "..." After opening their boxes, one by one, the elders began to report the amount of taxes they owed. From the chieftain''s throne, Director David, through his ''golden fingers'' scrutiny, found that these elders did not dare to hide their ie to evade taxes, so he turned to Ariel and the others and ordered, "Come, count the amounts, and then fill out a record form for each of the elders!" As these boxes of money were opened andid out, Ariel and other primarily clerical staff were so stunned by the millions in cash that it took David''s reminder for them to snap out of it, and they promptly plugged in the cash counting machines to start tallying. After about ten minutes, That''s when David and others heard amotioning from outside. The next second, an Inspector burst in and said, "Director David, Inspector Keanu from the main street district, Inspector Matthew from Newtown District and many inspectors are here... " "Oh?" David first showed a look of surprise, which then quickly returned to normal. Presumably, these two major divisions had heard of themotion he had stirred up here and wanted a piece of the action! But since these people hade, they might as well be put to use. After all, the Indian Tribe consisted of tens of thousands of people. Besides the elders and criminal leaders, there was likely arge number of Indian leaders involved in illegal trading and ordinary tribal members; with their help, the efficiency could be improved by several folds! Chapter 150: Chapter 116: Made a Fortune, Over 20 Million_2 At this thought, David said, "Let them in!" "Okay." The Inspector immediately ran out. Soon, Keanu and Matthew from the New City District, along with Inspectors from their respective branches, walked in. When they saw the boxes of US Dorsid out on the floor and on every table, even Keanu and Matthew, who had seen much of the world, couldn''t help but click their tongues in wonder. As for the Inspectors from both branches, their eyes were nearly popping out. How much money could this possibly be! At that moment, they wished they were the ones counting the cash! "Inspector Keanu, Inspector Matthew, we from the Lake District Sub-Bureau are carrying out a task here, what business brings you guys over?" Upon hearing David''s feigned ignorance, Keanu shifted his gaze from the cash around him and replied, "Director David, we''ve heard that your bureau needed more manpower and had requested support from the city bureau, so our New City District Sub-Branch has specifically rushed over to help!" "Our New City District Sub-Branch is the same, we''re all part of Las Vegas''s IRS, so naturally, we should help each other out!" Matthew chimed in as well. "Is that so, then we really must thank both of your branches..." David turned his head towards Gael and said, "Chieftain Gael, send someone to inform the members of your tribe. Those who have uwfully earned ie shoulde and report it voluntarily; we don''t want to have toe looking for them!" Gael paused, thenmanded a trusted follower, "Go, notify the whole tribe!" Although this might cause discontent among many in the tribe, as the Chieftain and Elder had taken the lead in paying taxes, what could the rest of the tribe members do butply? David looked towards Keanu and Matthew and said, "Inspectors Keanu and Matthew, it''s rather cramped here. Why don''t you take your Inspectors outside to the open space and wait there to process those from the tribe as theye?" "This..." Keanu and Matthew exchanged nces, somewhat reluctant. They weren''t fools and were well aware that the real revenue was inside. Whatever was outside was just small fry. Even with many people, how much tax could they really collect? It''s possible that collecting the tax from a thousand ordinary Indians wouldn''t even amount to as more than one Elder here! "What, wasn''t it you who said you came to help?" "Of course, let''s all go!" Though very reluctant, they had no choice. After all, this Indian Tribe had been brought under control by the Lake District Sub-Bureau, so Keanu could only lead the Inspectors from his branch who were loath to part with the ce and head out. Seeing Keanu leave, Matthew, though resentful in his heart, followed suit helplessly and walked out. Once outside, he caught up with Keanu and said indignantly, "Did you see how much tax those Elders have to pay? It starts at hundreds of thousands of US dors for each one!" "I saw, but what can we do about it?" Matthew continued toin, "But... he sent us to collect tax from the ordinary Indians, which is just paltry sums and so much trouble!" Keanu shook his head and responded helplessly, "What choice do we have when the case belongs to someone else? Besides, it''s not bad that they''re letting us have a share at all, just let it be..." While they were talking, suddenly, they saw cars approaching from afar. When the cars pulled up at the entrance, they saw thewbreakers from before, some carrying suitcases and others hefting bags, all heading into the house. This scene made both Matthew and Keanu turn dark with envy. They were very aware that what was in those suitcases and bags was definitely cash! Based on their careful observations earlier, the tax money from the Chieftain and Elders alone, even if not ten million, would be somewhere between seven to eight million. Plus, with these people now bringing in cash, wouldn''t this amount to twenty or thirty million? The Lake District Sub-Bureau had indeed made a huge profit on this Indian Reservation! ... Inside the residence, under the rapid operations of the inspectors from the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, the tax amounts for Gael and all the tribe elders were quickly calcted. Ariel checked the calctions onest time before reporting to David, "Director, the total tax due from Chief Gael and the other eldersbined is 8.136 million!" This figure was not beyond David''s expectations. Just Gael alone was liable to pay nearly three million US dors in taxes, and adding the other elders, reaching 8.13 million was to be expected. He nodded and responded, "Continue!" About another hour passed by. By that time, the tax calctions for the criminals were almostplete as well. Once Ariel had verified the figures, she continued to report, "Director, their taxesbined amount to 13.506 million US dors!" This figure did not deviate much from David''s estimate either. During his undercover visit yesterday, he had used the "golden finger" to calcte the monthly illegal transactions on themercial streets, which amounted to tens of millions. After converting to the collectible tax revenue, it was roughly 13 million! 13.5 million, plus the 8 million from before, made it over 21 million in total. Then there were the ordinary Indian people outside. Even though each of them might be paying less in taxes, their sheer numbers would certainly contribute an additional 1 to 2 million! So, this operation in total would yield about 23 million, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say it was a huge profit! Collecting his thoughts, David instructed, "There are many people outside, go and assist the other two sub-branches in collecting taxes!" "Alright." The inspectors from the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch filed out. Another hour or so passed. Ariel returned and said, "The collection outside is almostplete as well, we''vepiled the data, it''s a total of 2.366 million!" "Load it up, head back, and also notify Colonel Clevnd that he can withdraw the troops!" Upon hearing the order to withdraw, Gael and the other elders present finally breathed a sigh of relief. After a harrowing loss, their Indian tribe had finally escaped this disaster! "Chief Gael, and all elders, as well as the gentlemen here, thank you very much for your cooperation!" David rose from the chieftain''s throne, and Gael, along with the elders, hurried to stand up and follow him out. Meanwhile, at the entrance of the estate, two cash transport vehicles were parked, with the tax inspectors busily loading the collected taxes into the vehicles. However, Gael and the others were not focused on this; their attention was on the tanks, armored vehicles, and the groups of helicopters in the sky, gradually retreating from the reservation. After a while, Gael suddenly remembered something and asked David, "Director David, I''d like to know when the trial for Dieter and Tewin''s case will take ce?" After a moment of reflection, David answered, "It should be very soon, if not tomorrow then the day after!" ording to America''s judicial procedures, typically, after arresting a criminal, going through various checks and processes, it would take at least a month or even longer before reaching court trial. But first of all, the IRS''s court system is not part of America''s judicial system. So, in principle, as long as there is ample evidence for a case, they can apply for a trial any time and anywhere. The evidence chain for Dieter''s case is already more than sufficient, and they need to close the case to deposit the tax revenue. Therefore, David was determined to settle this case with the utmost speed! He nned to request as soon as he returned to have the trial as early as tomorrow, without any dy. Because once the case was settled and the tax revenue recorded in his name, looking at the current leaderboards, he was very likely to jump to the number one spot nationwide in an instant! Even if he might be pushed down before the end of the assessment period, just being able to briefly ascend to the top spot nationwide from a tform like the Lake District Sub-Bureau was already astonishing! Chapter 151: Chapter 117: Time for Recognizing Contributions and Rewards "The day after tomorrow..." Gael and the others could imagine that Tewin and Dieter''s trial was approaching fast, but they had not expected it toe this quickly. Over 20 million in cash may seem a lot. But with the efficiency of around 200 Inspectors from the three major sub-bureaus and the city bureaubined, the cash was quickly loaded onto two armored cars. Matthew came over and said with some implications, "Director David, now that this is almost dealt with, whates next..." "Rest assured, Inspector Matthew, your Inspectors have also worked hard today. After reporting back to our bureau and briefing Chief William, you will not miss out on your reward!" With this promise given, Matthew grinned. David did not dawdle any longer and got into the vehicles with the other Inspectors, driving towards the exit of the Reservation. Watching the convoy of the National Tax Bureau disappear into the distance, Gael and the Elders suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of relief. However, Weidingled then seemed to remember something and said, "Chieftain, if Dieter and Tewin are going to be tried tomorrow, shouldn''t we find awyer for them?" It was not that he really wanted to help Tewin and his son. He was just worried that if the trial started, Tewin might do something desperate and reveal his own involvement in the armed intervention, so he too was hoping to use this as a bargaining chip to get Tewin to spare him in court. "Find awyer? What''s the use? Haven''t you heard? The National Tax Bureau has its ownwyers, courts, judges; once you''re in court, everyone there is one of theirs. Forget finding awyer, even bringing in the President would be useless!" "That''s right, if they were to be tried through the normal judicial process, then awyer might be a bit useful. But this is a private trial by the National Tax Bureau,wyers are useless!" "It''s called a trial, but it''s really just a formality. With the National Tax Bureau''s style, no matter whoes forward, these two are never getting out!" All the Elders felt that Weidingled was beating the air, each one voicing objections. After some thought, Gael replied, "Regardless, they are ultimately members of our Indian Tribe. Weidingled, go find a decentwyer for them!" He of course knew that finding awyer was mostly useless, but as the Chieftain of the Indian Tribe, he had to at least put on the appearance of upholding his people''s interests. ... Meanwhile, in the office of the Chief of the Lake District National Tax Bureau. "Everything went smoothly, Deputy Director Donald. The Indian Tribe might have tens of thousands of people, but what waves could they possibly make against our tanks and fighter aircraft?" "As for the taxes, it''s passable. We collected about 23 million on the spot, and adding Dieter''s funds already counted, the totales to about 40 million..." At that moment, Chief William''s face was flush with delight, the corners of his mouth reaching for the sky as he continually reported the oue and spoils of the operation to the higher-ups at the headquarters. "Very good, William. 40 million in taxes is not a small amount. We will credit you with a merit for this. Keep up the good work. Also, regarding the media... you can handle that, correct?" "Rest assured, Deputy Director Donald, I''ve got it covered!" William was overjoyed. Having been the Chief of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch for so many years, he not only had now collected such a substantial amount of revenue but had also been credited with a merit by headquarters, surely his position would move up before long? "Chief, Director David and his team have returned. Also, the media are in ce!" While William was still basking in satisfaction, his assistant interrupted him as she walked in. William quickly rose to his feet, went to the bathroom to tidy up his hair and cor, and then went down to the ground-floor lobby. At that time, the ce was already packed with major media from Las Vegas and Nevada State. First, he located David who had returned to the lobby, nodded at him as a sign, and then stepped into the spotlight, saying, "Good evening everyone, I am William, the Chief of the Las Vegas National Tax Bureau. I will provide a brief overview of the reservation case!" "You all have seen that our National Tax Bureau deployed armored vehicles, fighter aircraft, and other military equipment to enforce thew on the Indian Reservation." "But first and foremost, I want to rify that we did not resort to violentw enforcement. It was only because the members of that tribe harbored a criminal who attacked our National Tax Bureau personnel that we were forced to take such extreme measures..." "..." Then, William went on at length about many things, of course, continually showcasing his achievements to the media with both overt ttery and subtle hints! Eventually, he turned to David and said, "That''s all I have to say for now. Next, let''s have the operationmander for this case, Director David, give you a brief report!" David took a deep breath, then stepped onto the stage and said, "Greetings to all media friends, I am David. The Chief William has already covered most of the details. If you have any further questions, I am here to answer them." A journalist was quick to ask, "Director David, after this incident, will the National Tax Bureau''s armed forces be deployed frequently?" "Of course not. The deployment of armed forces by the National Tax Bureau requires a veryplicated procedure, and we don''t deploy them to collect taxes from every criminal. After all, deploying these weapons costs the taxpayers money!" "Director David, will those high-ranking members of the Indian Tribe who harbored criminals be severely punished?" Another journalist asked. David answered, "Punishing them severely is the police''s job, our National Tax Bureau is only responsible for tax collection!" "Director David..." "..." Following that, David answered many questions from the journalists present. Half an hourter. After he had said and exined everything, he ended the questioning, stating, "Alright, I have already announced the specific details of this case, that will be all..." "Director David, regarding the tax aspects of this case..." Many media representatives still wanted to ask more questions, but the inspectors from the bureau wouldn''t indulge them, politely ''escorting'' them out. Once the scene was mostly cleared, David approached Chief William and asked, "Chief, can Dieter and the others have their trial tomorrow to wrap up the case quickly?" "Tomorrow..." William thought for a moment, quickly grasped David''s intent, and replied, "Although it''s a bit rushed, since the evidence chain for this case isplete, there shouldn''t be any problem with a trial tomorrow!" He turned around and instructed his assistant, "Ottilia, send a notice to the city hall, council chamber, the police, and... Invite them to attend the trial tomorrow as observers!" It had long since be a tradition for the National Tax Bureau to invite various departments and some high society individuals to observe their trials. They did this to intimidate these individuals and leverage their influence to spread the National Tax Bureau''s authority across different strata, hence also providing a deterrent to people on all levels. David nodded and then spoke, "Then, Chief, about the allocation of the taxes collected this time..." "You were themander of this case, and you were the one who collected the taxes. You may decide on the specific amounts to distribute!" William showed that he knew how to y along. Firstly, as he said, David was not only themander of this case but also the greatest contributor to it. Secondly, if William were to allocate it, and he gave too much to the other teams, David might not be pleased, but if he gave too little to each squad, then their inspectors wouldn''t be pleased. So he wouldn''t touch this hot potato, preferring to leave it to David to decide how to distribute it. After all, no matter how the distribution was done, this 40 million in taxes would end up with their Lake District Sub-Bureau, and it wouldn''t go anywhere else. "Okay, since you''ve said so, Chief, then I will take care of the distribution," David said. David had anticipated that William would respond this way, but the tax amount was sorge this time that he had to at least put forth a symbolic request. "Alright then, you handle it. I must go andmunicate with Judge Kiesa about the trial tomorrow!" With that, William turned and went upstairs. David looked at Keanu and Matthew who had followed him back and said, "Keanu and Inspector Matthew, since our Chief has left the distribution to me, I''ll get started!" Upon hearing this, Matthew, Keanu, and the inspectors from both of theirrger divisions began to feel a mix of nervousness and anticipation. "Let''s do this, each division takes 500,000. Is that okay?" Whether it was the main district or the Newtown District, each had a uniform ten inspection teams. By allocating 500,000 to each division, David figured that meant 50,000 per inspection team, which he thought should be about right. Upon hearing this, Keanu and Matthew felt a slight disappointment, but their own inspectors weren''t thinking that much about it and were simply excited. Although this time the Lake District had collected tens of millions in taxes, strictly speaking, it had nothing to do with them. But now, David was awarding each division 500,000 as remuneration. The 500,000 was distributed among their respective inspection teams, resulting in a tax performance of 50,000 for each team. A tax performance of 50,000 could be collected by a slightly more capable inspection team in a few days ording to current tax collection efficiency. However, a less capable team might not be able to collect it even within an entire assessment period. But now, they had earned it just by working one afternoon... oh no, to be precise, in just a few hours, which was quite good! Keanu adjusted his emotions; while 500,000 might seem negligiblepared to the millions collected by the Lake District Sub-Bureau, they were still getting a taste of the action. He then nodded and said, "That''s very reasonable, Director David, thank you!" Chapter 152: Chapter 118: Judging Dieter Matthew echoed, "Director David, we at the New City District Sub-Branch also want to express our gratitude..." After receiving their respective rewards, they didn''t linger any longer and turned to leave. At this point, it was the turn of the Inspectors from the Lake District main office to start feeling expectant and nervous. To their perspective, the two divisions, Main Street and Newtown District, which they regarded as sideshows, each investigative team hadnded a tax performance bonus of $50,000. Then, shouldn''t their teams, which had made significant contributions to the operation, get at least one or two times that amount? Amidst everyone''s anticipation, David looked around and slowly began, "Since theunch of the Dieter case, everyone has been working hard." "Regarding this case, I''ve roughly calcted that there are still about $42 million in taxes that haven''t been allocated." "So, I''m thinking of giving Inspector Teams 1, 2, 3... all seven teams, $1 million each. You all agree, right?" These seven teams only got involved in investigating the Dieter caseter on. However, the task of going armed to the reservation areas yesterday and today was risky, and even if there was no merit, there was hard work, so it would be uneptable not to give a generous tax benefit. And for these seven teams, with 8 Inspectors in each team, $1 million in tax money distributed among them would be $125,000 per person. David felt that should be about right! Upon hearing that each team would be getting $1 million in tax money, the Inspectors of these seven teams were stunned at first, then quickly burst into ecstasy. Most of them had assumed that if each team could get $300,000 to $500,000, that would have been pretty good already. But David directly allocated $1 million to their teams. "Director David, we''re very grateful." "Thank you so much, Director David..." "..." In their surprise and delight, the Inspectors from these seven teams took turns thanking David. Meanwhile, the remaining three Inspector teams that had yet to be called were feeling even more excitement and anticipation. Especially David''s own Team Seven. Not only was it David''s direct team, but crucially, it was the team that had been involved with the Dieter case from the very beginning. If the other seven Inspector teams each got $1 million in tax performance, it wouldn''t be too much for them to get $1.5 million, or even $2 million, would it? Under the expectant eyes of the remaining three teams, David first nced at Hector and Hutton, then spoke, "Chief Tax Officer Hector, Chief Tax Officer Hutton, your teams have done a meritorious job in raiding Dieter''s warehouse, so let''s add $500,000 on top of the $1 million, making it $1.5 million per team. No objections, right?" "Haha, of course no objections, very fair!" Hector and Hutton replied in unison, their faces filled with immense joy, and the members of their Inspector teams also burst into tion instantly. That was $1.5 million we''re talking about! Keep in mind that during thest performance assessment period, the entire Main Street District''s total tax performance was only about that much, and now one Inspector team had gotten that much, which made them extremely excited. Finally, David looked at Nisen, Bucky, and the others, saying, "As for my Team Seven... $2 million it is!" Upon hearing this, Buckynison and the others were also thrilled. It was almost what they had envisioned, getting double the tax performance of what the other teams got! On the other hand, the seven teams that had been happy before were now filled with immense envy upon seeing Team Seven receive $2 million, which was twice their share. $2 million, even when divided among 8 Inspectors, amounted to nearly $250,000 in tax performance each! At this time, many Inspectors couldn''t help but beat their chests in secret frustration, wishing that they had been the ones assigned to David''s Team Seven as Inspectors from the beginning! And thus, this ''Reward Distribution Assembly'' ended in a scene where almost everyone was pleased. urately speaking, not everyone waspletely content. At least David felt somewhat of a pinch in his heart. The total tax from the Dieter case was over $42 million, and the 10 teams had divided up $12 million between them, leaving about $30 million remaining! $30 million, plus his own current tax performance of over $4 million, made it over $34 million. The current national leader, Brown Soros, had a tax performance of about $23 million. And Bemy Hardy, in second ce, had a tax performance of over $18 million. With his $34 million, he was certain to ascend to the top of the national tax performance leaderboard. If those $12 million hadn''t been distributed, with only a few days left until the end of the assessment period, it''s possible that with his tax performance of over $46 million, he could have taken first ce for the performance period! Even if not first, at least a top-three spot was guaranteed! Of course, that was just wishful thinking on David''s part. Everyone involved in the operation had made tremendous contributions, so how could he possibly monopolize the tax performance? Even skimping a little on their share was uneptable! If too little was distributed, it wouldn''t just leave the Inspectors with a bitter taste, but who would willingly work hard for him again if they encountered another tough case like Dieter''s? Forget it, there''s still time! Moreover, Main Street District had even asked him to investigate three major cases! With the tax benefits from these big cases, by the end of the performance period, he might not be able to im the top spot on the performance leaderboard, but maintaining a seat in the top ten shouldn''t be a problem! ... This night was destined to be one that left many people tossing and turning. Following the armed operation by the National Tax Bureau, as the overallmander of the case, David''s name had be well-known throughout the entire tax bureau system. In the past, the Inspectors across the country talked mostly about Brown Soros and Bemy Hardy, those who had maintained spots in the top five or ten over several assessment periods. Chapter 153: Chapter 118: Judging Dieter_2 ``` However, since the Tax Bureau''s armed incident made the news today, the discussion around David''s name instantly became the hottest topic within the internal system of the Tax Bureau. Many inspectors and the high-level officials from various state bureaus and the headquarters started to carefully review David''s profile. But they soon discovered that David''s excellence was not a matter of just one assessment period. Already in the previous assessment period, and even the one before that, David had firmly secured his position as the top inspector in Las Vegas. Afterward, with his outstanding performance, he earned a direct promotion akin to Bemy Hadith and Brown Soros, advancing to the position of Chief Tax Officer. And it''s important to point out that the tform in Las Vegas is far from being as significant as the super cities where Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros are based, such as New York Los Angeles! Yet even so, David managed to work his way up to the position of Chief Tax Officer, relying solely on his own abilities, without the aid of any tform! At this moment, inspectors across the country as well as many high-level officials from state bureaus and the headquarters felt that David''s abilities definitely exceeded what they had seen so far! If he were given an even higher tform, he might very well be on the same level as Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros, and he might even surpass those two! ... Apartments in the Lake District. "Father, the Tax Bureau''s armament really is extraordinary, they actually have things like a fighter jet squadron, and this is just the military strength of one state!" "Considering that they have an armed base in every state, there are a total of 50 states across the country, their strength is unfathomable..." On the balcony, Selina, d in a light nightgown, had a profound look in her eyes and held an Apple iPhone while talking. After a pause, a deep voice came through the phone,"That''s why I told you going to the Tax Bureau was the safest option. After this incident, those people won''t dare to make a move on you so recklessly, especially now that they''ve seen what happens to anyone who dares to touch someone from the Tax Bureau!" Selina nodded and replied, "Father, the Tax Bureau has power and authority, money and such a formidable armed force; it''s a good de. If we could use it for our own purposes, then perhaps we would have the strength to fight against those people!" "You''re thinking too much, Selina. The Tax Bureau is not so easily controlled. Since its establishment by Lincoln, it has been the most unique institution in America; no single force has ever truly controlled it, not even those people!" The wordsing from the phone caused Selina''s eyes to dim slightly, but then she seemed to think of something and asked,"Father, what do you think about David?" "David? The one whomanded the scene after the Tax Bureau''s armed deployment today? Oh right, he is also your superior..." "Yes, this person has talent and potential. I think in time, he is very likely to enter the headquarters and ascend to a high position. If we can control him, maybe we could eventually indirectly control the Tax Bureau!" "Oh?" The voice on the phone responded with surprise, obviously intrigued by Selina''s words, and then continued,"Tell me more about him..." "Based on my observations these past days, this man not only has ability but is also incredibly ruthless. In this case, the Indian Tribe sought help from a deputy mayor to negotiate, but it seems they offended David, and he simply took down the deputy mayor, locking him up in detention overnight, causing the entire city hall to be in a state of panic, to the extent that they did not dare enter the Tax Bureau''s door when they came to pick him up..." "What, really?" The man on the other end of the phone was clearly unaware of this matter and was startled. "That''s not all; I also heard that before I arrived, some CIA personnel somehow offended him, and they were also thrown into detention. In the end, the CIA didn''t dare let out even a peep!" "CIA..." Selina''s words had clearly taken the man on the phone by surprise again, as his breathing became noticeably heavier. It took quite some time before the voice came back,"From what you''ve told me, either the deputy mayor or the CIA must have been caught in something very incriminating by this David, otherwise, given the CIA''s style, they would not have stayed silent!" ``` "So I''m saying David is really capable; he seems to be able to rify the evidence in every single case. If he goes after those people, then they are in for a serious headache. After all, when ites to tax evasion, no one in America has evaded more taxes than them!" "Makes sense... In that case, Selina, find some time to have dinner with him or something, chat him up, see if there''s a possibility for further developments!" "Understood, father!" "It''s gettingte; you should rest, and we''ll keep in touch!" After hanging up the phone, Selina''s expression deepened as she picked up the red wine from the table and took a sip, the wine staining her red lips. Bathed in moonlight, wearing her thin nightgown, she looked irresistibly alluring. ... The next day, at the Las Vegas Tax Bureau city office. ording to the regtions of the Tax Bureau, the city office generally is not responsible for the tax revenue collection from the areas below the city. Its duties mainly involve overseeing the tax revenue submitted by the various district offices and managing personnel promotions and transfers among these district offices. At ten in the morning, a session of cars entered the city office''s parking lot. City Hall officials, municipal council members, and some influential members of the Las Vegas political and business circles stepped out of the vehicles, heading toward the city office''s entrance. The many media reporters who had been waiting eagerly began to wield their microphones, searching for people to interview. "Senator Angstorm, what are your thoughts on the trial taking ce today?" "Deputy Mayor Meredith, this case involves the Indian Tribe. What impact might it have on Las Vegas?" "Deputy Mayor Gray, I heard you visited the Tax Bureau a few days ago, and rumors are that it was rted to the Dieter case. You didn''te out until the next day. Can you tell us what happened inside?" The Tax Bureau''s exclusive courthouse is located within the city office. And today''s trial against Dieter and his associates was exactly what was taking ce here. "Director David is here!" While the media reporters were catching Las Vegas''s dignitaries for questions, suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted this. Immediately, the reporters disregarded everything else and rushed toward David. Because David was themander in charge of the case, chasing after David for details was, of course, preferable to questioning the mayors and council members. "Director David, besides Dieter, who else is targeted in this trial?" "Director David, considering the many crimes Dieter hasmitted, could he be sentenced to death?" "Director David..." Facing the barrage of questions from the media reporters, David pressed his hands down and said, "As for how Dieter will be sentenced, that''s the judge''s call, my job was simply to apprehend them. If you want to know more, wait for the official reportter!" David wasn''t very fond of dealing with the media. They were not only bothersome, but they always liked to exaggerate his responses to gain viewership. With this, he walked toward the city office''s lobby. Upon entering the lobby, he found that William and Megan, the chief and deputy chief inspectors, had already arrived and were chatting with some leaders from the city office. Noticing David''s entrance, the keen-eyed William immediately waved him over and said, "David,e here for a moment!" David promptly approached, and William introduced him to a man around 50 years old, saying, "Director Arabe, this is our Director David!" Chapter 154: Chapter 119: Senator Angstorm, Are You Nervous? The man known as Director Arabe looked at David and stretched out his right hand with a smile, "Director David, I''ve been wanting to meet you for a long time, but seeing how busy you are with official duties, I didn''t dare to disturb you. We finally have the chance to meet officially today!" David was also meeting the city director for the first time, and he replied, "Director Arabe, hello!" "Director David, you''ve been handling your cases well recently, especially this Dieter case, which has simply showcased the might of our Federal Tax Bureau..." In the time that followed, Arabe kept praising David''s case-handling skills. Meanwhile, David was outwardly agreeing, but he was actually discreetly sizing up some of the high-ranking officials and influential figures present. From his observations, it seemed that many officials, whether in the city hall or city council, had issues with corruption and illicit profits. But soon, when his gazended on a certain man, a hint of surprise appeared. [Name: Angstorm Francis.] [Profession: America Congressman.] [Monthly Ie: Legal ie $19,650, Illegal ie $650,000.] [Ie Details: On December 5th, received a bribe of $200,000 from a constructionpany in Las Vegas; on December 11th, helped a grouppany to obtain a remodeling n for arge area in Las Vegas Street, profiting $200,000; on December 19th, received a bribe of $200,000 from the Native Americans...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Payable: $257,400.] David had not expected this Congressman Angstorm to have such a close rtionship with the Indian Tribe. Could it be... That Deputy Mayor Gray, who hade to negotiate with him before, was instructed by this man? It must be so! It''s said that the Native Americans don''t get along well with the city hall, but they have good rtionships with the city council and even the State Legiture. Since the Native Americans hold arge number of votes, both the city council and the State Legiture need to curry favor with them! But having said that, Angstorm is indeed quite clever. After sending out Gray, once he realized the matter couldn''t be done, he immediately withdrew and kept a low profile, not getting involved with Dieter''s case anymore, so he''s managed to remain unscathed until now. If it weren''t for David having a "bug" like the golden finger, he wouldn''t even know about his dealings with the Indian Tribe. "What''s the matter, Director David, would you like to meet Congressman Angstorm? Let me introduce you!" Seeing David staring intently at Angstorm, Arabe thought David wished to get acquainted with the Congressman, and promptly called out, "Congressman Angstorm!" Angstorm, who was pretending to be engrossed in a conversation, frowned imperceptibly upon hearing his name. Honestly, he wasn''t keen on attending today''s trial. But he had no choice; the Federal Tax Bureau arrested Dieter yesterday, and the trial began today, so there was no time toe up with an excuse about being away on business. And since everyone knew he was still in Las Vegas, and the Federal Tax Bureau had invited him, not showing up would be an obvious snub. Moreover, it would make people suspect that he had connections with the Native Americans and was deliberately not attending the trial. So he had toe. He had noticed David''s arrival earlier, and knowing David''s effectiveness from Gray, he truly did not wish to deal with this young man. But what he didn''t expect was that the very thing he didn''t want would happen ¨C Arabe actually approached him. Although reluctant, he didn''t dare to ignore them publicly and had to turn around, forcing a smile, and, pretending as if he had just noticed Arabe, approached him saying, "Director Arabe, I didn''t realize you had arrived just now, my apologies..." Arabe waved his hand dismissively and replied, "No big deal. By the way, let me introduce you to our outstanding Director David from the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, who is also the chiefmander of this case!" Angstorm turned towards David, smiling as he extended his right hand and said, "Director David, I saw you on TV yesterday; you look much better in person than on the screen!" David shook his hand and with a half-smile asked, "Congressman Angstorm, what do you think about this case?" "It''s despicable. Dieter''s tax evasion is one thing, but him daring to resort to assassination is simply heinous. And the Indian Tribe too, for daring to shield him, must be severely punished. I''ve already sent word to the city hall; after your Federal Tax Bureau finishes handling this, an investigation will follow and they''ll be dealt with seriously!" Angstorm spoke with righteous indignation. If one didn''t know his true colors, they might actually be fooled by his facade of professionalism. David''s smile grew even more pronounced as he looked at him and said, "Is that so, Congressman Angstorm? But I''ve heard that... the city council might have some connections with the Indian Tribe. Of course, that''s just what I''ve heard!" At these words and seeing David''s suggestive expression, a pang of fear struck deep in Angstorm''s heart. Could it be that David had uncovered his dealings with the Indian Tribe? ording to Gray''s ount, David was very meticulous with the evidence of his bribery and tax evasion. It seemed quite possible that the young man might have discovered some leverage against him... The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became, but on the surface, Angstorm replied with feignedposure, "The city council does not have any rtions with the Indian Tribe, Director David, you shouldn''t listen to some irresponsible media that sensationalize!" He didn''t know whether David had heard from someone else or found out on his own, so he med it on the media. "Is that so? Well, maybe I heard wrong then..." The other party, after all, was a member of the legiture, one of the most powerful figures in America. Moreover, they had not offended him, so at this stage, David was also not nning to offend them or to burn bridges. "Director David, Judge Kiesa has asked you to stop by his office!" While the two were discussing these matters, a staff member from the municipal bureau came over to remind them. After greeting Arabe, William, and others, David followed the staff member to the door of an office on the fifth floor. After knocking, he heard the words "Come in," and then he entered. Inside sat a man around 60 years old; he was the Chief Tax Officer''s specialized judge, Kiesa Quentin. "Director David, I''ve reviewed the trial personnel files you submitted. Is there anything that needs to be added or exined?" Because David, when capturing those criminals, might have involved plea bargains and verbal deals. Thus, Kiesa had to ask clearly first, lest a mix-up on the court floor turned into an ordeal. David exined: "Tewin, Dieter, and Virginia, these three can be sentenced as usual, but as for the hitman Iman, I originally reached an immunity deal with him that he would serve a maximum of seven years. All other informants will enjoy plea bargains, let them continue to generate tax revenue for our bureau." Kiesa nodded and then asked, "Is that all, nothing more?" "That''s all, Judge Kiesa!" "Good, then let''s prepare to begin the trial!" David didn''t waste further words and immediately turned to leave. ... The eighth floor of the municipal bureau, the location of the Tax Office courthouse. At this moment, the city hall, city council, and other invited attendees had already taken their seats. Trials at the Tax Office often involve privacy issues. For instance, informants like Baldwin and Sapir had been promised by David that if they came forward to testify, they would be exonerated. But this exoneration only meant they were free of charges within the Tax Office. In the judicial system, however, they were implicated in drug trafficking, violence, and other cases, hence they were guilty in the eyes of thew. Therefore, to protect their privacy, the Tax Office generally does not invite media for public broadcasts. As a result, only the invited individuals, staff of the Tax Office, andwyers were present. The time was 9:58 am. Because David had been called away to speak with Kiesa just before, he had only now arrived at the scene. After entering, he took his ce right away in the front row of the spectator seats, as the person in charge of the case would need to provide statements and additional details during the trial. 10 o''clock on the dot. "All rise!" At that moment, from the right-hand passage of the judge''s bench, Kiesa, d in a ck judge''s robe, walked in, prompting the court staff to announce loudly. Subsequently, everyone stood up in unison to show their respect for thew. After Kiesa settled into his high-backed chair at the bench, everyone then sat down together. "The trial for Dieter''s tax evasion case will nowmence!" With that said, the Inspectors led out Dieter, Tewin, Virginia, and Iman from the left-hand passage. Iman was rtively calm, having already mentally prepared himself, but for Tewin, Dieter, and Virginia, who had hardly slept the previous night, being brought to the court and seeing many familiar faces in the spectator seats caused their emotions to surge instantly. Luckily, the Inspectors beside them were capable of subduing them forcefully, escorting them to the defendants'' bench. At this time, if anyone in the courtroom struggled internally, it was awyer named Taryn, situated below the defendants'' bench. He had been approached by the Indian Tribe the night before, asked toe to court today to defend Dieter, Tewin, and Virginia. As awyer, he''d of course not turn down money, especially since the Native Americans were known for their generosity. But as soon as he fully grasped the extent of Dieter''s case, he was dismayed. Who could win against the Tax Office in court? And given the heinous nature of Dieter''s case! Even if the Dream Team of Lawyers who overturned Simpson''s case were toe, at best they could only go through the motions! Chapter 155: Chapter 120: Verbal Battle in the Courtroom Taryn was originally thinking of refusing. But he was helpless when the Native Americans offered him a price he couldn''t refuse. Eventually he reasoned that losing awsuit under the IRS''s court was amon urrence and not a disgrace, so he clenched his teeth and took on the case! Amidst these thoughts, Ditter Tevin and the three others had already been brought to the dock. Kiesa first looked at Ditter and asked, "Mister Ditter, you''re now used of tax evasion, nning an attack on IRS agents, fleeing from crime¡­ among numerous other charges. Do you have anything to say?" Ditter first nced at Taryn before turning his head and saying, "I did not n the attack on IRS agents; it was someone else''s doing, I was unaware!" It was clear that Ditter had been coached. And the person who had coached him knew very well that among his many charges, attacking IRS agents was the most serious one. If this charge could be dropped, then perhaps he might live to see a day outside prison in his lifetime! Kiesa asked, "Someone else? Who are you referring to?" Ditter replied, "I don''t know!" "But ording to the information submitted by the IRS, it''s obvious that you orchestrated the n and you''re the only one with the motive!" "I don''t know; anyway, it wasn''t me who directed it!" Kiesa''s expression darkened and she looked toward Director David sitting in the front row and said, "In that case, let''s have the chief person in charge of this case, Director David,e up and present his statement." David stood up, walked down to the court, and said, "Your Honor, ording to the third page of document number four that I''ve submitted, there''s witness testimony rted to Ditter''s assassination attempt, and the witness is Iman, the defendant, who is right here and can testify at any time!" Kiesa flipped through to the document David was referring to, then looked at Iman and asked, "Mr. Iman, as the perpetrator, who instructed you to assassinate Director David?" Iman lifted his head and said, "Your Honor, the assassination was Ditter''s idea." "You''re talking nonsense; I never instructed you to fight!" Ditter immediately roared out in anger. At this point, Taryn also raised his palm, indicating that he wished to speak. Kiesa said, "Please, defense attorney, speak!" Taryn stood up and said, "Your Honor, ording to the information I have, Mister Ditter indeed didn''t instruct Iman to assassinate IRS agents. Someone else directed him!" "Someone else? Who?" Taryn turned to Iman and asked, "Mr. Iman, as far as I know, you''ve never met Mister Ditter before, and you have a deep rtionship with Virginia. Was the assassination act directed by Virginia?" Upon hearing this, the people in the court finally understood. It turned out that Ditter''s side was nning to pin the assassination on his subordinate, Virginia! And everyone''s gaze was then focused on Virginia''s face, only to find that although his expression was somber, he remained silent, as if he had anticipated this oue all along. Of course, it was impossible to have foreseen this in advance, as humans don''t have such abilities. The only exnation was that they had colluded beforehand! Kiesa looked at Iman and asked, "Mr. Iman, is what the defense attorney has said true?" Iman was momentarily at a loss for words. Because indeed, as Taryn had said, he had always been serving under Virginia and had never seen Ditter. So even if he knew that the deed was instructed by Ditter, without Virginia''s confession, he had no direct evidence to prove it. Eventually, he could only cast his gaze toward David, his eyes seemingly telling David: I am powerless! But David was in no hurry at the time; he leisurely said, "Your Honor, I would like to call a witness named Sapir." "Granted!" Soon after, Sapir was brought out by an Inspector. Seeing his appearance, Ditter''s eyes instantly red with fire, his emotions stirred up because he had just heard that Sapir was attending as a witness. That is to say, he was here to testify against him! In the midst of these thoughts, Sapir had already taken a seat in the witness stand. Kiesa then asked, "Mr. Sapir, please first state your identity!" "Yes, Your Honor!" Sapir first cast a wary nce at Ditter, then looked toward David and after organizing his thoughts, said, "I am awyer for the Ditter Criminal Group. I was primarily responsible for helping Ditter with moneyundering and avoiding various legal issues..." Kiesa asked, "So you''re a high-ranking official in this group?" "Yes, Your Honor!" "And regarding Ditter''s suspected assassination of IRS agents, do you have any testimony?" "I was present when Ditter was preparing for the assassination, and I heard with my own ears that it was Ditter who instructed Virginia, and it was Virginia who eventually found Iman..." "You bastard, you betrayed me, I''ll kill you, damn Sapir!" Before Sapir could finish, Ditter had already lost his temper and wasshing out like a storm, ready to pounce if not for the Inspectors on either side restraining him. "Bang, bang, bang!!!" Kiesa picked up the gavel and struck it down heavily three times, scolding, "Silence! Defense attorney, do you have anything to add?" Taryn was silent. He didn''t know about Sapir''s involvement, and it seemed that Ditter hadn''t mentioned to himst night about Sapir testifying, so he was somewhat caught off guard. Chapter 156: Chapter 120: Verbal Battle in the Courtroom_2 After all, as a high-level figure in the Ditter Group and having heard the assassination operation on site, with this testimony, he could not possibly overturn it no matter what. Of course, in the end, there was just too little time. If he had ten days or half a month to slowly examine this case, perhaps he could have found some points of contention. But now, having been given only one night''s work, with the abundant evidence and the witness testimony on the side of the IRS, even a god would find it impossible to turn the tide. "Since there''s nothing to add, then the charge of assassinating IRS personnel is established!" Kiesa flipped to another document and continued, "Mister Ditter, you are now used of a second charge, namely, suspected tax evasion!" "ording to the data submitted by Director David, he has frozen over 15 million in funds in your ounts. Additionally, nearly 3 million in cash, as well as a quantity of drugs, were found in your warehouse. Do you have anything to say?" Ditter didn''t respond, but Taryn raised his hand and stood up, replying, "Your Honor, those frozen ounts do not belong to Mister Ditter, which means there''s no issue of tax evasion. Furthermore, the so-called warehouses and the seized drug cash also don''t belong to Mister Ditter, so I believe these charges should be dismissed!" At this, David gave Sapir a look. Sapir immediately understood and raised his hand to say, "Your Honor, those ounts were opened under the identities of several undisclosed bankrupt tycoons with whom I had reached agreements. Ultimately, the actual controller of these ounts was Ditter, of which I can testify. The detailed processes of opening these ounts are also included in the testimony documents I''ve submitted..." Kiesa on the stand nced through the documents, nodded in acknowledgment, and then turned to Taryn, "Defense attorney, do you have anything to add?" Taryn''splexion shifted as he replied, "There may be discrepancies with the ounts, but as for the cash and drugs in the warehouse, they are unrted to Mister Ditter!" With Sapir''s testimony and the submitted documents, he knew it was impossible to dispute the ounts. Therefore, he had no choice but to try to clear some of the charges. Even if he didn''t achieve a good result, he at least had to show the Indian tribe that they had gotten their money''s worth bying to court. This time, it was David who raised his hand, saying, "Your Honor, regarding the warehouse, I think it''s necessary to call a few more witnesses to testify!" "Granted." Soon after, three more people were brought in. And these were none other than Baldwin, Biden, and Gustav. "Damn it, Baldwin, Biden, Gustav, are you three bastards also standing with the IRS now? Fine, fine, fine, I, Ditter, must have misjudged you dogs!" Seeing their arrival, an already agitated Ditter grew even more ferocious in his gaze and expressions. The three of them didn''t dare to meet his eye, and after taking their seats at the witness stand, they lowered their heads until Kiesa on the stand prompted them to state their identities, which they did in turn. "Your Honor, my name is Baldwin, and I am one of the core members of the Ditter Criminal Group. My responsibility is to manage a part of the drug trade and processing, and warehouse number 1 seized by the IRS is within my jurisdiction." "Your Honor, my name is Biden, also a core member of the Ditter Criminal Group. My responsibility is simr, overseeing drug trade, and warehouse number 2 is my domain." "Your Honor, my name is Gustav..." Hearing their statements, Kiesa on the stand asked, "Alright, since you all attest to being key members of Ditter''s group, tell us, is this warehouse rted to Ditter?" Baldwin was the first to speak, "Your Honor, we are all led by Ditter, so of course the warehouse is rted to him. Generally, our process goes like this: we purchase drugs from the drug traffickers, transport them back to the warehouse for processing, then distribute them to the ''retailers'' below who sell them in venues controlled by Ditter, and he receives and distributes the final profit..." "Your Honor, the operation mode in my area is also simr, first..." "..." In the time that followed, the three each detailed their testimonies, outlining the drug acquisition process all the way to the profit being turned over to Ditter, exposing aplete gray industry chain to everyone present. Kiesa then looked at Taryn, asking, "Defense attorney, do you have any objections?" With the threeying out the operation so clearly, what could Taryn possibly refute? He could only look toward Gael and the others in the spectator seats shaking his head slightly, indicating he was out of options, but that he had done his best! "Very well, since that''s the case, then Mister Ditter, your charge of tax evasion is substantiated, and as for the charge of fleeing to avoid prosecution, I think there''s no need to borate any further!" Yesterday''s events were nothing short of shocking for the nation; armed IRS forces had entered the Indian Tribe, and that''s where Ditter was finally apprehended. Therefore, if the first two charges were indeed legitimate, then the charge of fleeing to avoid prosecution was, as Kiesa said, self-evident! "Next, let''s proceed to the trial of the suspect Tewin Omaha, whose main charges include tax evasion, armed resistance against the IRS, and harboring, among other usations!" Kiesa looked at Tewin and said, "Mr. Trump, regarding the charges this court has brought against you, do you have any defense?" Chapter 157: Chapter 120: Verbal Battle in the Courtroom_3 His son''s crimes had all been proven, and Tewin himself had no way to defend himself, remaining silent. But Taryn, who had taken the money, immediately raised his hand and stood up, arguing, "Your Honor, first of all, I must say I do not quite agree with the tax evasion charge!" "Under thews of the America Federation, Native Americans have tax privileges, and the ck Tax Act was only enacted on the third ofst month." "As an Elder of the Indian Tribe, Mr. Tewin seldom interacts with the outside world and overlooked the ck Tax Act, which is a human oversight!" Taryn''s point of contention seemed quite reasonable. If you said the ck Tax Act had been out for a year and a half, that would have been an easy argument. But it had been introduced less than two months ago, and aside from politicians, civil servants, and those in the market who follow the news, who would know such aw existed? Oversight is normal, isn''t it? Kiesa nodded in agreement with Taryn''s argument and then turned to Director David, "Director David, do you have anything to add?" "Your Honor, why did Dieter flee back to the Indian Reservation, and as his father, does Tewin not know why?" "Since he knows the reason, it proves he was aware of the ck Tax Act, and we also gave a warning at the reservation the day before yesterday. So there is no doubt that his intent was to evade taxes!" Director David''s words were also quite reasonable. The Dieter case had caused such a stir, and with Dieter fleeing back to the reservation, didn''t Tewin, as a father, know his son was in conflict with the tax agency because he didn''t want to pay taxes? Since Tewin was aware, and the tax agency had previously made a warning visit, then the intent to evade taxes on Tewin''s part could be considered established. David added, "Your Honor, on page 2 of document number 6, there are detailed records of Mr. Tewin''s illegal earnings..." Kiesa immediately opened the document and after a few minutes of review, turned to Taryn and asked, "Defense counsel, do you have anything to add?" Taryn''s adam''s apple bobbed as he swallowed, but ultimately, he didn''t continue to dwell on this issue, shifting gears, "Your Honor, it was Dieter who voluntarily returned to the reservation, and as a father, no matter what crimes his son hasmitted, it is natural to protect him, and ording to federalw, this should not be considered as abetting!" In America''s legal system, favoring kinship over justice is actually not encouraged. There have been many cases where sonsmitted crimes and fathers provided a lot of help, yet the fathers were still acquitted in the end. The final exnation given by the judge was thatw should not outweighpassion, and a father acting out of love to protect his son should not be med or punished byw! This also highlights the human touch of thew! Now, Taryn was clearly seizing this rule in order to refute the charge of abetment. "Your Honor, indeed thew should not outweigh feelings, but it depends on the extent of the actions." "If Tewin were simply shielding his own son, that wouldn''t be much of an issue, but the key point is, he privately purchased arms, armed the tribe''s young warriors to confront the tax agency, and almost caused the tax agency to lose an Apache helicopter!" "Such insane behavior cannot be summarized simply as abetment; it deserves punishment!" Upon hearing Director David''s words, Kiesa nodded and looked at Taryn, "Defense counsel, abetment refers to aiding Dieter in escaping or avoiding the tax agency''s inspection, but what Tewin did was arm the youth to confront the tax agency, which is not only abetment but also violent resistance to thew for the sake of abetment, therefore, your im is invalid!" "This..." Taryn was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond. Thus, with witness and physical evidence piling up, the charges against Tewin and his son were essentially incontrovertible. Subsequently, Kiesa conducted a review of the cases involving Virginia and Iman. Seeing that the charges against both Tewin and Dieter were set in stone, Virginia naturally had nothing to dispute and was quickly convicted as well. As for Iman, since he had reached a plea deal with Director David, there was no need for an in-depth trial; he simply pleaded guilty. With this, all four principal members involved in the Dieter case had been tried. Everyone tensed in anticipation, knowing that the climax of the trial was fast approaching! Chapter 158: Chapter 121: 1000 Years of Imprisonment America has a jury system, which is designed to limit judges from abusing their power and to ensure that suspects can receive a fair trial. However, in the tax court, because the power of the Internal Revenue Service must remain unrestricted, there is no jury. Therefore, after a brief assessment of the situation, Judge Kiesa stood up. And the audience invited to observe the proceedings also stood up in unison. Judge Kiesa proimed, "Defendant Dieter, you have been found guilty of attempted assault on IRS personnel, guilty of fleeing to avoid prosecution, guilty of tax evasion, and the amount involved is substantial. You are sentenced to concurrent punishment for multiple offenses, including the confiscation of all funds to be surrendered to the treasury. Additionally, you are sentenced to 1000 years of imprisonment without the possibility of parole!" Upon hearing this verdict, shock was apparent on the faces of most people present, especially the Native Americans like Gael who were invited to attend. They knew that Dieter might face the death penalty, and that it was likely he would never be released, but they did not expect him to be sentenced to 1000 years in prison. How many years can a man live? A hundred years at most, right? And now he''s been sentenced to 1000 years; even with ten lives, it wouldn''t be enough to serve out this sentence. On the other hand, William, Director Arabe, and even Director David from the Internal Revenue Service did not disy much surprise. A sentence of thousands of years might seem absurd in other countries, but it''s quite normal here in America. Let''s not even talk about thousands; there have been criminals sentenced to tens of thousands of years. The reason is simple; America practices "consecutive sentencing." As the name implies, once a suspect is sentenced, the prison terms for each conviction can be stacked on top of each other. As for how many years they can umte, itrgely depends on the judge''s discretion. Many might ask at this point. If a person can live only up to a hundred years or so, isn''t sentencing them to thousands or tens of thousands of years just an exercise in spectacle? That''s not the case. A sentence of thousands of years exists to serve as a deterrent. The deterrent effect refers to instilling fear and caution in potential criminals by imposing severe punishments on offenders, thereby avoiding or reducing crime. This is done to maintain social order and safety! The tax authority''s continuation of such punishments serves the same purpose: to deter those who dare to defy the IRS and make it clear to them that if they dare to evade taxes or confront the IRS, they will definitely end down imprisoned indefinitely! "No, 1000 years, this must be a joke. I reject this verdict, I demand an appeal, I demand to take it to the Washington D.C. Supreme Court...!" Upon hearing that he had been sentenced to 1000 years, Dieter was stunned for a good while, and it was only now that he seemed toe to his senses, screaming in desperation. Taryn couldn''t sit still either and stood up to object, "Your Honor, isn''t a sentence of 1000 years a bit too harsh? Even the Department of Justice rarely imposes such penalties for the most heinous of criminals." Judge Kiesa nced at him with disdain and replied, "You need to understand that this court is not under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice. Moreover, Dieter is suspected of tax evasion and attempted assassination of IRS personnel, which is more severe than being heinously wicked, don''t you think?" "This..." Taryn was rendered speechless once again. Yes, this was the tax court; they didn''t need to consult the Department of Justice. And indeed, Dieter had crossed the IRS, so such an extreme sentence might seem justifiable. "I refuse to ept this, sentencing me to 1000 years is sheer abuse of authority. I demand an appeal, I demand to take it to the Washington D.C. Supreme Court..." Watching Dieter struggle in vain, Judge Kiesa waved his hand impatiently at the inspectors, signaling them to drag him away quickly. As Dieter was dragged out, silence once again descended upon the courtroom. But at this moment, if anyone paid attention to the bench, they would notice that both Tewin and Virginia were pale and trembling uncontrobly. Now that Dieter''s sentence had been delivered, 1000 years of imprisonment. How much lighter could their own sentences be? The thought of their impending punishment caused both of them to feel on the verge of copse. Unconcerned with their thoughts, Judge Kiesa continued with the sentencing, "Defendant Tewin, you have been found guilty of armed resistance against the IRS, guilty of harboring criminals, guilty of tax evasion. Your sentences for these crimes will run concurrently. You are hereby sentenced to 1000 years of imprisonment without the possibility of parole!" As this verdict was announced, many in the audience inhaled sharply. At this moment, invited guests like Gael sighed in relief, grateful for their quick decision to submit to the IRS the day before. Otherwise, if they had continued to resist, they might be the ones on trial today, receiving a 1000-year sentence! On the bench, Tewin, already near copse, upon hearing that he was also sentenced to 1000 years, was like a man under a spell, staring nkly ahead. It took about 30 seconds before he suddenly snapped back to reality, and like Dieter before him, he let out an indignant roar, "I won''t ept this; I may have armed the young men of our tribe, but I didn''t cause any casualties or losses to the IRS. Why should I be sentenced to 1000 years!" Judge Kiesa still gave him a disdainful look and responded, "You should be thankful you didn''t cause actual damage to the IRS, otherwise, it wouldn''t be just a mere 1000 years!" "You..." Tewin was infuriated, and he suddenly turned his head as if searching for someone in the crowd. Eventually, his gaze rested on Senator Angstorm and he shouted, "Senator Angstorm, this is an unfair judgment; I cannot ept it. As a senator, are you going to just watch this tax court judge abuse his power over me?" Upon being named, Senator Angstorm jolted in fear, his mind overwhelmed with frustration. He was now fearful of attracting scrutiny from Director David and the IRS, and here was the damn Tewin, publicly calling him out. Was he that eager to let everyone know about his association with the Indian Tribe? Looking at the unusual gazes of the people around him, Angstorm was both angry and anxious as he retorted immediately, "Although I am a senator, matters of the judiciary are not within my purview. We are in court now, and I have even less right to intervene!" The underlying meaning of his words was, "Stop your babbling and ept the trial honestly!" Upon hearing this, Tewin became frantic and roared, "Angstorm, you''ve taken so many benefits from our tribe, and now you are leaving us to die. I''m going to report you for tax evasion too!" As soon as his words came out, the scene was immediately thrown into an uproar. Angstorm himself nearly had a heart attack from the anger, quickly retorting loudly, "Tewin, I warn you not to talk nonsense. I haven''t taken any benefits from your tribe, you''re ndering me!" "Tewin, don''t spout nonsense here and nder Senator Angstorm. Senator Angstorm only visited our Tribe a few times, and we gave him some smoked meat, tea, and other local specialties as a gesture of hospitality. How does that count as a benefit?" Gael also couldn''t stay seated any longer and stood up to exin. Now that it was certain that Tewin and his son were going in, and since Angstorm was still a senator, he had no need to offend this senator for a few tribespeople who couldn''t be saved. "Exactly, that''s how it is!" Gael''s exnation allowed Angstorm, who was both angry and anxious, to finally breathe a sigh of relief. It was good that there were no media reporters at the scene. The ones present were either from the city hall, the city council, or some well-known figures from Las Vegas. With his connections, he should be able to handle it. If the media had been here, with their ability to exaggerate and distort facts, he would have been in trouble. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Seeing the scene descend into chaos, Judge Kiesa on the stage immediately hammered the gavel forcefully again. To prevent the scene from bing even more chaotic, he ordered the inspector to drag Tewin away, and calm was restored. Judge Kiesa once again decreed, "Defendant Virginia, guilty of the charges of attempted assault on an IRS officer, fugitive from justice, and tax evasion. With multiple offenses to be served consecutively, the sentence will be 800 years in prison without the possibility of parole." With the preceding sentences of 1000 years each, the 800-year sentence this time did not surprise many people. As for Virginia, even though herplexion turned pale instantly upon hearing the sentence, she knew that any protests would be useless in the IRS court and under the judge''s ruling, resigning herself to her fate with a face ashen as death. Judge Kiesa then looked towards the final defendant, Iman, and decreed, "Defendant Iman, guilty of the charges of attempted assault on an IRS officer and tax evasion, but given his cooperation with the IRS in whistleblowing and merits earned, the sentence is 7 years in prison." "As for the witnesses, since they cooperated fully with the IRS in the investigation, all charges against them are dropped!" The stark contrast between the previous sentences of 1000, 1000, and 800 years and suddenly hearing a sentence of only 7 years left many in the courtroom stunned for a moment. However, they quickly realized that Iman must havee to an agreement with the IRS in advance, which is why he received such a light sentence. This realization led many present to silently make a decision. That is, if they ever came under scrutiny from the IRS, they would definitely need to cooperate actively to receive the lightest punishment possible! In the judgment seat, on hearing the predetermined sentence of only 7 years, Iman shot a grateful look at Director David. At the witness stand, Baldwin and the other two witnesses did the same. Logically, they should have hated Director David for forcing them to pay taxes and threatening them to testify against Dieter. But after seeing Dieter and his son, along with Virginia, being sentenced to 1000 and 800 years, respectively, they suddenly felt incredibly relieved. They were grateful they hade forward to testify against Dieter and for the opportunity given to them by Director David for an immunity deal; otherwise, their fates might not have been much different from that of the father and son. "Alright, this court session is adjourned!" Following the words of Judge Kiesa, the invited attendees started leaving with a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, the IRS officials, including Arabe, William, and Director David, each went forward to shake hands with Judge Kiesa, expressing their gratitude for the sessful conclusion of the trial. Afterward, Director Arabe approached Director David, asking, "Director David, may I ask you something?" "What is it, Director Arabe?" Director Arabe lowered her voice and asked, "Have you investigated Senator Angstorm?" Earlier in the lobby on the first floor, she had sensed something fishy from the exchange between Director David and Senator Angstorm, but she was not yet certain. And just now, with Tewin''s public exposure, even though Gael had stepped forward to exin, she still keenly felt that there might really be something fishy about Angstorm! "He''s a senator of the nation, how would I dare to investigate casually. However, Director Arabe, if you authorize it, then I could give it a try..." Not yet certain of the intentions of the city director before him, Director David naturally didn''t dare to mention that he had obtained tax evasion data on Angstorm. After all, a senator is not just any small fry like Gray, Dieter, or even the Omaha Family. Their political power and the groups they are tied to are substantial. Director David was only the Chief Tax Officer at the moment and couldn''t afford to take too many risks unless someone endorsed him! After pondering for a moment, Director Arabe smiled and replied, "Just asking out of curiosity. The trial may be over, but I think you still have a lot of work to handle, so you better head back now!" Understanding the hint from the city director, Director David didn''t waste any more words, turning to leave immediately. He indeed had a lot to handle upon returning, such as the fact that the case was now closed, and it was time for the taxes to be deposited in the treasury! Chapter 159: Chapter 122: Shocking, Number One in National Tax Performance! Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. When David rushed back, he found that all of the inspectors in the bureau had their eyes glued to Mary''s department door. Looking over, Mary was at that moment leading her team, frantically calcting the taxes involved in Dieter''s case and one by one entering them into storage. "Forget it..." David felt somewhat helpless and could only return to his own office first, where he took out three big case files sent over from the boulevard district branch and began to review them. About two hourster. The office door was knocked, and then Nisen walked in, jubntly saying, "Chief Tax Officer, the storage work over at Mary''s isplete!" Upon hearing this, David immediately put down the file, turned on hisputer, and logged onto the National Tax Service''s performance leaderboard. When he saw the name at the top of the list, his eyes lit up instantly, and his pupils gradually dted! [1: Las Vegas Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, David, Total Tax Performance, 343.26 million US dors.] Indeed, just as he had expected! With such a huge amount of tax revenue out, he could instantly ascend to the first ce on the national tax performance leaderboard! As his gaze moved downward. Brown Soros, who was in first ce yesterday with a tax performance of over 23 million, had risen to 25 million by today, but with David''s 34 million-plus ahead, he could only be pushed down, relegated to second ce. As for Bemy Hardy, who had previously been in second ce, his current tax performance was just over 20 million and had now slipped to third ce. In any case, due to David''s rapid climb, all original top 10 inspectors nationwide had fallen one rank! "Chief Tax Officer, first ce in the whole country, how impressive this makes you, quite the spectacle indeed!" Nisen was filled with envy. This was achieving the top position among 140,000 inspectors nationwide! And to do it on the tform of the Lake District of Las Vegas, one can only imagine what kind of sensation this will cause in the IRS system! Moreover, most importantly, such a rocket-like rise and the achievement of such a big tax performance would definitely cause a stir at headquarters. Starting now, the name David must have been deeply etched in the minds of all the high-level executives at headquarters, ensuring his bright future is assured! Although David didn''t respond, from the expression on his face, one could tell that he, too, was very excited at this moment. After all, topping the list among 140,000 inspectors, it would be strange if he didn''t make a big ssh! His only concern now was how long he could maintain this top spot. And whether the likes of Brown Soros and Bemy Hardy, who had been at the forefront before, wouldunch a swift counterattack. ... Boulevard District Branch. Since the end of yesterday''s operation, many inspectors who had been to the reservend knew that once this tax revenue was stored, David''s ranking could take off rapidly, even possibly breaking into the top ten. But seeing David soar directly to the top of the leaderboard was still beyond their expectations and quite shocking. However, they quickly came around, even starting to rejoice. After all, there was a time not long ago when they did feel some dissatisfaction with David''s rise, even harboring resentment. Because it showed their Boulevard District inspectors to be too ipetent. But after verification over time, it wasn''t their ipetence at all; it was just that David''s abilities were too extraordinary! That they were unable to keep up with the Lake District inspectors was understandable. And now, even Keanu and their Chief thought the same, not daring to use David to motivate orpare with their inspectors any longer. Therefore, now that David had ascended to the top position in the country using the tform of Lake District, and since Lake District was a part of Las Vegas, it made them, also belonging to Las Vegas, feel a sense of pride. Beyond the Boulevard District. At this very moment, Newtown District, Nevada State''s major branches, nationwide branches, and even headquarters were all heatedly discussing David''s sudden rise to the top position. Back in Washington D.C. Headquarters, a high-level meeting was promptly convened. The content of which was mainly to explore why someone from a district like the Lake District of Las Vegas could attain the top position on the tax performance leaderboard. Was it because David''s abilities were too extraordinary, or was there truly something in the Lake District''s shadow economy worth digging deeper into? ... New York, IRS Manhattan District Branch. Inside an office, a man and a woman were present. The man was dressed in ck overalls and a white shirt, with distinct facial features and high cheekbones that made his whole face appear somewhat harsh and cold. At that moment, he was holding a cigarette in his right hand, his gaze intently fixed on the performance leaderboard on theputer, seemingly lost in thought, oblivious to the cigarette ash that had grown as long as a fingernail. After a pause, the woman who was about 30 years old and standing opposite him finally spoke slowly, "Brown, maybe he was just lucky this time, it won''t necessarily happen again next time!" The man known as Brown was none other than Brown Soros, who had been reigning as number one in the country for several consecutive assessment periods. The woman speaking was his former partner, Kelly Orsey. Finallying out of his daze, Brown flicked the ash off his cigarette, took a deep drag, exhaled the smoke sharply, his gaze suddenly turned fierce, and he said, "He has already entered the top 10 of the leaderboard before, and he managed the paperwork for deploying armed forces just yesterday, that''s not something you can do just by being lucky!" Chapter 160: Chapter 122: Shocking, Number One in National Tax Performance! _2 Kelly still wasn''t convinced and said, "So what? There''s a limit to what Las Vegas can offer. It''ll be hard for him to secure another huge tax achievement like the one with the Indian Tribe!" "What if he''s transferred somewhere else?" "This..." Kelly was dumbstruck. Indeed, regardless of David''s actual abilities, he first shot into the top ten of the tax achievement board, became the protagonist of the National Tax Bureau''s armed sortie yesterday, and today climbed to the top of the tax achievement board causing such a big stir. This would have definitely caught the attention of many high-level officials at the Washington D.C. Headquarters. If he were to be transferred to a higher tform. Even if it''s not a super tform like New York or Los Angeles, being ced in San Francisco or Chicago would make things quite difficult for us to handle. "Kelly, have you heard of ''Project Deification''?" "Are you talking about the recent rumor?" "ording to the information I''ve received, this is not just a rumor, it''s very likely to be true. Now with the ''Dark Tax Bill'' being vigorously promoted, the National Tax Bureau needs a ''god'' as a spokesperson!" "If this is true, then that ''god'' could only be you, Brown!" Brown offered a smile that didn''t reach his eyes and remained silent. Before this, he was quite confident in thinking so. After all, ever since the ''Dark Tax Bill'' was passed, he had been the tax achievement leader every assessment period, with nobody ever shaking his top position. Even Bemy Hattie, who was often ranked second, just closely trailed and pursued him, without ever managing to bring him down! But now, David had suddenly surged ahead and toppled him, the most outrageous part being that he did it with the seemingly insignificant tform of the Las Vegas Lake District Sub-bureau Branch. Even if he could quickly regain the lead and reim first ce, it surely wouldn''t have the same divine status as before! After all, gods are generally undefeated. And David managed to defeat him with the tform of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. How was that different from a mortal standing shoulder to shoulder with the gods? "Take a trip to Wall Street, send a message to Godfrey, Carmen, Robin, those guys¡ªI need 10 million in tax achievements, and I need it now!" Brown still had that smile that didn''t quite reach his eyes, but his gaze revealed a vengeful determination. "10 million..." Kelly startle, as Brown''s tax achievements were around 25 million. Adding another 10 million would bring the total to precisely 35 million. Currently, David was at the top of the tax achievement board with 34.32 million. If Brown''s tax achievements suddenly jumped to 35 million, it would be like at an auction where someone bids 10 million, and then you bid 10.01 million, a move purely meant to antagonize the other party! "Okay, I''m on it!" Kelly didn''t dare to voice any objections and immediately turned to leave. ... National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch, Office of the Director. "Chief William, it''s just getting to the top of the board for now, nothing to celebrate yet. It will be a real cause for celebration for the Lake District if we can maintain the top spot until the end of the assessment period," said Donald. William had been overjoyed since David secured the top position. But in front of the top brass of the headquarters, of course, he had to show his ambition! This way, perhaps the headquarters would consider him for an important assignment! Indeed. Upon hearing William''s ambitious words, Donald immediately praised him over the phone: "Very good, Chief William. As the Director of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, having cultivated an outstanding ''Dark Tax Bill Pioneer'' like David is indeed amendable leadership achievement. I hope you continue to nurture more talents like David!" William, beaming with pride, replied: "Rest assured, Chief Donald, I will make every effort to do so!" "Good, let me know that the headquarters extends its praise to Director David. That''ll be all for now!" "Goodbye, Chief Donald... Ha ha!" After hanging up the phone, Donald burst intoughter, excitedly rubbing his palms together. Now that the higher-ups at headquarters had showered such praise on his leadership, another step up in his career was surely secure! It was simply a matter of time! Calming his inner excitement, he picked up the phone, "Director David,e to my office, I need to talk to you!" A few minutester, there was a knock on the office door, followed by David pushing the door open and asking, "Chief, did you call for me?" "Sit down..." David pulled up a chair and sat opposite William, ready to listen attentively. "Just now, Chief Donald from headquarters called me. The headquarters congratted andmended you for topping the tax performance leaderboard..." William''s words didn''te as much of a surprise to David. Of course the headquarters would call to congratte and praise him for reaching the top of the tax performance leaderboard! William continued, "Now, with only four days left until the assessment period ends, do you feel confident about maintaining the lead?" "Not really!" "Although I''ve reached the top this time, to be honest, it was a bit unexpected. Brown Soros and Bemy Hattie will certainly do everything in their power to reim their rankings!" "Chief, you know what level of cities New York and Los Angeles are. The major cases there are countless. I may work hard on ten cases here, and it still might not match the tax revenue from a single case over there!" It wasn''t that David was seeking to diminish his own prestige by praising others. He just didn''t want to raise William''s expectations unduly. As he said, the economic scale of supercities like Los Angeles and New York was enormous, and ordingly, the tax revenue from under-the-table dealings there would likely berger. Unless they immediately transferred him to one of these major cities, he might stand a chance of keeping his top position on the leaderboard. William was somewhat disappointed, but still hopeful, he asked, "What about the three major cases in the big district? What if you include their tax revenue?" "Those three cases might have a lot of tax revenue, but firstly, there are only four days left in the assessment period now, it''s toote..." "Secondly, even if they''re solved, those other ces might also crack big cases, so all in all, I''m not holding out much hope to stay at the top..." David exined. David''s words chilled William''s heart once again. He had just given off a confident air while speaking with Donald at the headquarters. If, when the assessment period ended, someone else edged out his ranking, Donald might not me him, but deductions from his evaluation were certain. After a long silence, William sighed helplessly and then said, "Well, since that''s your take on it, just do your best. As for keeping the top spot, we''ll leave it to fate..." William shifted the topic, "By the way, I heard about a n that the higher-ups are discussing at headquarters, it''s quite interesting..." David, intrigued, asked, "What n?" "This n is named ''Project Deification''!" "Project Deification!?" David was stunned for a moment. From the sound of it, he felt that this n was certainly no ordinary one and might possibly rte to him. "As the name suggests, headquarters ns to select one individual from the nation''s inspectors, including those of you promoted to Chief Tax Officer, to profile and build up as a spokesperson for the ''Dark Tax Bill Pioneer,'' a star-level figure, a nemesis to tax evaders!" Upon hearing this, David was stunned on the spot. To be chosen from among them to be the spokesperson for the National Tax Bureau''s Dark Tax Bill Pioneer? A star-level figure? The nemesis of tax evaders? Why did this feel so much like a celebrity build-up from the entertainment industry? But soon, David''s interest waned slightly. This role of turning someone into a star and a nemesis to tax evaders would undoubtedly require constant exposure under the spotlight, and he was not keen on frequently being chased by the media with a barrage of ufortable questions. Chapter 161: Chapter 123: The Opportunity to Be Promoted to Branch Chief Arises William could tell that David''s interest was waning and reminded him, "Don''t think this is just the IRS simply creating a star. If the IRS wants to create such a figure for the public face, then the corresponding level must not be low!" "Oh? So, Director, you mean that while building up this person, the headquarters will also promote this person''s job rank?" David wasn''t interested in bing a star figure, but he was certainly interested in getting a promotion. William nodded in response, "Of course, do you think it''s appropriate for an Inspector, or even a Chief Tax Officer, to be the face of the IRS?" "Director, what level could that promotion reach?" "ording to the news I got from Deputy Director Donald at headquarters, the lowest might be a Tax Investigator, and at the highest¡­ perhaps a direct appointment to a district sub-branch director position!" "What, sub-branch director!" David''splexion changed, a look of shock spreading across his face. With his current contributions to the IRS''s revenue, he was qualified to be promoted to Deputy Tax Investigator. The only problem was that he was too inexperienced and too young, plus he had just taken up the position of Chief Tax Officer not long ago. So even if the new tax bill could break some of the previous promotion rules, it wouldn''t be possible to be a Deputy Tax Investigator so soon; he would still need to wait for a while. But now, since headquarters wanted to start this deity-making n, it meant that all regtions and qualifications would not matter anymore for anyone chosen! Most crucially, he was still just a Chief Tax Officer, so if he really got picked for this deity-making n, as William said, wouldn''t he jump three levels if promoted directly to sub-branch director? Even if headquarters didn''t settle on sub-branch director, and he ended up with the minimum promotion to Tax Investigator, that would still mean a two-level jump! Initially indifferent to the deity-making n, David now became eager, looking expectantly at William and asking, "Director, what exactly are the qualifications for this deity-making n?" "The specifics aren''t clear yet, but I think it won''t be tooplicated. Probably, whoever generates the most tax revenue for the IRS and who does well on the performance charts will get picked..." William saw the desire in David''s eyes, but to be honest, he didn''t have high hopes for him. Because he hadn''t mentioned one thing: background. In the workce of any country, having the right connections is essential for an exceptional promotion. And David was well aware of this, knowing too that he didn''t have any political resources orworks. Although Deputy Director Donald from headquarters thought highly of David, the decision wasn''t just up to Donald. There were also other deputy directors, the director itself, the senior and junior advisors¡ªa whole array of top-level officials. Of course, to avoid dampening David''s enthusiasm, William wouldn''t bring this up! Besides the background, another factor was performance. Although David currently held the national top spot, he himself had said it was unlikely he''d maintain it until the end of the evaluation period. Therefore, all things considered, William still thought that people like Brown Soros from New York and Bemy Hardy from Los Angeles had a better chance. Aside from their excellent performance every evaluation period, as far as he knew, they both had significant backing too! "Creating the most tax revenue..." Before asking, David had already guessed, and after William''s reply, his anticipation faded, and he fell into thought. If the selection for this deity-making project was based on performance, he would undoubtedly have a hard timepeting with the likes of Bemy Hardy and Brown Soros. But maybe¡­ After all, when the time came for selection, the high-level officials at headquarters would surely consider the different tforms of each major sub-branch. Otherwise, how would the chosen deity be convincing? But regardless, the most urgent task was to do everything possible to maintain a high level of performance! Only then, when the deity-making project wasunched, could hepete with people like Brown Soros and Bemy Hardy! This was a direct ticket to bing a Tax Investigator, or even a local sub-branch director¡ªa shortcut that would save at least three to five years of struggle, if not ten. He was even willing to fight with all his might for this opportunity! "Giggle giggle giggle..." As the two were still talking, someone knocked on the office door. "Come in!" The next second, William''s assistant Ottilia came in with a somewhat troubled expression and said, "Director, Director David, Brown Soros has returned to the top of the list..." Upon hearing this, whether it was William or David, both wore dumbfounded expressions. How long did it take for them to top the list? Hasn''t even been an hour, right? How did this Brown Soros suddenly take back the top spot again? To confirm this, William immediately opened the tax performance rankings on hisputer and found, just as Ottilia had said, that the top position on the leaderboard had changed hands once again. "Wait... 35 million? A single entry of 10 million?" William seemed to have noticed something unusual, and his expression turned grim. David also immediately turned to look at theputer screen and saw, just as William had mentioned, that Brown Soros''s tax achievements were indeed 35 million, and there was also a single entry of 10 million on the record, which made his face darken as well. You see, just yesterday, the guy''s tax achievements had increased by a bit more than 2 million. Now looking at how the top position was taken away, he instantly took it back, not to mention it was exactly 10 million, just enough to top his 34.32 million by a slight margin. It''s hard not to specte whether the other party was doing this to deliberately disgust him! Apart from the two in the office, At the same time, within the Inspector''s Office on the third floor. "Fake Yau, this damned Brown Soros must be cheating!" "The day before yesterday, yesterday, and the day before, he recorded entries of over 5 million, over 3 million, and over 2 million respectively. Today, when the top spot was taken, he immediately recorded exactly 10 million. This is definitely cheating and disgusting!" "This is unfair, we need to appeal to the headquarters for an investigation of him!" In the Dieter case, all the inspectors at the Lake District Sub-Bureau made a fortune, naturally making them very grateful to David. Furthermore, with David taking the top national tax achievements ranking, as inspectors of the Lake District Sub-Bureau, they naturally felt a great sense of pride. But now, that sense of pride didn''tst even an hour, and more importantly, it had been squeezed out by the other party in such a seemingly cheating and disgusting manner, which instantly angered all the inspectors in the office. Among the upset crowd, there was one exception. This person was Selina, who seemed to be pondering something before she picked up her phone and walked into the restroom. Of course, apart from the Lake District Sub-Bureau, the inspectors from the major street districts and Newtown District, although not as furious as those at the Lake District Sub-Bureau, were also somewhat annoyed by Brown Soros''s disgusting behavior. Inside the Director''s Office of the Lake District Sub-Bureau, Themotion from the Inspector''s Office on the third floor soon reached David and William, who were engrossed in thought. David pushed aside his emotions and suggested, "Director, this can''t go on. How about I go down and stabilize them?" William considered for a moment. Indeed, the situation required David''s intervention to steady things, and so he agreed, "I will call the headquarters about this matter to have them check for any tax achievement fraud!" Even though he was well aware that if the other party dared to do this, they wouldn''t find anything upon investigation, he still needed to express his support for David. David nodded, turned, and walked out, quickly arriving at the Inspector''s Office on the third floor. The inspectors there were still indignant about the loss of the top spot, but upon seeing David arrive, everyone fell silent. David began, "Losing the top position makes me more ufortable than anyone, but there''s nothing we can do. If our achievements are inferior, we acknowledge it. We''ll keep working hard to reim the tax achievements and focus on doing our jobs well." "But Director David, as the saying goes, ''don''t hit a man in the face.'' This bloke named Brown Soros is obviously trying to disgust us, and we also think he''s cheating!" "Right, howe he didn''t make a 10 million entry earlier orter, but just after we took the lead, he did?" "..." The inspectors on the scene were still indignantly defending David. David responded again, "Whether it''s cheating is not for us to decide. The Director has already called headquarters. If there is indeed cheating, headquarters will provide us with an exnation. Now, everyone, go back to your tasks!" With that, David looked at Buckynison and others, "You few,e to my office." After David and the others left, the inspectors on the scene looked at each other, but realizing that the Director had already called headquarters for an investigation, they decided there was nothing they could argue about at the moment and patiently awaited the oue. With that in mind, all the inspectors stopped discussing the matter and focused on their work. Inside the office, David walked in first, followed by Buckynison and others. As soon as he entered, Nisen blurted out, "Director, even if that bastard isn''t cheating, he must be ying some dirty tricks; otherwise, this couldn''t have happened!" "Let''s not worry about him for now." David pushed the files rted to three major cases in front of everyone, saying, "These are the cases we will be handling next. Take a good look and see if you can gather some clues." For the major street district''s three cases, he only had some leads on the arms case so far, the other two cases still required more information to proceed. Chapter 162: Chapter 124: Capitalists are the ones who evade taxes the most ``` Nisenbaki and the others immediately picked up the documents to examine them. After a short while, Nisen, having gotten a rough idea of the case, was somewhat surprised and immediately asked, "Is this a case from the downtown district?" They were still unaware that David had reached an agreement with the downtown district. David nodded and replied, "Yes, I''ve reached some agreements with them. Rest assured, once the case investigation isplete, we will take the lion''s share of the credit." Hearing this, Bucky and the others visibly rxed. Of course, they did not want to solve cases for the downtown district division, but if they could get the better end of the deal after solving them, that would be another matter. Then, without further ado, everyone took the document files and departed to start investigating the leads on the three major cases. Time moved on to 6 p.m. David filed several processed documents into a cab, stood up, donned his coat, pushed the door open, and left, ready to end his day''s work. But just as he stepped out of the main entrance of the office, he heard someone calling him from the side. "Director David!" Turning his head, David saw it was Selina, and behind her stood the driver-cum-bodyguard who often picked her up. David immediately approached and asked, "What''s the matter, Selina?" "I know a ce with great steaks; want to give it a try together?" David''s eyes narrowed slightly, then he nodded and said, "Sure!" He could tell that Selina wanted more than just to invite him out for a meal; it seemed she had something else she wanted to talk to him about! If that was the case, then it was worth listening to what the young miss from the Kennedy Family really wanted to say! Casino City Avenue, the downtown district. This was the busiest street in all of Las Vegas. Number 361 on the street was a restaurant named ''Golden Steakhouse.'' Two colossal ck marble columns stood at the entrance, iid with the restaurant''s golden name, exuding nobility and style. Between the columns, a set of floor-to-ceiling ss doors reflected the night lights, instantly conveying the warmth and tranquility within. On both sides of the door, tall green nts and a few ssic wallmps interspersed, adding an elegant atmosphere to the entrance. "How about it, Director David, have you dined here before?" Two people got out of the Cadic parked at the entrance, precisely Selina and David who hade from the Lake District. David surveyed the restaurant and shook his head, indicating he had not been there before. Firstly, this restaurant was in the downtown district; secondly, judging from itsyout and setting, it was an upscale steakhouse. Until recently, he was just an ordinary Inspector, and with his sry, how could he afford to dine here? "Let''s go in," Selina said. Selina entered first, with David closely following her. Inside the restaurant, subdued lighting filtered through the refined chandeliers, casting a warm sheen on the dark wooden floors while replicas of famous paintings hung on the walls, echoing the overall decorative style of the establishment. The tall ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows made the space feel expansive and bright, while cleverly designed partitions and greenery subtly created individual dining areas, providing an open yet private atmosphere. "Hello, do you have a reservation?" a staff member approached them and asked. "Table 16." "Please follow me!" After Selina reported a number, the staff member led them to a table at the back of the restaurant. This area was quieterpared to the front of the restaurant, and for private conversation, no one could disturb them here. Once seated, the staff immediately presented a menu. Selina nced at it and said, "I''ll have a Kobe steak and a bottle of ''90 red wine." Then she passed the menu to David. David looked and saw that the prices here were indeed steep, the bottle of red wine Selina ordered alone was as high as 8,000 US dors. As for the steaks, the cheapest was 300 US dors each, and the Kobe steak Selina ordered was a whopping 1,600 US dors. "I''ll have a Kobe steak too, and some Italian pasta!" Since it was Selina who had invited him out for a meal, there was no point in not indulging; David wasn''t about to save her money. Besides, for a young miss from arge family like hers, this amount was probably nothing! After the staff member left, the atmosphere grew tense, punctuated only by the graceful music of the restaurant that asionally wafted to their ears. David, growing a bit impatient, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, and asked yfully, "Aren''t you going to say something?" Selina looked at David, their eyes locked for about three seconds, and then she gave a slight smile, took her handbag, opened it, and took out a document, cing it in front of David. David nced at it and asked, "What''s this?" "Open it and you''ll see!" David hesitated briefly before picking up the document and unfolding it, but when the portrait and name came into view, his pupils gradually dted. Five or six minutester, he closed the document and ced it on the table, looking straight back at Selina. The document contained personal information on Brown Soros. His previous spections were correct; this man was indeed rted to the financial tycoon, George Soros. Brown Soros''s father was George Soros''s nephew. And George Soros was Brown''s great-uncle. ``` Chapter 163: Chapter 124: Capitalists are the ones who evade taxes the most_2 And there''s another interesting point in the data, this Brown Soros was transferred into the National Tax Bureau system three months ago. Before that, he had been working at the Department of Homnd Security and had risen to the rank of Chief of Operations for the Manhattan District, New York. One should not underestimate the Department of Homnd Security, although its name doesn''t resonate as loudly as the National Tax Bureau, CIA, or FBI. But in terms of administrative level, it is higher than those three agencies. Simply put, the Department of Homnd Security is a cab department of the federal government. The National Tax Bureau, nominally, is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Treasury. And the FBI falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice. While the CIA, though not directly led by a cab department on the surface, can only be called the Central Intelligence Agency. In terms of administrative levels, an agency is naturally not as high as a department. And as a cab department, the Department of Homnd Security is directly under the president''s leadership! No wonder, then. Director David wondered, how could this Brown Soros have collected so much tax each evaluation period if he had held the identity of the Chief of Operations for Manhattan District in New York at the Department of Homnd Security? This could exin some things. However, even though being a tax inspector at the National Tax Bureau still kind of promised a future, for Brown Soros, who had already be the Chief of Operations for the Manhattan District, which was quite a promising career, there was no need to demote himself to a mere inspector at the National Tax Bureau. Yet he did just that, which was very illogical. What could be the reason for that? Could it be... ...rted to the ck Tax Bill? That was the only conclusion Director David coulde to! After all, soon after Brown Soros arrived at the National Tax Bureau, the ck Tax Bill officially took effect, creating arge-scale storm across the country. "What''s wrong, Director David, are you not satisfied with this information?" Looking at David''s piercing gaze, Selina tilted her head back and asked in response. David snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes sharpening as he asked, "With his status, getting hold of this information wouldn''t have been easy!" The personal data of National Tax Bureau internal personnel needs to be kept confidential. Apart from the individual''s supervisors and higher-ups, others, like William from the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, would be unable to ess it because it goes against the rules and regtions of the National Tax Bureau. However, if David really wanted to ess it, it wasn''t impossible, For instance, he could find a hacker. Or, he could use his rtionship with the CIA to obtain it. But whether through a hacker or the CIA, if it were found out that they acted under his orders, it would be a vition of the National Tax Bureau''s internal rules and regtions, giving others a handle for attack. Therefore, even though David had been very curious about Brown Soros''s personal data for a long time, he had never dared to look it up through other means. Until today, when Selina brought it to him! Selina shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I have a few friends, getting these data wouldn''t be difficult for them, and if you want to see Bemy Hardy''s information... I could get that for you too!" With the Kennedy Family''s influence, David had no doubt. But her choice of words also reminded him of an idiom, ''Unwarranted generosity often hides ulterior motives.'' He admitted that he was rather handsome, but he wasn''t confident enough to believe he could captivate the heiress of the Kennedy Family. And now that the heiress was so generous to him, she certainly had something she wanted him to do. But currently, he was just a Chief Tax Officer, what could he do for the said heiress? Unable to figure it out, David replied, "No need, understanding them won''t be of much help to me. Collecting taxes is the real deal!" Selina looked at David, her eyes reflecting thoughtful contemtion. Just then, the restaurant waiter brought over the steak, pasta, red wine, and other dishes. One of the staff members also poured some red wine into their tall sses. Picking up her ss, Selina smiled and said, "Director David, congrattions on the sessfulpletion of the Dieter case!" David picked up his ss and clinked it with hers. Then, both of them tacitly picked up their knives and forks and started to enjoy the delicious steak. As she cut a piece of steak and put it in her mouth, Selina suddenly asked, "Director David, do you know why the ck tax bill, which had been drafted long ago, only passedst month?" David stopped his movements, took his napkin to wipe his mouth, but didn''t seem intent on responding; instead, he looked like he was all ears. "It''s simple, the country is out of money!" Selina too picked up her napkin to wipe her mouth and continued, "In fact, before 2017, America''s economy was already struggling, but after Mr. Trump took office, he was quite adept at handling the economy and sessfully stabilized America''s economic decline..." David had no objections to Selina''s words. To be fair, Mr. Trump might not have been great at other things, but as a businessman, he was indeed very capable of handling the economy. ording to statistics, during Mr. Trump''s tenure, America had added 4.85 million jobs, and the economy grew steadily, which was quite an achievement. If it hadn''t been for a sudden natural disaster, it wouldn''t have been Mr. Biden''s turn to take over. "But you know what happened next. After Mr. Biden came in, he restarted the military-industrialplex strategy, causing aprehensive surge in military spending, and making the already declining American economy take a nosedive." "What can you do when the country is out of money? They had to rely on taxation, but increasing taxes on the public or their corporations would not only anger the citizens but also major interest groups. Therefore, the ck tax bill had to be smoothly passed!" After listening to Selina''s exnation, David fell into deep thought. About the drafting and sessful passage of the ck tax bill in Congress, he had not yet considered the deeper issues. Only now, after hearing Selina''s exnation, did he start to grasp the gist of it. Who would have thought that the ck tax bill was actually the brainchild of America''s top echelons taking the path of least resistance. But thinking about it, between upsetting citizens and major interest groups, and dealing with criminals, he too would choose the third party. First of all, criminals'' earnings are ill-gotten gains anyway ¨C what''s wrong with the state taxing a bit of that? Even if these criminals wanted to resist, first, they''d have to fight against the IRS, and secondly, does anyone support them? These criminals are being sanctioned by the state, and that''s only right. Who would stand up and speak for them? Therefore, under the duress of the IRS''s deterrence or public pressure, the criminals had no choice but to opt for paying taxes! Selina looked at David, who was deep in thought, and said, "But Director David, do you know? Although the tax revenue from criminals is a substantial amount, it''s actually nothingpared to some other people!" "You are referring to...?" Selina didn''t answer directly, but instead shifted the topic, "Do you know why Brown Soros can easily collect so many taxes every assessment period?" "All he has to do is walk into Wall Street, randomly pick a financier and investigate. There''s not a clean one among them. One spit from them might be enough for several cases worth of tax revenue for you!" David did not contradict her. Indeed! No one ying the game on Wall Street could be considered simple or innocent. Those financiers are ruthless, and with America''s high tax rates, it would be strange if such greedy individuals were to pay their fair share. If he were to take a stroll on Wall Street, his keen eye for detail would surely lead to a windfall of tax achievements. Too bad... He didn''t have the same luck andwork of connections as Brown Soros to be assigned as an Inspector in that district andter be Chief Tax Officer! Chapter 164: Chapter 125: Mixing in the World, Pay Attention to Background! Selina continued, "So, Director David, if you want to surpass them in tax performance, it''s not enough to just chase down those criminals. You have to do like they do and set your sights on the capitalists!" "Set your sights on the capitalists..." David muttered to himself, but something suddenly urred to him, and his gaze sharpened. Why had that splendid and influential President Kennedy met such an end? And why did the Kennedy Family thereafter suffer repeated blows? Wasn''t it all because they had offended the capitalists? Now here was Selina, suggesting he focus on the capitalists. It couldn''t be ruled out as a scheme to use him as a pawn in someone else''s game... With this thought, David''s gaze turned icy as he replied, "Forgive me for being blunt, Miss Selina, but with such a powerful family like yours being put in such dire straits by those people, pushing me to go against them would be like throwing me into the fire, wouldn''t it?" By the end of his response, he had deliberately used the term "Miss Selina", in fact, he was setting boundaries between them. Although they appeared to be superior and subordinate on the surface, David was very clear that they could not truly have that kind of rtionship. "No, Director David, with the current strong momentum of the ck Tax Bill, they wouldn''t dare to touch anyone in the National Tax Bureau!" "What''s more, the armed deployment you led and nned made all of America witness the armed strength of the National Tax Bureau. In a way, you''ve already be a milestone figure within the Bureau; no one would dare to put you in a deadly situation. If someone dared to do so, it would be tantamount to pping the National Tax Bureau''s face!" Selina made some sense with her words. Since Al Capone''s time, it was the first time in 70 years that the National Tax Bureau had flexed its armed might. As a leader in this, David was naturally and firmly tied to this disy of force. If someone dared to move against him at this point, it would effectively be telling the National Tax Bureau, "So what if you have M1 tank units, armored units, Apache ck Hawk units, or fighter squads? I am not afraid and will still strike at your people!" To say it was a p in the face of the National Tax Bureau was an understatement; it would be like defecating on their heads! However, even though this was the case, David was no fool. These capitalists might not seem as ruthless as the criminals in in sight, but beneath their gentlemanly exterior, they hid a face more vicious than anywbreaker''s. After all, Max once said something quite insightful. "If there is 100% profit, capitalists will risk it; if there is 200% profit, they will defy thew; if there''s 300% profit, they will trample over everything." These people are willing to trample over anything for money. They pave their way with money, control the media, sailboats, and resources from both the political and business spheres. And to tax them or squeeze benefits from them? Kennedy was a prime example! Even with the protective charm of the National Tax Bureau, if he truly offended these people, they might not dare to kill him, but they could probably manage to get him reassigned to guarding a pond. Wait a second... David seemed to realize something, a hint of doubt flickering in his eyes. He had been curious about why Selina, a youngdy from the Kennedy Family, woulde to work at the National Tax Bureau as a mere Inspector. And thinking back to what she had just said, "With the current strong momentum of the ck Tax Bill, they wouldn''t dare to touch anyone in the National Tax Bureau." Could it be... Was this the reason Miss Selina came to the National Tax Bureau? To affirm whether it was true or not, David inquired, "If I may be so bold to ask, Miss Selina, did youe to our National Tax Bureau for ''shelter''?" Hearing the word ''shelter'', Selina''s expression stiffened for a moment, then she took a sip of her red wine without showing any intention of continuing the conversation. But, from her facial expression, David already figured out that his guess was very likely urate. Following Kennedy''s assassination, his brother Robert Kennedy had been very likely to take over his brother''s position. Unfortunately, he too met a tragic fate simr to his brother, assassinated during his campaign. And it didn''t stop there. Afterward, Kennedy''s sons and daughters, Robert''s sons and daughters, and other members of the Kennedy Family encountered mysterious deaths. Such incidents werebeled by the media as the ''Kennedy Curse''. Of course, anyone with a bit of sense could see that this was nothing to do with mysticism or an unscientific curse. It was clearly an invisible, powerful hand intent on seeking relentless vengeance against the Kennedy Family! And who was behind this invisible hand? The answer was obvious: none other than the group of capitalists! Now, with Selina''s arrival at the National Tax Bureau, it was evident that the capitalists'' vendetta against the Kennedy Family was ongoing! This could also exin why Selina, a daughter from a distinguished family, chose to join the National Tax Bureau! It was nothing more than seeking the shelter of this big tree that was the National Tax Bureau, to add ayer of protection to her personal safety! "Director David, you are very capable indeed, but you are missing something very important!" "What?" "Backing!" As she spoke the word ''backing'', Selina''s presence became significantly moremanding, and she continued, "You''ve seen it. That Brown Soros has an extraordinary background. As long as he maintains his tax performance like this, given the current trend of the ck Tax Bill, his promotion would be easily secured. In time, he might even be your rival..." Chapter 165: Chapter 125: Mixing in the World, Pay Attention to Background!_2 ``` The four characters for "rival" made David''s facial expression darken slightly. It''s estimated that Selina isn''t aware of the ''Project Deification'' yet, if she had known, she would understand that it wasn''t a matter of "giving it time"; thepetition between them had already begun! "For example, suppose one day you both want to advance to a high position in the headquarters, but there''s only one spot, and they need to choose between the two of you." "If your tax achievements are simr and your abilities are roughly the same, then, at that time, your backgrounds will y a huge role!" "Just let Brown Soros use his background to pull some strings at headquarters, do you think, you would still have the chance to take that high position?" Selina''s words, for David, were another blow. The situation he was facing was just like this. The ''Project Deification'' obviously could only choose one god, to then serve as the Tax Investigator or a regional bureau chief. Previously, David hadn''t confirmed Brown Soros''s background, and he harbored a glimmer of hope, believing that as long as he was excellent enough, he would have a chance to be chosen! But now, after seeing Brown Soros''s background, he was no longer confident. After all, his grandfather''s firm was one of the top in America, and indeed the world, and whether it came to providing assistance or exerting influence, it certainly held an absolute advantage! Seeing David apparently worried, Selina rejoiced inwardly and struck while the iron was hot, "Director David, our Kennedy Family might not have the power we used to, but we still have our deep roots. If you need it, we can offer you all the help..." David fell into deep thought. It was unmistakable that the other party intended to win him over. One couldn''t deny the power of the Kennedy family, but if he decided to side with the Kennedy family, that would mean standing opposite the group of capitalists, which was also very dangerous... "Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Selina. I''ve had enough to eat, I shall head back now!" David picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth, thinking that it wasn''t yet time to choose sides decisively. Better to take one step at a time! Watching David''s retreating back, Selina wasn''t too disappointed; she hadn''t expected to persuade David with just one conversation. After all, with David''s naive background, she felt that sooner orter, he woulde to understand the significance of one''s background! By then, it would be their turn to take the initiative! ... In the blink of an eye, four days passed, and the date for the end of this assessment period had arrived. In these four days, David deliberately slowed down the pace on the three big cases, nor did heplete the investigations for other cases. Because he knew very well, even if he cracked the three major cases, Brown Soros would probably find a way toe up with more tax achievements to surpass him. So rather than doing that, it might as well wait for ''Project Deification'' to be realized. Once the n was realized, that would be the real beginning of thepetition, and the tax achievements from the three big cases and other cases would then y a much bigger role! 8:30 a.m. Inspectors started to arrive at the office, each with a mix of anticipation and excitement, ready to face the uing assessment meeting. Because in this assessment period, thanks to the tax credits from the Dieter case, every team member received a very considerable amount of tax revenue. No doubt the directors, deputy directors, and Tax Investigators would certainly have high praise for them this time... "Oh, shit, there''s an announcement on the internalwork, ''Project Deification'' has reallye out!" While the inspectors in the office were still indulging in anticipation, someone shouted out unexpectedly, and many were stunned for a moment. As they came to their senses, all the inspectors in the room did one unanimous thing: they opened the Tax Bureau''s internalwork to check. And sure enough! Just like what the shouting inspector had said, there really was an announcement about ''Project Deification'' released by the headquarters! ``` The announcement stated that the n would be implemented from the next evaluation period, without a set end date. At that time, the headquarters will select one exemry inspector from the 140,000 nationwide, or a promoted Chief Tax Officer, to serve as the spokesperson for the ck Tax Law. As for the corresponding positions, just like the rumors circting these past few days, the lowest position is a Tax Investigator, with the highest possibly being the head of a local branch! And here''s a point worth noting. The announcement shows that they will select one exemry individual, not necessarily the first, second, or third ce from the inspectors'' performance ranking. This means that every inspector could potentially have a chance! Thinking about this, the inspectors on the scene began to breathe more rapidly. Although they knew that there was a 99.99% chance they would not be the ''deity,'' it was like buying a lottery ticket¡ªa small chance still meant some possibility of winning. What if such a stroke of incredible luck fell upon them? To rise directly to the position of a branch head was almost like soaring to the heavens¡ªwho could resist such a temptation? While all the inspectors had faces flushed with eager anticipation and rapid breathing, Selina was the exception, even though she also revealed a hint of joy. But her delight was different from that of the inspectors. Four days ago, the day after her conversation with David ended, rumors about ''Project Deification'' had already started circting within the department. To be honest, she hadn''t expected such coincidence, and since it was just a rumor, she didn''t dare to get too excited too soon. Until now, the headquarters had finally issued a formal announcement, officially proiming the n! This meant that originally, David, Brown Soros, Bemy Hattie, and their group, were justpetitors on the list. But after this announcement, as Selina initially said, they became truepetitors! After all, ''Project Deification'' would only elevate one deity, and who would be this deity depended not only on individual ability but also on who had stronger backing! David certainly had the ability, but what about connections? The opportunity for their Kennedy Family was now at hand! Selina had already decided in her heart to find the right time today to persuade David once again! ... Big Street District Branch. Keanu burst into Katharine''s office and eximed, "Director, ''Project Deification'' has really been officially announced by headquarters!" "Oh?" Katharine was surprised and immediately opened the internalwork to check. After reading the announcement, it seemed she realized something and said in an epiphany, "So that means, David might have known about the n in advance. No wonder, these past few days he has been dying action on the three major cases!" Keanu nodded in agreement, then replied, "Yes, he probably wants to use the achievements from the three major cases to leverage his position in ''Project Deification''!" Katharine paused, her expression yfully contemtive as she asked, "Keanu, do you think David could be selected?" "With his abilities, it''s hard to say whether he could be selected or not, but the headquarters will definitely consider him one of the candidates, and if he really gets selected..." Keanu didn''t continue, but the envy and jealousy on his face were undeniable. It took him a full 15 years to rise to the position of a Tax Investigator. And now, with this so-called ''Project Deification,'' if chosen, one is guaranteed at least the position of Tax Investigator, with the highest possibly being promoted directly to a local branch head, akin to a provincial governor. This kind of meteoric rise gave him an inevitable sense of defeat, feeling that his 15 years of effort became worthless in the face of such an opportunity! Chapter 166: Chapter 126: Eliminating You Is as Easy as Turning the Hand ``` "Forget it, whether he gets elected or not, it''s none of our concern. Right after the assessment period finishes, we''ll immediately urge him to investigate the three major cases!" Keanu replied, "Understood, Director." ... After the announcement of ''Project Deification'', not only the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch and the Main Street Branch, but also various other major branches across the country were intensely discussing it. Time quickly reached 1 PM. At the Lake District Sub-Bureau, inspectors ceased all actions and conversations and proceeded to the 5th-floor conference hall. David had also arrived there and sat down in the second row. Only once all the inspectors and the Chief Tax Officers had arrived did Gusin, Megan William, and their group finally enter. As for William, he made his way to the stage, tested the microphone with a few words to ensure no issues, then addressed everyone present, "Good afternoon, everyone. We''ve reached our bi-monthly assessment period settlement day. This assessment period, our branch could be said to have reaped a bountiful harvest. Every inspector, Chief Tax Officer, and Tax Investigator here deserves praise..." After a bit of a lead-up, William gestured to the screen controller, and shortly afterward, the tax achievement leaderboard for the assessment period appeared on the big screen. The first ce was still imed by Brown Soros, with a tax achievement of 45.6 million USD. Second was Bemy Hardy from the Los Angeles Long Beach Branch, with a tax achievement of 39.113 million USD. Third was David, who, despite not having moved much in tax achievement in the past few days, still managed to remain in the top three with more than 34 million from the Dieter case. Overall, aside from his own drastic change in ranking, the usual positions of the inspectors remained mostly the same within the top fifty, with not many significant shifts. "Disy the Sub-Bureau tax achievement leaderboard..." At William''s signal, the national leaderboard of tax achievements for all major branches also appeared on the big screen. There wasn''t much difference in the Sub-Bureau leaderboardpared to thest assessment period. The top five nationally were still the branches from the five districts of New York, followed by major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. It wasn''t until the 26th spot that the Lake District Sub-Bureau''s name appeared. Even though David ranked third nationally in the tax achievement leaderboard, that was just an individual ranking. The current national branch rankings requiredparison of each branch''s total tax achievement. Therefore, even if David personally contributed a high tax achievement, it still couldn''t surpass the total achievements of the branches in the major cities, which is why Lake District could only rank 26th. However, once the list was scrolled down, Lake District Sub-Bureau''s value became immediately apparentpared to Main Street and Newtown District. While Main Street Branch was only ranked 113th nationally, Newtown District was even further behind at 199th. "Alright. Everyone has seen both the inspectors'' tax achievement leaderboard and the Sub-Bureaus'' total tax achievement leaderboard. Compared to the previous assessment period, we have made significant progress. I hope everyone continues to work hard in the uing new assessment period..." William started to cheer up the inspectors present, then announced, "The major increase in tax achievement this time not only brings an increase in your sry and bonus, but the operational funds have also risen to two million USD!" "Two million USD..." Hearing this number, many inspectors and Chief Tax Officers in the room had their eyes light up with excitement. But David and his Seventh Inspection Squad were an exception. Because they were well aware that they had contributed the most to the Lake District Sub-Bureau''s tax achievement this round, and naturally, the bulk of the operational funds were theirs! What followed did not disappoint their expectations. William continued to announce, "Director David''s Seventh Inspection Squad, as the team that contributed the most this assessment period, will be allocated one million USD. Everyone okay with that?" If it weren''t for David''s efforts, the bureau''s overall national ranking couldn''t possibly have risen to 26th, and their respective teams wouldn''t have had such impressive tax achievements. Therefore, other teams naturally had no objections. "Since there are no objections, that''s decided. The remaining one million will be divided equally among the other nine inspection squads!" William shifted the topic, saying, "Oh, by the way, the ''Project Deification'' announced by headquarters this morning, I believe you are all already informed." "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rise through the ranks. Everyone has a chance. I hope you all put in more effort. Who knows, I might still be your director today, but perhaps by the next assessment period, we could be colleagues of the same rank!" Upon hearing this, the inspectors, already eager about Project Deification, felt the mes of their ambition stoked even further. Even though they knew their chances were less than 0.01 percent. But just thinking, as William said, about the current drastic status difference between inspectors and director potentially transforming overnight into a peer rtionship, who could resist such temptation? Seeing that he had indeed raised the morale of the inspectors, William was quite satisfied. He nced at his watch and then dered, "Let''s not waste any more of your time. This concludes the assessment period!" "Come with me to my office." Here, David signaled to Bucky and others, followed the crowd out of the room, and swiftly returned to his office. And, trailing behind him, Buckynison and the others filed in one after another. David settled back into his seat, picked up his pen and fiddled with it as he asked, "How''s the arms case investigation going?" ``` Chapter 167: Chapter 126: Eliminating You Is as Easy as Turning Over Ones Hand_2 Because he had scrutinized the identity information of Kane, the second-inmand of the arms group, he decided to start with this case. Bucky responded, "The arms trading group led by Gaboures is well-structured and tightly organized; it''s hard to find much useful information on them. The only thing we can find is some details about their transactions!" David wasn''t particrly surprised by Bucky''s answer. If this case had been so easy to investigate, the Brotherhood of the Main Street wouldn''t have asked for his help. He then asked, "What kind of transaction details did you find?" Bucky responded, "Aside from previous arms deals with Native Americans, there were also transactions with the Brotherhood of the Main Street, as well as deals with the Mexico Gang..." "The Mexico Gang!" David suddenly remembered something. Back when he was investigating Dieter''s case, he had ''ambushed'' a deal between Dieter and the Mexico Gang. At that time, he even had the people from the Mexico Gang deliver a message to their boss, Zimmerman, telling the guy to hurry up and bring his members of the Mexico Gang to pay their taxes. But now, there was still no sign of this guy; was he ying dead and ignoring him? "Go, pull up Warren Doyle''s file and find the man himself for me. In addition, Nisen, check out this so-called Brotherhood and see if you can find their leader. Tell them I want to meet them!" Warren Doyle was one of the robbers in the Encar cash transport heist and also one of the attendees during thest trade between the Mexico Gang and Dieter. He intended to use this man to send a message to Zimmerman again. If taxes were still not paid, he would no longer be courteous! "Understood." Everyone who received their assignments promptly left the office. And the very next second after they left, David''s phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was a call from Keanu of the Main Street, and immediately answered, "Inspector Keanu." "Director David, the new assessment period has started and those three major cases..." "Don''t worry, we''ve already started the investigation!" Keanu on the other end of the phone was pleased and replied, "That''s good. If you need anything, contact our Main Street bureau at any time. After all, this is a coborative case..." "Certainly!" ... An hourter, there was a knock on the office door. Since the file of Warren was in the archive of the National Tax Bureau, Bucky had little trouble finding and bringing the guy over. At this moment, Warren entered with a bowed head, looking nervous and seemingly guessing what David wanted from him. "Warren, did you fail to convey myst message to your boss Zimmerman, or what''s the situation?" Hearing David''s questions, Warren became even more unsettled and quickly exined, "No, no... We passed your message to Zimmerman already, the rest is beyond our control..." What he meant was he had delivered the message, but whether to pay taxes or not was for Zimmerman to decide; as small fry, they naturally couldn''t interfere. David''s expression turned icy as he warned, "Pass another message to your boss. I''m giving him until the end of today to reply. Otherwise... our National Tax Bureau can storm an Indian Tribe, so eradicating your petty drug trafficking group will be just as easy!" Upon hearing this, Warren''s face instantly paled. If anyone else dared to issue such a threat to their Mexico Gang, they would make sure the person learned what ''death'' means! But the threat came from David, and not only did Warren not dare to retort, he couldn''t even muster up any anger. They had been closely monitoring Dieter''s situation. And the incident of the National Tax Bureau Armed Forces storming the Indian Tribe was also crystal clear to them. That was an Indian Tribe! A territory like an independent kingdom delineated by the federal government, inhabited by tens of thousands of Native Americans, with their own armed warriors and guard squads. Yet, in the face of the iron flood of the National Tax Bureau''s armed forces, they didn''t dare to protest and could onlyply by surrendering people and paying up. The main culprit, Dieter, was even sentenced to 1,000 years in prison, worse than death! And their Mexico Gang, though they could be regarded as prominent in Las Vegas, if the National Tax Bureau really wanted to take them down, they would probably die even more miserably than the Indians. "Did you get that clear?" "Listen up, listen up!" Warren quickly brushed aside the thoughts in his mind, afraid of replying toote as if pecking like a chicken, nodding rapidly. "Let''s go!" ... An hourter. Main Street area, a hidden warehouse. Three ck Chevrolets stopped at the entrance, their doors opened, and from the front and back vehicles, four suit-d men alighted each. Although these men were dressed in suits, a closer look would reveal that many of them bore tattoos on their arms and necks. After a short while, the man from the middle vehicle stepped out¡ªit was Zimmerman from the Mexico Gang. After exiting the car, Zimmerman headed straight for the warehouse. Inside, he saw many personnel wearing whiteb coats, hats, and masks, processing some contraband. "Mr. Zimmerman..." Deep in the warehouse, Richardson¡ªone of the Mexico Gang Backbones who had previously dealt with Baldwin¡ªapproached, followed by Warren who had just returned from the National Tax Bureau. "What''s the matter?" Zimmerman had an expressionless face, but his tone was somewhat grave. Richardson looked at Warren, and while Warren was also apprehensive in the presence of the boss, thinking of David''s words, he could only muster his courage and say, "Mr. Zimmerman, it''s the National Tax Bureau, they found me, they said to give you... a message..." Upon hearing the words ''National Tax Bureau'', Zimmerman, who had been rtively expressionless, now tightened his brows and asked, "What message?" "They said... regarding tax payment, you must give a response today, or else... or else..." At this point, Warren did not dare continue, his head lowered in a manner of having more to say yet hesitant to speak. "Or else what?" "Mr. Zimmerman, I don''t mean any disrespect, but Director David said, if they can raid the Indian Tribe, wiping out our Mexico Gang would be a piece of cake for them!" Ultimately, Warren clenched his teeth and delivered the message. After hearing theplete sentence, Zimmerman''s face instantly turned grim. The subordinates following him all disyed fierce expressions. But as menacing as they looked, none contemted disying the gang''s habitual methods of operation. The usual approach of the Mexico Gang was just two words: ruthless and brutal! Anyone who dared to provoke them or disturb their business would face various forms of ruthless retaliation like assassinations, kidnapping of opponents'' rtives, and so on. But they had seen what happened to Dieter. Daring toy hands on personnel from the National Tax Bureau was simply a dead end. It wasn''t a question of whether the National Tax Bureau would deploy fighter jets or armed helicopter groups; even just sending an armored vehiclebat group would be enough to tten them. After all, no matter how strong or ferocious a drug organization is, going up against the well-equipped and trained personnel of the National Tax Bureau Armed Forces is a surefire way to court death! "Mr. Zimmerman, worstes to worst, we''ll just abandon the business in this city!" Just then, a man on Zimmerman''s left side proposed. Of course, he knew that they couldn''t fight the National Tax Bureau, but his pride prevented him from sumbing to such oppressive power! If they couldn''t defeat the enemy, then fleeing was still an option! Zimmerman turned around and looked out the window with a solemn expression. His business extended beyond this city, but the profits from this city were a significant number. To abandon it like this, he was not willing! But to be shepherded around by the National Tax Bureau, he was equally unwilling! After much contemtion, he turned to Warren and said, "Call that David, tell him, I want to arrange a meeting!" Chapter 168: Chapter 127: Take the Lead First, Then Claim the Top Spot ``` Casino City Avenue, No. 611. Two SUVs pulled up, and David led Buckynison and his associates out of the vehicles and into a coffee shop. The cafe was noticeably empty, with many seats conspicuously vacant, evidently cleared out in advance. Sitting at a square table in the back was a man with his leg arrogantly crossed, and behind him stood a group of men in suits with tattoos. [Name: Zimmerman Cruz.] [upation: Head of the Mexico Gang drug cartel.] [Ie: 14.6 million US dors.] [Ie details: On December 5th,pleted a transaction with the Ditter Group, resulting in a profit of one million USD; on December 8th, reached a deal with the Brotherhood, yielding another one million USD profit; on December 13th, negotiated with the Los Angeles Mafia...] [More details:...] [Amount of tax due: 5,738,400.] As David approached, he assessed the man''s information, and was slightly taken aback upon seeing the monthly ie amounting to over 14 million dors. But he quickly came to terms with it. The ck Tax Act had been officially passed by Congress on December 3, 2021, and now it was January 31st, nearly two monthster. Drugs were always a highly profitable trade, so it seemed normal for the other party to have a turnover of 14.6 million dors in just under two months! But then again, if the other party had an ie of 14.6 million, then he could collect more than 5.7 million in taxes. And with the rest of the key figures and members of the Mexico Gang, 89 million was definitely within reach. He hadn''t expected such a significant windfall so early in the new assessment period. For David, who was aiming for the "God-making" project, this was undoubtedly the greatest morale boost! Director David, I presume? I''m Zimmerman," said the man as he got up and extended his right hand in slightly civil greeting, following David''s arrival. David shook it and then took a seat, speaking calmly, "Mr. Zimmerman, I presume my men have ryed my message to you?" Zimmerman paused and then replied sharply, "Director David, let''s be direct; paying taxes isn''t exactly a proud matter for us. Could we settle this in a more amicable manner?" David smiled, although his smile carried a hint of disdain, "Paying taxes is just that, paying taxes. It''s not like we''re a gang extorting protection money from you. There is no dishonor in it. This applies not just to the Mexico Gang, but to everyone and every power!" Hearing the allusion to gangs collecting protection money, Zimmerman and his tattooed henchmen all seemed displeased. Gangs merely strut about in front of ordinary people; daring to extort protection money from drug dealers? They wouldn''t know how they died! It was only the power of the tax authority they feared now! Gathering his thoughts, Zimmerman gestured to one of his men. A tattooed man in a suit promptly ced arge case on the table and opened it, revealing neat stacks of US dors within. Although the exact amount was unknown, David roughly estimated it to be about two million dors. However, such sights were all too familiar to him, and since it was far less than the tax revenue he anticipated, it did not faze him. "As part of the Mexico Gang, we know the rules of living off thend in America. Here''s two million US dors, and it will be two million every month. I don''t care if you use it for taxes or something else, what do you say, Chief Tax Officer David?" On the surface, Zimmerman''s offer seemed quite generous. And clearly, he didn''t care if David pocketed this money himself, as long as David didn''t trouble the Mexico Gang! But that was the point, the money was too littlepared to the tax David wanted to collect. He replied expressionlessly, "That amount hardly seems sufficient!" Zimmerman''s expression darkened as he asked, "Then how much do you want?" "On December 5th, you made one million USD from a deal with the Ditter Group. On December 8th, you earned another million from a transaction with the Brotherhood. On December 13th, you negotiated with the Los Angeles Mafia..." "As of now, you''ve umted an ie of 14.6 million. ording to the tax rate, you owe us 5,738,400 US dors!" As all his recent dealings and earnings were urately listed, Zimmerman''s expression grew increasingly rigid. After a long while, he retorted darkly, "You say it''s 14.6 million because you say so?" "Yes, if I say it''s 14.6 million, then it is 14.6 million!" "And what if I say there isn''t?" "There isn''t?" David chuckled coldly and replied, "No problem, then we''ll just have to count it ourselves!" Upon hearing this, Zimmerman''s face twisted into a snarl, his teeth grinding with the sound of gritting. He wasn''t a fool; he understood what "count it ourselves" meant all too well. This was a warning from the other side: if the Mexico Gang didn''t pay, the tax authority would freeze all their ounts and seal up all their warehouses, just like they had with Ditter. That was their way of ''counting it themselves''! As the negotiations grew tenser, both Nisen and his men behind David, and Zimmerman''s suited men began to tense up, each subtly reaching for the guns they had holstered at their waists. In the midst of this high-tension moment, David spoke up again, issuing a warning, "If the Mexico Gang wants to make a living on our soil, then you''ll have to follow our rules. As for those who do not, like Ditter, our tax authority will certainly find a way to ''help'' them out. Do you understand, Mr. Zimmerman?" ``` Chapter 169: Chapter 127: Take the Lead First, Then Claim the Top Spot_2 Having heard Dieter''s example brought up again, Zimmerman, who had been seething with anger, finally calmed down a bit. At the same time, he kept warning himself not to act impulsively. After all, with a background like Dieter''s, he had still ended up having all his assets seized and being sentenced to a thousand years in prison. If they, the Mexico Gang, dared to confront the IRS, they would certainly be annihted without a trace! "I''ll only pay for half a year!" After saying this, Zimmerman stared at David, desperately hoping for his agreement, yet David only scoffed. Helplessly, Zimmerman gritted his teeth and said, "One year!" "Stop haggling with me, Mr. Zimmerman, haven''t you heard the saying in America, ''In this country, only death and taxes are inevitable!'' So as long as you''re alive, as long as you want to earn your keep on thisnd, you must always pay your taxes in full, not a penny less!" "You..." Zimmerman''s veins popped with anger once more, and he stood up intending to leave. But David wasn''t ready to let him walk away like that, and he scolded, "Mr. Zimmerman, did I tell you that you could leave?" Zimmerman turned, ring at him fiercely as if he wanted to devour him, and said, "We''ll pay the money!" "I know, sit back down, we have other matters to discuss!" Zimmerman paused for 5 seconds on the spot, but finally sat back down in the chair. David looked at him and said, "I know, recently you acquired a shipment of arms from Gaboures, I need your transaction list, the remittance ounts, and some other information!" Zimmerman was taken aback, then replied, "Are you nning to move against Gaboures?" "That''s none of your business!" Zimmerman sneered sharply in response, "Since I''ve already agreed to pay my taxes, why should I help you betray my friend?" "He''s your friend? I doubt that!" "Even if he''s not, why should I help you?" David, not angry, mocked, "Okay, how about I just forget everyone else and focus solely on the Mexico Gang from now on, would that make you feel better?" Zimmerman fell silent. To be honest, if he was really forced to pay taxes to the IRS, he certainly wished to drag more people down with him. That would make him feel psychologically bnced. And if the matter got out, they wouldn''t lose too much face. After all, it was not only the Mexico Gang paying taxes to the IRS. Weren''t you all paying as well, brothers in hardship, who couldugh at whom? With this thought, Zimmerman countered, "If I help you, what''s in it for me?" David replied, "Of course, there''s something. The IRS has a policy that if you assist us with a case, you can apply for a tax reduction. Given the amount of taxes you must pay, I can''t promise too much, but you could save a couple hundred thousand dors every month!" "A couple hundred thousand?" Zimmerman''s eyes lit up, clearly tempted, and he confirmed, "A monthly reduction of a couple hundred thousand, are you sure?" "Do I need to fool you?" Zimmerman thought for a moment, then said, "If that''s the case, I can give you the list and documents you want, but on one condition, if Gaboures askster, you can''t say it was me who provided them!" "Of course, the IRS has a duty to keep the information of every taxpliant citizen confidential!" Zimmerman was relieved and stood up to prepare the money, but David called out to him again. "Mr. Zimmerman, I hope that your tax payment arrives at the IRS within an hour, that shouldn''t be a problem, right? As for your men, they can take a bit longer!" The new assessment period had already started, and everyone''s tax performance had been reset to zero. David demanded that the taxes be delivered within an hour because he wanted to lead the way on the tax performance leaderboard, seizing the top spot before Brown Soros, Bemy Hattie, and others could react. After all, it was the performance period of the "god-making project," and the more he impressed the senior officials at the headquarters, the bigger his chance of "ascending to godhood" would be. Zimmerman furrowed his brows and replied, "This is over five million US Dors, not a small sum, one hour?" "Don''t make this difficult for Mr. Zimmerman, you drug traffickers have nothing in excess except for cash flow. I believe this won''t be a problem for you, consider it a favor for me!" Zimmerman was a bit displeased, but ultimately he didn''t continue to argue and turned to leave with his underlings. It was only then that Bucky moved his hand away from the gun on his waist, even sighing, "Those from the Mexico Gang really are loaded..." From the conversation between David and Zimmerman, he had learned that Zimmerman needed to pay taxes amounting to more than 5.7 million. And that was just Zimmerman alone. Including the core members of the Mexico Gang and those underlings, it was bound to be no small sum! "Just think about the profit from drug trafficking, think about Pablo from the ''80s. Forbes magazine estimated his fortune at a staggering 30 billion US Dors, and that was in the ''80s, 30 billion!" Nisen''s words silenced the inspectors. At that moment, they were all thinking that if only they had a major drug lord like Pablo in America, to be precise, in their Lake District. Not to mention 30 billion. Even a drug lord with a worth of 3 billion would allow them to collect nearly 1.2 billion in taxes! They would be made! "Stop daydreaming, let''s go back!" David''s voice interrupted the daydreams of Bucky and the others, and they followed him out, got into the cars, and returned to the office. ... The sum of over 5.7 million did indeed pose no issue for a drug lord like Zimmerman. An hourter, he personally arrived at the federal tax office with the money. David was very satisfied with his performance. After praising him and filing his records, he let him leave. Then it was time to deposit the taxes. Because Mary was aware of David''s desire to lead on the tax performance leaderboard, she was very efficient. Along with her subordinates, shepleted the deposit of the tax money in less than half an hour. After the deposit waspleted, she immediately notified David. In the office, David put down the phone, then opened the tax performance leaderboard. Just as expected. Since the tax performance on the leaderboard had been reset no more than three hours ago, his current 5.7 million US Dors took the top spot immediately. And second to tenth ce were still showing no entries. It wasn''t that, in less than these three hours, none of the 140,000 inspectors across the country had made any tax achievements. Starting from this assessment period, there had been an adjustment regarding the top ten spots on the leaderboard. One would have to exceed 2 million in tax performance to appear in the top ten. This change aimed to prevent inspectors from appearing at the top of the leaderboard with mere tens or hundreds of dors in tax performance right after the reset, which made the top spots on the leaderboard seem less valuable. In the three hours since the reset, only David had achieved tax performance over 2 million across the nation, so naturally, he was the only one on the top ten! With David''s 5.7 million US Dors iming the top of the tax performance leaderboard, it quickly caused quite a stir within the federal tax system. Everyone was eager to see how long David would remain at the top this time. And what they were even more eager to see was whether Brown Soros, Bemy Hattie, and their group would quickly counterattack! Chapter 170: Chapter 128: The Brotherhood of Ultimate Evil Manhattan, New York. Inside a marijuana processing factory. "Billy, didn''t you watch the news a few days ago? You don''t want the armed forces of our National Tax Bureau to raid each and every one of your factories, do you?" Brown Soros said with a fierce look on his face. Standing opposite him were two white men and three ck men. Since the armed forces of the National Tax Bureau had been deployed a few days ago, all 140,000 Inspectors across the country sharply caught the ''business opportunity''. Because of this, the deterrent effect on those tax evaders was enormous. This led to the national inspectors'' tax collection work progressing much smoother than ever in the past few days. Although Brown was annoyed that David had been the star of this armed deployment, he knew it was an excellent opportunity to leverage, and he wasn''t foolish enough to just let it pass by. Today, his purpose for being here was to collect taxes from these marijuana business owners. In America, although marijuana has already been legalized in many states, here in New York State, the legitors and Governor had only just submitted the ''Marijuana Legalization Bill'' to the National Tax Bureau, but the bill had not yet been fully passed, which meant the industry was still illegal for the time being. Hearing that armed National Tax Bureau forces might storm their factory, the five men''s expressions turned sour. After a pause, one of them said, "For this, we need to consult with our boss!" "Then move it. You''ve got 10 minutes!" Not long after the five marijuana dealers had left, Kelly Orsi hurried over and said, "It''s not good, Brown, David has topped the leaderboard again!" "What did you say!" Brown was startled at first, and then immediately took out his phone and opened the internalwork. Sure enough, the name at the top of the leaderboard was David''s, and behind his name was the staggering tax achievement of 5,738,400 US dors! "This is impossible!" His face instantly darkened. Last assessment period, David booked over thirty million dors, primarily contributed by the Indian Tribe, which Brown was aware of. But the case with the Native Americans had concluded. And now that the new assessment period had begun, the leaderboard had been reset just over three hours ago. How did David, who was in a ce like Las Vegas, secure over five point seven million dors in tax achievement in such a short time? "Brown, such arge tax achievement definitely can''t be collected in such a short period. I think he must have prepared it before thest assessment period. It''s just been booked now!" Hearing Kelly''s reasoning, Brown thought it made some sense. But at that moment, his heart also started to ache. Because he was all too aware that, with this current god-making n, any standout performance henceforth could be a chip in the selection process. Prior toing here, he had already investigated: he could collect roughly Three Million US dors from this group of marijuana dealers. He had thought that as long as he collected this tax, he would definitely be the first to lead. But unexpectedly, David, that scheming fellow, had this y up his sleeve and had stolen his thunder! "Go to the East River, tell those bosses I don''t have time to drag this on. Just cough up six million, and I''ll let them off easy!" Putting pressure on them now would certainly diminish the effect. But there was no other way. Letting David monopolize the top spot on the tax leaderboard was an even worse prospect. "Brown, those old guys are really tough to deal with, and the evidence we currently hold isn''t quite sufficient¡­" Kelly seemed a bit troubled. After the armed incident, the National Tax Bureau''s reputation had be quite intimidating. But it wasn''t intimidating enough for those criminals to willingly hand over their taxes. The bosses Brown was referring to were a few tough nuts to crack, and the evidence and leads they currently held were not sufficient to apply for ount freezes or auction off assets. "Brown, how about I make another trip to Wall Street and negotiate with them, see if they can cough up another six million?" Kelly''s suggestion made Brown frown. The people on Wall Street may have dodged a lot of taxes, but they were all capitalists, and his family was capitalists too, with myriad ties to these people. A visit or two was fine, as it was like giving face to the National Tax Bureau, but if it became a frequent urrence, it might harm their rtionship. "Six million is nothing to them, and whether it''s in the name of the National Tax Bureau or your family, they most likely won''t hold much of a grudge!" Convinced again by Kelly''s persuasion, Brown nodded, "Okay then, you go, and talk to them properly. Consider it a favor they''re doing me!" In the Manhattan District, while there were many ces and transactions that could bring in a substantial amount of taxes, when it came to efficiency, nothing was quicker than Wall Street. They only needed to move their hands on aputer, andrge sums of money could be transferred. For Brown, who was eager to leapfrog the tax leaderboard, this was indeed the best choice. ... David was the first to surge to the forefront of the tax performance leaderboard, and the discussion around him in the entire National Tax Bureau system remained highly spirited. ``` Indeed, many inspectors had already begun to secretly ce bets on whether David could be selected for the god-making project. But before long, those who were bubbling with excitement suddenly found that the top spot had changed hands. Brown Soros, with a tax performance of six million US dors, had sessfully ascended to the top, while David, with over 5.7 million, was squeezed to the second position. For a time, the entire National Tax Bureau system was abuzz once again. Lake District National Tax Bureau. David reached the office door of the Chief Tax Officer, knocked, and then walked in, looking at William and asking, "Director, you wanted to see me?" "The headquarters has already given a response about Brown Soros from the Manhattan, New York Branch a few days ago, that there''s nothing wrong with the ten million in tax revenue!" A look of helplessness crossed William''s face. He was of course aware of David regaining the top spot in tax performance just now, and he was clearly aware of being overtaken as well. So this time he had called David over also to offer somefort. David had anticipated this result long ago and showed no anger or dejection, simply nodding slightly to acknowledge the news. "However, it doesn''t matter, after all, as the first one to top the leaderboard in the new assessment period, you''ve surely left an impression on the higher-ups at the headquarters..." In the following time, Williamforted David with a few more words, and then they began to discuss the progress of the three major cases. It was not until six o''clock that they concluded their conversation. After leaving the Chief Tax Officer''s office, David went straight downstairs and left the building, ready to end a day''s work and go back to rest. "Director David!" Just as he stepped out of the building, David heard a familiar voice calling out and turned to see it was Selina. "What is it?" "How was the taste at that restaurantst time, do you want to try it again?" Selina''s question was also a way to convey to David, how about my proposalst time, should we talk again? David certainly understood. But the same answer remained, it was too dangerous to align with the Kennedy Family, and it wasn''t necessary to join forces with them yet. He refused, saying, "No need, Selina, I''m tired and I''ll just grab something simple to eat at home!" Watching David''s departing figure, a hint of helplessness appeared on Selina''s face, then she turned and got into her car. ... The next morning, while David was still walking to the National Tax Bureau, he received a call from Keanu. "Director David, I''m not rushing you, but since you''ve already agreed to take on our Brotherhood of the Main Street''s three major cases, don''t get distracted by other cases..." Keanu was neither blind nor deaf, and he naturally knew about David processing more than 5.7 million the day before. And he was almost the first to know. But to avoid causing any misunderstanding with David, he had not called immediately yesterday but waited until today. "Inspector Keanu, don''t get me wrong, I am indeed already investigating the weapon case among the three major cases, don''t worry, results wille soon!" He knew that the Mexico Gang case had caused a misunderstanding for Keanu. He was indeed collecting taxes from the Mexico Gang, but it was also to obtain the list of weapons and ounts to deal with the Gaboures Group. "Is that so... well then, I won''t disturb your investigation!" After hanging up, it wasn''t long before David arrived at the Lake District National Tax Bureau, going straight to his office. Upon entering, he found that Nisen was already there, reporting, "I''ve got it, Director, this is the information on the Brotherhood of the Main Street!" David took the dossier and began to flip through it. In America, the Brotherhood was a very famous and extremely radicalmunity organization. It was first established in the Kappa Alpha Society of 1825, and the young people who founded this organization were almost all white and the wealthy offspring of high society. If a neer wanted to join the Brotherhood, they had to ept various so-called "tasks" distributed by the elders during the swearing-in process. The tasks even included letting the applicants kill someone, firing two shots in a police station, robbing a bank, or being subjected to arbitrary physical punishment and humiliation by older members... If they couldn''t endure it, sorry, you can''t join. But if they could, they became one of their own! In short, it was a bunch of rebellious wealthy youngsters with nothing better to do and a simr stench who gathered together to kill, shoot, and rob for venting. Just like in the movie "Police Story", with A-Zu''s group of rich kids! "What are they doing with all those arms?" Yesterday, Nisen found out that the weapon case was rted to the Brotherhood, but the current document didn''t have any information on that. Nisen shook his head and replied, "That''s unknown, but I''ve found one of their in-housewyers, currently hanging out in room 1806 at the Begio Hotel." ``` Chapter 171: Chapter 129: Hunting, huh? Then Ill hunt you! "Begio Hotel... Let''s go, meet him!" David turned his head and walked out. ... Half an hourter, Begio Hotel. A car stopped at the entrance, the door opened, and David walked down with Nisen, both entering and heading straight to the door of room 1806. David lifted his leg and made a gesture, then kicked the door handle, bang, the door swung open. "Ah..." "What are you doing, this is illegal entry, I''m going to sue you!" Inside the room, a blonde bombshell screamed, while a portly man, looking at Nisen and David storming in, threatened furiously. [Name: Samson Felix.] [upation: Lawyer.] [Ie: Legitimate ie $23,000, illicit ie $150,000.] [Detailed ie: December 18th, settled a dispute for a Brotherhood member, earning a fee of $30,000, December 25th, dealt with a case for a Brotherhood member, earning a remuneration of $20,000...] [More details: ...] [Tax due: $37,500.] After scrutinizing this guy''s information, David confirmed the intelligence gathered by Nisen; indeed, this guy was the go-towyer for the Brotherhood. Meanwhile, Nisen took out the IRS badge and responded with disdain: "IRS. Go ahead and sue if you want!" "You''re from the IRS..." Upon hearing that these two were from the IRS, Samson, who had been blustering, lost some of his steam but still tried to keep hisposure: "So what if you''re from the IRS, I haven''t evaded taxes, you can''t treat me so roughly, can you?" This time Nisen didn''t respond, but David dragged a chair over and sat down in front of him. Only then did Samson notice David, but when he saw David''s face, he seemed to find it somewhat familiar... After pondering for about 10 seconds, he seemed to recall something and asked in shock, "You are... Director David!" A few days ago, the incident on the Indian Reservation had created such a stir, and as awyer, he regrly followed political news, so of course, he knew about it. And now he recognized David as the fieldmander of the Indian incident! David, unfazed, replied, "Since you recognize me, there''s no need for an introduction, right? And yes, this is how we enforce thew. Any objections?" Samson frowned and didn''t answer. Of course, he had objections, but now that he recognized David, how could he dare express them? After all,pared to a few days ago, when David had sent armed personnel with tanks, armored vehicles, and fighter jets into the Indian Reservation, this act of breaking through a door was probably not even worth a fart! "Since you have no objections, let''s get to the point. I need to ask you some questions, and you need to answer truthfully, understood?" "What do you want to ask?" "ording to our investigation, you are the retainedwyer for the Brotherhood of the Main Street organization, right?" Samson paused for a moment, then looked up and answered: "What Brotherhood, what not Brotherhood, uswyers are just trying to make money to feed our families. Whoever pays me, I can solve legal problems for anyone!" This slippery answer didn''t satisfy David, but he continued: "Our investigations show that some of your employers have acquired a batch of arms, is that so?" "Director David, don''t wrong people. Purchasing arms on one''s own is a serious offense. Oh right, arms don''t fall under your IRS''s jurisdiction, do they?" "They don''t, but where the money for the arms purchasees from and the proceeds generated from the use of the arms, that we must manage!" David''s words made Samson frown even deeper. As awyer, of course, he knew David was right; if the funds for the arms purchase couldn''t be exined, then they were from illegal sources, and taxes would need to be paid to the IRS. And the profits generated thereafter were also illegal earnings, which the IRS had the authority to investigate! After thinking for a while, he answered: "Sorry, I don''t know anything about buying arms, and neither do my employers!" David stared at him with a piercing gaze and after about 5 seconds, finally stood up and said to Nisen: "Take him back!" Nisen didn''t waste words and charged forward, grabbing Samson and pulling him up. Samson panicked, struggling and shouting: "I haven''t vited any IRSws, you can''t do this, I''m going to file aint..." However, Nisen just ignored him as if it was just the wind in his ears, not only continuing to drag him out but also not allowing him to dress, just wrapping him in a bath towel. From the corridor to the staircase, then to the hotel lobby, countless guests were dumbstruck at the sight, which made Samson so ashamed he wanted to crawl into a hole. Back at the office, David had Nisen throw Samson straight into the interrogation room. He himself returned to his office and, after about ten minutes, came out and entered the interrogation room. "Fake Yau, I''m going to sue you for violent enforcement, humiliation, invasion of privacy..." The moment he saw David enter, Samsonunched into a torrent of profanities. The rest was bearable, but mainly, being taken out of the hotel wrapped only in a bath towel was aplete loss of face for him. He didn''t know if anyone had taken video; if it got out on the inte, he''d be even more embarrassed to face his friends and family. Chapter 172: Chapter 129: Hunting, huh? Then Ill hunt you!_2 ``` David looked at him as if he were looking at a fool, "Are you done?" "Although your IRS has great power, you can''t treat aw-abiding citizen like this. You just wait and see..." "Law-abiding citizen?" David sneered dismissively and asked, "Tell me, on the 18th ofst month, did you or did you not help a member of the Brotherhood smooth over an indecent dispute?" "The 18th, indecent..." Samson, who had been incessantly angry, was momentarily taken aback upon hearing this, as if he had just remembered something. Then, regaining hisposure, he retorted, "What does that have to do with your IRS?" "Your employer, a member of the Brotherhood by the name of Boulware Leonard, gave you three thousand US dors in cash. As for where that money came from, I won''t delve into that just yet, but ording to the records of our IRS system, you didn''t dere that ie, did you?" Color drained from Samson''s face instantly. For these under-the-table payments, especially those in cash rather than through transfers, 99 out of 100 Americans wouldn''t dere them on their taxes. But what he couldn''t understand was how the IRS got wind of this. Had they nted cameras on him, or wiretapped him? Regardless of how the IRS found out, if this was proven to be true, he was definitely guilty of tax evasion! And as awyer, it was even more serious since he knew thew and broke it! "You say you gave, but I say you''re framing me!" Regardless of how the IRS found out, Samson naturally couldn''t admit to anything right now, or else he would surely be proven guilty. David, not in a hurry, leisurely said, "Alright, if you say it''s a frame-up, then it''s a frame-up. On December 25th, a member of your Brotherhood, Malthus Keir, was caught by the police in a drug bust, and you personally smoothed things over at the police station; he gave you two thousand US dors in cash as thanks. Is that also a frame-up?" Already uneasy, Samson became thoroughly disturbed upon hearing this. He could dismiss the earlier event with Boulware Leonard, but now the IRS also knew about the Malthus Keir incident. He felt that the IRS must have been secretly investigating him for a long time! After some consideration, he felt he could no longer stubbornly resist, because David seemed confident about having a hold on him. His attitude began to shift, and in a calmer tone, he asked, "What do you want?" David leaned back and replied, "Let''s talk about those employers of yours behind the scenes¡ªwhat are they doing with all those weapons?" Although weapons weren''t under the jurisdiction of the IRS. But those silver-spooned members of the Brotherhood, stockpiling such an arsenal, were definitely plotting something. He wanted to see if there was any profit to be made. Without directly answering, Samson smoothly changed the subject, "Isn''t the IRS just about collecting taxes? How about this, I will talk to my employers, see how much illegal ie they have, and let them calcte and pay up. How''s that?" Even though his employers were fearless men, being targeted by the IRS was always a hassle. He nned to reason with them with understanding and persuasive arguments. After all, what was a little money to those born with silver spoons? "No, I want to meet them!" To avoid underreporting by the Brotherhood members and also to gather more information, David felt that examining them firsthand was the most reliable approach. Samson shook his head, "No need, I can pass on the message just fine!" David chuckled at this and replied, "Do you think you have a choice right now?" "You... what do you mean by that?" "I mean, I want to meet them, and you just need to answer yes or no!" "And if I refuse?" David didn''t answer but instead motioned with a gesture toward the ss mirror. The next second, Nisen entered the room. David said, "Go contact Judge Kiesa..." "Wait, what are you going to do?" Samson grew anxious, sensing that something was amiss. ``` "I didn''t do anything, you''re awyer, aren''t you? Let''s see if you can win thiswsuit for yourself in court!" Upon hearing these words, Samson''s face instantly turned the color of liver. Everyone knows that there''s no such thing as fairness, justice, or human rights in an IRS courtroom, especially now that David holds leverage over him. Once taken to court, a prison sentence was almost certain! "They''re not in Las Vegas now!" Although Samson knew that David was merely frightening him, even so, he didn''t dare continue to resist any further. "Where are they then?" "They''re in the Redstone Mountains..." "The Redstone Mountains? What are they doing there?" Samson was silent for a while before he finally blurted out two words: "Hunting." "Exin." "..." Ten minutester, David and Nisen left the interrogation room with a solemn expression on their faces. ording to Samson''s confession. The so-called "hunting" by that group of spoiled heirs wasn''t just the hunting of animals, they were hunting humans! David had seen many movies about this sort of thing, wherein a group of satiated yet morally bankrupt wealthy individuals looked for some thrilling game to y. They would first contact human traffickers to bring them a batch of mbs'' from around the country, or even from abroad. Then, these rich folks would select one or two individuals each and finally drop them at a location to fight each other to the death. In the end, the person who had their candidate survive to thest would be dered the champion and receive a handsome sum as prize money. But what David hadn''t expected was that this kind of game, normally only seen in movies, was actually being yed in reality! David knew the Brotherhood''s heirs were somewhat extreme but had not expected them to go this far! "Chief Tax Officer, what do we do?" Nisen looked towards David. ording to Samson''s confession just now, the jackpot for this event was fifteen million US dors. This money was collective funds obtained through robbery and extortion by the members upon joining the Brotherhood. And now, this fund had be the prize for this hunting event. If they could take possession of it, it would amount to 5,940,000 US dors, truly a substantial amount. "Get Bucky and the others, take this guy with us, and let''s head to the Redstone Mountains!" ording to Samson''s confession, the heir''s hunting game had started yesterday and was supposed tost for several days. He needed to obtain more tax achievements as soon as possible, naturally he couldn''t wait until these people finished and returned, so he would have to make the trip himself. Fortunately, the Redstone Mountains weren''t too far from Las Vegas, being about a two-hour drive. "Understood!" Regarding those spoiled heirs, as each of them waswless, to ensure safety before taking action, David brought along six members from his team, in addition to Ariel and Selina, and found Hector, nning to borrow five inspectors from him. Hector was naturally very willing. He immediately recalled the five inspectors who were out on cases, put on bulletproof vests, armed themselves with rifles and other weapons, and set off towards the Redstone Mountains. ... The Redstone Mountains, located about a two-hour drive east of Las Vegas, is a vast area with magnificent natural scenery and a sparsely popted region. The name of the mountain rangees from its unique red rocks that seem to emanate a hot breath under the sunlight. The peaks are varied and picturesque, incredibly steep, and from a distance, they look like the backbone of the earth, abrupt and towering into the clouds. "Is this the ce?" After two hours of driving, David and his team had already arrived there, and inside a seven-seater service vehicle, David asked Samson, who was leading the way. Chapter 173: Number 130: Barbie took action and killed the Governors son. Samson pointed and said, "There''s a small path up the mountain on the left, about 5 kilometers away!" Following his instructions, two official vehicles immediately drove up. At the same time. In a temporary wooden cabin on the slope of the Redstone Mountains. "Shoot, shoot, take him down, Haha Morley, your ''littlemb'' was taken out by my tiger, hahaha..." "Damn it, pick up the gun, pick up the gun, you bastard!" "There are mines over there, don''t walk that way, oh sh*t..." Inside the cabin, dozens of surveince screens were set up, and the men and women gathered around them were constantly cursing and cheering at the screens. Ten minutester. Sitting in the center, a young man with red hair saw the target he had chosen eliminate three opponents and couldn''t help but burst intoughter: "Hahahaha, that bastard Marvin, finally brought me a lion!" Just now, any smug remarks made by someone in the cabin would be met with retorts and provocations from others. But strangely, after the red-haired man expressed his triumph, the room fellpletely silent, with no one daring to challenge or mock him. It was clear that even among this group of wealthy second-generation characters, the red-haired man was not someone to be trifled with! "Wait... what''s going on, why is there a caring in?" Right then, one of the second-generation characters inside the cabin spotted two iing vehicles on the screen and quickly raised the rm. Hearing his warning, everyone turned to look. Indeed, two vehicles appeared on one of the screens. And what made everyone''s heart tighten was that the vehicles were driving through the area where the red-haired man''s chosen target was just a moment ago. In their thoughts, the screen quickly showed the target encounter the two vehicles. The target had just killed three people and was already on edge; upon seeing the vehicles, he immediately opened fire on the leading one. The people in the vehicles, visible through the surveince screen, were not to be outdone and quickly stuck out their guns to return fire. Feeling the pressure of the gunfire, the target hurriedly hid behind a tree. But it was not long before he was shot in the exposed part of his leg by someone inside the vehicle with excellent marksmanship, fell to the ground, and finally had his head blown off with a shot, ending his life. "Fake Yau, Fake Yau, who the hell are they, I''m going to kill them!" The red-haired man inside the cabin was jumping up and down in frustration. He had yed this hunting game many times before but had never managed to clinch the championship. Now, just when there was a glimmer of hope, it was dashed by outsiders'' interference, fueling his rage! Without a second word, he immediately picked up an M1903 rifle and headed outside the cabin. The others exchanged nces and eventually picked up their weapons, ready to teach those outside disruptors a lesson. Meanwhile, on the side of the monitor screens. "Is everyone alright?" The vehicle with David followed behind and was not attacked by the shooter. "We''re fine, Chief Tax Officer, thankfully our vehicle has bulletproof ss." Hearing the voice from the earpiece, David breathed a sigh of relief and then turned to punch Samson in the stomach, viciously saying, "You son of a bitch, why didn''t you tell us about the danger?" Samson''s face contorted with pain, and it took him a while to recover before he replied with a grievance, "The prey''s movements in this area are unrestricted; I had no idea they would run over here..." What he really wanted to say was, it was you who insisted oning. If you hadn''t, there wouldn''t have been any danger! David asked, "Was that a prey just now?" Samson answered, "Anyone with a cor around their neck is!" "Why wear a cor?" "Because it is an explosive device. As soon as the prey runs out of the designated area, it will automatically detonate!" "You employers y really hard!" David couldn''t help but feel sad for those captured as prey, but there was no helping it; the world was a ce where the strong prey on the weak. Like their Internal Revenue Service, it was only because of their considerable power that they could sanction those criminals and now these second-generation characters. "Keep moving, be on your guard, we might encounter other prey!" David reminded them, and then the vehicle continued towards the location given by Samson for the second-generation characters'' gathering. Luckily, the rest of the journey was fortunate, with no further attacks, and they smoothly arrived within a few hundred meters of the wooden cabin. Just as everyone was about to rx, sudden gunfire erupted, and both vehicles felt the impact of bullets. "Son of a bitch!" Nisen in the leading vehicle cursed and quickly turned on the car''s PA system, shouting loudly, "Ceasefire, we are from the Internal Revenue Service!" He knew those second-generation characters must have mistaken them for troublemakers, which was why they were shooting at them. On the other side, the second-generation characters hidden around the cabin stopped pulling their triggers upon hearing that the neers were from the Internal Revenue Service, all looking at each other dumbfounded. Certainly, they didn''t know initially that the visitors were from the Internal Revenue Service, but now that they did, they wouldn''t dare to shoot. Although they tended to be above thew due to their family backgrounds and the extreme ideology of the Brotherhood, most were not foolish enough to be ignorant of the IRS''s prowess. However, while most had not lost their rationality, there were always those who did. "Go to hell, Internal Revenue Service!" This person was the red-haired man from earlier. Not only did he show no sign of stopping, but he also poked his head out from cover to get a better shot at the vehicles and unleashed a rapid burst of bullets. "Ratatat..." In the leading official vehicle, seeing that the other side dared to fire even after they had announced their identity as the Internal Revenue Service, Nisen and the others were also stunned. Had the lessons taught to the Native Americans not been harsh enough? How could anyone dare to assault the country''s tax bureau? It seemed that these heirs of the Brotherhood had indeed reached the extreme in their recklessness to y such an inhumane game! Nisen was furious, and immediately rolled down half the car window, quickly locking onto the direction from where the bullets wereing, relying on his keen observation skills. What was even more surprising was that the second-generation heir shooting at them was as foolish as an idiot, actually sticking his head out. Then he wouldn''t be polite! Nisen immediately raised his gun to aim, and then violently pulled the trigger. Given his background in the Marine Corps, his marksmanship naturally went unquestioned. Although he didn''t score a headshot, he hit the man''s neck, and the red-haired man instantly fell to the ground, clutching his bleeding neck. All of this happened in the blink of an eye. In the cabin, seeing the red-haired man fall, an heir who was close by was stunned and, realizing his fear, yelled out franticly, "Don''t shoot, I surrender, I surrender!" That said, he immediately threw out his gun. After a moment''s hesitation, the other heirs followed suit. After all, these werew enforcement officers from the Chief Tax Office, not criminals or thugs. As long as they surrendered, their lives were not at risk. Inside the vehicle. Nisen breathed a sigh of relief and spoke into the headset, "Chief Tax Officer, they are scared now!" "Then get out of the car, but be careful in case they try something!" "Understood!" The car doors opened, and Nisen and the others got out with their guns drawn, then cautiously approached the direction of the cabin. "Everyone raise your hands and step out, don''t try any tricks, or you will be dealt with without mercy!" Walking along the wall, Nisen and his team warned as they moved. The heirs were very cooperative and walked out with their hands raised. "Fake Yau, Markus is in bad shape, someone help him!" It was then that a woman''s anxious cry from the area where the red-haired man had fallen caught the attention of the heirs. Turning their heads to look, everyone was taken aback. In their previously tense nerves, many hadn''t noticed what had happened, but now upon a closer look, they saw that the red-haired man''s neck was soaked in blood, appearing as though he was struggling to breathe. By this time, Nisen had walked up and saw the red-haired man, the bullet having grazed his neck, clearly damaging an artery. With the rate of bleeding, even a god would struggle to save him in this deste wilderness. But Nisen wasn''t too concerned about it. Firstly, the guy was definitely a tax evader. Secondly, they had warned him, and after the warning, he had still dared to fire at them. Hence, Nisen''s counterattack waspletely in ordance with all rules and regtions. In short, if this guy died, it was his own fault. "Markus¡­ Fake, how did this happen, why did you shoot him, damn it¡­" By that time, David and others had also walked up, and Samson, who hade along, cursed anxiously as he ran towards the red-haired man on the ground. But not even five seconds after he reached the red-haired man''s side, the man''s pupils dted and he was gone. This left him slumped on the ground, muttering in despair, "It''s over, it''s all over¡­" "What''s the situation, Samson, who is he?" Seeing Samson like this, David couldn''t help but step forward to ask. Samson turned around, his face shifting from despair to anger, and used, "He is Stevenson Curtis''s son. Of all people, why did you have to kill him!" "Stevenson Curtis? The Governor of Nevada?" Samson, emotionally agitated, said, "What do you think!" Upon confirmation, Nisen, who had beenposed up until now, turned pale. He knew that each heir of the Brotherhood came from a background of wealth or nobility, but he hadn''t expected that he would end up killing a Governor''s son. And the Governor of Nevada, no less! In America, the power of a Governor was immense. Even the President had no authority to remove them, meaning sometimes they didn''t even have to listen to the President. In history, when the federal government needed to enactws, sometimes the President would need their cooperation to get states on board and would have to plead with these Governors. The "Deration of Independence" had stipted that each state had the right to enact its ownws, maintain armed forces, form alliances, engage inmerce, and manage trade. At that time, states in America even had the authority to issue their own currency and create their own military forces, and the federal government didn''t even have the right to tax the states. Although today the federal government has reimed many powers from the states, such as tax autonomy, which has been handed over to the Chief Tax Office, the power of the Governors remains equivalent to that of sovereign rulers. They can not only enact many statews but also direct the work within the cities in the state, and most importantly, they have the authority to deploy the National Guard. The National Guard might not be as well-equipped as the Chief Tax Office, but Nevada''s National Guard had the strength of a full brigade. This was a force not to be underestimated! Although the Chief Tax Office wasn''t afraid of a mere Governor, Nisen was just an Inspector; of course, he was afraid. After all, he wasn''t David, the star Chief Tax Officer who had made such significant contributions to the Chief Tax Office and was inmand of the armed deployment. So even if David offended the President, for the sake of image, and to set an example for other Inspectors, the Chief Tax Office would surely protect him. But Nisen, a mere Inspector, might well end up as a scapegoat to pacify the Governor''s rage, discarded quietly by the Chief Tax Office! Even if they didn''t dispose of him, transferring him to manage a water reservoir or the like would still destroy his future! Chapter 174: Chapter 131: The Governors Wrath Approaches "It''s all right," David walked over to Nisen, patted him on the shoulder, offered someforting words, then turned to instruct the others, "Go inside and check." Bucky Simmons immediately rushed into the cabin. About two minutester, they came out, each carrying a bag and cing it on the ground. But that wasn''t all; they went back in and out for about five or six trips, bringing out more than a dozen bags in total. David walked up and opened one, revealing it to be full of bundles of banknotes. ording to the information previously provided by Samson, the champion of this group of rich kids'' hunting game would win a prize of 15 million US Dors. And the total amount here was approximately that sum! David looked at the heirs present and said loudly, "Do you know why we came to find you today?" The heirs, looking at the bags of money that had been brought out and then thinking of what the Internal Revenue Service does, could not be clearer about the situation. But at this moment, they were too preupied to care about that, as the death of the red-haired man had left everyone feeling somewhat unsettled. "Because on December 3, our Internal Revenue Service passed aw, mandating that any illegally obtained ie must be taxed by our Internal Revenue Service!" "And this money... Can anyone exin where it came from?" Having said that, David looked at the people present. The money was the Brotherhood members'' funds, umted through kidnapping, extortion, and robbery; how could they possibly exin? So, they could only remain silent. "Since you can''t exin, then ording to our Internal Revenue Service''s tax rate, I''ll be taking 5.94 million US Dors from here. You don''t have any objections, do you?" Seeing that the heirs still didn''t speak, Bucky Simmons and others didn''t bother with further talk and directly proceeded to count the funds. About 15 minutes passed. Bucky gave David an OK gesture, indicating that the 5.94 million in tax revenue had been ounted for. David then said to the heirs again, "Gentlemen, pleasee with us to the Internal Revenue Service office. Don''t worry, you''ll just be giving a statement. After that''s done, we won''t detain you..." "What about Markus'' case?" An heir could no longer hold back, stood out, and red at David, his voice carrying a ming tone. David looked at him and replied, "After we announced our presence, he still dared to attack us. What do you think should happen?" "But... that doesn''t mean you can kill him!" "So, are you saying it''s okay for him to kill us?" The heir closed his mouth, no longer speaking. David then looked towards the others and pointed to the red-haired man on the ground, asking, "Anyone else want to stand up for him?" The scene was silent for a minute, with no one daring to stand out again. "Since there are none, please get ready toe with us!" In the following time, out of humanitarianism, David first had the heirs release the poor creatures in the mountains, then had them split into two groups and taken away in two official vehicles. "You two stay behind, wait for the hospital staff toe clean up the scene!" David left Bucky and Simmons in charge of the aftermath, and then he and Nisen got into a car brought by one of the heirs and headed back towards Las Vegas. Since learning that the man he had killed was the Governor''s son, Nisen had looked like a lost soul, staring nkly out of the window all the way back. David, unable to bear seeing him like this, offered reassurance, "Don''t worry, Nisen, even though you pulled the trigger, this is not a burden you will have to bear. You''ll be alright!" During the Dieter case, Nisen had once saved his life, a favor David rarely mentioned but never forgot. This operation had also been personally led andmanded by him, and both morally and logically, he had to take on all the responsibility. However, they had all acted by the book during this operation; in principle, there shouldn''t be any need to assume any responsibility. The only trouble now was that the deceased was the son of the Nevada State Governor. But to be honest, if it had been a Congressman or a Senator, David would have been somewhat wary. After all, those people held the reins of Congress. And Congress is the heart of America''s rulemaking, also the greatest source of power for the Internal Revenue Service. Although the Governor''s power was considerable, it was firstly, mostly confined to his state and secondly, he had no way to shake the source of the Internal Revenue Service''s power. So, if the other party was sensible, it was fine; otherwise, David wouldn''t mind teaching the Governor a lesson. Nisen turned his head and nodded slightly, lost in thoughts of his own. Two hourster, David and his team returned to the Lake District Sub-Bureau. He first had Nisen and the others take the heirs to the interrogation room for separate questioning in order to obtain their statements. This would make the enforcement of the operation more legitimate and leave the Governor with nothing to say or to pursue officially. Then, David himself went to the Chief''s office, knocked on the door, and entered. "How did it go? Was everything smooth?" Before departing for the Redstone Mountains, David had reported it to William, so now seeing David return, he asked. David replied, "Well, it was pretty smooth, but there were someplications. I''d like to report to you, Chief..." Chapter 175: Chapter 131: The Governors Wrath Approaches_2 ``` "What''s the situation?" "Here''s what happened: we were attacked by the other party after arriving at the Redstone Mountains, and we immediatelyunched a counterattack..." William also showed anger upon hearing that those spoiled brats dared to shoot at their National Tax Bureau people, but when he heard that the deceased was the Governor''s son, he was petrified on the spot. However, he quickly came to his senses, and his expression darkened as his brows knitted together. Even though the Governor could do nothing against their National Tax Bureau, if he set his heart on retaliating against the National Tax Bureau, then at least tax collection in the state would undoubtedly be more difficult. "Has the Governor been notified of this matter?" David replied, "On the way back, I had those rich kids notify him." After a moment of contemtion, William flipped through a telephone book from the cab, found a number, and dialed it. However, after trying several times, he couldn''t get through and finally had to call the state government directly. This time someone did answer, but they informed him that the Governor was not in the office. William could only put down the phone with a sense of helplessness and said to David after a moment of silence, "Forget it, I''ll handle this matter. You go deal with your stuff!" David nodded and immediately left the office to go to the Inspector''s Office on the third floor, where he found an inspector responsible for recording statements and asked, "How are they doing?" "These bastards, they''re not willing to cooperate now, and they''re demanding to see awyer. They won''t say anything until theirwyer arrives." David''s face darkened, and he pushed the door and entered an interrogation room. [Name: Snow Cyril.] [upation: Unemployed.] [Monthly Ie: Legal ie one hundred thousand US dors, illegal ie one hundred and thirty thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 23rd, kidnapped a rich girl, received a ransom of thirty thousand US dors, on December 26th, profited twenty thousand US dors through extortion, on January 26th, robbed a Mexico Gang leader, profited fifty thousand US dors...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: Thirty-six thousand four hundred US dors.] "No need to say it, I won''t say anything until mywyer arrives!" After several hours, this man named Snow had apparently recovered from the shock of the gruesome scene of Masca''s death, and now, he had reverted to his typical arrogant demeanor as a rich kid. David didn''t get angry either. He just looked at him and said, "Are you sure?" Snow didn''t speak but crossed his arms over his chest, exuding a confident demeanor. Without wasting more words, David walked out and said to the inspector at the door, "Check their information and bring their fathers over!" David didn''t want to waste his breath on these clueless rich kids and decided to have their fatherse over, believing that their fathers would teach them a lesson! ... Desert Oasis Hospital. Two Cadics stopped at the entrance, the doors opened, and four ck-suited bodyguards stepped out of the front car, vigntly surveying the surroundings. Soon, the door of another car also opened. Three people emerged, two men and a woman, One of the men wore sses and appeared to be in his early forties, while the other man and woman were older. They wore sunsses, and although the sunsses hid their eyes, it was still evident that they were weary. Then, they all walked into the hospital, and under the guidance of hospital staff, they made their way to a bed in the morgue. "Governor..." "Open it!" ``` ``` The bespectacled man unzipped the body bag, revealing Markus''s pale, bloodless corpse. "Oh... my boy, my boy..." The woman wearing sunsses was none other than Markus''s mother, Abbe Ingrid. Seeing her son, who had been alive and well just yesterday, now reduced to a cold corpse, she, as a mother, couldn''t bear it and burst into inconsble wailing. By her side, Nevada State Governor Stevenson Curtis was also filled with immense sorrow, but fortunately, as a seasoned politician who had navigated political waters for many years, his psychological resilience prevented him from copsing. "National Tax Bureau..." Stevenson gritted his teeth as he spat out these three words, and then turned to face the bespectacled man, demanding, "Whoever did this, I want them to pay the price they deserve!" The bespectacled man seemed troubled, but still, stiffening his resolve, he said, "Governor, that might be... somewhat difficult..." "What did you say?" Facing Stevenson''s threatening demeanor, the bespectacled man hurriedly exined, "The leader of this operation was David from the Lake District National Tax Bureau, a man whom I believe you have heard of, not so easily dealt with..." "David!" Stevenson, who had been fiercely angry, saw his rage somewhat abated upon hearing this name. He was aware of the major operation by the National Tax Bureau a few days prior to seize Native Americans'' assets, as the Governor, preupied with a myriad of duties, but he was informed. Out of curiosity, he had inquired about David''s personal information afterward and knew that he was a very capable Chief Tax Officer within the National Tax Bureau system. However, what he hadn''t expected was that his son would also end up dead at the hands of this Chief Tax Officer. "I don''t care who he is, Eugene, he took our son''s life, and he must pay with his own life!" Abbe, on the other hand, cared for none of this; in her heart, there was only the fire of revenge. The man referred to as Eugene did not argue with Abbe but pulled Stevenson aside and said, "Governor, I know you are very angry now, but this David, he just led an armed operation for the National Tax Bureau a few days ago and set a new milestone. If we strike against him or seek revenge now, it would be akin to pping the National Tax Bureau in the face¡ªwe must think thrice..." "So you''re suggesting that we just let my son''s matter drop?" Eugene waved his hands and replied, "Of course not. Although David led the operation, the person who killed Markus was someone else. We can try to take action against that Inspector first, and as for David... as long as he is in Nevada State, we can deal with him slowly once the dust settles..." As a seasoned politician, Stevenson of course understood the strength of the National Tax Bureau and knew all too well that they couldn''t just publicly shame the Bureau like that. Thus, he agreed with Eugene''s words. After a moment of silence, he said, "First, deal with the Redstone Mountains issue and see if there''s a chance to turn the tables; second, issue instructions throughout the state for all departments to superficially cooperate with the National Tax Bureau''s work; andstly, apply pressure to the Lake District Sub-Bureau so that their Branch Chief provides a detailed, reasonable exnation for this incident!" Stevenson was indeed an experienced politician. Firstly, if evidence could be found that the National Tax Bureau''s enforcement in the Redstone Mountains was illegal or beyond their jurisdiction, then that would be overstepping their authority. Forget David; even the Nevada State Bureau of the National Tax Bureau would have to face the consequences. If this blow did notnd, it was still okay. Provided his orders were carried out and the cities did not assist with the National Tax Bureau''s tax collection work, then the Bureau''s tax revenue would sharply decline, resulting in major losses. Lastly, the Lake District would definitely face tremendous pressure, and to appease his anger, they would be bound to provide him with a response! Eugene also felt that this arrangement was appropriate and promptly turned to get things done. ... Las Vegas City Hall. "The instruction that the state government just issued, does anyone have any thoughts?" The Mayor of Las Vegas, Saloyan Winston, looked at the assembly of high-level officials from the city hall. Because just moments ago, he had suddenly received an instruction from the state government. Although the state did not explicitly state it, it implied that they wanted them to adopt a perfunctory approach to the National Tax Bureau''s tax collection work in the near future, prompting him to convene a high-level city hall meeting to discuss. ``` Chapter 176: Chapter 132: Our City Hall Station is on the Side of the National Tax Administration "What on earth is going on, has some conflict arisen between the state government and the National Tax Bureau?" "I don''t know, it''s all so sudden, but however you look at it, there must have been some friction between the two." "ording to the information I''ve received, the Governor''s son died in an ident a few hours ago, not sure if..." "Bang bang bang..." Watching a group of people chattering nonstop, Saloyan banged on the table heavily and said discontentedly, "I asked for your opinions, not for you to gossip about these meaningless things!" Everyone fell silent, but they all looked at each other, none daring to speak first. It wasn''t until a full minute had passed that a firm voice finally echoed through the room. "I think the state government''s directive is inappropriate. Taxation is the foundation of our country; without it, where would the money to pay our sries and bonusese from? Without taxes, where would our city''s developmente from? Without taxes, where would our citizens'' relief and welfare fundse from? Therefore, my department will not carry out such a directive!" These righteous words caused all the high-ranking officials present, including Saloyan, to involuntarily turn their heads to look. But when they saw who was speaking, they were rendered speechless. It was none other than Gray! Others may not know, but as his colleagues, they were well aware that Gray had been caught in the Bureau''s grip. So, on the surface, Gray''s words may have sounded noble and for the people, but in reality, they all knew that, inly speaking, he was just afraid of being targeted. Gray also noticed the odd look in everyone''s eyes and quickly added, "My colleagues, don''t me me for not reminding you, the National Tax Bureau isn''t easy to provoke. You all know how formidable David is; if you dare to oppose them, you might be the next one to be unlucky!" What he was implying to everyone present was that if David could catch his weak spot, couldn''t he catch theirs as well? The people present had risen to the top ranks of city hall and were naturally very shrewd. They heard and understood his meaning and realized there was indeed truth to his words. First of all, attaining their positions, none dared im their record was spotless, nor could anyone ensure they wouldn''t be caught out. After all, Gray''s example was right there in front of them! Thinking this over, another deputy mayor present also chimed in, "I think what Deputy Mayor Gray said... does make some sense. As a world-famous city, if Las Vegas''s tax revenue plummeted, it would be difficult to exin to the residents..." "Hmm, I believe so too..." "..." Following this deputy mayor, the rest began to concur one after another. America is this federation where each state has its autonomy and, in fact, each city can essentially be said to have its autonomy as well. For instance, Governors are elected by the voters of their own states, and once elected, even the President can''t dismiss them. The same applies to mayors. They are not appointed by the state government but are elected by the citizens of their own cities. Therefore, even the Governor has no authority to dismiss a mayor. That is to say, offending the state government might at worst lead to some minor inconveniences, but their positions would certainly be secure. But offending the National Tax Bureau was another matter entirely. If their city hall really were to be adversaries with it, who knew whether David had something on them? If he did, and went after them, they could forget about saving their jobs¡ªnot only would they face disgrace, but they might even end up in prison! The people present were all clever enough to weigh the pros and cons and make the choice that made sense! Having thought it over carefully, Saloyan also realized it made sense. If forced to choose sides between the state government and the National Tax Bureau, it seemed choosing the Tax Bureau was the better option! He then steeled himself and said, "Fine, let''s ignore the state government''s directive and carry on as we were!" Nevada State had a total of 19 cities. Apart from Las Vegas, at the same moment, the other 18 cities had also received the directive from the state government. However, unlike Las Vegas, after weighing the advantages and disadvantages, these 18 cities made a different decision. Their choice was to carry out the state government''s directive! The reason was simple, as the National Tax Bureaus in these other cities didn''t have someone as formidable as David, nor did their city halls have a deputy mayor like Gray, who had been caught in David''s grip. Therefore, they had nothing to fear and chose to follow the state government''s directive. Of course, at this time, David from the Lake District National Tax Bureau was unaware of all this, as he was discussing matters in his office with the fathers of that second-generation rich kid. "I don''t mean to make things difficult for you gentlemen. Your sons'' misdeeds are none of our bureau''s business, and I have no interest in them. As long as you make them cooperate and give us a statement, they can leave immediately. Otherwise, it won''t be just your sons who can''t get away, but you as well. Do you understand?" Listening to David''s threats, all the fathers present fell silent. They might be part of Las Vegas''s high society, but they didn''t hold sway over the National Tax Bureau. Moreover, they had already learned that their sons hadmitted many crimes, including incitement to murder, human trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, and tax evasion. If they had been caught by the police or anotherw enforcement agency, they might have been able to use their connections to try and smooth things over. But having been caught by the National Tax Bureau, they didn''t have the confidence to resolve the matter. Furthermore, they knew that Director David was someone not to be trifled with. This was a formidable man who could even bring the Indian tribes to heel! As the atmosphere had grown silent, Bucky pushed the door open and said, "Director, a man iming to be a legal advisor from the state government has arrived, saying he wants to see the people brought back from the Redstone Mountains." "A legal advisor from the state government?" David''s brow furrowed; it must be someone sent by Governor Stevenson, and since they wanted to talk to those spoiled brats, his guess was that they were trying to ensure they didn''t speak out of turn. No, that won''t do! He must get their confessions as soon as possible! "Gentlemen, go now and persuade your sons, have them cooperate with us!" he said to the fathers, before turning to Bucky, "Bring that legal advisor here!" Bucky nodded and left, while the fathers looked at each other before reluctantly heading outside the office, not daring to defy David''s wishes. About five minutester. Nisen entered with a man donning a dark gray suit and carrying a briefcase. [Name: Aldrich Austin.] [upation: Attorney.] [Ie: Legal ie of 95,000 US dors, illegal ie of 120,365 US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 16, settled a legal dispute for the State''s Chief Auditor, receiving an under-the-table reward of Twenty Thousand US dors; on December 3, resolved a legal dispute for the State Treasurer, earning Fifteen Thousands US dors in privatepensation; on January 4¡­] [Tax Due: 36,423 US dors.] "You must be Director David," the attorney, who introduced himself as Aldrich, said with a hint of impatience. "I''ve been sent by the state government to handle matters involving the Redstone Mountains incident. I hope you can amodate me and let me see those young men!" Clearly, Aldrich wanted to quickly discuss matters with those spoiled heirs and settle everything. "Of course, as an attorney, you can see whoever you want, just not right now. You''ll have to wait a while!" David said slowly. "What do you mean by that?" "Nothing in particr, they''re just a bit busy at the moment." Aldrich became anxious upon hearing this. He was acutely aware that if those young heirs really made honest confessions and the National Tax Bureau got their hands on them, it would be trouble. He immediately objected, "Director David, ording to the procedure, we attorneys have the right to speak with them as soon as we arrive!" "Get your facts straight," David retorted, "What we''ve brought back here isn''t a suspect. He''s merely amon citizen. ording to the procedure, your so-called rights are invalid!" "You¡­" Aldrich was at a loss for words. True, he was used to the way police and FBI thought; thesew enforcement agencies normally listed individuals as suspects before bringing them in for questioning. And as attorneys, they had the right to intervene and advise their clients during these initial moments. But this was the National Tax Bureau. And as David had said, those young people weren''t suspects, so ording to the rules, it seemed Aldrich was out of luck. He also knew that David was merely ying word games, but he couldn''t find any legal grounds to refute him on the spot. "Oh, by the way¡­" David feigned remembrance, putting on a sorrowful expression, "This has to do with the Redstone Mountains incident, the unfortunate event involving the Governor''s son. I am deeply sorry for it, but there''s nothing I can do. We were just enforcing thew and I hope he can understand¡­" "The Governor has said that if it''s normalw enforcement, then of course there''s no problem, but if it isn''t standard, or doesn''tply with the rules¡­" Aldrich replied in a forced smile, the threat in his tone unmistakable. David, detecting the threat in Aldrich''s words, responded, "Of course, our actions are entirely in line with the rules and regtions. I will send a detailed report of the case to the Governor the day after tomorrow!" "That would certainly be for the best," Aldrich replied with a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. While the two of them were having this conversation. In the interrogation rooms of the Inspector''s Office on the third floor, a cacophony of noises erupted. "Dad, if I tell everything, it could cause a lot of trouble. I might even end up in jail. The state government has already called and told me not to say anything out of line and that they''ll tell me what to do when they get here. I think maybe I should¡­" "Wait my ass, don''t worry about the state government anymore! Director David has already assured me that the National Tax Bureau is just here to collect taxes, nothing more. Just give a full ount of what happened in your statement, and we can go home," one father interrupted. "But¡­" "Damn it, record it now, or I''ll disown you, and you can handle this on your own!" "¡­" Under the furious coercion of their fathers, the spoiled brats couldn''t hold out any longer. After all, their every advantage was dependent on their family background, and now with their fathers threatening to disown them, they could hardly continue to resist. Consequently, they had no choice but to follow the instructions of Bucky Simmons and others, starting to record their statements about the Redstone Mountains incident. Chapter 177: Chapter 133: Arms Case Resolved, Euphoria in the Big City District Soon, the confessions of all the second-generation scions had been honestly recorded. Bucky, holding the thick stack of confession materials, walked into David''s office and gave an OK sign. Aldrich sensed that something was amiss, abruptly stood up, and said urgently, "Can I go see them now?" David didn''t reply but made a ''be my guest'' gesture. Then, Aldrich couldn''t care less, he dashed down towards the third floor to the Inspector''s Office like a madman. By the time he got there, he found that these scions were being prepared for departure by their fathers. In a flurry, Aldrich''s gaze swept through the crowd until he spotted a young man with a nose ring, and then approached him, saying, "What''s going on, Snow? What did you tell them?" The man named Snow shrank back, stammering in response, "I recorded a statement about what happened at the scene..." "A statement about the scene? Wait... are you saying that you spilled everything that happened at the Redstone Mountains?" Snow''s head drooped, in a gesture that suggested tacit admission. Fuck, didn''t I tell you not to talk nonsense before I got here!" Aldrich cursed furiously. The Governor sent him specifically to find a point of attack against the National Tax Bureau for misconduct or excessive enforcement in this matter. Now that these guys had all confessed and the Tax Bureau had their statements, what case was there left for him to make? "I didn''t want to..." Snow nced at his father next to him. Just before, he had thought about not recording it, but when his father went as far as to threaten to sever their father-son rtionship, what could he do? Fuck! Aldrich cursed again, and with no way to salvage the situation, he could only turn and walk out of the National Tax Bureau, getting into the car before dialing a number. "Sorry, Governor, that David is too cunning. He threatened the young people''s parents intoing over and got the young people to record a statement about the incident. I''m afraid it''s not possible to find an angle from this..." Carson City, a certain church. Hearing this, Stevenson''s grip on his phone made it creak. After responding with acknowledgement, he turned to Eugene beside him and asked, "How are things at the city halls elsewhere?" "All 18 cities in the state have given a clear response, saying they will cooperate with the state government''s directive, only Las Vegas..." Eugene didn''t finish speaking, but his meaning was clear. Stevenson''s expression turned fierce as he said, "Las Vegas City Hall dares to ignore my words?" "They are very afraid of the Tax Bureau... oh no, to be precise, they are very afraid of that David. Based on the information we got, Deputy Mayor Gray from City Hall was almost killed by David for pleading on behalf of the Indian Tribe. It''s said that David eventually gave him a break, so now the others in City Hall are also afraid of meeting the same fate..." Stevenson was somewhat surprised to hear this. He knew David was capable, having cleaned up many of Las Vegas''swbreakers, but he did not realize even the City Hall had been dealt with by David. "But that''s not a problem, Governor. As long as the tax revenues of these 18 cities'' Tax Bureaus drop, the pressure will definitely be pushed on to their state office. Faced with pressure, they will have to do something..." Eugene followed up. After thinking for a moment, Stevenson said, "That''s not enough. Drop a hint to the city halls of these 18 cities, let them apply some pressure to the Tax Bureau..." "Governor Stevenson..." Hearing the distant call of a Priest, Stevenson didn''t say more. He gave Eugene a look to get moving, then turned and went up to prepare a prayer for his son. ... Lake District National Tax Bureau. David carefully reviewed the confessions. They were consistently alike; not only did the scions describe their own criminal acts, but they also detailed the events that transpired at the scene, which proved that the Tax Bureau''s enforcement was free from misconduct or excess. This, atst, put his mind at ease! At the end of the confessions, a list of relevant documents appeared. It was information about the arms deals between the arms group and the scions, something David had specifically instructed the Inspectors to extricate from their confessions. David took out another list from the cab that he had previously obtained from Zimmerman. He oveid the two, put them in his pocket, stood up, and said, "Call Nisen, let''s go meet Gaboures!" ... "Chief Tax Officer, did the Director say anything?" On the way towards the main district, Nisen was still in a state of unease. He naturally knew about the state government legal advisor''s arrival, which indicated that the Governor would not let things rest easily. Davis, stone-faced, replied, "You did nothing wrong. What could the Director say?" "Yes, Nisen, the Chief Tax Officer is right. We enforced thew ording to procedure, without any issues. The Governor can''t retaliate with power, right? Don''t worry, you''re fine!" Bucky, who was driving, alsoforted him. After the reassurance from both men, Nisen finally rxed somewhat. At the junction between Las Vegas''s main district and the suburbs, therey arge warehouse. This was thergest stronghold of the Gaboures arms group. ording to the documentation, this warehouse was ostensibly used for storing industrial equipment, but upon investigation, it turned out to be a weapons transfer station for the group. Chapter 178: Chapter 133: Arms Case Resolved, Euphoria in the Big City District_2 When David and his team arrived, they found that there were about dozens of workers loading and unloading several trucks. Driven by curiosity, Bucky stepped forward and tore open the packing film of one cargo, and after finding that it indeed contained some equipment, he seemed a bit disappointed. Just then, a manager wearing a safety helmet approached and rebuked, "What are you doing, tearing our packaging like this?" Nisen took out his tax badge and said, "National Tax Bureau, we''re here to see your boss, Mr. Gabourey!" Upon hearing it was the National Tax Bureau, the manager was startled and then replied, "Mr. Gabourey is not here." David responded, "Then who is in charge here right now?" "Mr. Kane is here," came the reply. "Kane? Alright, then notify him for us, say we want to have a talk." David had met Kane previously in the Indian Reservation and knew that he was the second inmand of the group. In a deep part of the warehouse, inside an office. Kane was intently reviewing a list of purchase requests when a knock on the door sounded, and he quickly said, "Come in." The next second, the warehouse manager wearing a safety helmet came in and said, "Mr. Kane, the people from the National Tax Bureau are here, they want to see you." "The National Tax Bureau?" Kane blinked in surprise but quickly regained hisposure. Audit visits from the National Tax Bureau weren''t new; probably just another routine inspection! With this thought, he said, "Bring them over!" "Alright." A few minutester, the office door was knocked again, and the manager brought David and his twopanions inside. Kane stood up, about to say something, but when he saw David''s face, his pupils constricted sharply. At the entrance of the Indian Tribe, he had encountered David, but since he didn''t recognize him at the time, he thought nothing of it. It was only after seeing the news about the National Tax Bureau''s armed raid on the Reservation did he truly recognize David and realize that the Chief Tax Officer was not someone to be trifled with. "Mr. Kane, what''s the matter, surprised to see me?" David''s voice snapped the startled Kane back to reality. He tried to act normal and replied, "Quite a surprise indeed, considering your jurisdiction is in the Lake District, Director David, what brings you to Main Street?" "My jurisdiction is indeed in the Lake District, but I was asked by the Main Street division to handle some cases, which is why I crossed over." Hearing that David was invited by the Main Street division, Kane felt a bad premonition. They had been investigated many times by Main Street, but had always managed to defuse the situation. But he hadn''t expected them to be persistent enough to invite David over, which spelled trouble... "I want to see your brother, Mr. Gabourey, let hime over for a talk!" Kane''s brow furrowed slightly, and he replied, "My brother is tied up with important matters, anything you need you can tell me, I can make decisions for everything here!" David looked straight at him and said, in a tone that brooked no refusal, "No, you can''t make the decisions, and as I said, I want to talk to Mr. Gabourey." Fuming inside, Kane felt David''s words to be an insult, but remembering the ruthlessness of David leading the armed forces into the Indian Reservation, he ultimately didn''t dare to argue further and picked up his phone to dial a number. About half an hourter. A man who looked somewhat like Kane but possessed a more steady demeanor walked in; he was Gabourey. First, he came up to David, smiled, and extended his hand, "Chief Tax Officer David, I''ve heard much about you!" "The same goes for me, Mr. Gabourey, I have likewise heard of your reputation!" [Name: Gaboures Darnel.] [upation: Arms Dealer.] [Ie: Sixteen million five hundred thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 7th, provided a batch of arms to the Mexico Gang, earning a profit of eight hundred thousand US dors, on December 19th, supplied a batch of arms to the Main Street Mafia, earning Six Hundred Thousand US dors, on December 28th, provided a batch of arms to an African Gang Leader, earning a profit of one million...] [More Details:...] [Tax owed: Six million one hundred seventy-seven thousand six hundred US dors] As they shook hands, David was examining the man''s information. When he saw that this fellow''s ie was over fifteen million dors, David was mildly astonished. Initially, the results from Keanu''s investigation indicated that Gabourey was earning around four million dors a month. But now, with a look through "the golden finger," it wasn''t anywhere close to four million; it was nearly four times that! However, upon further consideration, this seemed reasonable. First, it''s been almost two months since the passage of the ck Tax bill; sixteen million five hundred thousand dors meant Gabourey was making about seven million three hundred thousand dors a month, which is just over three million more than the estimated four million. Considering Zimmerman was earning over fourteen million and they were both in the lucratively profitable arms business, it was actually quite normal for Gabourey to have this ie! "Chief Tax Officer David, the tax affairs of my warehouse are handled by a team ofwyers and ountants, there shouldn''t be any problems. May I ask the purpose of your visit today...?" After the introductions, Gabourey cut straight to the chase. "The purpose of the National Tax Bureau, of course, is to collect taxes, Mr. Gabourey, we are all intelligent people, I won''t beat around the bush. We know what you are involved in, so just pay the taxes you owe, and we promise we''ll turn around and leave without further hassle. Your business can continue to operate smoothly. How does that sound?" Chapter 179: Chapter 133: Arms Case Resolved, Euphoria in the Big City District_3 Gaboures paused for a moment, then replied with an unruffled demeanor, "Director David, I don''t understand what you mean. I''ll say it again: there are no tax issues with our warehouse!" David shed a disdainful smile and then took out the two lists from his pocket and ced them on the table. Gaboures, puzzled, asked, "What is this?" "Look and you''ll know!" Gaboures stared at David intently, noting his confident and unafraid demeanor. A bad premonition flickered through his mind, but he still picked up the lists to examine them. As he gradually took in the contents of the lists, Gaboures''s originally calm face turned to surprise, then darkened. Kane also noticed something was off with his brother and immediately took the lists to look, quickly adopting the same expression as his brother. "How did you get..." "We''re in the business of equipment, I don''t know what this stuff on the lists is!" Before Kane could finish, Gaboures cut him off abruptly. Regardless of how David got his hands on them, they were just two lists, including some deposits and remittance ounts. Though it was a bit troublesome, he was confident that his team ofwyers andwork of connections could smooth things over. If it came to it, they''d just stop doing business with those two forces. Compared to paying tribute to the IRS every month, it was worth it! David wasn''t in a hurry either. He slowly began, "Do you really think we only have these two?" Gaboures paused, following up with, "What do you mean?" "On December 19, you provided a batch of arms to a mafia in the downtown area, including 100 M1 series rifles, 10 boxes of grenades, 100 M1911 pistols... The total transaction was Three Million US dors, and you personally took Six Hundred Thousand US dors!" "On December 28, you provided a batch of arms to an African Gang Leader, including 50 RPGs, 1,000 AK47s, 100 TM-62M anti-tank mines... The total transaction was seven million US dors, and you made one million in profit..." "And then there''s January 14..." As David detailed each transaction, both Kane and Gaboures grew restless. They were both shocked and puzzled, having originally thought the IRS was only investigating those two transactions. What they hadn''t expected was that nearly all their deals from the past couple of months had been thoroughly investigated. Both of them began to suspect an internal leak within their organization. Otherwise, how could the IRS have obtained so much detailed information? David didn''t care what they were thinking, and continued, "We have details of every transaction you made, every iing ount, as well as the ounts where funds were transferred out. What do you think, should we freeze them all?" After a lengthy silence, Gaboures''s face regained a little color, and with reluctance he said, "Do we have any other choice?" David rose to his feet and said, "By tomorrow noon, bring all your people and the taxes you owe to downtown to pay off your debt. Don''t think about underreporting or inting the tax amount. If we find out, we won''t be as nice as we are now!" Knowing the other party had no other choice, David left these words behind and turned to push the door and leave. After he left, Kane asked with indignation, "Big brother, are we just going to let them ughter us like this? As far as I know, the rates for the ck Tax Law are very high; we need to pay almost 40% of our ie!" Gaboures''s face showed alternating emotions, replying, "Do you think I want to?" If it were only those two lists, that might have been somewhat manageable. But now it wasn''t just the two lists that were simple; all their transactions had been under the watchful eye of the IRS. If they dared notply or resist, the fate of the Indian Tribe yesterday could very well be theirs tomorrow! "This..." Kane was at a loss for words. "Go tell them," instructed Gaboures resignedly, "to prepare the money. We''ve made enough over the years; think of it as shelling out some cash to avert disaster!" Gaboures sighed helplessly. ... On the way back, David took out his phone and dialed Keanu''s number. Soon, the call connected, and Keanu''s voice came through, "How did it go, Director David?" "The arms case has been settled. After we collect the money tomorrow, remember to transfer it to our Lake District!" Meanwhile, in an office at the downtown district station, When Keanu heard that the arms case was settled, he was initially stunned, then subdued his joy and confirmed again, "Director David, are you serious?" "Of course." With confirmation, Keanu finally allowed himself to be truly excited. Then he thought of something else and asked, "Okay, after we receive it tomorrow, I''ll transfer it right away to you. How much will it be in total?" "For Gaboures, it''s Six Million, One Hundred Seventy-Seven Thousand Six Hundred US dors, and for the group''s number two, Kane, it''s Two Million Three Hundred Thousand US dors. Including the core members of the group, there should be about Ten Million!" "What, Ten Million?" Keanu was startled, then quickly rified, "The over six million for Gaboures, Kane''s two hundred thirty thousand, is that their ie, or the amount of taxes they need to pay us?" Chapter 180: Chapter 134: Tens of Millions of Taxes Collected, Accounts Settled by Both Parties "Pure revenue collection!" Keanu was shocked once more and asked, "What! Are you sure this is pure revenue collection?" "Nonsense!" "How could it be so much?" Although Director David had confirmed it several times, even so, at this moment, Keanu still found it hard to believe. They had been investigating the military arms case for two or three months, and the data they obtained, which is the monthly ie of Gaboures, was only around 3 million US dors. As for the 4 million US dors mentioned earlier when they had talked with David, it had already been on the inted side. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that even the exaggerated 4 million was just pure personal ie, not the amount they needed to pay to their Internal Revenue Service. Originally, he had nned to calcte based on an ie of 4 million for Gaboures, and thought it would be good to sessfully collect 1.2 million in tax. But who would have thought, now David was actually telling him that the tax Gaboures needed to pay alone had already reached more than 6 million. David replied, "What''s so surprising about that? Haven''t you thought about how long the ck taxw has been in effect? It''s almost been two months!" "Two months..." Keanu then remembered this detail. Indeed, now for the Gaboures Group, it was no longer appropriate to summarize the revenue based on monthly collection, but on two months'' collection. However, that being said. Even if it was for two months, the tax collection of more than 6 million was still terrifying. That is to say, Gaboures needed to pay a tax of 3 million per month, while his personal monthly ie was over 7 million. Over 7 million! Initially, when he had exaggerated, he had only dared to guess 4 million, now it had exceeded that by arge margin. And another point. When they took over this case, they originally nned to only crack open Gaboures alone, and collecting his personal tax would have been good enough. As for uniformly collecting the taxes from those key members of their group, that was something they didn''t even dare to think about! And now it seemed like David had taken care of everything, otherwise he wouldn''t have reported a total of around 10 million US dors in tax revenue! This was a bit too outrageous! "Alright, alright, I got it, Director David. After the tax money arrives here, we will transfer it to you immediately, that''s all for now!" After hanging up the phone, Keanu burst out of the room and went to the chief''s office, crashing in without even knocking on the door. Katharine was reviewing the bureau''s documents and was startled by Keanu bursting in so suddenly; she then said with a frown, "What''s with the panic?" Keanu couldn''t bother with apologies and blurted out, "Chief, there''s news from Director David, he said the arms case has been cracked!" "What did you say? Really?" Katharine''s face, which was still stern, lit up at the news and she followed up, "How much tax revenue did we receive?" This was her main concern at the moment. "ording to Director David, just from Gaboures himself, we collected over 6.1 million, and with the key members of their group, because of the ck taxw being in effect for almost two months, the total sum is about 10 million or so!" "What did you say? 10 million?" Katharine stood up abruptly, her face filled with disbelief. Despite being the chief and busy with daily affairs, the arms case was a major case in their district, and she roughly knew the specifics. But collecting 10 million in tax from the group was something she could never have imagined and had never considered. Keanu said, "I couldn''t believe it when I first heard it either, but I confirmed several times with Director David. He didn''t seem to be joking, so it must be true!" Katharine tried to calm her emotions and slowly sat down again. 10 million might be a bit far-fetched, but David would never dare to make such a im to them without absolute certainty. But the thought of such arge sum of tax moneying into the coffers stirred her emotions once more. ording to the agreement with David, if David was to take 60%, that would be 6 million, and their district bureau would take 40%, which is 4 million! 4 million US dors! This was far more than the tax revenue they had collected in thest several assessment periodsbined! And with this tax money ounted for, their district bureau''s ranking would not exactly skyrocket nationally, but saying it would soar like a ne would definitely not be an exaggeration! "Of course, it''s because you, chief, were more astute in the beginning and didn''t follow David''s path, otherwise we would have really missed out big time!" What Keanu was referring to were the two options initially provided by David. At the time, David''s choices were either a 37% share. Or a 55% share, but if Gaboures''s ie exceeded 5 million a month, any tax revenue from the surplus would go to him. Ultimately, Katharine firmly chose the former, which was then negotiated up to 46%. But anyway, it was a good thing that Katharine had chosen the former option, otherwise they would have really lost out big time. Hearing this, Katharine also secretly rejoiced in her heart. This was a pure tax revenue of 10 million. If she had chosen the 55% share initially, and any tax revenue over 5 million would belong to David, then now, from this pure tax revenue of 10 million, they would be lucky to receive 2 million. After all, if you only count an ie of 5 million for Gaboures, two months would be 10 million, and ording to the tax rate, he would only need to pay about 4 million. Chapter 181: Chapter 134: Tens of Millions of Taxes Collected, Accounts Settled by Both Parties_2 But after sharing 55% with David, four million didn''t even leave them with two million! "Director, it looks like the information from our Intelligence Division was especially inurate regarding the deviations that may result from these three major cases. It''s quite possible the other two cases are simr. If that''s true, then the tax revenue from the next two cases... may very well surprise us again!" Keanu''s statement was like an awakening for those lost in a dream. Katharine also snapped back to reality from the staggering thought of 10 million in tax revenue. Indeed. If the arms case alone could generate 10 million, then the other two cases... might also yield such significant tax revenue. And if all three cases brought in 10 million each in taxes, and they got a 40% share, that would be 12 million! With 12 million, their Large Street Sub-division''s national tax performance ranking wouldn''t just soar like an airne¡ªit would rocket skyward! Though still far behind the Lake District Sub-Bureau because of David, the "bug" that couldn''t bepared with, their Large Street''s performance of 12 million would definitely be considered extraordinary. Whether it was the municipal, state, or even the federal office, they would undoubtedlyvish them with high praise! The mere thought of having the same opportunity as the Lake District, receiving personalmendation calls from the highest levels of the headquarters, made Katharine feel as if she was floating on air. It took her a good while toe back down to earth and say, "If the other two major cases can also bring in such a hefty tax revenue, that would be ideal, but it''s still too early to tell. Let''s see what tomorrow brings!" Although David had confirmed it, until the tax revenue was securely in hand, there was still a considerable element of uncertainty, so she felt it was too early to celebrate. "The Director is right, let''s wait for the results tomorrow!" After leaving the Director''s office, Keanu personally went to the storeroom department in preparation for tomorrow''s reception duties to make sure the staff were ready for therge tax revenue intake. The personnel there were quite shocked when they learned that they might be receiving 10 million in taxes the next day. And this news quickly spread throughout the Large Street Sub-division. Upon hearing that the arms case seemed to have been cracked and that the tax revenue was as high as several millions, all the inspectors at the Large Street Sub-division were abuzz with excitement. The case had eluded them for so long, but they could hardly believe it had been resolved, let alone that it had yielded several millions in taxes. Many inspectors and even the Chief Tax Officers began to inquire everywhere, eager to find out which inspection team or individual inspector had cracked the case. But after a half-day''s effort, all ten inspection teams of Large Street seemed utterly clueless and uninformed. Out of options, the Chief Tax Officers could only rush to Keanu to inquire directly. Seeing that the news had spread, Keanu had nothing to hide anymore and simplyid out the sequence of events. On hearing that the case was solved with the help of David from Lake District, everyone was first stunned but quickly understood. No wonder this case, stagnant for months, had been suddenly cracked and generated such a massive tax revenue. But if David took on the case, it all made sense. After all, David''s abilities were well recognized. Although several millions in taxes seemed exaggerated, it was usible with his capabilities. ... With the entire Large Street Sub-division eagerly awaiting, the next day arrived quickly. The inspectors arrived at the office early in the morning, all losing interest in going out for investigations and instead gathered in the Inspector''s Office, waiting to witness the arrival of the ''legendary'' million in taxes. At 9:30 A.M. A convoy of several vehicles suddenly pulled up in front of the Large Street Sub-division. The doors opened, and Mr. Gaboures and his brother Kane, both wearing sunsses, were the first to step out, followed by people from other cars who also exited in unison. They opened their trunks and began to carry suitcases and luggage, and then they all proceeded to walk into the reception hall. Inspector''s Office on the third floor. "They''re here, the people from Gaboures Group have reallye!" Someone shouted this on the scene, and immediately all the Inspectors'' spirits were lifted as their gazes quickly turned toward the elevator and stairway entrances. Upon hearing the news, Keanu and other senior officials hurried to the office at top speed. As the elevator dinged open, sure enough, the leading man who stepped out was almost universally known to the Inspectors present¡ªit was Gabourey, the very man they had dreamed of taking down! Even though Gabourey and his entourage were used to rough seas, the stares of the entire office "fixed upon them with tiger-like eagerness" visibly shook them. After all, they were engaged in illicit activities, and this was the domain ofw enforcement, so an inherent feeling of guilt could not be escaped. Seeing that the situation was not good, Keanu quickly scolded the Inspectors, "What are you looking at? Don''t you have work to do?" The group of Inspectors immediately sat down and pretended to start working on various files, but their peripheral vision still stealthily watched Gabourey and his people, as well as the cases they were carrying. Keanu, suppressing the tion in his heart, stepped forward to greet them, "Mr. Gabourey, wee to our National Tax Bureau!" Since the enactment of the new tax legition, this was the Lake District Sub-Bureau''srgest tax revenue, and therefore Keanu''s tone was very polite. After all, it was like weing the God of Wealth! Gabourey''s expression showed some displeasure as he replied, "Director David assured me that as long as the taxes are paid, there would be no trouble. But now that so many of you are making me the center of attention, isn''t that going to cause me problems?" Keanu assured, "Rest assured, Mr. Gabourey, Director David''s promise is a promise from the Lake District Sub-Bureau. Any trouble that arises from us at the National Tax Bureau, we will take the consequences for you!" Gabourey''s expression finally rxed a bit as he said, "I have brought the money." "Please follow me!" Keanu made a gesture of invitation, then led Gabourey and his entourage to the tax revenue department. Yesterday, Keanu had already instructed the revenue department to make preparations, so today all the staff there were fully present and full of zeal. In less than an hour, the tax situation of Gabourey and his key personnel was almostpletely tallied. Throughout this period, Keanu never left the side, and the joy on his face grew increasingly intense. Although he was not yet clear on the specific numbers, from observations, it seemed that there was not much difference from the 10 million USD that David had mentioned! At this moment, the supervisor of the tax vault seemed to have calcted the figure and came to Keanu''s side, saying, "It''s been counted, a total of 11.365 million US dors." "11.365 million!" Keanu''s expectation was only 10 million, but he had not expected it to exceed that by 1.365 million, a wee surprise indeed. "Handle the transaction, andter transfer 60 percent of the tax to the Lake District Branch!" Having dropped this sentence, Keanu immediately went to Katharine''s office to share the joy. On hearing they had brought in 11.36 million, Katharine was also overjoyed, thest vestige of her concern disappearingpletely. Then she asked, "Has the tax been transferred to the Lake District yet?" "The tax vault staff are already processing it!" "That''s good. Give David a call and inform him, also inquire about the progress of the other two cases, see if there''s anything we can help with!" Having tasted the sweetness of this substantial tax revenue, Katharine wanted to keep up the momentum and quickly wrap up the other two cases as well. Chapter 182: Chapter 135: Tax Revenue in 18 Cities Halved Sparks, located in the western part of Nevada, is about 32 kilometers away from Las Vegas and situated at the northeastern edge of the Las Vegas Valley. "Chief Tax Officer, I''ve checked it out, the guys who robbed the Bulgari shipment half a month ago are indeed them!" "Did they sell the stolen goods?" "They did, ording to my informant, they got 1.1 million US Dors!" "Good, notify Pope and the others, we''re going to make an arrest!" The second inspection squad of the West Sparks City State Tax Bureau, led by Inspector Richards, was heading toward a ckmunity about 5 kilometers away from them. Along the way, everyone was chatting andughing, in high spirits. This jewelry case had been a tough nut to crack for almost a month for their squad. And now that the amount involved had reached 1.1 million, ording to the tax rate, they would be able to collect over 400 thousand US Dors in taxes, a whopping sum that would surely allow their squad to hold their heads high for this assessment period! Amidst theughter, the squad soon arrived at the entrance to themunity. But upon arrival, they found over a dozen police cars parked at the entrance, something they hadn''t expected. "Damn, how did the police manage to nab them?" Before they could even process what had happened, an agitated voice of one of the inspectors caused Richards and others to look toward themunity gate instantly. Six ck men were being taken out of the gate by the police in a tight line. And these six men were none other than their intended targets for the operation! "Fuck Yau!" Richards punched the steering wheel in frustration, his face contorted with rage. Due to the "ck Tax Act," the State Tax Bureau had the right to tax any criminals. However, once a criminal fell into police custody, they would no longer have the right to collect taxes from them. In other words, the case they had been working on for so long had gone up in smoke. That was more than 400 thousand dors in tax revenue at stake! The inspectors from the second squad of the West Sparks City State Tax Bureau were each devastated by this development. "Wait a minute... Something''s not right here." Just as Richards and his colleagues were filled with regret, Pope, one of the inspectors, seemed to have noticed something strange and expressed surprise. Richards, deeply annoyed, quickly tossed those thoughts aside and redirected his focus to the events unfolding at the entrance of themunity. After those six men, the police brought out another ten to twenty people. Among them, many were criminals who had paid their taxes to the State Tax Bureau before, so they recognized quite a few faces. "Chief Tax Officer, something''s off, Pete, Aneke, and the others, they''re just petty thieves, and Michelle and her group of streetwalkers, why would the police suddenly arrest them too?" Inspector Pope noticed that something was amiss. Sparks was not a city known for its strictws, and its police had never been particrly proactive. Dealing with a jewelry heist involving over a million dors was one thing, but now the police were detaining petty thieves and even streetwalkers, a profession that was almost tacitly epted as legal¡ªwhen did the police be so idle? With Pope''s interjection, Richards also sensed the anomaly. Immediately, he opened the car door, stepped out, and approached a police officer he had seen a few times before, saying, "Hello, Martin." "Richards, Chief Inspector, what a coincidence, eh?" "Yeah, Martin, what''s this all about, why have you arrested so many people?" "Ah, don''t get me started. This morning, the city hall issued notifications to our department, demanding a strict crackdown in our jurisdiction starting today. We need to sweep clear any criminal activity. Every police inspector has been issued a KPI, and those who don''t meet it will be punished!" "City hall issued a crackdown notification?" Richards was stunned. He had worked in the city for seven to eight years and had never seen city hall issue such serious crackdown notifications. Furthermore, the city''s police force had always been short-staffed; wouldn''t this mean the police didn''t have to deal with any other cases? What the hell was city hall up to? "Chief Tax Officer, if city hall really is intent on such a strict crackdown on crime, then our tax collection is going to be ruined!" Pope''s reminder made Richards snap back to reality. Indeed. If they wanted to fulfill the goals of the ck Tax Act, they would need arge number of criminals to tax. If the police were really cracking down this hard, not only would they lose the taxpayers they had secured previously, but what taxes could they potentially collect in the future? "Let''s head back!" Pope immediately returned to the car; he needed to rush back to the bureau and report this to the Chief Inspector to figure out what to do next! Outside of Sparks City, at the same time, the city halls of the other 17 cities in Nevada also notified theirw enforcement departments to immediately begin strict crackdowns in their cities. The inspectors from all the big cities were filled withints and anxiety. With the onset of this crackdown, arge number of criminals would be caught, which would be a staggering loss for the tax revenue from the ck taxes collected by the State Tax Bureau! While the State Tax Bureaus in various cities were overwhelmed, a bit of insider information spread like wildfire and caused an uproar in all the bureaus. The rumor was that for some unknown reason, the Las Vegas Lake District Sub-bureau Branch had offended the Governor, which prompted the state government tounch the crackdown as a lesson to the State Tax Bureau! Chapter 183: Chapter 135: Tax Revenue in 18 Cities Halved_2 "My hair, what does it have to do with us if they offended the national tax authority in the Lake District?" "The Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch had done something really shady, they offended the state government, they can''t possibly expect us to take the fall as well, can they?" "Oh shit, it turns out it was the Lake District Sub-Bureau that caused this mess, then with our side losing so much in tax revenue, how is that going to be calcted? The Lake District shouldpensate us for our losses, right?" Inspectors from the 18th city didn''t care whether it was the Lake District or David or whatever. All they knew was that if thew enforcement agencies in their jurisdiction started to crack down, their ck tax revenue would suffer and the targets set by the ck tax bill would be very hard to meet. As a result, many inspectors directed their anger andints at the Lake District Sub-Bureau. Under pressure, the various branches of the 18th city had no choice but to keep calling the state office, asking them to resolve the issue as soon as possible. The state office also knew that if the tax revenue of the major cities encountered a huge Waterloo, they would not be able to exin to the headquarters, so they had to send representatives to visit the state government and try to talk to the Governor. But unexpectedly, they were met with a closed door, which enraged Director Jon to no end, leaving him with no choice but to pick up the phone and call the Lake District to find out what was going on. Lake District Sub-Bureau, director''s office. "Director Jon, everything we did in this case waspletely by the book, and we have those second-generation kids''plete and unanimous testimonies, this is clearly Governor Stevenson taking revenge on us with his power!" At this moment, William''s face was also very dark. He hadn''t expected the Governor to be so sly, putting pressure on the Lake District Sub-Bureau by targeting the tax revenue of the 18th city. "He''s indeed retaliating, but William, we can''t let this get out of hand. This is the tax revenue of the 18th city we''re talking about. If this goes on, the daily loss in tax revenue will be incalcble, and neither of us will be able to exin to the headquarters...," Hearing Jon''s words over the phone, William''s mood sank even further. Because he could already tell that the state director now cared not about right or wrong but about tax performance and the impact on the headquarters. "Here''s what we''ll do, William. Transfer Nisen out of Nevada State, as a way to give that damn Governor Stevenson a step down. If he''s still ungrateful after that... hmph, then I won''t be so easy to talk to!" Although this case was led by David, Jon was no fool; he knew very well how much tax performance David could bring to Nevada State. He wouldn''t let go of a hen thatys golden eggs, not for all the world. So, Nisen would have to be the one to make a sacrifice. "Director Jon, Nisen is one of David''s most trusted men. If we transfer him, I''m afraid it might upset David..." William knew the rtionship between David and Nisen and was somewhat reluctant. "What other choice do we have? That damn Governor Stevenson lost a son and is dead set on opposing us. You also know how much tax revenue our whole state will lose every day if this continues. Consider the bigger picture for now, William. Have a good talk with Director David and hope he can understand a bit." "This... okay, then I''ll go talk to him." "Alright, that''s all for now then." After hanging up the call, William dialed David''s number and said, "Director David,e to my office, there''s something we need to discuss!" A few minutester, David walked in through the door and said, "Director, you wanted to see me?" "Heard about what''s going on in the 18th city?" "18th city?" David was somewhat baffled; he hade into the office today to start working on a second case for the big street district,pletely unaware of anything to do with the 18th city. "Here''s what happened, early this morning, across Nevada State..." Williamid out the details of the crackdown happening in the major cities. After hearing the full story, even David was stunned. You might expect one or two cities to implement these crackdown policies; that would be normal. But for 18 cities to carry out crackdown policies simultaneously, that was a bit abnormal! Right! David seemed to have thought of something and blurted out, "Doesn''t this have something to do with the state government?" In his opinion, such a situation in the 18 cities could only be caused by interference from the state government. This must be retaliation from the Governor, he guessed. "You guessed right. If the 18 cities really go ahead with this crackdown, it would be a serious blow to the ck tax revenue throughout Nevada State. The state bureau is having quite the headache now, so..." Seeing William hesitate to continue, David sensed that things were probably taking a turn for the worse. But he wasn''t worried about what the state bureau could do to him. His achievements in tax performance for the Lake District and Nevada State wereid out before them, and it would take Director Jon at the state bureau being a fool to pressure him just to appease their wrath. "The idea from the bureau is to reassign Nisen out of Nevada State, to give that damned Stevenson a way out. What do you think?" David fell silent. Nisen might not be great at solving cases, but his work capability, character, and skills were all quite eptable. So, to be honest, David was not very keen on letting him be transferred. "Don''t worry, Nisen has indeed earned his stripes with his contributions to the Lake District Sub-Bureau. If he''s going to be reassigned, I''ll definitely help him apply for a good position!" What William was implying was clear: they wouldn''t reassign Nisen to some dead-end job like watching over a pond. Of course, David understood and replied, "I need to talk to Nisen about this, to ask about his own wishes before deciding." Firstly, Nisen had once saved his life, so if David haphazardly decided his fate without respect, that would be wrong. Secondly, Markus''s death happened under his leadership; the me shouldn''t fall on Nisen alone. Therefore, both in principle and sentiment, he, as a superior, should let Nisen have the power to choose for himself. "Okay, then you go talk to him!" William couldn''t simply dictate the decision, especially since David was not a run-of-the-mill Chief Tax Officer; his dignity had to be respected. After walking out, David returned to his own office, where Nisen, Bucky, and others were reporting on the second case in the main city area, so they were still there, ready to continue their report. David sat back in his seat and looked at Nisen, asking, "Nisen, have you ever thought about being reassigned out of Nevada State?" Nisen, who had been prepared to continue his report, was somewhat taken aback upon hearing this. Not just Nisen, Bucky Simmons and the others present were also stunned. After a long pause, Nisen finally reacted, asking with a forlorn air, "Is it pressure from the Governor on the Director?" His mind was not dull, and he quickly surmised the reason. "The Director told me that this morning, over in the 18 cities of Nevada State..." David then exined in detail about the crackdown happening in the 18 cities. After hearing it, Nisen, Bucky, and the others were first shocked, then anger appeared on their faces as they processed the information. Bucky couldn''t contain his anger, saying, "This damn Stevenson is such a sneaky bastard, how could he target our National Tax Bureau just for retaliation?" "Damn, Stevenson is such an asshole..." Simmons cursed indignantly as well. But unlike them, Nisen wasn''t so much angry as he was resigned. If the 18 cities continued the crackdown like this, the losses in ck tax revenue would be immeasurable, not to mention that the inspectors in each city would surely hate him from the bottom of their hearts. After contemting for a while, he said despondently, "If the higher-ups really want to reassign me out of Nevada State, then I am willing to ept..." He knew that he had be the sacrificial scapegoat to pacify all parties, but there was no choice, as it was, after all, him who had killed Markus. Only by reassigning him out of Nevada State and giving Stevenson a way out could this matter possibly be settled. Chapter 184: Chapter 136: Heading to Sparks City David looked at him and asked, "Willing? Really?" Nisen''s face still carried an expression of frustration and reluctance, but he firmly nodded nheless. David naturally saw the unwillingness in his heart and, after a moment of thought, said, "Nisen, we''re all brothers here. You can speak your mind. If you truly don''t want to, it''s alright. I''ll think of something." Nisen lifted his head, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Truth be told, if given the choice, he would rather die than leave the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. Oh, no, to be precise, he didn''t want to leave David''smand. Now, under David, he could work on any case and easily rake in a tax performance bonus of a hundred thousand. If he were transferred somewhere else, he wouldn''t dare dream of making a hundred thousand on a single case. With his skills and abilities, making that much in an assessment period would already be considered lucky. David continued to ask, "What do you say?" Nisen clenched his teeth and with little confidence, asked, "What... What can be done?" The pressure from the state government didn''t bother them at the State Tax Bureau. But the crux of the matter was the halving of tax performance in 18 cities¡ªsomething all the State Tax Bureaus in Nevada couldn''t withstand. He really couldn''t imagine what David could possibly do. "You just need to answer whether you''re willing to be transferred or want to stay. Leave the rest to me to handle!" After about 10 seconds of silence, Nisen gritted his teeth and said, "I want to stay here!" David nodded in understanding, then stood up and walked out, quickly arriving at the director''s office door. He knocked and entered. "How is it, what did Nisen say?" Seeing David enter, William stopped his work and looked up to ask. David replied, "Nisen said he doesn''t want to leave." Upon hearing this, William became troubled and then said, "David, this is an instruction from Director Jon. If Nisen doesn''t transfer, it''s going to be difficult..." "What if I can handle the crackdown in all the cities; let the tax revenue return to normal?" William was startled, not quite understanding David''s meaning, and then asked, "Handle the crackdown in all the cities? How?" "I''ll make a trip to Sparks City." "A trip to Sparks City?" David nodded and said nothing more. William stared at David, continuously pondering, and it wasn''t long before he seemed to guess something, then replied, "If you can handle the crackdown in 18 cities and restore the normal tax work, the State Bureau won''t be so troubled. As for whether Nisen transfers or not, it wouldn''t matter, but that''s if you can handle it!" David understood William''s implication and, without further ado, stood up and walked out, returning to his own office. Seeing Davide back again, Nisen''s heart was in his throat because he knew the words that would decide his fate wereing in the next second. As David picked up his coat, tax badge, and service pistol, he said, "You two,e with me to Sparks City." Bucky and Nisen were somewhat baffled, but with David''s word, they didn''t dare to dy and promptly went to the hall to fetch their own service pistols and tax badges. Then the three of them walked out the door, got into Nisen''s Volvo, and headed for Sparks City. On the way there, David said, "Bucky, do you know any personnel from the State Tax Bureau in Sparks?" "Sparks..." After thinking for a moment, Bucky said, "I know an inspector named Pope in the West Sparks Sub-bureau." "Give him a call. Arrange to meet their Tax Chief for a talk. Tell them to keep a low profile and say we have a favor to offer them!" "Alright." Bucky immediately took out his phone and started scrolling through his contacts. Before long. In an office of the West City State Tax Bureau in Sparks City. Pope walked in and said, "Tax Chief, David from the Las Vegas Lake District Sub-bureau Branch hase over. He wants to have a talk with you." "David from Las Vegas?" Richards was somewhat surprised, then, frowning, asked, "What''s he doing here, not handling his cases in his jurisdiction?" Recently, with David repeatedly topping the tax performance charts and leading armed operations, Richards had naturally heard of David. But what did that have to do with him? Their West Sparks Sub-bureau hadn''t benefited at all; in fact, due to the Lake District Sub-bureau causing trouble with the state government, they were the ones who suffered. And what irritated him the most was. ording to his information, all 18 State Tax Bureaus across Nevada had trouble, but Las Vegas alone had no issues whatsoever. ``` The city hall there hadn''t issued any instructions for a crackdown, and the various branches were still collecting ck taxes with great sess. The trouble was stirred up by the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, but in the end, they were the ones who got stuck carrying the me, which certainly didn''t please Tax Chief Richards. "He said he wants to talk to you and asked you to arrange a meeting ce outside, also mentioned he''d give you a benefit!" "He''d give me a benefit?" Richards was somewhat baffled but his interest was piqued. He replied, "Okay, then set up the meeting at Rex''s Caf¨¦." An hourter. West Sparks, 16 Central Avenue, outside Rex''s Caf¨¦. The Volvo that hade from Las Vegas pulled up at the curb. David and his twopanions got out and entered the caf¨¦. "Director, that''s them." Bucky pointed toward Pope and his group at a nearby location, then took the lead, walking over and saying, "Pope, brother, long time no see, how have you been?" "With this citywide crackdown on criminals, many of my cases have gone to hell, so not great." Bucky felt a tad embarrassed then introduced, "This is our Director David." "This is our Tax Chief Richards." When Pope introduced Richards, Richards didn''t show any intention to rise; he just lounged with one leg crossed over the other, head not lifting as he blew on his steaming coffee. "Tax Chief Richards, I''m David!" After David introduced himself, Richards slowly set down his coffee and spoke indifferently, "Director David, I''ve heard from my subordinates that you''re going to offer me a benefit?" David sat down and replied, "Yes." "What benefit?" "To end the crackdown here and... to give you an extra bonus in tax revenue!" Richards''s expression flickered but was quickly hidden as he replied skeptically, "These are instructions from the city hall. How can you make them stop?" David did not answer directly, instead, he changed the subject, "Do you know why among the 19 cities in the state, only Las Vegas has not carried out the state government''s crackdown instructions?" "Because Las Vegas is a big city, their city hall can hold its own against the state government, and... also maybe they''re a bit wary of your presence!" Although he was irritated by David, Richards had no doubts about David''s capabilities. "That''s right. I''m here this time to make the city hall here wary of me too!" The reason David hade here was indeed mainly to take a simr approach to the Las Vegas City Hall. He had guessed that it must have been the lesson given to Gray that caused the people at Las Vegas City Hall to be wary, not daring to implement the state government''s directives like the other cities. And this time by handling the city hall here, the crackdown directive would naturally be canceled. Richards scoffed and replied, "Las Vegas is your jurisdiction, you might be able to handle them, but you must understand, this is Sparks City, not your territory!" "So what?" Watching David''s confident demeanor, and recalling David''s past achievements, Richards still patiently asked, "Then how do you n to handle them?" "You don''t need to know that, but I need your people to cooperate, check some things for me, set up some events, and afterwards, I guarantee you''ll get a performance bonus of no less than $500,000, how about that?" "$500,000?" The huge figure stirred something within Richards, and afterposing himself, he questioned, "You promise $500,000 just like that, what if I don''t get it?" "If you don''t get it, I''ll allocate it to you from my own performance bonus!" "You sure?" Richards couldn''t stay seated anymore. With David making such a promise, no matter how he got that tax revenue in Sparks, Richards''s inspection team was sure to be set! The jewelry case that morning had caused his squad to lose almost $400,000 in performance, if they could make up for it here, that would be great! "I''m sure. If you don''t believe me, we can sign a contract, anything''s fine!" Richards was overjoyed but still feignedposure in reply, "A contract isn''t necessary. You, Director David, are also considered a star in our State Tax Bureau, you won''t default on $500,000. Alright, what do you need us to do?" "Firstly, I need the movements of the Sparks Police Commissioner, and the deputy mayor in charge of that system... Secondly, arrange the media..." Hearing David''s series of requests, Richards nodded and said, "Those are not a problem. Anything else?" "That''s all for now, I''ll let you know if there''s anything else!" Richards took out a pen and paper, wrote down a number, tore it off, and handed it to David, saying, "Here''s my number, just inform me of what you need!" Having said that, he left with Pope and the others and got into the car. "Director, the way he''s going about this, he''s nning to take on the police department and the city hall officials. His jurisdiction is only in Las Vegas, how can he be so confident in taking down those officials?" Pope asked in bewilderment while driving. Richards simply shrugged and replied nonchntly, "Don''t worry about it. Whether it works out or not, we''ll still get the $500,000. Why not do it? As soon as we get back, find what he needs and send it to him!" ``` Chapter 185: Chapter 137: Taking Down Your Bureau Chief David didn''t have to wait too long. About half an hourter, Bucky received a phone call. After ending the call, he said to David, "The chief of Sparks City Police is now directing operations on Sunk Street!" "Let''s go!" David immediately stood up, walked out the door, and the three of them sessively got into the car and headed towards Sunk Street. Twenty minutester, guided by the navigation, they arrived at Sunk Street. By then, police tape had already cordoned off the area, forbidding the passage of vehicles and pedestrians alike, while arge number of officers continually escorted people out. "Tax Chief, that''s the guy!" Following the direction of Bucky''s pointing finger, David saw a portly man in a suit, who was instructing severalmissioners. [Name: Adide O''Mara.] [upation: Sparks Police Commissioner.] [Ie: Monthly legal ie Sixty Thousand US dors, illicit earnings Eight Hundred Ten Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 18th, epted a bribe from the West City Police Sub-Branch Commissioner, profit of Ten US dors, on December 26th, took a bribe from the East City Police Sub-Branch Commissioner, profit of Two Hundred Thousand US dors, January 13th...] [More Details:...] [Tax Amount Due: Three Hundred Twenty Thousand, Seven Hundred Sixty.] After scrutinizing this data about the Sparks City Police Commissioner, David paused for a moment in thought before taking out the number Richards had given him and making the call. The phone was quickly connected, and David directly said, "Tax Chief Richards, this is David, I need you to summon two people!" "Who?" "Themissioners of the East and West City Police Sub-Branches!" "They''re currently carrying out a crackdown mission, I''m afraid it might be difficult..." Even if it wasn''t for the crackdown, summoning two sub-branchmissioners, who ranked much higher than him, would be difficult. It would have been more appropriate to request a meeting, but actually summoning them was another matter altogether. "Call them on the behalf of the IRS, I believe you can do it!" There was a pause on the other end of the line before a reply came after a while, "Wait for my call!" About twenty minutester, Richards called back and said, "Auburn Restaurant, you know it?" "Two kilometers away from us." Hearing Bucky''s soft reminder beside him, David replied, "Yes, I know it." "In half an hour, they will stop by there. You''d better have an exnation for them, otherwise, it''s going to be difficult for me to ount for this..." "Understood, don''t worry!" After ending the call, David gestured for them to move out. Nisen immediately drove the car, following the navigation route towards Auburn Restaurant. The two-kilometer journey took less than ten minutes, and the three of them had already arrived. After waiting for roughly twenty minutes, two cars arrived at the restaurant entrance. As the car doors opened and two men got out from each vehicle, they looked perplexed to see each other. "Commissioner Randolph, why are you here too?" "Commissioner Lancelot, you weren''t also called here by the IRS, were you?" "You too?" "Yes, let''s see what this is all about!" Once the twomissioners learned each other''s reasons for being there, their foreheads furrowed and their expressions turned sour, and then together they walked inside. [Name: Randolph Wagg.] [upation: Sparks West City Police Commissioner.] [Ie: Monthly legal ie Fifteen Thousand US dors, illicit earnings Four Hundred Sixty Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 4th, epted a shelter fee from local gang members, profit of Eighty Thousand US dors, on December 9th, epted a protection fee from local drug traffickers, profit of One Hundred Eleven Thousand US dors...] [More Details:...] [Tax Amount Due: One Hundred Seventy-Four Thousand, Two Hundred Forty US dors.] ... [Name: Lancelot Orloff.] [upation: Sparks East City Police Commissioner.] [Ie: Monthly legal ie Fourteen Thousand, Six Hundred US dors, illicit earnings Five Hundred Ten Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 8th, epted a shelter fee from local gang members, profit of Sixty Thousand US dors, on December 12th, epted a bribe from local pimps, profit of One Hundred Thirty Thousand US dors...] [More Details:...] [Tax Amount Due: Two Hundred One Thousand, Nine Hundred Sixty US dors.] After examining the details of the two men who had walked in, David waved his hand and said, "Gentlemen, over here!" The restaurant wasn''t very crowded at that time. Hearing the call, the twomissioners turned their heads to look, and upon seeing David and his group, they were momentarily stunned. They had been summoned here by Richards, so why were they now facing these people? Wait a minute... Suddenly, both men felt that David looked familiar, although asmissioners, they had a lot on their tes and couldn''t immediately recall where they had seen him before. Putting their thoughts aside, they both approached, and Lancelot asked, "May I know who you are...?" David took out his badge and introduced himself, "I am David, the Chief Tax Officer of the Las Vegas Lake District Sub-bureau Branch." "David!" Upon hearing the name, the realization dawned on both men. Of course, they thought, why did David look familiar? It turned out they had seen him on the news sometime before. The armed deployment by the IRS had been a sensation across the country, and although they were part of the police system, they had taken note of the news. Lancelotposed himself and asked with puzzlement, "Tax Chief David, may I know why you wanted to see me?" David smiled and said, "I know you''ve delivered quite a bit of money to Chief Adide in Sparks over the past two months, and I''m interested in learning more about this!" Upon hearing this, both men''s faces instantly transformed with shock. However, quickly, Lancelot suppressed his unease and feigned anger as he retorted, "Tax Chief David, you can eat your meals indiscriminately, but you should not speak carelessly!" Alongside him, Randolph added, "What money being sent? There is no such thing, we are innocent!" Chapter 186: Chapter 137: Taking Down Your Bureau Chief_2 "Pure?" David looked at Randolph with disdain and said, "Fine, you say you''re pure, so let''s set that aside for now and talk about the events of December 4th." "On December 4th, a gang in your jurisdiction called the ''Crewcut Gang'' sent $80,000 US dors to you through one of your sergeants, Duans, correct?" "Do I need to go have a chat with this gang, or shall I call your sergeant over to give an exnation?" Randolph, feigningposure, froze upon hearing this. Before he could gather his thoughts, David''s voice rang out again, "If that''s not enough, on December 9th, those Mexican traffickers in your area, we can go talk to them too, and then there''s January 2nd..." As David listed off one transaction after another, Randolph''s forehead was already soaked with sweat, and a close look would reveal a slight trembling in his limbs. He couldn''t understand when the State Tax Bureau had begun investigating him. The details were so precise: they knew which groups of criminals had bribed him and the exact amounts. With such detailed information, it was not just difficult for him to prevaricate; there was hardly any room for rebuttal. Because if he didn''t admit to it, David could simply go after those criminals who had bribed him. Those criminals were all opportunists, with no sense of loyalty or morals. A little intimidation from the State Tax Bureau and certainly, some would be willing to confess! "And then there''s you, Lancelot..." "Stop talking!" Having heard how closely the State Tax Bureau had scrutinized Randolph, Lancelot was already panic-stricken. Now as David mentioned his name, he didn''t dare let the conversation continue and abruptly cut him off. If David could investigate Randolph so thoroughly, Lancelot certainly wouldn''t be an exception, nor did he want to hear his own dirtyundry aired in public. "Not saying it isn''t impossible!" "What do you want?" Both Randolph and Lancelot were now looking at David. David, who had been thriving in Las Vegas, had suddenlye to the smaller city of Sparks, certainly not just to collect a bit of tax from them. The two thought there must be some other demand! "It''s simple. I want to take down your Chief Adide, and I wonder if you two are willing to put in some effort to help?" If he had only wanted to collect taxes, he could have gone straight to the chief and used the ''golden finger'' feature to threaten him with the information. But now, David''s objective was to directly take down the chief, which required more than just threats; concrete evidence was needed! That was the reason he had approached the two men. "What!" The two men were taken aback. But quickly, they seemed to guess the reason. The state bureau had just issued a citywide crackdown on crime, clearly infringing on the State Tax Bureau''s interests in the hidden taxes from illegal ventures. ording to rumors, the reason for the state bureau''s directive was indeed friction with the State Tax Bureau. And David''s desire to bring down Chief Adide was probably his way of exacting revenge and asserting dominance... Although they had roughly guessed it. But after thinking it over, Randolph shook his head and said, "No way, no way. If you go against Chief Adide, we can''t extricate ourselves from that affair..." "Exactly, if you take him down, he will definitely drag us down with him. Isn''t that asking us to seal our own doom?" Lancelot chimed in. Adide was dirty, and so were they; if the chief took them down with him in his dying breath, they would suffer too. "Who says so?" Both men looked at David simultaneously, puzzled, and asked, "What do you mean?" David slowly exined, "You need to understand, he is being tried in our State Tax Bureau''s courtroom, not a judiciary system''s courtroom. There, what we say goes!" Upon hearing this, the two of them suddenly realized. That''s right... If the State Tax Bureau wanted to target Adide, why would they use the judiciary system''s courtroom? They would definitely use their own courtroom. And in that courtroom, ordinary people and the media are not allowed to enter. Moreover, just as David had said, it''s essentially a one-sided affair for the State Tax Bureau. The State Tax Bureau decides what judgment they want to give. Even if Adide was driven to desperation and attempted to expose them in court, as long as the judge and the people from the State Tax Bureau pretended not to hear, they would be safe! Despite this, Randolph still had some concerns and asked, "If we do this, you won''t turn on us afterwards, will you?" David was clearly out for revenge with the backing of the State Tax Bureau. They were also the executors of the crackdown directive, and who knew whether, after dealing with Adide, David might turn around and deal with them as well? "Turn on you? Is there a need for that?" There was a hint of disdain in David''s expression as he said, "Although you are sub-branch directors, you still don''t have enough influence. It''s much better for you to contribute to the State Tax Bureau than for us to throw you into prison!" The two of them thought it over and felt more at ease. David continued, "That''s why, you just go ahead and help me deal with Adide. Think about it, after he''s taken down, who will take his ce?" Upon hearing this, Randolph and Lancelot''s pupils dted suddenly, and a fiery excitement gradually surfaced on their faces. Sparks is a small city with only the East and West jurisdictions. If Adide, the city bureau director, were to be taken down, then the most likely scenario would be to promote a director from either the East or West to his position. This meant that it could very well be one of them! Unexpectedly, what had initially seemed to be an unfortunate event for them had turned into an opportunity! The more they thought about it, the more excited they became. Suddenly, Randolph spoke up first, "Director David, I have detailed financial ledgers rting to Adide, with every transaction recorded. I can get them for you right away!" Not to be outdone upon seeing Randolph getting the upper hand, Lancelot quickly said, "Director David, I have recorded phone calls with him, including discussions about finances, bribes, and some instructions he gave me that were against the rules. They''re enough to nail him!" Randolph, who had been so confident that his ledgers would satisfy David, was momentarily stunned upon hearing Lancelot produced even recordings. "Good, bring me the ledgers and recordings, then head to the West City State Tax Bureau to see Tax Chief Richards and pay the required taxes in advance!" David had called Richards earlier to arrange a meeting between the two major directors, and he had detected a hint of impatience in the other''s voice. In order to get the other party to cooperate actively in the future, David decided to give them a taste of a little sweetness first! "Alright, alright, I''ll get ready right away!" The two left in a hurry, as if afraid of being a step slower than the other. They knew very well that not only was their fate in David''s hands, but so was their future. If Adide were indeed taken down, it might not be the municipal office officials who decided if they could move up, but David! After all, if the municipal office had to choose one of them to rece Adide, they might still have a chance topete for it. But if David chose either one of them, where would the other dare to contend? They would likely have no choice but to ept their fate. Therefore, they now had no option but to try their best to handle this matter well, in hopes of satisfying David and increasing their own chances of sess! Just as the two directors were getting into their cars to leave, across from the restaurant in a building, a man holding binocrs picked up his phone and dialed a number: "Tax Chief, the two directors have left, but they seemed to be... in quite a hurry..." Chapter 187: Chapter 138: The Delighted West City Branch "Seems in a hurry?" Upon hearing these words, a hint of confusion appeared on Inspector Richards'' face in the office of the West City State Tax Bureau. What exactly had David said to these twomissioners to make them so anxious? After pondering for a while to no avail, Inspector Richards could only reply, "Forget it, juste back!" 40 minutester. The office door was knocked. Inspector Richards, who was dealing with documents, said without looking up, "Come in." The next second, Pope pushed the door open and entered with a shocked expression, saying, "Tax Chief, the police chiefs from both the East and the West City havee to us." "What!" Inspector Richards, startled, quickly asked, "What are they here for?" "They''vee to pay taxes, and the chief is personally receiving them now!" "Pay taxes!?" This phrase caused Inspector Richards''s brain to twitch. He knew that these twomissioners had just spoken with David and was aware of their hurried departure. Could their so-called hurry be because they were rushing to pay taxes? But what exactly did David say to these two men that managed to get both police chiefs toe over and pay their taxes so obediently? Could it be... that David had something on them? But then again, wasn''t David supposed to be dealing with Adide and the deputy mayor in charge of city hall? How did he end up involving these two? Unable to figure it out, Inspector Richards had no time to think further; he quickly rushed out of his office to the chief''s office door and knocked. "Come in!" After getting permission, Inspector Richards immediately went inside. Indeed, Commissioners Randolph and Lancelot were already sitting there, while the tax bureau''s staff counted the funds on the table. "Tax Chief Richards, you''vee at the right time. Commissioners Randolph and Lancelot were actually looking for you; I just invited them over first," said Director Hopkinson of the West City State Tax Bureau, leaving Inspector Richards stunned for a moment, but he quickly recovered. The so-called search for him... must be arranged by David! He promptly pretended nothing was amiss and replied, "Commissioners, I''m delighted that you coulde and ''visit'' our West City branch!" "Tax Chief Richards, we hope for your ''continued support'' in the future!" "It was your call that brought me back to my senses..." Since David had specifically asked them toe to see Inspector Richards, the two men were very courteous in front of him, not daring to put on airs. Their words made Inspector Richards freeze for a moment. Continued support? Back to my senses? What are all these about? "Chief, the totals are in: Commissioner Randolph''s is 170,000 US dors, Commissioner Lancelot''s is 200,000 US dors!" At that moment, the inventory staff announced the counted figures. And upon hearing these figures, Inspector Richards''s eyes suddenly lit up. If these twomissioners hade to find him, then this tax performance would naturally be credited to his inspection team. David''s earlier guarantee to him was a tax performance of at least 500,000 dors. And now these twomissioners had already contributed 370,000 dors. What would the figure be if Adide and that deputy mayor got settled next, and if those were also chalked up to him? Richards was bing more and more excited the more he thought about it. To tell the truth, when David had said he wanted to deal with City Hall and Chief Adide, Richards had been very skeptical. After all, this was Sparks, not Las Vegas. But now, he was beginning to believe. Since even those two Police Commissioners were taken care of, if they could also secure the top officials at City Hall and Chief Adide, it seemed like nothing was impossible anymore. "Director Hopkinson, we''ll be going now!" "Commissioners, let me walk you out!" Hopkinson stood up and escorted the two to the elevator. Afterwards, he returned to his office with a smile, praising excitedly, "Haha, Richards, you''ve really surprised me. Quietly taking care of both the West City and East City Police Chiefs, you''ve really done the Directors proud!" $370,000 in taxes wasn''t enough to make Hopkinson so happy for their West City division. What delighted him most was that those were the formidable Police Chiefs of both East and West City! West City was one thing, but East City wasn''t under their jurisdiction, yet the Police Chief there still chose to pay taxes to their side. If the East City State Tax Bureau Division found out, wouldn''t they lose all face? "Right, how did you manage to take care of these two?" Hopkinson put his excitement aside, eager to know how it all happened. Richards felt a bit embarrassed; after all, it wasn''t him who had taken care of it, but it seemed that David wanted to keep a low profile, so Richards wasn''t in a position to exin the details. He could only reply indirectly, "Director, it''s a bit of a long story... I think I''ll tell you about itter..." He nned to first consult with David''s opinion before deciding whether to borate on the matter. "All right then." Although curious, Hopkinson didn''t press further, seeing that Richards had put it that way. "Then, Director, I will go handle some matters." "Go ahead!" Richards immediately left, returning to his own office, only to discover that all eight Inspectors of his team had already arrived at some point. Seeing Richards walk in, every one of them had an anticipatory look in their eyes, clearly already aware of the $370,000 tax matter. "Divide this tax revenue among your teams!" Upon hearing that, the eight of them immediately became excited; they had just lost over $400,000 on a jewelry case that morning, and now they had nearly made up for it. "Oh, Tax Chief, I just found out about Deputy Mayor Bitcher''s whereabouts and have sent the information to Director David!" Pope reminded him. "Mm, good!" After thinking for a moment, Richards decided to pick up the phone and dialed David''s number. Meanwhile. On a road leading to East City, David picked up the phone and answered, "How is it, Tax Chief Richards? The little ''present'' I sent you, not bad, right?" "The two Police Chiefs being put on the record, this is no small gift, Director David, you really have a way with things!" David smiled and asked, "Is there anything else?" "Our Director wants to know how I did it; is it alright to disclose that?" "Let''s wait until I''ve taken care of the next steps." "Okay, then, is there anything else I can do for you?" Before, Richards was just holding his nose for the sake of the $500,000 in taxes to arrange a series of things for David. But now, it was more a matter of respect. "Just make the necessary media arrangements!" Chapter 188: Chapter 139: Closing In, The Earthquake Arrives In the center of the Eastern District, outside aw firm. Nisen parked the car, and the three got out one after another and entered thew firm. "Hello, gentlemen, do you have an appointment?" Upon entering, a receptionist approached them and asked. "We''re just browsing, don''t mind us!" David replied and led Nisen and Bucky to a seating area, where they took a seat, while his gaze fixed on the elevator doors. About twenty minutes passed. The elevator ''dinged'' open, and a stream of people began exiting, among them a bearded man in a suit who immediately caught David''s attention. [Name: Bitcher Rebitch.] [upation: Deputy Mayor of Sparks City.] [Ie: Monthly legal ie of 17,200 US dors, illegal ie of 1.12 million US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 5th, epted a bribe from Adide, making a profit of 200 thousand US dors; on December 9th, epted a bribe from Benson Company in the city, profiting 300 thousand US dors; on December 23rd...] [Tax Due: 443,520 US dors.] "None of these people can ever be clean..." After reviewing the vice mayor''s information, David couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. But this was perfect! If this guy wasn''t corrupt, getting him would have been quite a hassle. Since he was, not only was it easier to handle, but it also left David with no sense of guilt about making his move! David stood up and approached a receptionist, saying, "I need to see Attorney Heisenberg!" ording to the Golden Finger''s data just now, this Attorney Heisenberg was the one responsible forundering the vice mayor''s money. "Do you have an appointment?" David shed his badge: "Internal Revenue Service!" Hearing it was the IRS, the receptionist dared not waste any more words, quickly turned to dial a number to inform someone. About two minutester, she returned and said, "Gentlemen, you may now go up to the fourth floor, someone will escort you to see Attorney Heisenberg!" David immediately went to the elevator, pushed the button to summon it, entered, and soon arrived at the fourth floor. "Hello, gentlemen, please follow me!" Someone wearing a work badge had already been waiting, leading David and hispanions through the lobby to an office door, and knocked. After hearing e in" from inside, the person opened the door, letting David and the others in before shutting it. "Gentlemen from the Internal Revenue Service, how may I assist you?" [Name: Heisenberg Ritchie.] [upation: Lawyer.] [Ie: Monthly legal ie of 60,000 US dors, illegal ie of 230,000 US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 5th, assisted Deputy Mayor Bitcher in moneyundering, earning a profit of 30 thousand US dors; on December 6th, assisted a core member of the Crewcut Gang inundering 450 thousand through the stock market, earning a profit of 50 thousand US dors; on December 9th...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: 75,900 US dors.] David sat across from thewyer and asked meaningfully, "Deputy Mayor Bitcher came to see you just now, didn''t he?" Attorney Heisenberg''s pupils contracted imperceptibly, then he replied nonchntly, "Indeed, Deputy Mayor Bitcher was having a bit of a legal issue and came to consult with me." "By legal issues, do you mean moneyundering?" At this, Heisenberg''s heart skipped a beat. But as a seasonedwyer, he had the mental fortitude to maintain his innocence, quickly denying, "Moneyundering is illegal, how could we, aswyers, partake in such activities?" "On December 5th, Deputy Mayor Bitcher brought you 310 thousand in cash; you contacted a foreign trade Businessman and cleaned the money through trade surplus discrepancies, ultimately profiting 30 thousand US dors from it." "On December 6th, you helped a key member of the Crewcut Gangunder 450 thousand via the stock market, securing a profit of 50 thousand US dors for yourself." "And on December 9th, again for Deputy Mayor Bitcher, you helped himunder 400 thousand using Cryptocurrency techniques. Shall I go on, or is that enough?" David''s sharp gaze settled on him. "You... how did you... I..." Heisenberg, though previouslyposed, became visibly disoriented after hearing Davidy out his recent misconduct one by one. Stammering, he couldn''t form a coherent sentence. As awyer, he believed his activities were hidden well enough, but he had never imagined that the IRS would uncover them. And what was more outrageous to him was... The IRS didn''t just uncover one transaction; David pointed out three right away, and it seemed like he knew even more. "Stop stammering. Don''t worry, if you follow my instructions, I won''t do anything to you!" Hearing this, Heisenberg suddenly realized. Yes, those who hade knocking were not from the Federal Bureau of Investigation but the IRS. The IRS is only responsible for collecting taxes, and that''s all they wanted. If he just paid up, wouldn''t everything be settled? "Alright, alright, I know the IRS''s dark taxw. Just tell me how much you want, and I''ll pay you, okay?" It must be said, Heisenberg was sensible. After all, as awyer, he knew well enough that if the IRS had such information on him, there was no point in arguing. Chapter 189: Chapter 139: Closing In, The Earthquake Arrives_2 If you keep quibbling, you might even face severer punishment! It''d be better just to cough up some money to mollify the situation. The other party''s sensibility did please David as he said, "We''ll collect the taxes, but we also need you to provide something and lend a hand!" "Provide what?" "You need to hand over materials rted to how youundered money for Deputy Mayor Bitcher, and testify against him in court!" "What!" Startled, Heisenberg''s head shook like a rattle as he said, "No, no, if I testify against him, wouldn''t I be dragging myself down too?" "Don''t worry, this trial will take ce in our own State Tax Bureau''s court. Just provide the materials and testify against him, and I assure you, you''ll be fine!" Upon hearing this, Heisenberg snapped back to reality. If he were to testify against Bitcher, of course, he was afraid that Bitcher might turn on him at some point, dragging him down as well. But if it''s taking ce in the State Tax Bureau court... As long as the State Tax Bureau isn''t out to get him deliberately, no matter how Bitcher might snap at him, it would seem futile. Because the courts of the State Tax Bureau aren''t under the jurisdiction of the judicial system, everyone knows that there, the State Tax Bureau calls the shots! With this in mind, while Heisenberg''s concerns had greatly subsided, he was still somewhat puzzled and asked, "The illegal ie of Deputy Mayor Bitcher isn''t small each month, isn''t it more valuable for the State Tax Bureau to keep him around rather than going after him?" "That''s none of your concern, just do as I tell you!" Of course, David had no time to exin the conflict between the State Tax Bureau and the Governor. "This... okay then!" Twenty minutester, the three of them left Suan Law Firm and got into the car, immediately dialing Richards'' number. "Prepare to close the. Is the media ready?" At the West City State Tax Bureau, Richards, hearing this, churned with emotion before responding, "Ready. What should I do?" "Simple. Call a press conference, announce to the media that Adide and Bitcher are suspected of tax evasion crimes, and being public officials, they''vemitted a serious breach ofw deserving immediate arrest warrants!" "Director David, one is a deputy mayor, the other is a city police chief. Such an announcement will cause a major earthquake, are you sure you have this under control?" "I''m headed to your bureau right now, you should brief your chief about this matter first!" Previously, David had been afraid of startling the snake and causing dissatisfaction among the inspectors of the West City branch, so he did not dare to show up directly. Now, not only had he handed them a tax achievement, but he had also managed to get the evidence of tax evasion and criminal evidence against Adide and Bitcher, so he no longer needed to harbor these concerns. "Alright, I''ll report it right away!" Having hung up the phone, Richards immediately rushed to the chief''s office door, knocked, and entered, saying, "Chief, there''s something I need to report to you!" "What is it?" "The situation is this: those two chiefs weren''t brought down by our inspection team but by David from Las Vegas... he came over to help us..." "What! Las Vegas'' David?" Before Richards could finish, Hopkinson interrupted in surprise. He thought it was no wonder Richards'' inspection team had suddenly be so powerful¡ªit was David who had made the move! "Yes, and not only that, but he''s nning toe down hard on our Deputy Mayor Bitcher and Chief Adide, the ruinous and disgraceful kind..." "What!" At these words, Hopkinson was even more shocked than before; his eyes widened asrge as bells. Richards exined, "The state government had given the city hall instructions, right? To crack down. David is probably looking to intimidate the city hall, to stop them from engaging in actions that harm our State Tax Bureau''s interests!" Now Hopkinson understood, but still somewhat puzzled, he queried, "What''s this about going after Adide and Bitcher ruthlessly?" "Following David''s directive, he ns to hold a press conference, dering the allegations of tax evasion against Bitcher and Adide, and because they''re public officials, their crime is even more severe, and an immediate arrest is in order." "This..." Hopkinson was again deeply shocked by the words; if David were to truly proceed in this manner, it indeed would be ruthless. Moreover, if this were really to happen, it would unquestionably be a huge earthquake for the whole of Sparks City! "Is he so confident?" If this n really came to fruition and they could sessfully take down Adide and Bitcher, that would certainly relieve the city hall''s crackdown. But if they failed, West City branch would be thrust into the eye of the storm, and at the very least, he as the chief could be forced to resign. Worse still, it could severely affect the reputation of the State Tax Bureau. After all, powerful though the State Tax Bureau may be, it can''t just nder a deputy mayor and chief without proper justification, right? Richards replied, "If he was able to handle those two chiefs, then he must be somewhat certain. Forget it, he''s already on his way, we''ll know soon enough..." Hopkinson thought this made sense. Never mind, let''s wait for him to arrive and hear him out! Half an hourter. David and his colleagues arrived at the West City State Tax Bureau, where a prearranged inspector immediately led them to Hopkinson''s office. Chapter 190: Chapter 139: Closing In, The Earthquake Arrives_3 ``` "Director David, I''ve long admired your reputation!" "Director Hopkinson, hello!" After shaking hands, David ced the file bag he had brought onto the table. Without any useless chatter, Hopkinson immediately opened it and started reviewing the contents. As the details gradually came into view, his expression shifted from indifference to surprise and then to disbelief. Inside, there was not only the ledger of bribes received by Chief Adide but also substantial evidence of Bitcher''srge-scale moneyundering transactions and detailed ount information. With this information, they could indeed take down these two men! Struggling to suppress his shock, Hopkinson asked incredulously, "How did you get a hold of these items?" "How I obtained them is not important. I believe Tax Chief Richards has already briefed you about my earlier words. What do you think?" After pondering for a minute with his chin in hand, Hopkinson replied, "Since you wish to proceed in this way, we can cooperate. But what about the taxes involved in the case..." "You can keep it all. I don''t want a penny!" "Are you serious?" Hopkinson''s and Richards''s eyes suddenly burned with intense eagerness. ording to the evidence, just Bitcher alone was liable to pay up to $440,000 in taxes, and Chief Adide had to pay more than $300,000. Together, that''s a whopping sum of over $700,000 in taxes! Sparks is a small city, and for their West City Sub-bureau to collect $1 million in back taxes for an assessment period was already quite good. Now, with the cases of Bitcher and those two, they were already looking at over $700,000, plus more than $300,000 from the two directors previously¡ªthat far exceeded the KPI for this assessment period! "Of course, it''s true." David might not look down on $700,000 in tax achievements, but to motivate the West City Sub-bureau to elerate their pace and act as per his instructions, he was willing to give it away. "Good, Richards, start working on Director David''s arrangements immediately!" Once he had David''s confirmation, Hopkinson didn''t dither any longer. After all, if this case were sessful, he would not only secure a hefty sum in tax revenue but also intimidate the City Hall, possibly putting an end to the crackdown and returning the tax collection to a normal state. "Yes!" Before long, some local media from Sparks were invited into the lobby of the West City State Tax Bureau. "What on earth is going on, what does the State Tax Bureau want to do?" "I don''t know, I''ve heard it''s big news rted to our city." "Big news about our city? Could it be that some well-known figure is suspected of tax evasion and is about to be publicly sanctioned by the State Tax Bureau?" The media invited to the event were still in the dark, discussing the various possibilities among themselves. Just then, Richards came in with a group of people and took the stage. Pressing his hands downward for silence, he said, "Good day, friends from the media. I am the Chief Tax Officer of this bureau, Richards. I am now ready to publicly report two tax evaders from our city!" Upon hearing this, the media at the scene became instantly agitated, and local citizens watching the live broadcast were also in an uproar. It was rare for the State Tax Bureau to make such announcements, and now to do it live in front of so many media, the identities of the two tax evaders must be no small deal! "All right, the first individual is our city''s Police Chief Adide. As a public servant, fully aware of the back taxesw passed by the America Congress, he chose to underreport his taxes, an act of extremely bad character!" The mention of Adide''s name truly stunned the media and citizens watching the live broadcast. They wondered who could be so significant as to prompt the State Tax Bureau to make a live broadcast, and it turned out to be the city''s Police Chief! But what shocked them even more was still toe. "As for the second individual, it is our city''s Deputy Mayor Bitcher. As a public servant, he, too, chose to underreport his taxes, and his actions are equally reprehensible!" As Richards''s words fell, the venue erupted into a roaring buzz of discussion. Immediately, a reporter challenged, "Tax Chief Richards, does the State Tax Bureau have substantial evidence for these usations?" "Of course!" Richards extended his hand toward David in the crowd and dered, "With the cooperation of Director David from the Las Vegas Lake District Sub-bureau, we have secured conclusive evidence of tax evasion against these two individuals. Once the announcement is over, our agents will immediately proceed to arrest them!" The media followed Richards''s direction and noticed David. Because of the recent sensational armed deployment, many in the media recognized David, and they were taken aback to see him there. At that moment, David, who had been mentioned by name, remained unfazed, as this was his request. Although he disliked the spotlight, it was a necessary move. Even if Bitcher and Adide were dealt with by the State Tax Bureau, it would at most surprise the City Halls here and in other cities. They might not be particrly scared and would probably just be more cautious. But only his name could genuinely deter these people! Meanwhile, at the Sparks City Police Department. Adide had returned from his patrol and was working through some paperwork in his office. Just then, one of his officers burst into the room, panicked and unannounced, eximing, "Not good, Chief Adide, the State Tax Bureau, the State Tax Bureau is saying they will... they will..." Adide looked up, annoyed, and demanded, "What about the State Tax Bureau? What are they saying now?" ``` Chapter 191: Chapter 140: Swift and Decisive, Shaking the Entire Province "They say you''re suspected of tax evasion and want to arrest you..." "Watt?" Adide''s brain felt a twitch, and he waspletely baffled. What''s going on? Out of nowhere, why is the State Tax Bureau suddenly targeting him? "Just now, the West City State Tax Bureau issued an announcement through the media, saying that you are suspected of tax evasion and the nature of the offense is very serious..." The sheriff had recounted the entire press conference process, one by one. After listening to it all, Adide sensed the gravity of the situation, and his brows instantly furrowed into a chuan character shape. West City State Tax Bureau must not be fools; since they dared to announce this to the whole world through the media, they must have solid confidence. What concerned him most was that David''s shadow loomed over this matter! As far as he knew, Chief Tax Officer David seemed to be the most capable inspector in the Nevada State Tax Bureau system! What should he do now? The more Adide thought about it, the more panicked he became, but he had no idea what to do. Meanwhile, at City Hall. Bitcher too had received the news, and he felt like he had fallen into an ice cer, his body going cold. Because he realized that the State Tax Bureau surely wouldn''t dare to issue such a stern announcement without absolute certainty! After a long while, he couldn''t help but knock over the teacup on the desk and curse, "Damn, what the hell does the State Tax Bureau want to do? They don''t even consult me and want to screw me over directly!" He certainly knew about the "ck tax" act. But ording to the regtions of the ck tax act, the State Tax Bureau usually first approached the target, then issued a warning, indicating that paying the tax would settle the matter. But now, not to mention a warning, they didn''t even give notice before ying this trick. This was clearly an attempt to drive him into a corner! "Deputy... Deputy Mayor, could this have something to do with the crackdown we''ve been enforcing on behalf of the state government?" A reminder from a confidant snapped the enraged Bitcher out of his fury. Yes, that''s it. Why would the State Tax Bureau suddenlye down on him so hard? It must be because they implemented the state government''s instructions, causing the State Tax Bureau''s ck tax act to suffer significant losses, that they picked him out as an example to others! Thinking this, Bitcher suddenly felt some regrets. But it was toote for regrets now. The State Tax Bureau had already made its promation to the world through the media; now it was either his downfall or theirs! "Not good, Deputy Mayor, inspectors from the State Tax Bureau havee to City Hall and say they need you to go with them!" Just then, a staffer from City Hall entered. Hearing this, Bitcher''s face turned even paler, but there was nothing he could do at this point; he could only make some arrangements with his subordinates before he walked out. City Hall meeting room. Because of Bitcher''s situation, Mayor Cecil had to urgently convene a meeting with the city''s upper echelons to discuss countermeasures. Once everyone had arrived, Mayor Cecil looked at everyone with a stern expression and said, "Regarding Deputy Mayor Bitcher being taken away by the State Tax Bureau, what are your thoughts?" "The State Tax Bureau is clearly retaliating; this is just too despicable!" "They''re actively pushing the ck tax act, and we had to go and forcefully interrupt, causing them losses. It''s only natural for them to retaliate!" "I''ve said from the beginning that the state government''s directive would definitely offend the State Tax Bureau. Now the retaliation is here, and for now, it''s only an announcement. If Bitcher and Adide''s charges are really proven, our City Hall''s reputation will be even more ruined!" Many of the top officials began toin at the scene. Because when they first received this directive from the state government, many among them had disagreed, but ultimately, the directive was carried out. As the murmurs of discontent grew louder, Mayor Cecil''s face turned an ever deeper shade of iron-gray. The reason the directive had been implemented was that he had given his approval. And now, wasn''t theints of the others a proof of his previous ipetence? But considering it now, it seemed he had acted too hastily, and it was not good to persist in arguing. He suppressed his emotions and said, "Discussing this now is pointless. We need to think about a solution. If we don''t handle this properly, we might all have to submit our resignations!" Upon hearing the words "submit our resignations," everyone''s faces stiffened, and they all fell silent. After a long pause, someone in the room suggested, "The Tax Bureau wouldn''t have acted this way without assurance. I think we should talk to them and see if we can downy this matter. If worsees to worst... we could just postpone the state government''s crackdown directive." "I agree. If it was initiated by the West City State Tax Bureau, it would be one thing, but Las Vegas''s David is involved as well, and he is not easy to deal with. I''ve heard he''s the most formidable Chief Tax Officer in the Nevada State Tax Bureau system right now. The number of criminals that have fallen at his hands is countless!" "I also think what the two of you have said makes sense..." Although for now, only Deputy Mayor Bitcher and Adide have been taken away by the Tax Bureau, if they continue to uphold the crackdown directive, it might soon be their turn. After all, at their level of office, nobody can guarantee that their own record is squeaky clean. Cecil thought for a while and then looked toward a man on his left and said, "Yates, go to the West City State Tax Bureau and talk to them. Tell them that if we postpone or cancel the crackdown directive, whether there might be a possibility of resolving this matter!" Cecil dared not gamble any further. He was also worried that the West City State Tax Bureau and David, having taken action against Bitcher and Adide, could target them next. Offending the Governor would at most result in some minor inconveniences, but if the current situation worsened, and Bitcher and Adide were convicted, the city hall would definitely face attacks from the citizens. The pressure they would face then would be immense. ... In Carson City, at the Governor''s Mansion. "What did you say? He ran off to Sparks City and, coborating with the local Tax Bureau, arrested the local Police Chief and Deputy Mayor on charges of tax evasion?" Upon hearing Eugene''s report, Stevenson could hardly believe his ears. "Yes, Governor. He is probably retaliating against our crackdown directive, and this counterstrike is indeed sharp. Now, besides Sparks City, officials from the other 17 city halls are also expressing concern, afraid such an event might happen in their cities!" Stevenson fell silent for a moment, then asked incredulously, "Eugene, do you think he really has the confidence to imprison the Police Chief and Deputy Mayor of Sparks?" "Since he dares to act this way, he must have a certain degree of assurance, otherwise the consequences wouldn''t be easy to handle..." Eugene was also perplexed. Their directive had only beenmunicated to the city halls that morning. And the fact that David had reacted so swiftly, and had even managed to take down two key officials from the city, was quite surprising. Stevenson also felt that made sense. If they weren''t confident, the West City State Tax Bureau wouldn''t have called a press conference to make such a fierce announcement in front of so many people. "Ding-a-ling..." Just then, Eugene''s phone rang. He cast an apologetic nce at Stevenson and picked up the call. A minuteter, he hung up the phone with a look of shock and said, "I''ve just received news that the West City State Tax Bureau ns to take those two to court tomorrow morning!" "Tomorrow!" At first Stevenson was surprised, then his expression darkened. The Tax Bureau was acting with such decisiveness; it seemed they were more confident than they had imagined. Eugene suggested, "Governor, let''s wait and see how things unfold before making any decisions!" Stevenson thought for a moment and nodded his head. He, too, wanted to see, given the Tax Bureau''s confidence, whether they had sufficient evidence to convict the two. If not, then they would have material to work with! Chapter 192: Chapter 141: Why Didnt You Do This Sooner? West End Police Substation. At this moment, Adide and Bitcher had been brought back. Meanwhile, Hopkinson and Richards were discussing some matters for the next day with David. "So, this trial is only targeting Bitcher and Adide, with others serving as witnesses and no pursuit of criminal penalties, right, Director David?" Hopkinson asked with an inquiring look in his eyes. David nodded and replied, "That''s correct, but the punishment for these two must be severe enough to deter the city hall and the officials from the other 17 cities!" "Alright, I''ll have a good discussion with Judge Yvonne about this..." "Giggle giggle giggle." As they were conversing, someone knocked on the office door, and Hopkinson had to pause the conversation, saying, "Come in." "Chief, Vice Mayor Yates from the city hall is here to see you," someone said. "Yates?" Hopkinson was taken aback, then nced at David, and seeing that David had no objection, he replied, "Then bring him over!" He also wanted to hear what message the city hall wanted to convey at this time. Five minutester, a middle-aged man was brought in. He appeared normal when he saw Hopkinson and Richards, but his expression changed subtly when he saw David was also there. "Chief William, Tax Chief Richards, hello," said Yates. Yates shook hands with the two men separately and finally came over to David, saying with a smile, "This must be the famous Director David of Nevada State!" "Vice Mayor Yates, hello," replied David. [Name: Yates Hernandez.] [upation: Vice Mayor of Sparks City.] [Ie: Monthly ie of 16,500 US dors, illegal ie of 25,000 US dors.] [Ie details: On January 13, epted a premium tea gift from a businessman, valued at approximately 25,000 US dors...] [More details:...] [Tax due: 3,750 US dors.] "Didn''t expect to find such an upstanding official..." After scrutinizing Yates''s information through the "Golden Finger," David was somewhat surprised internally. After all, the man was a vice mayor. It was quite rare to be this clean. But though he was clean, he still had some leverage to be exploited. When the ck tax bill was being drafted, the drafting team had already considered this. Regarding epting bribes, if officials only sought cash to avoid National Tax Bureau scrutiny, they could still opt to ept valuable items like gold or jewels to evade detection. Therefore, a use was added to the ck tax bill''s provisions that even if one epted items, they must also be taxed based on market value. And ording to the information from the Golden Finger, the vice mayor might not have taken a direct bribe, but he did ept a box of valuable tea. So, by the provisions of the ck taxw, even if the vice mayor was rtively clean, David could still take him down if he wanted to. "Alright, since you are all here, I''ll just speak frankly!" After some initial courtesies, Yates got straight to the point in front of everyone, "I know the National Tax Bureau has some opinions about the crackdown initiated by our city hall, but it can''t be helped, it''s an order from the state government that we must follow, it''s not that we really want to conflict with the National Tax Bureau, I hope you can understand..." This statement was somewhat displeasing to Hopkinson. In America, the national, state, and city governments basically do not belong to each other, the nation need only take care of national matters. The state need only manage state matters. The city has it simplest, just dealing with their own city''s issues. And the three systems are not in a hierarchical rtionship. If your city hall doesn''t care about the state government, what can they do to you? In the end, isn''t it still about seeking to climb higher in state government positions? Although thinking this, Hopkinson could not express his thoughts so bluntly and could only cast an indicative nce toward Richards. Richards caught on immediately and said, "Vice Mayor Yates, it''s not mandatory for your city hall to obey the state government''s instructions." "That may be so, but we are after all part of one system, I hope you can understand..." Yates was also somewhat distressed internally. Though they could choose to ignore the state government, maintaining a good rtionship was vital for possible future promotions within the state government. Since the National Tax Bureau and they were not part of the same system, with no promotions involved, that''s why the city hall officials, despite knowing they would offend the National Tax Bureau, still mostly chose toply with the state''s instructions. They just didn''t expect the National Tax Bureau''s retaliation toe so swiftly and decisively, leading to the arrest of two of their key officials. Richards, dissatisfied, replied, "Vice Mayor Yates, you''re asking us to understand you, but who will understand the National Tax Bureau? Do you realize how much tax revenue our ck tax bill is going to lose because of your crackdown directive?" "Don''t worry, I came here to discuss this matter with you. As long as we resolve this conflict, our city hall can set aside the crackdown directive. Moreover, aspensation, the city hall is willing to fully cooperate with the National Tax Bureau in theing days to allow you to significantly collect the ck tax revenue!" Yates''s earnest words managed to somewhat sway Richards and Hopkinson. Chapter 193: Chapter 141: Why Didnt You Do This Sooner?_2 To tell the truth, as we''re all under the roof of Sparks, we really don''t want to have a falling out with City Hall. Moreover, keeping Adide, as well as Bitcher, is indeed more valuable than putting them behind bars! But then again, if the City West precinct had handled the situation by themselves, they would have been in a natural position of power. But since it was David who handled it, without him, City Hall might not even give a damn about the City West precinct. So, Hopkinson and Richards could only look towards David, hinting that he should be the one calling the shots. Of course, there was also an element of passing the buck. If David rejected the idea, they couldter tell City Hall, "It''s not that I didn''t want to give you a way out, but Director David didn''t agree. It''s not our fault!" Seeing the looks from the two men, Yates could not help but understand. The only one who could make decisions now was David and with that realization, his anxiety grew. However, David''s next words made Yates feel a sense of utter hopelessness. "Vice Mayor Yates, you should havee earlier. We have already submitted our application for a trial, and it''s toote!" As if he would stop. David was intent on using the trial to deter the other seventeen city halls, and he was far from calling it quits now. If he stopped now, Sparks might call off the crackdown, but without instilling real fear in the other seventeen cities, they would certainly not cancel their own crackdown so easily. "This..." Yates felt both bitter and speechless. The trial isn''t being held in some other court, but in your own National Tax Bureau court. Whether to apply or cancel¡ªthat''s still up to your National Tax Bureau, isn''t it? Although he knew David was giving him the runaround, he couldn''t give up and asked, "Director David, is there really no room for maneuver? If Adide and Bitcher really go to court, it will be a huge blow to our City Hall..." David replied without a hint of emotion, "That''s your problem. Our National Tax Bureau is only responsible for taxation!" Hearing this, Yates looked utterly dejected. He had said all he could, yet neither David nor Hopkinson showed any sign of yielding. Considering the rapid pace of the trial preparation, he believed the other party must have ample evidence of tax evasion against Bitcher and Adide. "Alright, Vice Mayor Yates, it''s gettingte. We have a trial to prepare for tomorrow. It''s about time you left..." Seeing that David had no intention of negotiating, Hopkinson felt there was no need to waste more words and effectively issued an eviction notice. Left with no choice, Yates shook his head in dismay and then turned to push the door open and leave. After Yates had left, Hopkinson discussed the details for the next day with David. Eventually, Richards personally escorted David to the quarters they had arranged for his overnight stay, preparing to rest for the uing trial. Over at City Hall. Cecil and the other City Hall officials were still waiting patiently in the conference room for Yates''s return. Just then, the door opened, and as Yates entered, everyone''s attention was immediately captivated. But upon seeing Yates''s helpless and despondent expression, each person''s heart sank. Under everyone''s gaze, Yates began to speak, "No deal. They didn''t yield. It looks like Adide and Bitcher are most likely going to be convicted!" Everyone had already anticipated this oue from Yates'' expression, so there was no great shock upon hearing the news¡ªonly a darker atmosphere settled in. After a while, Cecil said through gritted teeth, "This damn National Tax Bureau, do they have to be so ruthless?" "More urately, it''s that David who wants to be ruthless!" "Oh?" The people present looked at Yates, confused. Yates exined, "I could tell that City West precinct Captain Hopkinson was somewhat moved by our offer to negotiate with City Hall. But David was absolutely against it!" "So are you saying that the one who got Bitcher and Adide was really David? Otherwise, given that Hopkinson was tempted, there''s no reason he wouldn''t have taken the opportunity to back down!" During the media conference that introduced David, people had already spected that the entire affair might have been engineered by David himself, and now it was fully confirmed. Yates went on to say, "The reason the state government issued the crackdown instruction is now rumoured to be because David had offended the Governor, and I suppose that''s why he''s so adamant against negotiating..." Upon hearing this, resentment bubbled up in the hearts of the officials present. This was originally a matter between the Governor and the Tax Bureau, but now they were the ones suffering the consequences. It was exactly like the saying went: ''When immortals fight, the mortals suffer!'' The atmosphere at the scene was somber for a long time, until Cecil looked towards a man sitting at the end on his right side and said, "At this point, Smollett, you are our only hope!" The man named Smollett, called out by his name, instantly wore a troubled expression. He was the City Hall''s legal advisor, handling all the legal disputes for the city government. He might be confident in dealing with regr legal disputes, and even the more challenging ones were bearable. However, it should be noted that they were now facing the Tax Bureau. From the current situation, it was evident that the Tax Bureau had already secured very conclusive evidence. Moreover, the trial would take ce in a Tax Bureau court, and even if he were thoroughly familiar with federalw, he couldn''t outmanoeuvre the Tax Bureau''s own taxw. "Don''t lose heart. There''s no case in the world that''s a hundred percent certain, and the Tax Bureau is no exception. As long as you can find their loophole, it will be enough to give them a hard time!" It was unclear whether Cecil said this to bolster Smollett''s spirits or tofort the others present. But Smollett himself had no confidence at all because even now, he still had no idea what incriminating evidence the Tax Bureau had on Bitcher and Adide. Finding their loopholes was going to be difficult! But since the Mayor had said so, all he could reply was, "I can only say I''ll do my best, Mayor..." ... The Grand Sierra Leone Resort and Casino Hotel. This was a four-star hotel in Sparks City. Out of appreciation for the million dors in tax revenue that David had generated for the western district office, the western district office had set aside some official funds to provide three luxury suites for three people at this hotel. Though the luxury suites were far from the presidential suite, at 2000 US dors a night, they were quite valuable. The hotel''s buffet restaurant. David, Nisen, and Bucky were seated together, enjoying their dinner of steak, salmon, and lobster. "My apologies, Director..." While eating, Nisen suddenly put down his knife and fork and said guiltily to David. David looked up and asked, "Apologies for what?" "For the dy caused by my visit here during the peak time of the ''Create a God'' project at the headquarters..." Nisen had already noticed that David must be aiming for the ''Create a God'' project. But because of his transfer from above, he had to personallye to Sparks to salvage his career. And now there was also the wasted time of one night here, which made him feel incredibly guilty. David reassured him, "Nisen, we are a team, and besides, Markus''s issue stemmed from an operation under my lead. It''s my responsibility, and there''s nothing to apologize for!" "Yeah, Nisen, we''re all a team. If there''s a problem, we face it together. Don''t take it to heart!" Bucky also chimed in with words offort. Hearing their reassurances, Nisen was both touched and speechless, only able to nod heavily. Chapter 194: Chapter 142: 1200 Years of Punishment No words were exchanged throughout the night, and morning of the second day arrived. The courtroom of the State Tax Bureau in Sparks was located in the city bureau of the Eastern District State Tax Bureau. "Good morning, everyone. It''s now 8:30 AM, and there are 30 minutes left before the trial begins. Everyone, please look forward to it..." Early in the morning, local media channels had arrived at the venue early to stake out their positions and were broadcasting live updates of the situation. Soon after, officials from the city hall, the Eastern District, the West City State Tax Bureau, and some invited dignitaries from Sparks City also arrived at the scene, mingling in the lobby. In the parking area, David and his twopanions also stepped out and made their way into the lobby. Richards Hopkins and the others had arrived early. Upon seeing David''s arrival, they immediately came up to greet him. Among them, Hopkins said, "As you instructed, I''ve already briefed Judge Yvonne!" "That''s good." "Alright, the trial is about to start, let''s go upstairs!" David nodded and then he and his entourage made their way to the elevator and rode it up to the sixth floor. Due to the small size of Sparks City, the courthouse was not veryrge. It was only about half as big as those in Las Vegas. As per the usual practice of the State Tax Bureau, to avoidplications with public opinion, media reporters were not allowed inside, except for invited personnel. As the courtroom attendees took their ces, the time approached 9 o''clock. "All rise." Right on the hour, a man wearing a ck judge''s robe emerged from the passage; he was Judge Yvonne, the presiding judge for this trial. He took his seat, and only then did everyone else sit down. Following that, he said, "The court is now in session. Bring in the defendant!" As he spoke, Deputy Mayor Bitcher and Chief Adide were brought in through the passageway; though their spirits were somewhat downcast, their positions of power seemed to have preserved theirposure and demeanor. After the two had taken their ces in the dock, Judge Yvonne then stated, "Chief Adide, Deputy Mayor Bitcher, you are used by this court of tax evasion. Do you have anything to say in your defense?" "Your Honor, I don''t quite understand this alleged ''tax evasion''." "Your Honor, I feel the same way!" Although both men knew the State Tax Bureau was very confident, they naturally couldn''t admit guilt at this point, for that would mean no further trial proceedings were necessary, and they could go straight to prison. Judge Yvonne picked up a document from the desk and looked it over before turning to Chief Adide and saying, "Chief Adide, ording to the evidence we have obtained, on December 8th, you epted a bribe of one hundred thousand US dors from the West City Police Sub-Branch, on December 26th, you epted another two hundred thousand US dors from the Eastern District Police Sub-Branch, and on January 13th..." With each piece of evidence being pointed out by Judge Yvonne above, Chief Adide''splexion went from its previous calm to one of shock. "ording to the regtions of the ck Tax Act, starting from December 3, 2021, any illicit ie must be reported and taxed to our State Tax Bureau. Yet, as a public servant, you have failed to report such matters. How do you exin this?" After Judge Yvonne finished speaking, Attorney Smollett from the defense bench became restless and quickly raised his hand, indicating he wanted to speak. Judge Yvonne saw his hand and said, "Defense attorney, what would you like to say?" Smollett stood up immediately and responded, "Your Honor, I''m not sure where this information ising from, but it must be nder or a frame-up against Chief Adide." Hearing this, Chief Adide, who was still caught in disbelief, seemed to snap back to reality and echoed the statement, "That''s right, this is a frame-up. I did not ept any bribes from the Eastern and Western District Police Sub-Branches!" "Is that so?" Judge Yvonne looked at him and picked up a ledger, asking, "Do you know what this is?" Chief Adide shook his head: "I don''t know." "This is a ledger provided by Superintendent Randolph from the West City Police Sub-Branch. It contains detailed records of every bribe transaction between you and him. Although the ck Tax Act does not allow us to investigate bribes prior to December 3, 2021, we only need to look at those that urred after that date!" "What did you say!" Upon hearing that the ledger had been provided by Randolph, Chief Adide first froze, then almost instantly erupted in anger. He realized why the State Tax Bureau was so confident in prosecuting him; they had already secured Randolph as a witness. "If you still find this insufficient, we also have a box of tapes provided by the Chief of the Eastern District Police Sub-Branch, Lancelot!" Judge Yvonne picked up the tapes and handed them to a court employee, who immediately ced them into the tape yer. The recorded voices soon filled the room. "Chief Adide, I''ve delivered this month''s two hundred thousand US dors to you. Please check it." "Excellent, Lancelot. But as the main area of Sparks City, the Eastern District is quite lucrative. You need to put in more effort..." "Understood, Chief Adide. Next month I will strive to increase it by fifty percent for you." ``` "Hmm, good..." "..." As the tape yed conversation after conversation, everyone in the room had already realized that Chief Adide was thoroughly doomed. Attorney Smollett, on thewyers'' bench, had sunk back into his seat, powerless, because he knew that with evidence so irrefutable, no amount of talking could refute it. "Fuck." Chief Adide finally snapped to his senses. He began to look around the spectator''s gallery for something, and soon, he found Randolph, and Lancelot. Pointing at them, he yelled, "Fine, if that''s how it is then I''ll admit it, but those two damn bastards, they''ve also epted bribes, they''ve also evaded taxes, they must go to prison too!" The two people he pointed out were not only embarrassed, but their minds became extremely tense. Fortunately for them, what Judge Yvonne said next eased their worries. "They''ve already reached a friendly agreement with the State Tax Bureau. Therefore, as long as they pay the tax due, the Bureau will not pursue their tax evasion penalties!" Judge Yvonne''s words almost made Chief Adide faint with rage, but he just couldn''t ept it. Why was he the only one being targeted when everyone was guilty of the same crime? Suppressing his anger, he retorted, "Why can they make an agreement with the State Tax Bureau? I can make an agreement too, I can negotiate as well!" "Alright, this is a trial against you, let''s not digress so much, Chief Adide. The evidence of your tax evasion is conclusive. Do you plead guilty or not?" Chief Adide copsed into his seat. He could see that the State Tax Bureau was determined to bring him down; nothing he said would make a difference now. Seeing that he remained silent, Judge Yvonne didn''t bother with him further and turned her gaze to Deputy Mayor Bitcher, asking, "Deputy Mayor Bitcher, this court uses you of tax evasion. Do you plead guilty?" Seeing Chief Adide''s oue, Deputy Mayor Bitcher felt his heart grow cold by half, for he knew that if the State Tax Bureau could solidify Chief Adide''s charges, his situation wouldn''t be any better. Smollett stood up again, arguing, "Your Honor, let the evidence speak!" "Fine!" Judge Yvonne picked up a piece of paper and said, "Here is a list supplied by Attorney Heisenberg, with records of his assistance in your moneyundering, as well as vouchers and ount-rted information. How do you exin this?" "Heisenberg!" Bitcher finally understood, this was where the State Tax Bureau''s confidence came from! Then, he looked towards the spectator''s gallery and indeed found Heisenberg among them. "Attorney Heisenberg, pleasee up and state the transactions you had with Deputy Mayor Bitcher, and how youundered money for him!" Hearing Judge Yvonne''s summons, Heisenberg in the spectator''s gallery nced at David before walking down to the stand. The testimonies from the two police chiefs earlier had confirmed that David''s promise to Heisenberg was effective and that he wouldn''t face further consequences after testifying, so at this point, Heisenberg was rtively calm andposed. After organizing his thoughts, Heisenberg slowly began, "My encounter with Deputy Mayor Bitcher began half a year ago, when he had just been promoted to deputy mayor and found me through his connections..." As Heisenberg unfolded how he met Bitcher, then how heundered money for him, and eventually the bank ounts that the money was transferred into, the verdict was clear in everyone''s mind. That was, Deputy Mayor Bitcher was doomed for sure! "Heisenberg, you son of a bitch, you''ll get what''sing to you one day!" Recognizing from the previous actions of the two police chiefs, Bitcher knew that with the protection of the State Tax Bureau, he had no chance to implicate Heisenberg and could only curse out in anger. "Alright, the tax evasion charges against Chief Adide and Deputy Mayor Bitcher have been substantiated. Now, the verdict will be announced!" As she finished, Judge Yvonne stood up first, and everyone in the spectator''s gallery followed suit. "Defendant Adide, having been found guilty of tax evasion, and considering the substantial amount involved, plus your position as a public officialmitting a crime knowing thew, an additional degree of punishment is justified. Therefore, I hereby sentence you to 1200 years in prison without possibility of parole, and I order the forfeiture of the total tax amount of 320 thousand US dors!" Many in the audience knew the State Tax Bureau''s punishments would be severe, but they did not expect it to be this harsh ¨C a direct sentence of 1200 years left them stunned. But before they could even process this, Judge Yvonne continued, "Defendant Bitcher, having been found guilty of tax evasion, and considering the substantial amount involved, plus your position as a public officialmitting a crime knowing thew, an additional degree of punishment is justified. Therefore, I hereby sentence you to 1200 years in prison without possibility of parole, and I order the forfeiture of the total tax amount of 440 thousand US dors!" Smollett couldn''t stay seated any longer. He stood up to object, "Your Honor, I object to such severe sentencing. Not long ago, in the Indian case enforced by Director David, the tribe chose to resist with violence; despite their egregious nature, they were only sentenced to 1000 years. Now Chief Adide and Deputy Mayor Bitcher are only guilty of tax evasion; how can their sentence be harsher than theirs?" In truth, there was essentially no difference between 1000 years and 1200 years. After all, could a person live to be 1000 or 1200 years old? Yet, as representatives of city hall, it was imperative to make a stand regardless, or else in future cases, the State Tax Bureau would be even more unbridled. "The Indian tribe has a lower level of education and favors force; their violent resistance can be somewhat excused. However, both Adide and Bitcher are highly educated and held key positions in Sparks only to choose to knowingly break thew by evading taxes. Essentially, this is much more severe in nature than the case of the Indians!" "This..." Even as a man who made his living off words, Smollett found himself at a loss for words against Judge Yvonne''s facious argument. ``` Chapter 195: Chapter 143: You Still Want to Persist Stubbornly, Right? "Alright, this trial is over!" Yvonne didn''t give Smollett another chance to defend himself, simply dering the end of the trial. From the spectator gallery, Yates turned his head towards the chiefs of police from both the East and West precincts and bellowed, "You two bastards, get over here!" Meanwhile, the other officials from city hall were also looking at the two police chiefs with fierce expressions. Now that the matter was settled, the only thing they could do was to direct their anger at the two police chiefs as a way to vent their frustrations. Unexpectedly, however, Randolph and Lancelot, although theyplied with the order toe over, appeared quite unfazed. "You two double-dealing bastards, submit your resignation to city hall right now!" After Yates spoke, the other officials from city hall showed no signs of disagreement, evidently siding with him. Randolph responded at a leisurely pace, "Vice Mayor Yates, we cooperated with the national tax bureau because we had no choice. If we hadn''t, we would be the ones standing in the defendant''s seat right now. We hope the city hall can understand..." "Vice Mayor Yates, gentlemen of the city hall, what Commissioner Randolph said is also my sentiment, but I must remind you of something. We just finished cooperating with the national tax bureau. What would the tax bureau think if we submitted our resignations now? And what would Director David think?" Lancelot added in support. The reason they were so confident was primarily due to their reliance on their connection with the national tax bureau. Moreover, with the examples of Bitcher and Adide before them, they believed these people would not dare to do anything to them. Otherwise, who would dare to testify for the tax bureau in the future? And if they were to be disciplined, it would also be tantamount to pping the tax bureau''s face in public! As expected, after hearing this argument, Yates and the other officials from city hall suddenly realized their predicament. Indeed. Dealing with Randolph and Lancelot was easy, but they had just cooperated with the tax bureau. If they retaliated immediately, wouldn''t it be a tant disrespect to the tax bureau? Before anyone else could speak, Cecil was the first to turn and leave. Helpless, Yates and the others could only glower at Randolph and Lancelot before following quickly after. ... "Director David!" Meanwhile, David was walking out of the courtroom with Hopkinson, Tax Chief Richards, and others, preparing to take the elevator down, when he suddenly heard a shout from behind. Turning his head, he saw a man with thick eyebrows and a high nose bridge. Through Golden Finger''s scrutiny, David instantly recognized his identity; it was the chief of the East branch of the national tax bureau. "Let me introduce myself, I''m the chief of the East branch. Just call me Mendes!" Mendes approached with his right hand extended. "Good to meet you, Chief Mendes." David, in turn, extended his hand and shook with the other party. "Director David, this case was beautifully handled. I wonder if there''s anythinging up... that our East branch could help with? We are very willing to serve!" By imprisoning the two officials, Adide and Bitcher, not only did the West branch gain tremendous reputation, but there was also an important factor, that being the massive amount of taxes. The taxes from those two alone added up to over 700,000, and just yesterday, the West branch received another amount of over 300,000. It didn''t take much thought to realize that David must have yed a significant role in this. All together, it amounted to over a million in taxes. Such a substantial amount of taxes, Mendes would definitely be lying if he said he wasn''t envious. On the contrary, his heart was sour with vexation, particrly because David had not partnered with their East branch but had chosen the West branch instead. As for his remarks now, they were actually a hint to David. That was: whatever the West branch could do for you, our East branch could surely do too, just let us get our hands on such an amount of taxes as well! "No offense, Chief Mendes, but what do you mean by that? If Director David needs anything done by your East branch, he will naturally turn to you!" Before David had the chance to reply, Hopkinson and Richards were already getting anxious on the side. Firstly, the East and West branches were inherentlypetitors. Secondly, just as Mendes suspected, thanks to David''s assistance, their West branch had now received not only a vast sum of taxes but also substantial prestige, and they were eagerly expecting to ride another wave of sess with David. And now here was the East branch, brazenly attempting to swoop in and poach their partnership? "Don''t fret, Director Hopkinson. I''m just seeing if there''s any way we could assist Director David, after all, it''s for the tax revenue of our tax bureau." Mendes was in no rush, knowing there was no need to argue with Hopkinson; it all depended on David''s stance. "When there''s a chance, Chief Mendes. Let''s see how things unfold from here on out," said David finally speaking up. At his words, Mendes''s expression shifted, while Hopkinson and Richards showed a touch of urgency. "Director Hopkinson, Tax Chief Richards, let''s head outside and make a statement to the media!" "Yes, let''s go." Hopkinson, worried that David might get ''taken away'' by continued conversation with Mendes, quickly ushered David into the elevator. Chapter 196: Chapter 143: You Still Want to Persist Stubbornly, Right?_2 At the entrance of the first floor, the media journalists, as well as the citizens of Sparks City who were watching, were still anxiously waiting for the verdict to be announced. At that moment, one of the keen-eyed journalists seemed to have noticed something and shouted, "The trial is over, they''reing out!" Upon hearing this, the previously sluggish reporters immediately picked up their microphones, and the cameramen all turned their lenses towards the direction of the entrance. Soon after, David and Director Hopkinson, along with Richards and others, walked out. "Director Hopkinson, has the trial concluded?" "Director Hopkinson, what is the result of the trial? Have Chief Adide and Deputy Mayor Bitcher been sessfully convicted?" "Director David..." Facing the fuside of questions from the media, Hopkinson made a downward pressing gesture with both hands. Once everyone had quieted down, he then said, "The trial has ended, and after deliberation, it has been confirmed that Adide and Bitcher are guilty of tax evasion, and they have been sentenced to 1200 years of imprisonment each!" "1200 years!!!" The media and the watching citizens were already shocked to hear that the guilty verdict had been reached. But when they heard the sentence of 1200 years of imprisonment, they were even more astounded. Everyone knew that the Internal Revenue Service was famously strict in punishing tax evasion, but no one could have imagined that the sentence would be so severe as to hand down 1200 years. "Director Hopkinson, Adide and Bitcher were merely evading taxes; isn''t this punishment a bit too harsh?" one reporter asked, recovering from his shock. With a serious face, Hopkinson replied, "Adide and Bitcher, as highly-educated public officials, chose to underreport their tax amounts despite knowing the implications of the ck Tax Law, and the sum involved is extraordinarilyrge. Therefore, this punishment is not at all excessive!" That reporter then asked, "Then Director Hopkinson, since Adide and Bitcher, two officials, have been confirmed to evade taxes, could other officials from the city council be involved as well? Will your Internal Revenue Service continue the investigation?" "That''s a good question. However, I think it would be better if Director David answers this for you!" Following Hopkinson''s response, all the cameras and microphones turned to David. David organized his thoughts briefly and said, "Our Internal Revenue Service has zero tolerance for tax evaders, especially for public officials who break thew knowingly. Adide and Bitcher are just the beginning, and we will continue to pursue our investigations..." Meanwhile, in the city council''s conference room. Cecil and other officials from the city hall had all returned here and were watching the interview with David on television. When they heard that Adide and Bitcher were just the start and the investigation would continue, many officials in the room showed a flicker of fear on their faces. If David and the Internal Revenue Service could find incriminating evidence of tax evasion against Adide and Bitcher, enough to put them away, then none of them could guarantee their own safety. Let''s not forget, Adide and Bitcher had been sentenced to 1200 years each! Moreover, with no chance of parole! They would spend the rest of their lives in prison. Who wouldn''t be afraid of that? "Mayor, I think we should immediately cancel the directive for the crackdown. There''s no need to keep up such a tough stance!" one of the officials in the room suggested. "Yes, Mayor, it''s better not to get promoted to state government than to end up in prison," another joined in. "I agree..." "..." As this official spoke up, the other officials in the room quickly echoed his sentiment. If they capitted now, they figured the problem would probably be resolved. After all, David''s jurisdiction was not here, and he probably didn''t have the resources to go after each of them individually. And now, having targeted only Bitcher and Adide, it was just a scare tactic. After much contemtion, Cecil finally gritted his teeth and said, "We have no other choice!" ... In Carson City, at the Governor''s Mansion. Governor Stevenson was watching the interview on the television screen, his face ashen. Eugene, standing beside him, was not looking any better. They knew that if the Internal Revenue Service dared to arrest Adide and Bitcher, they must have been very confident in their case. But not only had the Internal Revenue Service decisively convicted the two, they had also imposed a severe sentence of 1200 years. This made them feel as though they had been pped hard in the face. After a long moment, Eugene said, "Governor, David is clearly making a show of force. The officials in Sparks City will definitely buckle, and I suspect the other 17 cities are already on tenterhooks." Clenching his teeth, Stevenson said, "Call the city councils of the 17 cities to pacify them, tell them not to panic and to hold their ground. I refuse to believe that damn David can do whatever he pleases!" "Understood!" ... In Henderson City, the secondrgest city in Nevada State after Las Vegas, an emergency meeting was also being convened. "The ''earthquake'' in Sparks City¡ªI assume everyone here has heard the news, so what are your thoughts?" Mayor Priestley of Henderson City said, looking seriously at those present. Chapter 197: Chapter 143: You Still Want to Persist Stubbornly, Right?_3 "The IRS ising for us with a vengeance after 1200 years..." "It''s obviously a retaliatory action against us for carrying out the state government''s crackdown directive. They''re probably trying to make an example out of us!" "Indeed, but I must say, this David is quite capable. He silently made his way to Sparks and managed to put away a deputy mayor and a police chief..." Those present were engaged in a heated discussion. At this moment, Pristonley interjected, "The question now is whether we should continue to carry out the state bureau''s crackdown directive. If we do, will this Davide after our Henderson City next and take his revenge?" "That''s hard to say..." "Although he took down two officials in Sparks City, as long as everyone here stays clean, we shouldn''t need to worry so much, right?" "Even if you''re clean, it''s not always safe. With matters like tax collection, let''s not even mention the ''ck Tax Bill,'' there''s always room for oversight. If they really want to get us, they''re bound to find something to grab onto..." "..." Opinions were prized among the attendees, with some worried and others unconcerned, believing that no matter how capable David might be, he was merely human, not God; he couldn''t simply find leverage on them whenever he wished. Just then, the meeting room''s door opened, and Pristonley''s secretary walked in, handing over a phone: "Mr. Mayor, Secretary Eugene from the Governor''s office is on the line." Pristonley took the call and after seven or eight minutes, he appeared to have received some promise. He then assertively said to those present, "Never mind what''s happening in Sparks. The directive for our crackdown remains unchanged!" Upon hearing this, some of the concerned attendees frowned, but since the highest authority in City Hall had made a decision, they found it inappropriate to argue further. Beyond Henderson City. Meanwhile, at the town halls of Nevada State''s 17 cities, officials were also discussing the major upheaval in Sparks City. However, officials like Saloyan from the Las Vegas City Hall felt an immense sense of relief. Relieved that they did not follow the 18 cities in enforcing the state government''s crackdown directive, or else they would have been the first to fall. After all, if David could stir up such a significant scandal in Sparks, it would probably be even easier for him to target them in Las Vegas. But unlike Las Vegas. In the other 16 cities, many officials in the town halls were indeed shaken by the event. Yet after receiving reassuring calls from the state government, along with promises of various benefits, they hardened their hearts and chose to continue with the crackdown directive. Perhaps they didn''t believe that David could really reach them! In Sparks City. "Well done, Director David. You''ve made quite the headlines in Sparks without anyone knowing, surely keeping many people awake at night." "That''s exactly the effect I wanted. Otherwise, how would they cancel the crackdown directive?" "Alright, then. Just keep up the stir. No worries about the office; we still have so many days until the assessment period ends." "Understood, Chief." David had returned to the West City sub-bureau, where he briefed William on the situation here. After hanging up the phone, Richards came over and said, "Just received word from City Hall that they''ve canceled the crackdown directive. Our ck tax collection efforts can proceed as usual!" Honestly, he felt a bit of regret that City Hall backed down so quickly. He had been hoping that David would continue to take action, picking off a few more officials to boost their sub-bureau''s tax achievements. But now that n had fizzled out. "That''s good..." David wasn''t too surprised. If 1200 years of harsh punishment couldn''t intimidate those people at City Hall, then their guts were surely made of barrels. Richards then asked, "What''s next...?" David replied, "Check out the situation in the other 17 cities for me, see what the reaction is in their town halls!" "No problem!" An hourter. Richards came back to David, saying, "We''ve checked. After the incidents with Bitcher and Adide, the other 17 cities have received the news. Many officials in their town halls were indeed intimidated, but it turns out, all 17 cities have no intention of canceling the crackdown directive." "Oh?" David was slightly surprised. Were the fates of Bitcher, Adide, and the severe 1200-year punishment still not enough to deter the town halls of the other 17 cities? It seemed that they were still clinging to the hope that they wouldn''t be targeted! Well, in that case, they couldn''t me him for continuing to ''massacre.'' Seeing the fierce glint in David''s eyes, Richards asked softly, "Director David, is there anything we at the West City sub-bureau can do to help?" "No need. Next, I n to pay a visit to neighboring Henderson City!" Upon hearing this, Richards instantly felt disappointed; since David was heading to Henderson, there wouldn''t be anything for the West City sub-bureau to do. But quickly, something seemed to dawn on Richards, and he promptly asked, "Director David, since you''re going to Henderson, do you have any acquaintances in the IRS there?" "Not as of now." Rising to the asion, Richards responded, "If that''s the case, let me rmend a Chief Tax Officer to you. He''s an old friend of mine, absolutely reliable and safe in his work. You might need him over there!" "That would be helpful. Thank you." David didn''t refuse, for although he possessed a powerful ''golden finger,'' it was still someone else''s territory, and he would need the cooperation of the local IRS toplete a series of tasks. Chapter 198: Chapter 144: Another City Taken Care Of "No problem." Tax Chief Richards immediately returned to his office, opened his phone contacts, found a number for ''Edward,'' and dialed it. In Henderson City, at the National Tax Bureau Valley District Sub-bureau Branch Inspector''s Office, a man around 40 years old was exining some matters to a group of inspectors. Suddenly, the vibration of his phone in his pocket made him stop mid-sentence. He then took out the phone, his expression changed when he saw the iing caller ID, but he still promptly walked to a quiet spot to answer the call. "Tax Chief Richards, your Western Sub-bureau sure is prestigious, having sent a police director and a deputy mayor to prison. What, are you nning to show off to me?" "You''re overthinking it, Edward. I''ve got no time to show off to you. I called you to offer you a big break!" "A big break?" Edward was utterly baffled by this statement. "That''s right. Do you want to make a name for yourself like our Western Sub-bureau, do you wish to have a tax revenue of millions?" Upon hearing this, Edward''s expression lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "What do you mean?" "Alright, I won''t keep you in suspense. Director David said he wants to visit your Henderson City to take care of the crackdown directive for your Valley Branch!" "What, Director David ising!" Edward''s breathing suddenly became rapid. After seeing the huge tax achievements garnered by the Western Sub-bureau and how Richards had personally made quite the ssh, he was naturally green with envy. He had even fantasized about how great it would be if David could visit their Henderson City. But what he hadn''t expected was that this fantasy... seemed to be about toe true! "Tax Chief Edward, Director David going to your Henderson City will need some people to get things done, so I immediately thought of you. You are capable of..." "I can, I can, definitely can!!!" Before Richards could finish speaking on the other end of the phone, Edward had eagerly agreed, fearful that a second''s dy might cost him this opportunity. He wasn''t a fool; this might be his one and only chance to make a name for himself and to earn a huge amount of tax revenue¡ªhe couldn''t miss out! "Is that so... But, Edward, to secure this opportunity for you in front of Director David, I had to put in quite a bit of effort..." "I understand, Richards. You rmended this opportunity to me; consider me in your debt. If there''s anything you need in the future, justmand me!" Hearing this, Richards from the Western Sub-bureau showed a satisfied demeanor and replied, "No need to be formal, Edward. We''re friends after all. This is what I''ll do¡ªI''ll give Director David your contact information, and he will get in touch with you. Oh, and remember, we must keep Director David''s visit to your city low-key to avoid startling anyone!" "Don''t worry, I understand!" After hanging up the phone, Richards immediately took out some paper and a pen, wrote down Edward''s contact information, and set out towards where Director David was. When he arrived at David''s location, he found that Director Hopkinson was also there. It seemed that Director Hopkinson had received the news about David''s departure from the city and was looking rather downcast. Richards, not concerning himself with this, handed over the note: "Director David, this is Tax Chief Edward of Henderson City, Valley Branch. I''ve already briefly spoken with him; you can directly discuss your needs with him!" David nodded, took the note, and tucked it into his pocket. At that moment, Hopkinson spoke resignedly, "Director David, will we have the chance to coborate again in the future?" "There will be an opportunity soon, Director Hopkinson. I''ll contact you then!" "Really?" Hopkinson''s resignation was instantly reced by a look of anticipation. He had only asked out of a hint of hope, knowing that with the crackdown issue resolved, there was little chance for further contact between them. But David not only confirmed there would be another chance, he also said it would be soon, how could this not excite him. "Truly, I''ll contact you with the details when the timees!" After the deification n had beenunched, David harbored a n of his own. However, this n required resolving the trouble brought on by the state government and dealing with the other major cases in the main district first before it could be enacted. "Alright, then our Western Sub-bureau will wait for the good news!" ... Sparks City is adjacent to Henderson City, just a bit over 20 kilometers away from the Western Sub-bureau, not too far of a distance. At this moment, on a road leading to Henderson City, David took out the piece of paper Richards had given him and dialed the number on it. "Tax Chief Edward? This is David from the Lake District of Las Vegas." "Speaking, Director David, hello!" Edward''s voice trembled slightly. It was clear that he had been eagerly awaiting David''s call. "I need you to check the whereabouts of officials from your city hall. Can you do that?" "That''s a small matter, no problem!" "Good, then get to it. Report back to me anytime there''s news!" Edward was quite efficient. About half an hourter, his call came back. "At noon, the Director of Education, Belski, from the city hall will go to the City Museum to attend a student-guiding event." "At 1:00 PM, the City Manager Sharp will head to the old Henderson Station to inspect the expansion project there." "At 2:00 PM, another Deputy Mayor, Clement, will attend an event at State University." "Besides that, all the other officials will work in the City Hall!" Edward exined one by one. "Alright, let''s leave it at that for now, and stay in touch!" After hanging up the phone, David said, "Let''s go to the city museum first." Forty minutester, the three of them arrived near the Henderson City Museum. Since it was only 11:10 AM, they first indulged in a hearty meal at KFC. Finally, they parked their car in front of the museum. As time passed, 12 PM arrived. Sure enough, a sedan bearing the City Hall''s license te pulled up in front of the museum. The car door opened, and a bald man in his fifties wearing a suit stepped out. [Name: Belski Cardona.] [upation: Director of the Henderson City Education Bureau.] [Ie: Legal monthly ie of $17,500, illegal ie of $3,000.] [Ie Details: On December 23rd, epted a gemstone gifted by a parent, valued at $3,000¡­] [More Details: ¡­] [Tax Owed: $300.] Having scrutinized the director''s information, David was momentarily at a loss for words. This guy is just too damn clean! "Let''s go, Old Henderson Station!" Although the director did have some illegal ie, it wasn''t enough to warrant a major operation, so David had no choice but to cross off this target. Half an hourter, they arrived at Old Henderson Station. By this time it was 12:36 PM. ording to the information provided by Edward, the City Manager of the City Hall would arrive at one o''clock, so they just needed to wait a little longer. At 1 PM sharp, a vehicle from the City Hall appeared once again at the entrance of the station. The car door opened, and this time, a portly man around 40 years old in a suit got out. [Name: Sharp DiCario.] [upation: City Manager of Henderson.] [Ie: Legal monthly ie of $18,200, Illegal ie of $1.31 million.] [Ie Details: On December 16th, leaked the urban construction n for the Valley District to Archer Real Estate Company, making a profit of $300,000, on December 28th, approved a piece ofnd in the high-tech zone to a business in vition of regtions, making a profit of $300,000, on January 13th, outsourced city image projects to private enterprises, making a profit of $300,000¡­] [More Details: ¡­] [Tax Owed: $518,760.] After reviewing this fellow''s information, David finally showed a hint of satisfaction. The City Manager''s position nearly soaked up thergest gravy at the City Hall. Plus one more thing, this job controlled the daily operations of the entire city and could be said to be second to the police department in effectively executing the city''s strictw enforcement and powerful measures. Taking down this guy, along with a deputy mayor, should effectively intimidate the City Hall of Henderson! "Let''s go to State University!" In the time that followed, David and hispanions went to State University to stake out thest deputy mayor, Clement. When 2 PM rolled around, under the scrutiny of the ''golden finger'', all of the information of the deputy mayor named Clement wasid bare before David''s eyes. The results were somewhat satisfying. Although this deputy mayor hadn''t embezzled millions like Sharp had, he''d taken around $200,000, which was worth making a fuss about! Afterward, he had Nisen drive to Archer Real Estate Company. "Hello sir, do you have an appointment?" "We''re from the National Tax Bureau. Take us to see your general manager!" Upon hearing that David and his twopanions were from the National Tax Bureau, the receptionist did not dare to dy and immediately turned around to seek instructions. Not long after, they were led to an office on the 10th floor of the real estatepany. "Gentlemen from the National Tax Bureau, ourpany''s tax affairs are handled by professionals with no issues whatsoever. May I know if there is anything else?" The general manager, upon seeing David and his party enter, didn''t panic but calmly asked. "Mr. Harrington, right..." "..." Half an hourter, David walked out of the office with a pleased look on his face. After he used the ''golden finger'' feature to list the opponent''s evidence of wrongdoing one by one and then intimidated them, naturally, the other party had no choice but to give in. They not only handed over some evidence of bribing City Manager Sharp but also agreed to stand out and testify in court when the time came. Next, David specifically targeted those who had dealings with Sharp and Clement,unching ''house calls'' for investigation one by one. The results were without exception; all of these people sumbed to his ''mighty influence''! So now, it was time for the grand show to begin in the city of Henderson! Chapter 199: Chapter 145: Tremors in Henderson City National Tax Bureau Valley District Sub-bureau Branch. "What? Contact the media, hold a press conference? Right now? Are you sure? This... Well then, fine!" After hanging up the phone, Edward''s eyes were still wide with disbelief. The call had, of course,e from David, and David had not been here for long. Yet he wanted him to hold a press conference, ready to announce the tax evasion crimes of two city hall officials in this city? Even with divine foresight, one couldn''t possibly expect to investigate with such speed, could they? If the caller hadn''t been David, who had just made a great stir at Sparks University, if he hadn''t verified it several times, Edward would never have believed it! Putting aside his thoughts, Edward immediately went to the door of the director''s office, knocked, and entered. The Valley Branch director was a refined woman in her fifties, wearing light makeup, named Jennifer. When she saw Edwarde in, she pushed up the sses on her nose bridge and asked, "What''s the matter, Edward?" Edward organized his thoughts and replied, "Director, I have something to tell you. This morning, Director David from Las Vegas contacted me..." "Wait a second..." Upon hearing the name David, Jennifer''s pupils dted instantly, interrupting him: "Director David from Las Vegas? Didn''t he just cause a huge earthquake in Sparks City? Why would he suddenly contact you?" "Director, please hear me out, here''s the situation..." Edward went on to exin everything in detail. After listening, Jennifer, who had already been somewhat restless, felt inner turmoil churning intensively. David hade to their Henderson City? And was he preparing to replicate the havoc he wreaked in Sparks, to shake the local city hall here as well? But that was not the most shocking thing to her. What shocked her the most was, ording to Edward, David had already arranged for their Valley Branch to schedule a media press conference, ready to issue a tax evasion notice against certain city hall officials! All of this left Jennifer both shocked and puzzled, and she immediately asked, "Did you not say he only arrived this morning? The day has barely passed 6 or 7 hours, and he has everything ready?" Edward spread his hands, equally baffled, and replied, "I can''t figure it out either, but I''ve confirmed with him several times. He seems very confident, and he''s already on his way over!" After a short contemtion, Jennifer responded, "Alright, then go contact the media. Don''t reveal any information about officials evading taxes, just simply prepare them toe over at any time!" "Understood." Edward immediately left the office and began contacting the media through various channels. Soon, Henderson''s media received the news and were instantly abuzz with spection. They were of course aware of the earthquake that had just happened next door in Sparks; in fact, many of them had even gone to the city court this morning to cover the event. And now their local Valley District National Tax Bureau Branch suddenly informed them that there might be a major piece of break news to announceter. This led the notified media to associate it with the events in Sparks. Could it be... That Henderson City was also about to experience such a significant earthquake? To confirm their suspicions, these media outlets immediately started inquiring about David''s whereabouts through various channels. Because they knew the official upheaval in Sparks was instigated by David himself. If David appeared here,bined with the notification from the Valley Tax Bureau Branch, then it was almost certain! Henderson City, City Hall. The city hall already had a long-standing cooperation with many media outlets. Therefore, the National Tax Bureau''s notification to the local media about an uing significant announcement quickly reached the city hall''s ears. Before this, despite the incident in Sparks City, many officials here harbored a stroke of luck, believing it wouldn''t reach their heads. But now, suddenly getting a tip from the media, many of them became anxious right away. Mayor Priestley convened all the important members of the city hall for an emergency meeting in the conference room without dy. "The reason I urgently called everyone here is that we just received a message from the media. They''ve been informed by the Valley Tax Bureau Branch that a press conference may be held shortly to announce a piece of breaking news!" "What, breaking news?" "The Valley Tax Bureau Branch informed the media about a press conference? This... It can''t really be happening to us, can it?" "It can''t be possible, the trial in Sparks just finished this morning; it can''t be our turn this afternoon, can it?" Upon hearing Mayor Priestley''s words, many of the officials present grew tense. "This messagees from two media outlets that have coborated with our city hall; it''s unlikely to be false!" Hearing Mayor Priestley confirm once more, those at the scene grew even more panicked. It wasn''t until nearly a minuteter that Sharp suddenly asked, "The question now is, is David still in Sparks City?" At those words, everyone at the scene also quickly caught on. Frankly, the local tax bureau definitely did not have the power to cause trouble over their city hall''s head; it was probably only that damn David who had the capability. And as long as David wasn''t in Henderson, they didn''t have much to fear! "I''ve already ordered people to check, and there''s no clear information yet. However, Sparks is very close to our Henderson City; if he wants toe over, it would only take a moment..." Chapter 200: Chapter 145: Henderson City Shaken_2 Pristonley''s words caused theplexions of the officials present to sour even further. Indeed. The two cities were adjacent to each other, so if David wanted toe over, wouldn''t it be a matter of minutes? And if that were really the case, then the trouble could be serious... Pristonley saw the worries of the crowd andforted them, "But everyone, don''t worry, even if Davides over, it''s only half a day. In this half a day, even if some of you have dirty hands and feet, it would be very difficult for him to gather enough evidence!" "Of course, just to be safe, I am now warning everyone, those with dirty hands and feet among you, better start dealing with it quickly. Otherwise, if that bastard catches your weak spotter, you''ll not only harm yourself but also harm us." "That''s it, the meeting is adjourned!" Upon hearing the words ''meeting adjourned,'' Sharp and Clement bounced out of their seats like a rocket beingunched, then almost ran to flee through the door. Everyone knows their own affairs best, they knew how clean their hands and feet were, so at this moment, they only wanted to deal with it quickly to avoid really being caught. But what they never dreamt was, at this moment, their leverage had already fallen into David''s hands. ... Valley Tax Bureau Branch. David and the three people had already arrived here, being led by one of the bureau''s inspectors straight to the director''s office door before walking in. "Director David, I''m Jennifer, the director here. It''s an honor to have you as our guest at the Valley Tax Bureau Branch!" "Director David, I''m Edward, the one who spoke with you on the phone." "Director Jennifer, Chief Tax Officer Edward, hello." As soon as Jennifer and Edward saw Davide in, they were incredibly enthusiastic and immediately came forward to shake hands with David. After some pleasantries, David asked directly, "Chief Tax Officer Edward, the media side has been arranged already, right?" "Of course, we can hold a press conference at any time!" David nodded in satisfaction, then waved to Bucky behind him, who immediately passed a file bag to Jennifer. Jennifer also did not hesitate, tearing it open right away, and Edward leaned in as well, the two of them slowly going through it. As the contents of the documents were revealed, both Jennifer and Edward''s expressions grew increasingly shocked. Because these documents recorded in detail the uwful deals between the city manager, Sharp, the deputy mayor, Clement and some businessmen, criminals. What surprised them most was that ording to the documents, these two individuals and the crooks were liable to pay taxes totaling up to 1.3 million dors! This amount was even more than Sparks City! Moreover, one must know that although Henderson City was the secondrgest in Nevada State, it was, in fact, a mediocre city when viewed on a national scale in America. And the revenue collected by the Valley Branch in thest assessment period was just a little over 1.1 million dors. If they closed this case now, just a few days into the assessment period the revenue would set a new record, it was something they wouldn''t dare to dream of! Jennifer suppressed the ecstatic joy in her heart and asked, "Director David, how did you get these materials?" "Well, that''s a long story, let''s focus on the matters ahead for now!" David responded with the same answer he had given to Director Hopkinson of the West City Branch. "Indeed..." Jennifer suddenly realized she had asked too much; the particrs might involve his unique case-solving techniques, which weren''t likely to be freely disclosed to her. She promptly turned the conversation away and instructed Edward, "What are you waiting for, Chief Tax Officer Edward, let our city''s city hall also experience the prowess of our Valley Branch... witness the prowess of Director David!" Jennifer had wanted to say that the local city hall should witness the prowess of their Valley Branch, but realizing that the bureau itself hadn''t really yed a significant role, she quickly changed her tune to tter David. "I''ll arrange it right now!" Soon, the media in our city received a notice from the Valley Branch, and those who had been "starving" for news didn''t dare to dy, rushing over as fast as possible. At the same time, City Hall also received the message, and Pristonley once again summoned important members of City Hall to the meeting room here, nning to see what the situation would be like next. Carson City, Governor''s Mansion. "Governor, there''s been some trouble in Henderson City..." Receiving the message, Eugene immediately burst into Stevenson''s office, telling him about the Valley Branch in Henderson City calling for a press conference. "What did you say? How is this possible!" After hearing about the situation, Stevenson had a look of disbelief. Just yesterday, after the west city branch had held a press conference, Sparks then faced a massive earthquake. And now the Valley Branch was about to hold a press conference, surely they weren''t going to follow in Sparks City''s footsteps? Though Sparks City had fallen, under his threats and inducements, he could still keep the City Halls of the other 17 cities stable, continuing to execute the crackdown directive. But if Henderson City fell too, then surely the City Halls of the other 16 cities would not be fools; in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the two cities, they would certainly choose to collectively cower. At that time, he, the Governor, would be a joke! Thinking of this, Stevenson growled angrily, "Has that David really gone to Henderson?" "We''re not sure about that at the moment. However, I think without David''s support, the Valley Branch wouldn''t dare to do this!" Stevenson clenched his teeth and said, "Hasn''t he just stirred up a storm in Sparks? How could he suddenly run off to Henderson City?" "This..." Eugene was at a loss for words; he too wanted to know the answer, but unfortunately, he wasn''t a worm in David''s stomach¡ªhow could he know? "Right, they should be starting!" Having suddenly remembered the press conference, Eugene quickly changed the subject, picked up the remote control, turned on the TV hanging on the wall, and tuned in to one of Henderson City''s media channels. Through the big screen, one could see that many media representatives had already arrived at the Valley Branch''s hall, ready to wee the arrival of the Tax Bureau spokesperson at any moment. About five or six minutester. The scene suddenly became noisy and agitated, and then the cameraman quickly shifted the view to the right-side passage. The woman leading the way came out first, none other than Director Jennifer of the Valley Branch, but she wasn''t the cause of the noise and agitation on the scene. It was David who followed behind her! "Fuck, Governor, it''s really that bastard!" Though Eugene had guessed that David had arrived in Henderson City, he still couldn''t help but curse when he saw him appear on the screen. At this moment, although Stevenson said nothing, his face had already twisted in rage, his fists clenched tightly. Henderson City, City Hall. "My god, it really is that bastard stirring up trouble!" "How is this possible? When did he suddenlye to our Henderson City?" "Oh shit..." Inside the meeting room, after seeing David appear on the big screen, the officials started cursing as well. A person''s reputation can lead like a shadow. David had just caused such a big uproar in Sparks City, sending two important figures with high status and power there to jail; now that he really hade to their Henderson, who wouldn''t be afraid? "Call those bastards, tell them to hurry up and deal with their own messed-up affairs!" Seeing David truly appear, Pristonley too couldn''t stay calm any longer, his face so grim it seemed ink could drip from it. Chapter 201: Chapter 146: Americas Top Family Amid discussions from all sides. In the Valley Branch''s main hall, Jennifer had already taken to the stage, speaking to a gathering of media: "Good day, friends from the media." "I believe that prior to this moment, you all might have received word that our Tax Bureau was going to release a significant announcement." "Now, I can reveal to you that this announcement involves tax evasion concerns associated with two significant officials from our city''s City Hall!" As her words finished, the room immediately erupted into roaring noise. They had spected that the Tax Bureau''s announcement might be rted to tax evasion, but they didn''t expect that it would truly be confirmed now. What''s more critical is that just like Sparks City, it involves important members of City Hall! Could it be that their own Henderson City was on the cusp of a major upheaval? But what they were most keen to know now was which two members from City Hall were in trouble! Under the eager gaze of all present, Jennifer continued: "After a thorough investigation by our Valley Branch and Director David, we have now secured evidence of tax evasion against City Manager Sharp and Deputy Mayor Clement. Soon, we will dispatch inspectors to arrest these two individuals, and the trial will take ce tomorrow!" Once again, the announcement set off a roaring noise in the venue, and every face bore an incredulous expression. A City Manager and a Deputy Mayor suspected of tax evasion? The impact of this on our city would be no less than that of Sparks City, there''s no doubt about that! Meanwhile, in amunity in Henderson City, inside one of the houses. Sharp, who was packing up cash involved in criminal activities, copsed onto the floor with legs giving way and a face full of panic when he heard Jennifer mention his name on TV. But before he could remain stunned, the ringing of his phone in his pocket forced him to shakily take out his mobile phone and then answer, saying, "Mayor... Mayor... " "You idiot, have you taken care of those damn messes?" "I... I... I..." Sharp stuttered for a while but ultimately couldn''t utter aplete sentence. He knew he was not clean, and since the Valley Branch dared to inform the media that he was suspected of tax evasion and even going to arrest him, they must be fairly confident. How could he assure himself that they wouldn''t catch any wrongdoing on his part? "You damn well better ensure you don''t tarnish the entire City Hall''s image!" Pristonley''s roar came once again. It wasn''t difficult to understand his anger, as he had already received thetest news from Sparks City. The impact of Bitcher''s and Adide''s actions was so egregious that the citizens were now very dissatisfied with the workings of City Hall. Mayor Cecil over there was already preparing to take the lead in resigning. And if their Henderson City Hall was also found guilty by the Tax Bureau, even if Pristonley himself was innocent, how could he escape me? After ending the call, Sharp took a moment to collect himself, then carried the packed cash down to the basement, stuffing it into a concealed spot beneath the floorboards. Now that the Tax Bureau had issued a warrant for his arrest on television, they could arrive at any moment. Naturally, he couldn''t carry this illicit money out at such a time, lest he be caught red-handed. "Ding-dong..." After Sharp had returned from the basement, the sound of the doorbell jolted his mind as if struck hard. Then, trembling, he moved to the door, looking out through the peephole. Seeing two men in suits standing outside, his face went ashen in an instant. But eventually, he reached out for the doorknob, knowing all the while that escape was now impossible. "Mr. Sharp, we are inspectors from the Valley Branch. We suspect you are heavily involved in tax evasion, pleasee with us!" The door opened and the two men from the Tax Bureau immediately showed their badges and spoke in an unrefusable tone. Sharp, trying hard to appear in control of his emotions, feigned innocence in response, "Sure, I''ll cooperate with the Tax Bureau''s investigation. But if you all can''t produce any substantial evidence, our City Hall will certainly make you pay for this!" ... While Sharp was being arrested, Clement was also apprehended by the inspectors dispatched from the Valley Branch and both were taken away. At the Valley Branch, inside the Director''s office. By now, the press conference had ended, and Jennifer Edward was back, discussing the details of tomorrow''s trial with David. "Director David, do you have any particr requests concerning tomorrow''s trial?" "There will be several witnesses testifying against these individuals tomorrow. I have already promised to keep them safe, and you''ll need tomunicate that to our judge. Besides... as for the punishment of these two, I think we should mirror the judgment passed in Sparks City today, to truly deter others," he instructed. Jennifer nodded in agreement, "No problem, I will handle themunication with Judge Sandy..." "Knock knock knock..." At the sound of knocking, Jennifer promptly said, "Come in!" An inspector entered and reported, "Director, City Hall''s legal advisor Bensum would like to meet with you and Director David!" "Bensum?" Jennifer gave a start, then turned to look at David with an inquiring attitude. "There''s no need to waste time meeting with him." Jennifer looked at the inspector and said, "You heard Director David''s words, didn''t you? Go tell him we''re busy right now!" The inspector dared not say more and immediately turned to leave to deliver the message. Meanwhile, David and Jennifer discussed some specific details for tomorrow. It wasn''t until 8 o''clock in the evening, when everything was in order, that the arrangements were officially finalized. Since no one had yet had dinner, out of respect for the host and for David, Jennifer suggested inviting David to join them for dinner. David did not refuse, and after a hearty meal at a restaurant with Jennifer, he was settled into a three-star hotel by Edward. That night, besides David and hispany, people from all sides were too anxious to sleep. At the Valley Branch, Jennifer, Edward, and the other senior officials were naturally looking forward to the trial set for the next day. People at the City Hall were restless, worrying about the chain reaction that might ensue if Sharp and Clement were found guilty tomorrow. In Carson City, at the Governor''s Mansion, Stevenson and Eugene were also tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Late at night, in a condominium in the Lake District of Las Vegas, "Father, ording to the information I''ve gathered, David inadvertently killed Governor Stevenson''s son while leading an operation a few days ago, which then triggered the current series of events..." On the balcony, wearing ace nightgown, Selina held a ss of red wine and spoke to the phone ced on the table. "Stevenson''s son was killed..." A deep male voice came from the other end of the phone. "Yes, afterwards Stevenson issued strict directives to all the cities, trying to pressure the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch to punish David and his team. But David was even more ruthless, swiftly handling Sparks City Hall with a thunderous approach, and now it''s Henderson City''s turn!" Selina had seen many people with decisive approaches. But those who were decisive and achieved their goals, apart from the current David, she seemed to have never encountered anyone else. "So it seems¡­ this knife is even sharper than we imagined!" "Yes, Father, if he manages to handle Henderson City Hall tomorrow, I reckon the other 16 cities will certainly fall in line, and after that, I don''t think there will be many in Nevada who would dare to oppose him!" "Hmm¡­" The man on the phone paused, then asked, "Didn''t you try to talk to him before? He refused, right? Do you think there''s still a chance to draw him over to our side?" "That''s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about tonight." "Oh? What about it?" The man on the other end showed interest. "Do you know who Stevenson''s wife Abbe Ingrid is connected to?" "Connected to who?" "She''s Joshua Morgan''s niece!" "What!" Joshua Morgan is the current 4th generation head of the Morgan Family. And as one of America''s top ten conglomerates, over the years, the Morgan Family''s influence not only spans the entire country, but it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say the whole world. There are many legendary tales about this family, such as numerous media outlets once hailing the family as the Napoleon of Wall Street. For this family has twice revived America''s economy from the brink of death. Moreover, it is rumored that one of The Seven Great Families controlling the Federal Reserve is the Morgan Family. So many people jokingly say that three generations of presidents have worked for this family, which isn''t an exaggeration at all. Although the Kennedy Family once had a powerful presence in America and still holds great influence today, whenpared to an old-money capitalist family like the Morgans, frankly, they aren''t quite at the same level. "Are you sure about this information?" The man on the phone had calmed his shocked emotions and asked again for confirmation. "Undoubtedly certain, Father!" "If that''s the case¡­ then perhaps we might be able to draw David over to our side. The influence of the Morgan Family isn''t something a Chief Tax Officer can contend with, even if he has now be a rising star in the IRS!" "I feel the same way, Father. However, we''ll have to see whether Abbe Ingrid seeks the Morgan Family''s power to avenge her son first. If she really does, then if we offer some help at the right time, that will truly be a lifeline for him, and he will remember us!" "Right, then you continue following up on this matter and report to me immediately if there''s any news!" "Understood, Father!" Chapter 202: Chapter 147: What if you, David, evaded taxes? ``` The time hade to the next day. In front of the IRS city office in Henderson City. Local media, as well as media from surrounding cities that had caught wind of the news, had already set up early to broadcast from the scene. "Good morning, citizens, it is now 8:20 AM, with 40 minutes remaining until the IRS''s court session begins. We can see that the City Hall, City Council, and some entrepreneurs from Henderson City have already been invited and arrived here. Let''s see what will happen next..." While the various media were busy reporting, the invited guests were indeed arriving at the scene one after another, entering the city office. "Director David is here!" Around 8:40 AM, someone shouted this from the crowd, and the media, previously busy with their reporting, turned their heads in unison. And indeed, David had walked over from the parking area. Because of the armed operation previously led by David; and the upheaval in Sparks and now in Henderson, he had already be a significant figure in terms of media traffic. As such, upon his appearance, the media immediately rushed over with their microphones, hoping to interview him before the session to gain some viewership. "Director David, does the IRS have confidence in convicting those two City Hall members in this trial?" "Director David, if you can''t secure a conviction, how will the IRS exin this to City Hall and the citizens?" "Say a few words, Director David..." Faced with the media''s barrage of questions, David showed no intention of responding. And the two Buckynisons in front of him acted like two solid moving walls, escorting him all the way into the city office lobby. "Director David!" Jennifer Edward and others had already arrived here and were in conversation with officials from other branches as well as those from the city office. As soon as she saw David arrive, she immediately went up to him and asked with concern,"How are you, Director David, did you sleep wellst night?" David replied with a rxed face,"Quite well." "Oh yes, let me introduce you, this is our city office''s..." In the time that followed, Jennifer introduced David to the Chief, Deputy Chief, and other high-ranking officials from the branches. Although in terms of rank, each of these individuals was several levels above David, his recent high profile meant that everyone in the IRS system was well aware of his position. As long as David didn''t make any major mistakes in the future, he was bound to rise meteorically. Even being transferred to the General Office to take a high position was not an impossibility. Therefore, whether it was the City Office Chief or other branch chiefs, they were all exceedingly polite to David. "It''s about time, we should go in!" As they spoke, it was already 8:50 AM and Jenny suggested they go up to the courtroom to prepare for the trial''smencement. Consequently, everyone took the elevator together and arrived at the 7th-floor courtroom. And as everyone gradually entered and sat down, the clock struck 9 AM sharp. "All rise!" Down the aisle came a white male, around forty-something years old, dressed in a ck judge''s robe. His steps were steady and forceful, as if disying his authority and solemnity to those present. "Please be seated, everyone!" Once he reached the judge''s bench, and sat down, the audience members who were there by invitation also took their seats all at once. "Bring in the used!" Upon hismand, Sharp and Clement were escorted through a different passage. Perhaps because of the examples set by Bitcher and Adide, these two men now appeared somewhat haggard and uneasy,cking the air and demeanor they once had in their high positions. "used Sharp, Clement, the court charges you with tax evasion on a grand scale. Moreover, as public officials aware of the ck Tax Bill, you still chose to break thew, which is of an extremely serious nature. Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" In response to Judge Sandy''s interrogation, the City Hall''s legal advisor, Bensum, stood up first from thewyer''s seats to contend,"Your Honor, I firmly believe my clients are innocent. If you wish to convict them, please present the evidence!" Sandy didn''t speak but opened a document bag that was already on the table and took out several files and documents, dering,"These are the findings of Director David and Valley Branch''s investigation into the illegal dealings of Sharp and Clement with some criminals, which have been verified as urate!" Upon hearing the verification was urate, the color drained from the faces of Sharp and Clement at the defendants'' bench. And the officials from City Hall and others in attendance became nervously unsettled. "Your Honor, may I please view these documents?" Bensum naturally couldn''t just sit by passively. He wanted to scrutinize the files himself, to see if they were valid and if they were, whether there was any point of counterattack to be found within them. Sandy didn''t refuse but passed the documents to a court clerk. The clerk, after receiving them, approached thewyer''s side, handing them over to Bensum. Bensum pushed his sses up on the bridge of his nose and began to examine them closely. However, as the contents of the documents surfaced before his eyes, his expression grew increasingly grim. As an outstandingwyer, he could instantly discern whether a document was real or whether it had signs of forgery. ``` Chapter 203: Chapter 147: What if you, David, evaded taxes?_2 And these documents clearly recorded the transactions between Sharp, Clement, and those criminals in detail. Not only did they detail every transaction''s time and date, but also which sums of money were finallyundered and into which ounts they were deposited¡ªall recorded crystal clear. Not to mention the formidable inspection system of the National Revenue Service, even assigning a couple of cops would confirm it quickly. "Bensum, let me have a look!" Sitting in the dock, Sharp sensed trouble at Bensum''s demeanor and immediately wanted to see what content was on the documents. Bensum sighed in resignation, walked over to the dock, and ced the files in front of them. The two immediately flipped to their respective documents and began to rapidly skim through them. But soon, theirplexions turned as unsightly as Bensum''s a moment ago. Sharp, in particr, became infuriated and cursed loudly, "Damn that Archer..." "Order!" Sandy on the bench struck the gavel and said, "Defendants Sharp and Clement, as well as the defense attorneys, do you have anything else to say?" "Your Honor, these documents... I believe some details are not sufficiently thorough. To give Henderson City''s citizens an exnation, I think further investigation is required. We can''t just conclude the case hastily; only then can we satisfy the public!" Bensum of course knew that the content on these documents was indeed true. His actions were nothing more than an attempt to secure an adjournment. If the court adjourned, he would immediately suggest to the high-ranking officials at city hall that they should either admit their wrongdoing to the National Revenue Service or beg for mercy¡ªanything to stop further proceedings. Otherwise, Sharp and Clement were assuredly doomed! And the image of city hall might suffer a blow just like Sparks City, with everyone else bearing the misfortune as well! "Since you believe the details are insufficient, very well, let''s summon the witnesses!" At Sandy''s words, Bensum froze instantaneously. He hadn''t anticipated that not only had the National Revenue Service obtained these documents, but they had also arranged for witnesses. His ns for an adjournment to allow city hall to plead for mercy were likely to be dashed. Lost in thought, five men were brought out. Those five were none other than old acquaintances of Sharp and Clement. Archer, the man who had provoked Sharp''s outburst, was among them as well. "Witnesses, please introduce yourselves one by one and then state what you will testify," Archer stood up first, nced at the viciously scowling Sharp, then looked at Director David sitting cross-legged in the audience, before he began, "Your Honor, in January 2020, when the Valley District was nning a city construction project, I got to know Mr. Sharp, the city manager, through a friend''s introduction." "And on December 16, 2021, through a bribe of 300,000 US dors, I obtained the nning document from Mr. Sharp in advance, and after that..." Archer detailed every transaction he had with Sharp. After his testimony, the members of city hall in the audience felt as if all strength had drained from their bodies, slumping powerless in their seats. They knew Sharp was finished, utterly finished! "Your Honor, my name is Garcia..." "Your Honor, my name is Fosbury..." "Your Honor..." "..." In the following time, the remaining four witnesses also took their turn, detailing their rtionships and deals with Sharp and Clement. "You damn bastards, I''ll kill you, I''ll kill all of you!" Sharp, looking at each person pointing the finger at him, not only roared but also charged forward. Luckily, the inspector guarding him was quick to act, immediately grabbing and pressing him back into his seat. As for Clement, after being stunned for a while, he suddenly came to his senses, quickly looking towards Director David and pleading in a sobbing voice, "Director Jennifer, Director David, and gentlemen of the National Revenue Service, our city hall knows we were wrong, we will abandon the crackdown, please... just give us a break..." He knew that Bitcher and Adide of Sparks had each been sentenced to 1,200 years. That''s 1,200 years without any possibility of parole! He didn''t want to go to prison and live a life akin to the living dead. Therefore, even if it meant losingposure in front of so many people in the courtroom, he did not care at all. Since it was the National Revenue Service''s courtroom, as long as his plea for mercy could move the officials, he wouldn''t have to worry about prison, and perhaps he could even continue his official duties! Inparison, what were face and dignity worth? Watching Clement, the Deputy Mayor, now practically begging for mercy, the onlookers in the audience exchanged bewildered nces. But they did not mock or despise Clement. Because if they were in the dock facing such severe punishment, most of them would also choose to set aside their dignity and seek an agreement. And the city hall members in the audience now felt their cheeks burn with shame and embarrassment. Even so, they did not me Clement too much. Their hopesy, perhaps even more so, with Director David and the senior officials of the National Revenue Service epting Clement''s surrender on behalf of city hall. Chapter 204: Chapter 147: What if you, David, evaded taxes?_3 Because as long as the IRS epts it, there''s still a chance to salvage the situation! Regrettably, the words of Judge Sandy that followed on the stand drained the light from their faces. On the stand, Sandy first nced at David, Jennifer, and the others on the bench, and seeing their unmoved expressions, he had no reason to hesitate and directly stood up to pronounce the sentence, "The defendant Sharp is found guilty of tax evasion, the amount being substantial. Additionally, as a public official who broke thew knowingly, the crime is increased by one level, resulting in a sentence of 1200 years without the possibility of parole, and the confiscation of $510,000 in taxes!" Even Sharp who was just now unrestrainable, lost hisposure upon hearing the 1200-year sentence. "The defendant Clement is found guilty of tax evasion, the amount being substantial. Additionally, as a public official who broke thew knowingly, the crime is increased by one level, resulting in a sentence of 1200 years without the possibility of parole, and the confiscation of $280,000 in taxes!" Like Sharp, Clement, upon hearing his sentence also extended to 1200 years, was likewise soul-shattered, his gaze bing vacant. "All right, this trial is concluded!" As Judge Sandy''s verdict fell, the attendees, who had been invited to sit in, stood up and left one after another. And David, Jennifer, and the others came forward to shake hands with Sandy, smiling and celebrating the sessful conclusion of this trial. ... Carson City, Governor''s Mansion. "What, convicted again, and for 1200 years? Fuck!" Since the trial was not broadcast live and no electronicmunication devices were allowed, it was only now that Eugene received the call with the update. However, upon hearing the results of the trial, he immediately exploded into a furious tirade. After calming down for a good while, Eugene approached a room door, knocked, and then entered. Inside, Stevenson was talking with his wife, Abbe Ingrid. And Abbe, with tears streaking down, clutched a picture frame andmented, "I don''t care, I want the person who harmed my son to pay the price they deserve. If you can''t handle it, I can ask my uncle''s side for help!" Hearing the word ''uncle,'' Stevenson''s eyelids twitched fiercely. In America,peting sessfully for Governor without a background and resources was almost akin to scaling the heavens. The reason he could be the Governor of Nevada State wasn''t that he was particrly capable or because his family wielded considerable influence. Rather, it was with the support of his wife''s Morgan Family in the background that he had reached this stage. Now, he had been serving in Nevada State for eight years and was about to step down. His n was to run for Senator or even President after stepping down, to continue maintaining his influence in the political arena. Of course, that would require the Morgan Family''s support. But with this incident urring, and David just being a mere Chief Tax Officer at the IRS, such a person was hardly a blip on his radar. And as a dignified Governor who had cultivated for eight years in Nevada State, if he couldn''t handle a small fry like Karami without seeking help from the Morgan Family, what would they think of him? They would definitely question hispetency; how could they support him for the Senatorial race or the Presidential seat thereafter? "Rest assured, Abbe. There''s no need to trouble your uncle about this; I''ll take care of it. For now, have a good rest and stop crying..." Stevenson consoled Abbe, then gave Eugene a look, signaling to go out and talk further. "The situation is grim, Governor. Just received news from Henderson City that those two city government members have been convicted again, sentenced to a whopping 1200 years each!" Once outside in the hallway, Eugene immediatelyid out the situation in its entirety. "Damn it!" "This asshole, does he actually think he can mess with whoever he wants?" From Eugene''s demeanor just now, Stevenson could guess a bit, but upon hearing it confirmed, he still couldn''t help but kick a vase in an outburst of rage. Even now, he still couldn''t understand how David managed to do it. Eugene, hardly daring to breathe, weakly said, "I suspect the other 16 cities are convening an emergency meeting by now. I fear no matter how much we threaten or entice them, it won''t be possible to stabilize the situation." Eugene, fearing Stevenson might again send him to coerce the city halls of the 16 cities, hurriedly spoke out first. Stevenson was silent. He wasn''t a fool, and neither were the city halls of the remaining 16 cities. After the tremors David had caused in two cities consecutively, if anyone still had the guts to carry out his hardline directives, their courage must be monumental! "However, Governor, even though the hardline directives are nearly bankrupted, his approach has given me an inspiration..." Seeing the cunning look in Eugene''s eyes, Stevenson immediately asked, "What inspiration?" With a sinister look, Eugene said, "If he can use tax evasion to discipline the city hall and force theirpliance, can''t we use the same method to deal with him or someone in their IRS?" These words made Stevenson''s eyes light up. Indeed! If they could find evidence of David evading taxes, or epting bribes, then this bastard would be done for! Moreover, he would undoubtedly suffer a fate worse than Bitcher''s and Adide''s! After all, David was known for his iron-fisted approach against tax evasion, and by now, many in Nevada State and even across the country looked up to him as an icon. But if he himself were implicated in tax evasion, then wouldn''t this be a p to his followers'' faces? Whether it be his fans or the public, they would certainly erupt in fury! This bastard would not only be disgraced but would also reap what he had sown! After all, although Bitcher and Adide knowingly broke thew, David, as the Chief Tax Officer of the IRS, knew even more about the dark tax bill; yet daring to ept bribes and evade taxes, wouldn''t a mere 1200 years of harsh punishment be too light? He would inevitably need at least 2-3000 years to set the record straight, right? Chapter 205: Chapter 148: If the CIA wont do, then Ill ask the FBI! "But Governor, while this n is sound, we shouldn''t celebrate too soon. What if this bastard really is as clean as he ims and hasn''t epted any bribes?" This remark from Eugene sobered the excited Stevenson somewhat, who agreed and replied, "You have a point. The priority is to investigate first, then talk..." "Yes, Governor, but if we want to investigate him, I''m afraid we can''t use thew enforcement departments at our disposal. Not to mention whether those idiots can find anything, they might also tip him off, which would be more trouble than it''s worth!" Stevenson thought so too. He may control the National Guard, but they are an armed force, not adept at conducting investigations. In addition, he had control over the police department and other agencies within the state. But to have these people investigate the Tax Bureau and that David, it seemed asughably absurd as performing sword y in front of Guan Gong... Unless... Suddenly, Stevenson had an idea and asked, "What do you think of the CIA?" "Although the CIA has now enforcement authority domestically, they are the most professional when ites to intelligence gathering and investigations. No one would be more suitable than them!" Eugene also agreedpletely. Without dy, Stevenson returned to his office, took out a phone book from the cab, and began flipping through it. After a few minutes, his gaze settled on a name: Elvis Rigeca. He immediately took out his cell phone and dialed the number. The call was quickly connected, and a deep voice came from the other end, "Hello?" "Elvis, it''s me, Stevenson!" "Governor Stevenson?!" Meanwhile, in New York, inside a CIA safe house, surprise flickered across a man''s face. If David had been there, he would have recognized him at a nce as the CIA Bear Country Station Manager who had taken Jerome and Brod away from their Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. "How have you beentely, Elvis?" "Ran into some trouble, so not that great. By the way, Governor Stevenson, what''s the reason for your call...?" "It''s like this, I''d like to ask you to investigate someone for me, I need his ''detailed profile''!" When he reached thest four words, Stevenson emphasized his tone heavily, clearly alluding to something more significant. Elvis paused. Due to the Bear Country Station being destroyed by a spy, he was currently busy with reconstruction and had no time to investigate anyone. However, remembering that he owed the Governor a favor in Nevada State five years ago, he reluctantly responded, "For Governor Stevenson to personally request our investigative services, this person must be quite significant. Tell me more!" "The Las Vegas Tax Bureau''s David, have you heard of him?" "What did you say, David?" Elvis, who had been sitting, shot up from his chair as if pricked upon hearing this. Stevenson himself was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a strong reaction to the name he had mentioned. With a hint of curiosity, he asked, "Yes, David from the Las Vegas Tax Bureau. Why, do you know him?" "Sorry, Governor Stevenson. If it were anyone else, you''d certainly help, but I''m afraid I have to express my profound apologies regarding him!" "Elvis, what do you mean? I''m not asking you to investigate a high-ranking official of the Tax Bureau; it''s just a Chief Tax Officer. Surely that can''t be too difficult?" Hearing Stevenson''s discontented voice on the other end of the phone, Elvis was mentally cursing. Not long ago, two of his best operatives had just been thwarted by David. ording to his subordinates, David was well aware of their dark secrets. Now, their leverage was in someone else''s hands. He would''ve preferred to steer clear of this Chief Tax Officer. But now Stevenson is asking him to gather dirt on David? Wasn''t this pushing him into the fire pit? If it were anyone else, Elvis would have cursed them out and hung up the phone by now. However, since it was Stevenson on the other end, he persisted with patience and exined, "Governor Stevenson, if I do this favor for you, it might be me who ends up disgraced tomorrow, so it''s not that I don''t want to help you, please understand my difficult position..." Stevenson was stunned. Helping out meant being disgraced? You''re a Station Chief of the CIA for goodness'' sake, how could he get to you? No... that''s not right... Stevenson carefully considered the other party''s words and probed, "Elvis, don''t tell me, by some coincidence, you''re also in his grip?" After a moment of silence, Elvis clenched his teeth and admitted, "Yes, Governor Stevenson, now you understand my situation, right?" He knew that if he didn''t tell the truth, it might displease the Governor, so he decided to be upfront about it! After all, the Governor didn''t know the specifics of the leverage! "Understood!" In the office, Stevenson hung up the phone, his face dark as ink. Eugene, noticing something was amiss, asked softly, "What''s wrong, Governor, what did the CIA say?" "That damned bastard has leverage over Elvis!" "What!" Eugene could hardly believe his own ears. The CIA, the world''s most powerful intelligence organization! They''re the ones who always have dirt on others, when had anyone ever had something on them? When David had turned Sparks and Henderson City Halls upside down, Eugene thought it was outrageous enough. But now, hearing this, he felt like insanity had opened the door to even more insanity; it was madness! It took a while for Eugene to collect himself before he said, "If the CIA won''t do, then perhaps we could only ask the FBI..." The FBI may not be on par with the CIA in terms of intelligence, but when ites to investigations, they are not far behind. If the CIA couldn''t be involved, then the FBI was the next best option. Stevenson immediately flipped through his phone book, quickly finding a mid-to-high ranking FBI official and dialed with trepidation. The reason for his nervousness was the fear that this person, like Elvis earlier, had inadvertently beenpromised by David, thwarting his ns. Fortunately, the subsequent conversation went smoothly, and the FBI official hadn''t beenpromised by the Tax Bureau. After being promised a significant reward, the mid-to-high ranking FBI official agreed to secretly initiate an investigation into David. And David remained oblivious to all of this. At that moment, he had just finished an interview with the media and returned to the Valley Branch. Just then, Edward approached him with a look of joy, saying, "Director David, I just received news that the City Hall has canceled the crackdown directive!" Chapter 206: Chapter 149: Cities Surrender and Disarm David wasn''t too surprised and turned to ask, "What about the city halls of the other 16 cities?" "We haven''t received any news yet. I think they''re probably still in emergency meetings." "In that case, help me spread the word that I''m preparing to head to Reno City soon!" David couldn''t afford to wait any longer. During his days dealing with the city halls of Sparks and Henderson City, Brown Soros had already nearly exceeded his taxation achievements by 20 million. Bemy Hattie had also outdone him by 13 million. He needed to quickly address the severe crackdown issue in various ces so that he could return to focus solely on taxation achievements. "No problem!" Edward knew that David wanted to add fuel to the fire to force the cities to make decisions quickly, and he immediately turned around to arrange it. It wasn''t long after Edward had left that David''s phone rang. Upon checking, it was an unknown number. After hesitating for a moment, he still answered, "This is David." "Good afternoon, Director David. This is Cavani, director of the Elko City National Tax Bureau Nanshan District Branch." The voice on the other end of the phone caught David off guard, but he quickly spected about the reason and tentatively asked, "So it''s Director Cavani. What can I do for you?" "It''s like this. I''ve heard about the situations in Sparks and Henderson City and wanted to ask when you might being to our Elko City, so our branch can be at your service at any time." Hearing this, David was somewhat speechless. For a branch director toe up with phrases like ''at your service at any time,'' the attitude was indeed extremely submissive. But on further thought, this seemed understandable. Whether it''s the West City Branch or the Valley Branch, they were all smaller branches within the National Tax Bureau system. For these small branches that could barely achieve 1 million in ck tax achievements after striving throughout an evaluation period, that was considered quite impressive. And David had helped these two branches earn 1 million in just one day, so faced with such a huge temptation, how could other city branches resist? "We''ll talk about thatter, Director Cavani. If there is a real need, I will contact you!" "Alright... then Nanshan Branch eagerly awaits contact from Director David at any time!" "Okay." Not long after hanging up the call and just as David was about to put his phone in his pocket, another number came calling. Upon checking, it was another unknown number. David thought to himself, could it be another branch calling? With a skeptical mind, he immediately answered, "This is David." "Good afternoon, Director David..." "..." A few minutester, David put down the phone, his expression slightly helpless. Indeed, his guess was correct; it was a person from the Virginia City Branch. And for the same reason as the previous Director Cavani. They wanted him to visit their city branch. However, the matter didn''t end there. In the time that followed, other branches in Nevada State somehow obtained his number and began calling him one after another. Since his uing ns required cooperation from the major branches, David couldn''t afford to offend them and had to respond amiably one by one. ... Reno City. About a hundred or so kilometers away from Las Vegas, it is the thirdrgest city in Nevada State. At this moment, an emergency meeting was being held at the city hall of this city. Naturally, the meeting was about the major upheavaling from Henderson City. "Mayor Joyce, I think we can''t afford to dy any longer now. Sparks and Henderson City are inplete disarray because of the crackdowns, and now that David might being to our Reno City next!" "Yes, two cities have consecutively fallen into his hands. This Chief Tax Officer named David is far too ruthless. We better be cautious..." "I think we should make a decision quickly to avoid David sneaking in unnoticed. By the time we realize it, we won''t even know how we died!" If it were only Sparks with this situation, the officials in Reno City Hall might not have been too agitated. But now, following Sparks, another city had been dealt with. And their Reno City, as the thirdrgest city in Nevada, was very likely to be the next target, which naturally had these officials terrified. Sitting separately at the long table, Mayor Joyce, after hearing everyone''sments, didn''t make any statement, his expression somewhat somber. It wasn''t that he wasn''t worried about David showing up; on the contrary, he was extremely worried. But he wanted to wait and see if the other cities would take the lead in action. As long as another city issued directions to cancel the strict crackdown first, he could smoothly follow their lead, and it wouldn''t be too passive even from the Governor''s perspective. After all, if another city surrendered first, he was merely following the course of events. The Governor couldn''t just resent him for that, could he? What Joyce didn''t know was that his thoughts were the same as those of the mayors of the other 15 cities. As the atmosphere became increasingly tense. At that moment, a city hall staff member rushed in frantically and said, "Gentlemen, it''s not good. We''ve just received news from Henderson City that David is preparing to head our way to Reno City!" "What did you say!" Upon hearing this, the already worried officials on the scene became even more panicky. Even Mayor Joyce''s face tensed up instantly. Chapter 207: Chapter 149: Cities Surrender and Disarm_2 "Mayor Joyce, we can''t keep dragging this out; hurry up and call off the crackdown ¡ª it''s not toote yet!" "Yes, he''s just preparing to depart; there''s still a chance to make amends ¡ª once he arrives here, it''s all over!" "We can''t keep gambling like this; to hell with the state government, let''s just save our own skins first!" "..." By now, the officials had finallye to their senses; although they seemed to be pleading on the surface, their stance was actually quite aggressive. Their demeanor suggested that if Joyce dared to continue on his own path, they were ready to flip the table right there and then. Joyce knew that he couldn''t afford to provoke the public''s wrath, especially since David had already set his sights on their Reno City ¡ª it was a risk that could no longer be taken. He immediately gritted his teeth and said, "Call off the crackdown immediately!" Upon hearing this, the officials breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stood up to leave, preparing to issue announcements and recall the enforcement officers as quickly as possible. Soon, the city hall of Reno City issued an announcement to cancel the crackdown. Seeing Reno City capitte, other cities in Nevada State, such as Virginia City, Elko City, Rio City, and 15 others naturally followed suit. In the end, only Carson City was still struggling. It wasn''t that they didn''t want to go with the flow or weren''t afraid of David, but Carson City was the capital of Nevada State, the headquarters of the state government. Due to pressure and in order to protect thest shred of the state government''s dignity, they had no choice but to brace themselves and hold on. The cancetion of the crackdown in 15 cities allowed for the normal resumption of the Bureau of National Taxation''s ck tax legition work, a matter that should have been joyous for the Bureaus across the cities. But now, they just couldn''t muster any happiness whatsoever. Since the cities had canceled the crackdown directives, strategically speaking, David hadpleted his mission; there was no need for him to personally visit them anymore. The thought of possibly missing out on millions in ck tax revenue caused great anguish to the Bureaus of National Taxation throughout the cities. Over at the Valley Branch. Upon receiving the news, Edward immediately went to David and said, "Director David, except for Carson City, all the other cities in Nevada State have announced the cancetion of the crackdown directives." Hearing this, except for Carson City, David narrowed his eyes. The crackdown directive was issued by the state government, and it came as no surprise that Carson City, being the headquarters of the state government, did not follow suit. Should he... make a trip there? After careful consideration, David still abandoned the idea. Now, out of 19 cities in Nevada State, 18 had already canceled the crackdown directive. Although Carson City was the capital, it was merely a small city and had little impact on the state''s overall tax revenue. There was no need for him to waste more time; the most important thing now was the deification n ¡ª he needed to catch up with Brown Soros and the others. Otherwise, such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for rocket-like promotion might note again! "Well then, let''s head back to Las Vegas!" When Edward heard David was preparing to leave, he feltplicated inside. This incident not only earned him a substantial amount of tax achievements but also a huge reputation ¡ª it was almost the most wonderful memory of his many years in the Bureau of National Taxation system. Regrettably, such opportunities might never arise again! Gathering his thoughts, he nodded and said, "Alright, Director David, let me go notify the director." With that, he turned and left. About seven or eight minutester, Director Jennifer hurried over to David with a hint of regret, saying, "Director David, are you leaving for Las Vegas now? Won''t you stay a bit longer here in Henderson City?" "No, I won''t stay; I have some cases waiting for me in my jurisdiction to handle." "Alright then..." Director Jennifer expressed her understanding, then changed the subject, "By the way, Director David, will we have the chance to cooperate again in the future?" Earning millions in tax revenue hade too easily this time, she thought, if only there could be a few more asions like this in the future. "There will be, I''ll get in touch with you after I return, Director Jennifer." "Are you serious?" At these words, whether it was Jennifer or Edward, both of their eyes lit up. She had only asked out of a tentative hope, not expecting David to actually take up the conversation. "Of course, let''s leave it at that, Director Jennifer, Chief Tax Officer Edward, goodbye!" David left the Valley Branch with Nisen and Bucky, got into the car, and headed back towards Las Vegas. Unlike the trip there, On the way to the meeting, Nisen had been extremely despondent, but now on his return trip, he was exuberant, even humming a little tune. Because he knew, now that the crackdown by the municipal halls across the cities had been called off, tax collection in Nevada State had returned to normal. And he no longer had to worry about being transferred due to pressure. "Chief Tax Officer, even though we''ve resolved the Governor''s retaliation this time, that guy won''t continue to employ other methods to deal with us, will he?" In the midst of driving, Bucky''s sudden question brought Nisen''s humming to an abrupt stop, and a trace of worry shed across his face. Indeed. They might have resolved the trouble brought by the Governor for now, but who could guarantee that the man wouldn''t use other means to target them? "Who knows, we''ll cross that bridge when wee to it." In fact, before leaving Las Vegas, David had considered just dealing with Governor Stevenson directly; there was no need for the hassle of personally visiting each city. Seeing as the Governor could raise such a son and resorted to such methods for retaliation, it was clear he wasn''t a particrly upright individual. With the golden finger at his disposal, getting hold of evidence for tax evasion and other dirt on the Governor shouldn''t be too difficult. But the Governor was after all the highest administrative officer of the state, not someone like Sharp or Adide that you could easilypare with. Every sessful candidate for Governor inevitably has the support of powerful political machines behind them, along withrge financial groups and family influences, making the rtions intricatelyplicated. David was just a Chief Tax Officer at the moment; he could handle officials from the city halls, but if he really were to take down a Governor, Setting aside whether Stevenson''s political backing and financial and family ties would retaliate against him, other Governors, legitors, Senators, and even high-ranking officials in Washington D.C. would surely exert pressure to suppress him. After all, if you, David, could take down the Governor of Nevada State, who''s to say you won''te after me if you dislike me? So how could I possibly let you rise up? Even if I can''t destroy youpletely, I must contain your growth! Considering these reasons, David ultimately held back and didn''t make a move on Stevenson, which was also for the sake of his own future career. As David was lost in thought, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. He looked at the caller ID¡ªit was William¡ªand he hurriedly answered the call: "Director." "Chief Tax Officer David, you''ve really ''done me in''." Hearing William start with aining tone, David was a bit puzzled and immediately asked, "What''s the matter, Director?" "After the court session in Henderson City ended, my phone hasn''t stopped ringing. Calls from the branch offices in various cities, all wanting to speak with me, requesting that you visit their cities." David was taken aback; he had expected calls to his office but not that they would reach William too. "Enough about that. Now that every city hall, except Carson City''s, has canceled the crackdown, you should being back, right?" "I''m on my way back." "Alright then, hurry up. Director Jon from the state just called me; he''se over from Carson City and says he wants to meet with you." "State Director..." David was momentarily startled, then quickly responded, "Okay, I understand." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 208: Chapter 150: Return to the Lake District, Start Striving for the Tax Achievement List ``` An hourter, Director David and his team had returned to the Lake District. Learning that Director Jon had already arrived and was in William''s office, he did not dare to dy and immediately went to the office on the fourth floor and knocked on the door. "Come in." David pushed the door open and, indeed, saw Director Jon there. "Director David." "Director Jon, hello." Even though it was their first meeting, David had already seen the director''s face through television and other media channels. After shaking hands, Jon, with a smile, said, "Director David, the bigmotion you caused in Sparks and Henderson really gave me a start, if there''s something like this in the future, could you give me a heads-up beforehand?" Realizing the other party wasn''t seeking to me, David replied with a light tone, "Now that you''ve said so, Director Jon, I will definitely report in advance next time!" "Alright, I''ve heard that you and Inspector Nisen are on good terms, and the reason for stirring up such a situation was also to ensure he wouldn''t be transferred away. Since the tax work in the cities has now returned to normal, it''s fine for him to continue working under you." What he did was actually more about giving face to David than the tax work having returned to normal in those cities. Because if Nisen weren''t transferred out of Nevada State, then Stevenson wouldn''t have a way to step down gracefully, and he might even continue to create problems with their tax collection. But no help for it, David made such a big move in both cities, clearly showing his resolve to protect Nisen, and he didn''t want to overly offend David and create resentment. "Then I must thank you for your understanding, Director Jon..." This was exactly what David wanted to hear, otherwise his trip to the cities would have been in vain. In the time that followed. Jon was obviously curious about how David quickly resolved the issues with the city halls of both cities, constantly probing for details. But David deflected all attempts. Afterward, they discussed the matter of the Creation Project. Because the National Tax Bureau of Nevada State rarely had a star like David emerge, Jon had high expectations for David, hoping he would strive to impact this project. After all, if the god of the Creation Project came from Nevada State, it would reflect well on him as the state director. As for this, David, who had nned to give it his all, naturally didn''t hesitate to agree. As they talked, the time reached 6 P.M. Seeing it gettingte, Jon suggested he should leave, but as he was preparing to go, he seemed to think of something and turned to remind David, "Director David, although what you did in both cities was very impressive, sometimes showing your edge too early is not a good thing, you need to be careful with that." "Thank you for the reminder, Director Jon, I understand!" David got the message from Director Jon. The other party was telling him that when dealing with criminals, it didn''t matter how he cracked down on them. After all, these people deserved to be universally condemned. But it was different for those officials. These people are a vested interest collective. By attacking them, he could provoke the wariness and anxiety of the whole group, potentially leading to their suppression and containment of him. After Director Jon left. David immediately called Simmons, Ariel, and a few others to the office and asked, "What''s the situation with the counterfeit money and smuggling cases?" Ariel spoke first, "Regarding the smuggling case, with the cooperation of the data from the district division, we have identified a few rted persons, but we currently don''t know how their group operates or the routes they use for smuggling." Simmons followed, "As for the counterfeit money case, we only know that many casinos on Main Street have arge influx of counterfeit money every day. These counterfeit banknotes are 99% simr to real ones; without specialists and professional equipment, they''re nearly impossible to identify." David asked Simmons, "Which casinos specifically?" "Eternal Stand, Desert Pce, Temple Man... several of them!" "These are all smaller-scale casinos..." "Exactly, and it''s because these casinos are small scale, without the professional equipment and personnel, that they have arge influx of counterfeit money every day." David pondered briefly before saying, "Get ready, we''re going to visit Desert Pce tonight!" ... At 8 P.M., the Main Street casino boulevard weed its most exciting moment. Neon lights bathed the entire street, and a stream of luxury cars and beautiful women began to appear at bars, casinos, and various high-end establishments. Desert Pce casino, located at number 785 on the boulevard, was part of the tail-end area. Though the casino was notrge, there was a constant stream of patronsing and going. And that''s when a car stopped at the entrance. The car door opened, and Director David stepped out from the back seat, followed closely by Buckynison Simmons and three others. "Good evening, gentlemen, can I help you with anything?" Upon entering, a warm casino public rtions officer came up to greet them. Simmons pulled out his tax badge and said, "National Tax Bureau. Call your manager over!" Hearing that they were from the National Tax Bureau, the public rtions officer didn''t dare to neglect their request and immediately turned to leave. ``` About three minutester, a well-dressed ck woman approached them and introduced herself, "Gentlemen from the National Tax Bureau, I am the lobby manager Margarita. May I ask what brings you here?" "Manager Margarita, we''re following up on a case and would like to ''borrow'' your chip exchange facility for a bit, if that''s convenient?" This time, it was David who spoke. "Borrow our chip exchange facility?" Margarita looked slightly confused. "Yes, we need to observe some customers exchanging chips inside. It won''t interfere with your normal operations!" After pondering for a moment, Margarita finally nodded, "All right, follow me!" She led David and hispanions to the chip exchange on the left side of the casino and gave instructions to the staff there. Then, David and the others took seats and began to wait. An hour quickly passed by. In that hour, despite constant scrutiny with his "golden finger," David spotted no unusual gamblers. Just as he was about to try his luck at another casino, the arrival of a man d in arge cloak suddenly caught his attention. [Name: Isidore Nidam.] [upation: President of Vegas Petrochemical Company.] [Ie: Legal monthly ie of One Million Two Hundred Thousand US dors, illegal monthly ie of Two Million Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 4th, made a profit of Two Hundred and Twenty Thousand US dors by purchasing counterfeit currency andundering it through the casino; On December 17th, made a profit of Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand US dors through the same process...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Owed: Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand One Hundred and Ny US dors.] "You are the one..." David''s lips curled into a smile as he stood up, walked out of the exchange room, and approached the man named Isidore, saying, "Sir, we are from the National Tax Bureau and would like to ask you toe with us to assist in an investigation into a case." Isidore, who was exchanging chips, was initially startled by this statement, his eyes flickering with a hint of panic, before heposed himself and replied, "What case? I''m quite busy right now!" "Once you''re at our bureau, I''ll tell you all about it!" Watching David''s demeanor of preserving dignities¡ªIsidore''s or his own, he wasn''t sure¡ªIsidore realized avoidance was futile and resignedly said, "Fine, I''lle with you." David turned to the chip exchange staff and said, "Take the chips back, and also pack all the money up; we''re taking it with us." At these words, Isidore''s heart sank. Could it be... That his counterfeit currency had beenpromised? This thought started to induce panic in him. Lake District National Tax Bureau. After David brought Isidore back, he took him to the interrogation room and ced the box of money they had brought back on the table, taking out a stack to closely examine. Indeed, just as Simmons had said. The counterfeiting technique used on the money was so sophisticated it was nearly indistinguishable from real currency. Even after a close inspection, David was unable to pinpoint any differences from genuine bills. Finally, he ced the bundle of bills in front of Isidore and demanded, "Where did this moneye from?" Isidore, feigningposure, replied, "I run a petrochemicalpany. This is all cash earned by our business..." "Really? So the cash earned by yourpany is all counterfeit?" Startled, Isidore retorted in panic, "Counterfeit? This is all real money, how could I possibly use counterfeit bills? You can have anyone you want verify them!" David scoffed disdainfully and turned to Simmons, "Did you hear that? Have someone verify them." Simmons smiled knowingly and promptly agreed, "No problem, I''ll have someone over right away..." Hearing their conversation, Isidore grew even more agitated. He was well aware of the Nevada State Tax Bureau''s reputation, having heard they even had fighter jets at their disposal, so procuring high-end equipment capable of identifying his counterfeit bills was certainly not beyond their means. David, seeing his panic, continued, "Mr. Isidore,ing clean now is still an option for you. The National Tax Bureau only collects taxes, and we won''t harm you. Just pay the taxes due and help us trace the source of these counterfeit bills, and I assure you, you''ll be fine!" Isidore was silent for quite some time before responding with a dejected tone, "I can pay the taxes, but I can''t expose them¡ªI''d be courting retribution. I hope the National Tax Bureau can understand this..." Davidughed at this response, replying, "Do you think you have a choice in the matter? Either you expose them to earn your redemption, or you take full responsibility for the consequences!" "You..." Isidore was infuriated by David''s words. It took him a full two minutes before he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I''ll confess, damn it, is that okay?" "..." In the time that followed, Isidore detailed everything¡ªfrom the channels through which he learned about the counterfeit money, to the ratio at which he purchased it, how often he did so, and the specifics of who he dealt with¡ªall of it wasid bare. With the help of the "golden finger," David knew Isidore wasn''t lying. He then said, "Good, take the money and go back to the casino tonight as usual. Then tomorrow, purchase another batch of counterfeit bills from them. Remember, no tricks and don''t even think about warning them, or you''ll be the only one suffering. Understand?" Isidore nodded, "I know what to do." Chapter 209: Chapter 151: Breakthrough in the Smuggling Case After Isidore left, David looked toward Simmons and said, "Keep a close eye on him tonight!" "Understood." After handling the matter, it was almost 10 p.m. With yet another court session in Henderson City and the exhausting travel, David felt somewhat tired and went home to fall into a deep sleep. The time came to 8 a.m. the next day. After a night of rest, David was feeling refreshed and ready to go to the office to handle today''s affairs after brushing his teeth. But just then, a sudden ring of his cell phone went off. He quickly rinsed out his mouth and picked up the cell phone on his bedside table. Seeing that it was Keanu calling, he hurriedly answered. "What''s the situation, Inspector Keanu?" "Sorry to disturb you so early, Director David. Did I interrupt?" "Not at all, I was just about to head to the office." "That''s good. Oh, by the way, I heard you just came back from Henderson City. I must say, you did a splendid job in both cities, really making our Tax Bureau proud." "You tter me, Inspector Keanu." "Oh right, about those two big cases¡­ Have you encountered any difficulties, or is there anything our Main Street Precinct can help with?" On the surface, Keanu was asking if he had any difficulties or needed help from the Main Street Precinct. But in reality, David could hear an urging tone in his words. However, he did not point this out, replying, "There are no difficulties for the time being. The counterfeit money case has some leads, and if things go well, it could be settled by today; if not, then maybe the day after tomorrow!" "Really, that''s great!" On the other end of the phone, Keanu''s voice sounded very happy, then he said, "Alright then, I won''t bother you any longer, Director David." After finishing the call, David put on his coat, picked up his badge and service weapon, then went downstairs to buy a cup of coffee and a hot dog before walking to his office at the bureau. Knowing that he had arrived at the office, Simmons quickly came over and reported, "Last night, that guy went back to the casino and yed until 3 a.m. Of the one million in counterfeit bills exchanged, he lost half a million, and the remaining half a million wereundered into real money through the casino, then he went back home, nothing unusual." David nodded and said, "Regarding the smuggling case, didn''t you say you found several rted individuals? Bring them in first." "Yes." Simmons turned and walked out immediately. About an hourter, someone knocked on the office door, and then Simmons walked in, saying, "Director, we have brought them in. They''re in the interrogation room!" David immediately stopped his work and went to the third-floor interrogation room. Upon entering, he found two men and a woman sitting inside. [Name: Augustus Lambert.] [upation: Smuggling Goods Broker.] [Illegal Ie: Two Million USD.] [Ie Details: On December 7, acted as a middleman for a smuggling syndicate to a buyer named Morrison through an ivory transaction, profiting 300,000 USD. On December 18, connected a buyer named Rutherford for the smuggling syndicate, profiting 200,000 USD through the sale of antelope horns...] [More Details:...] [Tax Owed: 792,000 USD.] ... [...] In an instant, David had reviewed the information on the three individuals. Simmons and his team were right: these three were indeed linked to the Main Street smuggling case. As for their identities, they were brokers for the group, specifically tasked with introducing buyers for the smuggled goods. While David was sizing up the three, upon seeing his face, they all disyed wary expressions. Clearly, they recognized David. David collected his thoughts and asked, "Do you know me?" The man named Augustus tried to maintain hisposure, responding, "Joking, Director David. You''ve been quite the sensationtely. Few in Las Vegas wouldn''t know you..." "Since you know me, I''ll cut to the chase, do you know why we''ve brought you here?" The three exchanged nces, then Augustus shook his head, "I''m not sure about that..." "Stop pretending. I know you''re brokers for the smuggling group. Just answer some questions honestly and pay the taxes you owe, and I''d rather not make things difficult for you!" "I... We''re not any kind of brokers, don''t talk nonsense!" Seeing how stubborn these individuals were, David''s expression turned cold as he said, "What were you doing on December 7, 2021?" Augustus looked guilty, but still stubbornly said, "I... I can''t remember..." "Can''t remember?" David scoffed, "Then let me refresh your memory. On December 7, you used contacts to find a retired fund manager in Main Street named Morrison, and you brought him four high-quality ivory tusks from the smuggling syndicate. This deal was for 1.5 million, and you took amission of 300,000. Ring any bells?" Upon hearing this transaction mentioned, Augustus''s face changed drastically. But before he could respond, David continued, "And on the 18th, you brought 20 pairs of high-quality antelope horns from the smuggling syndicate to a buyer named Rutherford. This deal was worth one million, and you took amission of 200,000." "And there''s more..." "Stop! I don''t want to hear anymore!" Augustus interrupted, then with a defeated tone said, "Since you''ve got everything figured out, I concede. I''ll pay the taxes owed!" Chapter 210: Chapter 151: Breakthrough in the Smuggling Case_2 David turned to the other two, "What about you?" "We will pay as well." The two men didn''t even think before admitting it directly. Since Director David had called them here, and if he had been able to investigate Augustus that thoroughly, did they even need to think? All their transaction information must have been investigated as well. Instead of continuing a futile verbal struggle, it was better to save some breath and admit it directly! "Very good!" Director David seemed satisfied, and then continued, "I need another favor from you, I want some information about your supplier." Upon hearing this, the three of them became distressed. "What''s the matter, unwilling to help?" "It''s not that... it''s just that our supplier is sick, currently being treated in Deutd." David questioned, "The smuggling group you''re interacting with isn''t small, surely he''s not your only contact?" "They are very cautious, during all this time, the three of us have only dealt with a senior member of their group named Kirwell; we don''t know any of the other seniors!" "If that''s the case, how will you get your goods going forward?" Director David was still unconvinced. "Kirwell said there will be a shipmenting in a few days, and someone from their group will contact us then." "In a few days? Is there a precise time? What route will it take?" "I''m not sure about that..." Director David''s expression darkened, and his gaze shifted to the other two. Suddenly, he noticed that a woman named Sharon, who was acting as a broker, seemed unusually nervous, and he immediately asked, "What about you, Sharon, anything you''d like to add?" "No... no..." "Bang!!!" David suddenly mmed his hand on the table, not only startling Sharon but also scaring Augustus and the other man considerably. "Speak up if you have something to say, don''t try to hide it from me, it''s not in your best interest, do you understand, Sharon?" Faced with the imposing David, and recalling how he had dramatically stormed the Indian Tribe with armed forces, Sharon couldn''t hold back anymore, and tremulously said, "Once when I was meeting Kirwell to get the goods, he was one hourte. Iter found out his truck driver had a heart attack on the way there, and since I happened to have a friend who was an unemployed truck driver, I rmended him. Maybe my friend knows the route..." "Fine, ask him where he is now and get him toe here!" Sharon seemed uneasy, then said, "This... Director David, after all, he is my friend, I don''t want him to know I''m the one who''s sunk him, I hope you understand... " After pondering for a moment, David replied, "Alright then, give me his phone number, name, address, and such. We''ll handle it ourselves." "Okay!" Sharon, relieved, immediately took pen and paper and began to write, then tore off the paper and handed it to Director David. "Look into it, then give him a call, don''t make it obvious, just fish for information." Director David took the paper without looking and handed it to Simmons, who immediately exited the interrogation room. About ten minutester, Simmons returned, saying, "He''s got a fever, a severe one, and he''s at home now, can''te here." Director David frowned, then stood up, walked out the door, and while going out said to Simmons, "Take me to his house!" ... Half an hourter. In a residential area of the city, a modestmunity. Simmons, driving the car, stopped in front of house number 102. The car door opened, and David stepped out first, approaching the door and ringing the bell. Quickly, an 11 or 12-year-old girl opened the door and asked, "Who are you looking for?" "Is Mr. Aubrey at home?" "You looking for my dad? He''s got a fever." "We are from the Revenue Service, and we would like to ask your father a few questions." As David spoke, he pulled out his badge. The girl hesitated for a moment but eventually turned around, leading the two men upstairs to a room door, then walked in. A middle-aged many on the bed with a towel on his forehead, looking extremely weak. [Name: Aubrey Jamie.] [upation: Truck driver.] [Ie: Forty thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: Earned through the sry from a smuggling ring...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: Ten thousand US dors.] After verifying with his golden touch that Sharon hadn''t deceived him, David spoke, "Mr. Aubrey, we are from the IRS, and we would like to ask you some questions!" Hearing someone speak, Aubrey in the bed slowly opened his eyes, sizing up David and Nisen who had appeared in the room. But at that moment, his expression was one of confusion, as he had clearly not heard David''s earlier remarks clearly. "You go out first, I need to talk to your daddy about something." The girl nodded and then walked out. David then spoke again, "Mr. Aubrey, we are from the IRS!" "The IRS!" Though he had been very weak, Aubrey''s demeanor suddenly tensed upon hearing these three words, and then he tried to feign confusion, asking, "Gentlemen from the IRS, what do you want to know?" "We have already investigated and found that you work for a smuggling ring, but we are not here to trouble you. Just tell us where this group hides their goods and the smuggling route, then I will turn around and leave. As for the taxes you owe... consider it a reward for your cooperation!" David couldn''t be bothered now with the mere ten thousand US dors in taxes. "I... I haven''t worked for any smuggling ring, and I don''t know any routes. You must have investigated the wrong person!" Seeing Aubrey still defiant, Simmons immediately stood up and said, "Mr. Aubrey, ording to our investigation at the IRS, you''ve been unemployed for half a year, and all of your ounts have had no funds deposited into them for six months." "Interestingly, in September, you paid twenty thousand dors for your daughter''s tuition. We''ve also checked your natural gas and fuel bills over the past few months, expenses totaling over twenty thousand US dors. Aren''t you going to exin the source of that money?" Aubrey, who was already pale from fever, turned even paler upon hearing this, yet he remained silent. Simmons continued, "If you keep this up, I''ll have no choice but to arrest you for unexined wealth and tax evasion. Think about your daughter. If you go to prison, how will she survive!" When his daughter was mentioned, Aubrey could no longer stay silent, and through gritted teeth, he said, "They change the storage location every time, I don''t know the new location now, but the smuggling route, it''s alwayse from the Redwood Valley." "Redwood Valley?" David knew the ce; it was about ten kilometers out from the Indian Tribe, an area sparsely popted. "When is the next time, and at what hour?" "Today at 2 a.m. They have a shipmenting in!" "Are you sure?" "Yes, because they initially notified me to go, but this morning I suddenly came down with a high fever and couldn''t make it, so I had to call in sick." "Alright, then Mr. Aubrey, you rest up now!" On their way back, Bucky suggested, "If we''re going to ''intercept'' the shipment tonight, should we not call in some extra hands from another team?" Though smugglers weren''t deemed extremely dangerous, he felt it prudent to take precautions. "Call in other team''s hands?... Forget it, we don''t need them!" Calling on another squad''s manpower would inevitably require tax money aspensation. Now this case was splitting the tax with the major division. So why not use the major division''s men? Keanu was always telling him to ask for help if needed, so not asking would be a wasted opportunity! He then pulled out his phone and dialed Keanu''s number. "What''s the situation, Director David?" The call connected quickly, and Keanu''s voice came through with his inquiry. "Inspector Keanu, we have a lead on the smuggling case, I need you to arm two squads tonight ande out to support me on a mission!" "No problem, at what time?" Keanu was clearly pleased to hear about such significant progress in the smuggling case and agreed readily. "Let''s meet at 11 p.m." Chapter 211: Chapter 152: The Special Agent of the FBI "Alright, OK!" Back at the bureau, it was now a waiting game. At 5 PM, a message came in from Isidore stating that they had made contact with the Counterfeit Banknote Group and wanted to ce another order for fake notes. However, possibly due to a recent surge in demand, the group replied that they wouldn''t be ready until the day after tomorrow. David had no choice but to put this case on hold until then. ¡­ Carson City, Governor''s Mansion. Eugene, holding a file folder, walked into Stevenson''s office. "Governor, this is from Special Agent Gavin. It''s the investigation report on David!" But don''t think that ''Special Agent'' is just an agent. In the FBI system, a special agent is the highest-ranking official the FBI sends to each state, responsible for overseeing and managing the state''s FBI agents and operations. They are also in charge of coordinating cooperation with localw enforcement, state government, and other federal departments to ensure the smooth progress of the FBI''s activities in that state. The Special Agent Gavin Eugene mentioned was the FBI''s top official in Nevada. Stevenson''s expression changed, and he immediately took the folder and opened it, scanning the contents with an expectant look. But soon, his hopeful gaze gradually darkened, and he ended up mming the document angrily on the desk. Eugene, standing by, was also stunned by this reaction. Since the folder was sealed, and out of respect for hierarchy, he had not dared to open and review it immediately upon receiving it, so he had no idea what it contained. But now, seeing his Governor''s expression... Could it be... That after a detailed FBI investigation, they really couldn''t find anything to pin on David? To confirm his suspicions, Eugene slowly reached for the documents, picked them up, and started reading. As the content revealed itself, his expression soured. It was exactly as he had guessed. The FBI had found no dirt on David; even the hoped-for evidence of tax evasion wasn''t there. Actually, that''s not entirely true. More urately, it was almost there! ording to the file, during David''s recent crackdown on criminals, many had offered substantial bribes to the Chief Tax Officer to avoid their monthly dues to the IRS, but David had refused all of them. But that wasn''t even the most outrageous part for Eugene. The shocking part was, ording to the investigation, a moneyunderer named Lynch had once offered a staggering bribe of $1.6 million to dodge taxes. Yet, even faced with such an astronomical sum, David still turned it down. Was this damn bastard actually a saint? Even Eugene, as the Governor''s secretary, couldn''t im he wouldn''t be tempted by $1.6 million. But this son of a bitch resisted such a temptation! Now, Eugene could finally understand why Stevenson was so furious. If David had taken that $1.6 million, then this bastard would probably not have enough lives to pay for it! Too bad it all faded to nothing! "Alright, if he has no weaknesses, then have Gavin investigate his subordinates or other people in the Lake District Sub-Bureau. I refuse to believe none of them has issues!" If they couldn''t take David down, Stevenson was prepared to target his colleagues instead, as he didn''t believe everyone could be as clean as David. ¡­ Deep into the night, the lights were still bright at the Lake District Sub-Bureau. "Director David, the people from the Main Street Sub-Bureau have arrived at the entrance!" "Let''s head down, then!" Apart from Ariel and Selina, six inspectors under David were fully armed and walked down together. But upon getting downstairs, David discovered that Keanu from the Main Street Sub-Bureau was leading the group, which he found quite surprising. He immediately went up to him and asked, "What''s the situation, Inspector Keanu? You don''t need to personally handle a field assignment of this nature, do you?" "What are you saying, Director David? If you''re going personally, how could I not follow suit?" Keanu said, waving his hand in a gesture that suggested David shouldn''t concern himself. "Alright, then let''s go," said David, no longer in the mood for idle chatter. It was time to deal with this smuggling case first. "By the way, Director David, get in my car. You can fill me in on the case on the way," Keanu suggested. David didn''t refuse and got into the car from the Main Street Sub-Bureau as they all set off towards Redwood Valley. "Director David, are you saying that they use this valley to transport their smuggled goods?" "Yes," David replied. "But from what I know, not only is this valley steep, but it''s also extremely narrow and so deep that there''s no signal inside. It''s rare for any vehicle to be able to cross it." "Fortune favors the bold, right? Maybe it''s precisely because of this that you''ve never been able to catch them." David''s words caught Keanu off guard. But upon further reflection, it made sense. If the smugglers had used regr roads to transport their goods, they would have been caught at their checkpoints who knows how many times by now. And it was precisely because they zed such unorthodox trails like Redwood Valley that they had never been tracked down. Forty minutester, the convoy had reached the vicinity of the Indian Reservation, and then it left the highway and headed directly towards the entrance of the Redstone Mountains on the other side. Due to theck of roads here, the journey was bumpy, subjecting David and the others in the vehicle to a bumpy ride. Fortunately, after half an hour''s drive, the convoy finally reached one of the valley''s entrance and exits. It was also the only entrance and exit. Therefore, all they had to do was stop their cars here and wait patiently until after 2 a.m. for the group of smugglers to arrive. After getting out of the car, Keanu surveyed the surrounding terrain and approached David, saying, "Director David, if these smugglers see us and decide to forcibly break through the roadblock, that could spell trouble..." "You''re right. Let''s do this, we''ll park two cars in the middle of the road, turn off the lights, and when they arrive and spot us, even if they dare to run the roadblock, it won''t be that easy." "Then let''s do it your way!" No sooner said than done. David immediately had two of their cars block the entrance and exit of the valley, and then they began to wait. Soon, the time reached 1:30 a.m. Nisen, who had climbed up high to act as a sentinel, seemed to have spotted something and called down to the people below, "There are car lights two kilometers away, they''reing!" David promptly made a hand gesture to his five inspectors, telling them to get ready. Nisen also made arrangements for his inspectors from the Lake District Sub-Bureau, and then all the lights on the scene were extinguished. The twenty-some inspectors scattered inside and outside the valley all disengaged the safeties on their rifles, ready forbat at any moment. At the same time. Two kilometers away from David and the others, three small Ford vans were bouncing down the road. In the lead van, the driver was a big-bearded man wearing a duckbill cap, while in the passenger seat, a chain-smoking Curly. "Damn, my back''s nearly broken from this ride. Once this job''s done, I''m definitely treating myself to a nice babe to ease these old bones!" "Heh, kid, it''s always like this the first time you take this route. You''ll get used to it if you run it a few more times!" "Forget it, I''d rather man a warehouse than take this damn road again!" "¡­" Curly was clearly on this route for the first time and kept onining, while the big-bearded man at the wheel keptforting him. "Alright, alright, we''re almost at the mouth of the valley, we''ll be through soon!" As the two chatted, they were only about a hundred meters away from the valley''s mouth. But when they were about fifty meters from the valley''s entrance, the big-bearded man with the duckbill cap seemed to notice something ahead. At first, he thought it was just some rocks, but when he turned on the high beams for a better look, he discovered vehicles in front of them. This immediate realization left him shocked, and he eximed, "Not good!" During the day, the valley was rarely visited, let alone at night. The appearance of vehicles now meant either they had encountered robbers orw enforcement! Curly too grew tense and immediately grabbed the handgun from beneath the windshield. At the same time, inspectors that Keanu had arranged to ambush inside the valley began rying messages back to Keanu and David at the valley''s mouth through their wireless earpieces. "Target has entered the locking area. Observations show that each vehicle has only one driver and one co-pilot. Awaiting instructions!" At the mouth of the valley, Keanu looked at David for direction. David nodded his head to indicate it was time to move. Keanu immediately responded through the earpiece, "Go!" Upon receiving the order, the inspectors hidden in the bushes turned on the infraredsers attached to their rifles, aiming at the six people in the vehicles. The drivers and co-pilots inside the three vehicles, seeing red dots appearing on their bodies, started to panic and dared not even move. The number of red dots revealed that the opposition not only had formidable firepower but also greatly outnumbered them. "Don''t panic, we are from the National Tax Bureau. As long as you cooperate with us, we won''t harm you. But should you resist, lethality is authorized!" As the six people in the vehicles wondered what to do, a voice through a loudspeaker at the valley''s mouth reached them, easing their minds. They had been worrying that if they ran into robbers, their cargo would certainly be gone, and if they encountered the police or the FBI, not only would they lose the goods, but they might also end up in jail. The incident with the Indian Tribe had caused quite a stir, so they knew about the ck Tax Act. Knowing that the National Tax Bureau was only interested in collecting taxes and that as long as they paid the taxes to the National Tax Bureau, there would be no trouble, they found themselves actually relieved to be facing the Bureau instead. Chapter 212: Chapter 153: 18 Million Credited "Don''t shoot, we won''t resist!" Discover tales at m|vl|e|mp|y|r From inside the truck up ahead, Curly shouted loudly to avoid an unnecessary conflict. On this side, the inspectors¡ªequipped with night-vision goggles and holding infrared rifles¡ªalso closed in on the three vehicles, gradually taking control of the six people inside. The lead inspector immediately reported through the headset, "We have them under control, it''s safe now!" Upon hearing these words, David and Keanu at the mouth of the valley quickly walked up. The distance was just tens of meters, and they soon arrived at the scene. By then, the driver and threepanions had been taken down from the truck and were standing off to the side with their hands on their heads. Seeing that it was David who came over, the color drained from a few faces, evidently recognizing him. But David didn''t pay them any mind; instead, he went straight to the back of the first truck, and then said to the six people, "Come over and open it up!" At those words, Curly started to look troubled. "What, do I have to do it myself?" "No, no... I''ll open it, I''ll open it!" Curly dared not dy any longer and immediately walked over, took out the keys from his pocket, unlocked the lock, and then pulled open the two doors. In an instant, a strong odor wafted out, causing David and the others to instinctively cover their noses. Then, looking intently inside, they saw wooden crates stacked within. "Open it up!" Two inspectors immediately slung their rifles and jumped into the truck, lifting a crate down, and then flipped open its lid. Inside the crate, a pair of spotless ivory tusksy. Afterward, they inspected each crate one by one, along with the cargo in the other two trucks, all of which were extremely valuable contraband. Such as antelope horns, bear bile, musk, rhinoceros horns, and so on. "Hahaha, this haul is massive!" Keanu couldn''t stopughing. Although they didn''t know the exact price of the contraband in these three trucks, Keanu estimated roughly based on market value¡ªit was definitely worth 20 million US dors! 20 million, meaning, in terms of tax revenue, that''s almost 8 million US dors in taxes! But it''s worth noting, this was just one transaction from the smuggling ring. And the big shots behind them had yet to surface! If they could drag out those big wigs and have them pay the taxes on their previous illegal ie, what kind of number would that be? It would certainly be an astronomical sum! At this moment, Keanu once again felt lucky for the choice he''d made back then. Thank goodness, when they found David, they''d firmly chosen to split the profit with him 46, otherwise, if they had picked the other option David offered, they would have missed out big time! "Alright, Inspector Keanu, let''s get the goods back first. I''m about to freeze to death in these wild mountains and forests!" Hearing David''s words, Keanu snapped out of his euphoria, nodding and saying, "Right, Perx, Chino, Aspas, the three of you drive these trucks back to the Lake District Sub-Bureau." The moment they heard their goods were to be seized, the six men became anxious. Curly, in particr, plucked up the courage to approach and said, "Director David, you can''t hold these goods, otherwise I won''t be able to exin when I return!" "When you get back, find your bosses and tell them, if they want the goods,e talk to me tomorrow at the Lake District Sub-Bureau." "But..." Before Curly could say anything more, David had already turned around and headed toward the vehicles at the valley entrance; Curly could only sigh helplessly. On the way back, the three trucks loaded with contraband were driven by the Tax Bureau inspectors, and for Curly and the other five, David arranged a service vehicle. When they got back to the Lake District Sub-Bureau, it was already past 4 a.m. As they were waiting for the higher-ups of the smuggling ring toe and talk, the three trucks were detained here. After Keanu and his colleagues gave a brief briefing, they all returned to their homes. ... Meanwhile. In the central district downtown, at the Migaomei Grand Hotel, the presidential suite on the top floor was brightly lit. And in the suite''s salon, a man with a hooked nose wearing a bathrobe had a somber expression as he paced back and forth, deep in thought. About ten minutester, there was a knock at the door. Subsequently, a burly bouncer in a suit opened the door, and an Asian man with a ponytail walked in, apanied by Curly who had returned from Redwood Valley. "Mr. Gunter, as I mentioned on the phone, the goods have been seized by the Tax Bureau, and it was Director David himself who took them!" "David?" The man in the bathrobe, known as Gunter, was slightly startled upon hearing the name. Then his expression returned to one of grim contemtion as he demanded, "What exactly happened?" This time, the man with the ponytail didn''t say more but looked toward Curly. Curly''s lips trembled visibly, clearly nervous, but he still managed to say, "Mr. Gunter, our trip was very smooth, but just as we were about to reach the exit of Redwood Valley, the Tax Bureau people suddenly came out fully armed. We couldn''t resist at all, so..." Gunter stood up, walked over to Curly, and said expressionlessly, "Turn around." Chapter 213: Chapter 153: 18 Million Credited_2 Hearing this, Curly felt a bad premonition, not only were his lips quivering more violently, but his legs also began to tremble. But ultimately, he didn''t dare to disobey and slowly turned around. The next second, Gunter picked up a ss from the table and smashed it onto Curly''s head with a loud bang, Curly copsed to the ground. The hugemotion also caused the bouncers at the door to immediately open the door, and when they saw what happened inside, they didn''t seem too surprised; they quickly stepped forward and dragged the unconscious Curly out. As for the man with the ponytail who came in with them, although his face remained calm, he clenched his fist tightly. "Is it clear yet how the National Tax Agency found out about our route?" "We don''t know yet..." "How much is this batch worth?" "Around 25 million!" Hearing this number, Gunter lit a cigarette, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, the man with the ponytail suggested, "Mr. Gunter, the National Tax Agency sent a message saying if we want the goods, they want you toe over and talk to them. I think this might be a trap..." Gunter took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled, pondering aloud, "Whatever traps the National Tax Agency sets, they just want to collect taxes; if we don''t pay, knowing Director David''s nature, he definitely won''t let it go. Help me get ready, I''ll meet with him tomorrow!" He had made the smuggling business so big; it certainly wasn''t only through sheer ruthlessness but also brains. From the issue with the Indian Tribe and the recent great earthquakes in both Sparks and Henderson, he had figured out that David was an even tougher person than him. Therefore, he naturally wouldn''t be foolish enough to choose a direct confrontation. "Yes." ... Since he didn''t get home to rest until after 4 a.m., it wasn''t until 11 a.m. that David arrived at the office. He was just handling some documents when he received a call from the reception on the first floor, iming that a man named Gunter wanted to meet with him. Although David did not know this person, at such a critical moment, who else could be seeking a meeting with him if not someone from the smuggling group? Immediately, he had the reception staff bring him up. A few minutester, there was a knock at the door, and David said, "Come in." The next second, Gunter and the man with the ponytail walked in. [Name: Gant Fox.] [upation: Smuggling Syndicate Boss.] [Ie: Sixteen million US dors.] [Ie details: December 5th, through smuggling a batch of goods, earned two million US dors, December 9th, through smuggling a batch, earned one point six million US dors...] [More details:...] [Taxes owed: Six million three hundred thirty-six thousand US dors.] After reviewing the file of this man named Gunter, David''s facial expression rxed. He had truly feared that the group would send a nobody to talk; now that the group''s boss hade as he requested, it was going to be much easier! "Director David, hello, I am Gant Fox." "Mr. Gunter, hello, please take a seat!" After they shook hands, Gunter made himselffortable and said, "I heard from my subordinates that the National Tax Agency has seized a batch of our goods?" "That''s correct. ording to federalw, the ivory, antelope horns, musk, rhino horns, and such items you smuggled are prohibited goods that cannot enter the country. Of course, this is a matter for Customs, not the National Tax Agency; as long as the taxes are paid to us, that''s all!" Gunter paused for a moment and said, "This batch of goods is worth twenty-five million US dors, ording to the tax rate, that means, if I pay over eight million one hundred thousand in taxes, I can take the goods away, right?" "Yes..." "Alright, I''ll pay the tax!" David had a fierce reputation, and Gunter knew he didn''t have the fortitude of the Native Americans, so he had already nned to solve the problem by paying off the cmity beforeing. "Very well, but listen to me first, Mr. Gunter!" "You do need to pay over 8.1 million in taxes for this batch of goods, but our IRS''s ck tax bill has been in effect since December 3rd, 2021," "This means, before December 3rd, we didn''t concern ourselves with your smuggling and illegal ie, but from the 3rd until today, you''ll have to pay up every cent of your illegal ie. Understand?" Upon hearing this, Gunter''s brow instantly furrowed. He hade prepared to lose some money to avert disaster, but he had only thought about the over 8 million for these three truckloads of goods, not considering the inclusion of previous ones. "What''s the matter, Mr. Gunter, any objections?" "How much do I need to pay?" David countered, "What do you think?" "One million!" David was amused by this statement, but still, he didn''t state the amount directly. "Two million!" This number was almost clenched out of Gunter''s teeth. Just the seized goods required over 8 million in taxes, and adding another two million to that, it would amount to 10 million in total. For him, this definitely qualified as a severe hemorrhage of funds! David had no interest in dragging the conversation, and straight to the point, he said, "On December 5th, your group smuggled a batch of goods, whichted you a personal profit of two million US dors, then on December 9th, another batch, from which you made a personal profit of 1.6 million US dors, and on top of that..." "From December 3rd until now, you''ve recorded a total of 16 million US dors, and ording to the tax rate, you need to pay 6,336,000 US dors, not a penny less!" As David cited each date, Gunter''s face gradually dropped to an icy low. Initially, he presumed that David had somehow discovered their route and intercepted this shipment of theirs. But now, hearing this, he realized the investigation into their group had started who knows when. It had even delved deep into the marrow, or else they wouldn''t be so clear about the exact amount he had received during this period. Seeing Gunter still silent, David spoke again, "Mr. Gunter, as I''ve said, our IRS only cares about collecting taxes. Pay up, and you''re free to continue your business; we won''t meddle, as long as you don''t..." David didn''t continue. But the implied threat was clear enough for Gunter to understand. His fists clenched on his thighs, but ultimately hecked the courage to voice any defiance, managing only to grit his teeth and say, "Fine, I''ll pay!" David''s mouth widened into a grin, "Right, that''s more like it. Also, it''s not just you, your entire group must pay up proportionately. Don''t try to ruin my good mood, got it, Mr. Gunter?" Gunter didn''t continue the conversation and epted the terms, then stood up ready to leave. But David called out to him again, "Oh, Mr. Gunter, this case belongs to the Main Street district, prepare the money and go pay there. No need toe to us!" Read thetest on M-VL-emp,yr Gunter didn''t respond, simply pulled open the door, and left. Meanwhile, David picked up his phone and dialed Keanu''s number. "How''s it going, Director David?" "The boss of this smuggling ring just left my office. This case is almost closed, get ready to collect the taxes, and remember to transfer the funds to me the moment you receive them!" Inside the Main Street precinct office, Keanu''s face lit up with joy upon hearing this, promptly asking, "Sure, no problem, but besides that batch of goods, Director David, how much else can we expect to receive?" "The leader of the group is to pay 6,336,000 US dors. Add the key associates, and we''re looking at not less than 9 or 10 million!" "That much..." Upon hearing this, Keanu was momentarily stunned, obviously not anticipating so much. But quickly, his tion intensified. Just the goods required around 8 million in tax, plus this potential 10 million, wouldn''t that be 18 million? If they could collect so much from the counterfeit money case as well, that would be incredibly fortunate! ... ... PS: Something came up today, so there''s only one chapter... Chapter 214: Chapter 154: Uniting the Whole State, Competing for the God-Making Project "Oh right, they also have three lower-level operatives that need to pay taxes totaling about 2.2 million," David suddenly remembered. "OKOK!" Keanu couldn''t believe there was a surprise financial gain of two million, which made him happy again. After ending the call. He didn''t dare dy for a moment and went straight to the director''s office, knocked on the door, entered, and pressing down his joy said, "Director, the smuggling case is cracked. Guess how much we got from it!" Katharine, who was working on some documents, first looked surprised. Seeing the barely contained smile on William''s face, she stopped writing and guessed, "Ten million?" "Guess again." "Twelve million?" "Guess again." Katharine was getting impatient and said outright, "Stop beating around the bush, just tell me!" "Just over twenty million!" "What!" Katharine was unable to remainposed upon hearing such an enormous figure. Keep in mind, during thest arms smuggling case, they collected just over eleven million in taxes, which was already an astronomical sum. And now, a single smuggling case had exceeded twenty million? She found it almost unimaginable! After calming her mind, she asked in confusion, "How could this case bring in so much?" Although smuggling is also very profitable, it usually doesn''t reach the profitable scope of arms or drugs. This smuggling case, surpassing the arms case by so much, was clearly abnormal. "Mainly becausest night they just received a batch of goods worth 25 million, which required over eight million in taxes, plus Director David caught several of their distributors below. Otherwise, it would have been just over ten million," William exined. "So that''s how it is..." Katharine finally understood after Keanu''s exnation. But the appearance of this twenty million made her look forward to the counterfeit currency case even more. She asked, "How about the counterfeit currency case? Any progress from Director David?" "There is. ording to Director David, he should be able to wrap up the case within the next two days." "Within two days? That''s great!" Katharine was pleased again, and then added, "Make sure you keep a close watch. If Director David needs any help, cooperate at any time!" "I understand, Director!" At one o''clock in the afternoon. Just as David had said, those three brokers arrived at the Valley Branch of the National Tax Bureau, each paying around seven hundred thousand in taxes, totaling 2.12 million US dors. Furthermore, Gunter''s smuggling group, eager to retrieve their confiscated goods, quickly prepared the money and came to the Valley Branch to pay their taxes one by one. After a final tally, the sum was 20.5 million US dors. The moment they received the money, the Valley Branch, instead of rushing to deposit it, transferred sixty percent of the case''s revenue, which was 12.24 million, to the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch as per the agreement with David, directly to David''s ount. Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. David put down the notification phone and looked at the tax performance chart; indeed, the 12.24 million US dors from Valley Branch had arrived. Before that, with Zimmerman, the taxes collected from the Brotherhood''s second-generation riches, along with some misceneous taxes, his total tax performance had reached 17.11 million. Now, this 12.24 million deposit brought his total to 29.35 million US dors, pushing his ranking to the top three in the country. Bemy Hattie, currently second in ranking, had a total tax performance of 31.123 million US dors. Brown Soros, in first ce, had reached 38.55 million US dors. If he could wrap up the counterfeit currency case by tomorrow, squeezing past Brown Soros was uncertain, but edging out Bemy Hattie to rise to second ce should be no problem! Gathering his thoughts, David took out his phone and dialed Director Jennifer of the Valley District Sub-bureau Branch. In Henderson City, National Tax Bureau Valley District Sub-bureau Branch. Jennifer was in her office, dealing with some affairs of the branch when the ringtone of her phone broke her concentration. She immediately picked it up, and seeing that the caller was David, her spirits were instantly lifted, and she eagerly answered, "Hello, Director David." "Director Jennifer, remember you asked me the other day if there would be any more opportunities for cooperation? I think the opportunity hase!" "Oh?" Discover new chapters on m_vlem,pyr Jennifer, already hopeful, shone with eagerness upon hearing this and asked, "How so?" "Here''s the thing. Does your bureau have any cases involving high amounts, but which you find difficult to solve?" David was eager topete in the creation of a godlike feat, relying solely on Lake District and Valley Branch''s illicit tax revenues, but he knew it wouldn''t be enough. After all, Las Vegas''s GDP pales inparison to international metropolitans like New York and Los Angeles. So, he had already had a n. If relying solely on the Las Vegas tform was insufficient, he nned to pull in Henderson, Sparks, or other cities in Nevada, and with the illicit tax revenues from all the cities across the state,pete against Brown Soros and Bemy Hattie! With his golden finger as a tool, he wasn''t worried about any case he couldn''t crack; he was only worried about running out of cases! "There are plenty!" came Jennifer''s voice over the phone. "Director Jennifer, don''tmit too soon, when I talk about high amounts, I mean over three million US dors!" David naturally wouldn''t take just any case, only the most valuable ones. Chapter 215: Chapter 154: Uniting the Whole State, Competing for the God-Making Plan_2 "Over three million US dors... There are indeed one or two cases of that size, but as you know, such cases with huge amounts involved generally belong to organized criminal groups. They are both cunning and haveplex connections. Taking them down isn''t going to be easy..." "I understand, which is why I''m calling you today, Director Jennifer, to discuss this matter. How about you let me handle these cases?" At the Valley Branch, Jennifer perked up upon hearing this. With those big cases piled up in her department, relying on those ipetents, it might take another ten years to solve them. She had already witnessed David''s capability, and if these cases were handed over to David, there indeed was a very high chance to solve them. But on the other hand, The intensified crackdown was because the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch had offended the Nevada State government, and David hade to serve as their ''volunteer''. Now, with matters concerning cases in their jurisdiction, how could David possibly continue to y the ''volunteer''? Especially since the God-Making n was in full swing, if David wanted to cooperate on these cases, he surely aimed for a share of the tax revenue. With that in mind, she tentatively replied, "It''s not impossible to hand the cases over to you, Director David, but if they are solved, regarding the tax revenue..." "A 46% split!" At the mention of a 46% split, Jennifer''s face stiffened. With cases involving as much as three million US dors, the minimum tax collected would be almost 1.2 million. If they agreed to a 46% split, the other party would take away 480,000, which was no small figure! It''s not worth it. No pain, no gain! These cases are umting dust here; who knows when they will be solved. Perhaps it''s best to let David try. Jennifer made her decision in an instant, and with gritted teeth said, "Alright, Director David, as long as you can solve these cases, we are willing to give you 40%!" At the Lake District end, David was also taken aback upon hearing this. My intention was a 60-40 split in my favor, right? How did it turn into me getting only 40%? But quickly, he realized he might not have been clear before, and quickly corrected, "I apologize, Director Jennifer, I meant I take 60% and you take 40%!" "What?" Upon hearing this, Jennifer''s face was full of question marks. The cases belong to the Valley, and if David were toe over to investigate, he would certainly need to use their Valley Branch''s channels, system, and personnel. It should be only reasonable for them to get 60%! Jennifer was bing increasingly indignant; had it not been for David''s outstanding reputation and the million of tax revenue he had recently brought in, she would''ve berated anyone else by now. She suppressed her irritation and countered with a slight hint of dispute in her voice, "Director David, you getting 60% and us getting 40% doesn''t seem quite right, does it?" "Director Jennifer, are you in your office right now?" Only on m v|le|mp|yr This sudden change in topic by David befuddled Jennifer, but she still replied, "Yes, what about it?" "Open the tax performance chart, and take a look at the Newtown District Branch!" Although unsure of David''s intent, Jennifer did as instructed and soon enough, the Newtown District Branch''s name appeared in her view. But upon seeing the branch''s total tax performance of 14.026 million US dors, she was instantly stunned. The Newtown District Branch was thergest of the Nevada State and she naturally kept a regr watch on it. Yet just yesterday, she saw that the branch''s tax revenue was only over five million, how did it suddenly soar to 14.026 million? Did they earn a sudden influx of about eight million overnight? While Jennifer was still puzzled, David''s voice came through the phone once again, "You see the Newtown District''s tax performance, Director Jennifer?" Jennifer snapped back to reality and asked, "Director David, this sudden surge in Newtown District''s tax performance, doesn''t have anything to do with you, does it?" "You guessed it, Director Jennifer. Beforeing to your Henderson City, the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch had already coborated with me on three cases. And you know what the initial estimated amount for those cases provided by their intelligence department was?" "How much?" Jennifer''s interest was piqued. "Each one was about Four Million US dors, and now, I''ve only solved two cases." "Four Million US dors each... wait a minute..." Jennifer seemed to sense something was off. An estimated Four Million US dors meant that nearly One point Six Million in taxes could be collected. And now that David had solved two cases, it should have been Three point Two Million US dors under normal circumstances, right? So how could the tax achievement table for the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch exaggerate to Fourteen point Two Million? To get to the bottom of it, she immediately asked, "If each case involves an amount of Four Million dors, then the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch shouldn''t have a tax achievement of Fourteen point Two Million US dors now!" David smiled and replied, "Yes, you are right, Director Jennifer. But as you know, the investigation data from the intelligence departments of the various branches are neverpletely detailed. If they were that detailed, you all would have caught people and frozen ounts by now. So, those criminal groups have a lot of money that you don''t end up finding, and you can only give estimated amounts. But as it happens, I have the ability to find out all their amounts!" After listening to the exnation, a trace of shock appeared on Jennifer''s face. She agreed with what David said about the intelligence department''s investigation data not being detailed. After all, if their department had actually found all the money involved by the criminal group, the case would have been solved long ago given such extensive evidence. And regarding David saying he had the capability to find out all the money involved by the criminal groups, it might sound a bit boastful, but given the abilities that David had shown, he seemed qualified to make such a im. With this in mind, Jennifer replied, "Then may I understand it this way, Director David, if our branch coborates with you on these cases, we could also gain as much as the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch did?" The initial estimate for the cases in the Lake District was Four Million, but two cases ended up bringing in Twelve Million ¨C that was several times the initial estimates. If the cases in the Valley could be increased by that much, she wouldn''t mind giving David seventy percent, let alone sixty percent! "That''s hard to say since I don''t have the files of your cases yet. But I think, based on the estimate from your intelligence department, doubling the amount is definitely doable!" "Alright then, if these cases can double in amount, then I agree to give you sixty percent!" She left herself a backdoor with that statement. If the cases could double, she would indeed be willing to give David sixty percent, but if they didn''t, naturally there would be no sixty percent! David understood the implication in her words, but he didn''t continue to haggle. Instead, he agreed readily, "Deal!" "Great, I''ll send you the files on the cases in a bit!" Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. After hanging up the phone, David pulled out the phone number for the Western District Branch Director Hopkinson and called him, once again bringing up the idea of coborating on cases. Upon hearing of the coboration, Hopkinson was as willing as can be, but when he heard David wanted sixty percent, he became reluctant, just like Jennifer had. However, David then used the same spiel he had with Jennifer. In the end, Hopkinson also fell into line, agreeing to send the files on the cases over as soon as possible. And that wasn''t all. Over the next period of time, David made calls one by one to the branches in various cities. It wasn''t until 5:30 P.M. when someone knocked on the door that he stopped, saying, "Come in!" Simmons entered and reported, "Director, there''s a message from Isidore. The Counterfeit Banknote Group has prepared the money. Tomorrow at 12 P.M., they will conduct the transaction at the downtown library in the Lake District!" "Okay, I got it!" "Oh, and one more thing, Inspector Matthew from the Newtown District hase over, he says he wants to see you." "Matthew?" David looked thoughtful and then said, "Alright, let hime up!" Simmons nodded, turned around, and left through the door. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 216: Chapter 155: Be My Dog, David A few minutester, the door was knocked, and then Matthew walked in, and said, "How is it going, Director David, I hope I''m not disturbing your work?" David replied, "No, just getting ready to leave for the day." "It''s like this, I heard that you, Director David, have been coborating with the Main Street Sub-Branch on several casestely?" The main reason Matthew came today was because of the Main Street Sub-Branch''s sudden surge in tax performance. Several days ago, when the Main Street Sub-Branch suddenly received nearly 5 million in tax revenue, it had already aroused his suspicion. Until today, the Main Street Sub-Branch ounted for more than 8 million, which made himpletely unable to sit still, and he directly started an investigation. But this investigation turned out to be quite rming. He wondered how the Main Street Sub-Branch suddenly became so enlightened. It turned out that the Main Street Sub-Branch''s substantial increase in tax revenue was due to Director David''s assistance in cracking the case, leading to thisrge sum of tax revenue. Knowing this result, of course, he couldn''t sit still. Since the Main Street Sub-Branch could ask for Director David''s help in solving these cases, why couldn''t they, in Newtown District, give it a try? Afterward, he immediately sought instructions from his branch''s director and then came knocking on the door. "Indeed." After getting confirmation, Matthew adjusted his sitting posture, even leaning forward slightly, and said expectantly, "Director David, then I''d like to ask if our Newtown District Sub-Branch... could cooperate with you?" David was not surprised; he had already guessed the other party''s intentions. However, the timing of the other party''s arrival was just right, saving him the trouble of calling them himself. He replied, "Sure, but I don''t take just any case. The involved amount must be at least 3 million!" "Cases involving 3 million... we do have some in our department..." "Also, after the case is solved, I take 60% of the tax revenue, which is the same ratio as the Main Street Sub-Branch. No problem with that, right?" Hearing about the 60%, Matthew''s face turned bitter at first, but when he heard that it was the same as the Main Street Sub-Branch, he was immediately electrified. The logic is simple. Since Director David was taking 60% of the Main Street Sub-Branch''s earnings, yet the Main Street Sub-Branch still ounted for 14.02 million in revenue. Thus, even if Newtown District let Director David take 60%, they would certainly not be at a loss in the end! With this thought, Matthew immediately nodded in agreement, "That''s fine!" "Good, then send me the case files and documentation, and I''llmence the investigation. If I need anything from you, I''ll contact you!" "OK!" Matthew promptly stood up and left, preparing to go back and get the case files and documentation ready. As for David, who had been on the phone all day, he was indeed a bit tired, so he didn''t continue working any longer. He grabbed his coat and went straight home. At 9 o''clock in the evening. A light rain was falling in Carson City. In the Governor''s Mansion, the warmth from the wall furnace filled the entire hall. And Stevenson was absorbed in watching TV, continuously petting the dachshund by his side. Suddenly, there was a noise from outside the door. Eugene came in, first putting away his umbre on one side, then energetically walking over to Stevenson with a file bag in hand, saying, "Governor, this is from Special Agent Gavin. This time, it should be interesting!" After confirming that there were no issues with David''s investigation report, Eugene went to the FBI office with the Governor''s instructions to ry the request to investigate the people around David. The message he conveyed at that time was that any investigative reports without incriminating material shouldn''t be sent over. And now, since the other party had indeed sent it over, that meant the investigative report must have some substance! Stevenson immediately took it, opened it, and started to examine the information. As the content unfolded before his eyes, his face revealed a smile, and finally, he burst outughing, "Haha, that bastard, I want to see how he''ll wrap this up!" "Governor, what''s the scoop?" "Take a look for yourself!" Eugene took the documents and scrutinized them seriously. Soon enough, he understood why Stevenson was so delighted. It turned out that through the FBI''s detailed investigation, they discovered that one of David''s inspectors, a man named Poppy, took bribes from two groups of criminals on January 14th and January 16th, respectively. Although the amounts weren''t significant¡ªone was only 2,000, and the other was only 3,000 US dors¡ªfor those wanting to catch Davis at fault, it was enough to make a big deal out of it! After all, this is a direct subordinate of yours, David! Your subordinate taking bribes and not paying taxes certainly meant you, as the direct superior, would have to be ountable for poor management! Enjoy reading at m v le_mp-yr "Tell Special Agent Gavin to get the witnesses in custody first!" Stevenson knew that this information was not enough to conclusively nail the inspector named Bowen, at least not without adding a witness to the mix. Then, as if remembering something else, he sneered, "Besides, send this information to the media, let them see how David disciplines his subordinates!" "Governor, I have a slightly different opinion on this matter..." Stevenson looked towards Eugene, who had a thoughtful expression, and asked with some confusion, "What is your opinion?" "Although it''s true that once the newses out, David will have to take the responsibility thates with it, ultimately it''s not him taking the bribe directly. So at most, it will just put him in a media whirlwind, but it won''t be enough to ruin him..." "That''s enough, we''ll slowly find ways to deal with himter!" Stevenson was well aware of this fact, but at this point, he couldn''t care about such details. All he wanted was to vent his anger over the painful loss. Chapter 217: Chapter 155: Be My Dog, David_2 Even if it wasn''t enough topletely ruin that bastard, to see him being tormented by the media was something he greatly enjoyed. "Governor, please calm down a moment. Our current issue is with David, and if this gets out, not only will David be implicated, but it will also greatly harm the image of the IRS. At that time, they will definitely hold a grudge against us. This is something we need to seriously consider..." Upon hearing Eugene''s words, Stevenson''s expression darkened. Indeed, IRS inspectors being corrupt and taking bribes was a huge blow to the agency''s image. If they found out he was the one who leaked it to the media, the IRS might not directly retaliate against him, but they would certainly remember this grievance. And his goal was to run for Senator or President after stepping down as Governor. Being under constant scrutiny by the higher-ups in the IRS wouldn''t be good for him in the long run. "Then what do you think we should do?" "This matter can actually be maximized to our greatest benefit, of course, on the premise that you, the Governor, need to be patient for the time being." "How so?" Eugene organized his thoughts before saying, "It''s simple. Although this information isn''t enough to take David downpletely, we''ve got a handle on him. Governor, you have only a few months left before you step down to aim for greater goals. We could use this to ckmail him, make him your faithful dog; release him when needed to bite yourpetitors. That''s far more valuable than dealing with him directly right now!" Although they stood on different sides, Eugene honestly admired David''s abilities. Stevenson remained silent. As a father, of course, he wanted to immediately destroy David. But as a mature politician, he knew Eugene was right. With David''s capabilities, if he could act as his loyal dog, once he resigned to run for other positions, and if he encountered anypetitors, letting this dog loose would certainly be enough to throw his opponents into turmoil. "All right, let''s do as you suggest!" After weighing the pros and cons for a long time, Stevenson finally made a decision. However, he was also secretly nning that once he stepped down and sessfully ran for another position and drained David of all his value, he would dispose of this "dog" immediately! Then, he would let David truly experience what despair was. ... The next day, soon after David arrived at his office in the bureau, someone from the mail department came knocking on his door. "Director David, you have a document." "Just put it there, thank you!" David thought it was case material sent over from Newtown District or another sub-branch and didn''t pay it much mind. It wasn''t until 10 o''clock in the morning when he had finished dealing with other matters that he picked up the document, opened it, and started to look through it. But as the content of the document gradually came into view, his expression grew darker and darker, and finally, he threw the document down on the desk. Because this document was about his inspection team member, Poppy, taking bribes. Under normal circumstances, that might not be an issue. But now, in the midst of the fervent "deification" n, if this document leaked, not to mention striving for the n''s sess, escaping censure would already be lucky! After all, the "god" of the deification n was supposed to have a positive image. Now, with his leadership in armed actions and the personal prestige he had established in Sparks and Henderson, that positive image had indeed been erected. But with this incident involving Poppy, it wouldn''t be right to say his image was destroyed, but at least it would be tarnished. If Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros then took the chance to y this card, the oue was predictable! Gathering his thoughts, David forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart and picked up the file folder set aside to check. Just as he had guessed. This document had been sent from the state government. In other words, it was still retaliation from Stevenson''s side! "That bastard..." David couldn''t help but curse. But after cursing, he suddenly started to ponder a question. Logically, if Stevenson had gotten hold of the document, the best way to get revenge would be to leak it to the press and let them attack him. But now, Stevenson hadn''t done so, and he wondered what that meant. After much thought, David came up with two exnations. First, if the document were to be leaked, not only would he be responsible as a leader, but it would also be a significant blow to the image of the IRS. Perhaps Stevenson was wary of bearing a grudge from the higher-ups at the IRS. Second, Stevenson wanted to use it as leverage to constrain or ckmail him! Forget it, let''s not worry about that now! David felt the pressing matter was to deal with the document first, and immediately picked up the phone on his desk: "Get all the members of our team to my office." Five minutester, Bucky and the others pushed the door open and entered. They thought that David had called them in to arrange the matter of the counterfeit money case transaction that was supposed to happenter. But when they saw David''s grim face, they suddenly felt something was amiss and dared not even breathe heavily. At this time, David, using the function of Golden Finger, was scrutinizing each member of the team. He hadn''t scrutinized these people before, first because it was a waste of time, and second because there really had been no need. But now, with the incident involving Poppy, he felt it necessary to pay attention, or else simr incidents could happen again. What relieved him was that after reviewing the squad, aside from Poppy, there were no issues with the other seven members. In the end, he could only fix his gaze on Poppy. Under such scrutiny, Poppy was on edge, his heart filled with trepidation. The other seven who were present also sensed something was wrong, but none dared to ask. As the atmosphere turned increasingly tense, David finally spoke: "Poppy, I don''t believe I''ve ever mistreated you, every time weplete a mission, you get the same share of tax achievements as everyone else." Upon hearing this, Poppy was scared witless. The others, too, realized the seriousness of David''s words, and turned their gazes towards Poppy. Nisen, who had the best rtionship with David, mustered the courage to ask, "Director David, what''s wrong with Poppy...?" "See for yourselves!" David picked up the document from the desk and threw it over. Without any dy, Nisen and the others went forward to look. Once they saw the content of the document, they all understood what was going on, and their faces grew somber. Ariel, in particr,shed out directly, "Poppy, as an inspector of the IRS, how could you take bribes from those criminals!" "Poppy, you''ve not only harmed yourself but, critically, you''ve harmed our entire investigative team and Director David!" "Poppy, the Director has given you a considerable share of tax achievements, and with those, you''ve been able to get handsome bonuses every appraisal period. Why would you take those few thousand US dors?" Bucky and Simmons both sternly rebuked him with great heaviness of heart. But at that moment, Nisen, who had seen the sending address from the state government on the file bag, cursed angrily, "Damn it, it''s that bastard Stevenson screwing with us again!" Dive into more chapters on m-vlem|p-yr Hearing this, Bucky Simmons and the others didn''t bother to scold any further, and gathered around Nisen instead. Indeed, the address on the file bag was from the state government. For a while, everyone fell silent. As for Poppy, he was resigned, but he still clenched his teeth and defended himself, "Director David, I was wrong. I shouldn''t have been tempted by those two groups of criminals, I shouldn''t have be greedy..." When he took the money before, he really hadn''t expected that someone would dare to investigate the IRS. Chapter 218: 156: First Pull Out Stevensons Fangs Bucky immediately reprimanded, "Even if you wanted to be greedy, you should have dered it and paid taxes. Then we wouldn''t be in such a passive position now!" "I..." Poppy''s face reddened, unable to utter aplete sentence. "Hand over your service weapon and the tax badge. You''re suspended. Also, Ariel, get him a filing form, and let''s get the taxes paid!" This time, it was David speaking. Having Poppy file his tax now was actually a bitte. With Stevenson having this information and ready to leak it, Poppy would still be caught in the storm of public opinion. But there was no choice, the procedures still had to be followed. Otherwise, he would truly be abusing his power for personal gain. Upon hearing that he had to surrender his gun and was suspended, Poppy panicked and pleaded in a tearful voice, "Chief Tax Officer, I know I was wrong. Please give me another chance, I swear I won''t dare to do it again..." If it were any other matter, based on camaraderie among teammates, Simmons and several others might have spoken up for him. But given the seriousness of the current situation, they naturally dared not say much. David replied without emotion, "We arew enforcement officers; we should know what we should and shouldn''t do. Since you did it, you have to face the consequences!" Hearing this, Poppy knew he was finished, his face filled with immense regret. But in the end, he obediently took out his service weapon and tax badge and ced them on the table, then walked out with his head down. Ariel also left to take care of the tax filing. David, looking at the remaining six, said sternly, "I don''t want to see this kind of thing happen a second time. Understood?" "Understood..." The six answered in unison. "Bucky, Bradley, Condliffe, you three check on those criminals involved in the case. If possible, detain them and pry their mouths open to see who is behind this!" The data sent over by the state government was very professional. David could tell at a nce that it certainly wasn''t something Stevenson''s ipetent subordinates could havee up with. It must have been done by professionals. So, what he needed to do now was not to counter Stevenson, but to first remove the ws that had gathered this information for him, to prevent such incidents from happening again. "Alright!" The three, Bucky included, immediately took their leave to carry out the order. "Nisen Simmons, you two get ready and head to the Central Library!" The counterfeit banknote deal was about tomence, and they had toplete this case at all costs, lest all their previous efforts go to waste. After the two left, only Selina remained in the office. "Director David, if you need our help, we can step in and take care of Stevenson for you," she offered. David was about to dismiss her with some clerical work, but Selina took the initiative to speak first. She had always wanted to pull David to their side. And she thought this might be an opportunity. David looked at Selina, paused for a moment, then replied, "No need, I''ll handle it myself." Although a Governor held a high rank and great authority, he knew with the Kennedy Family''s influence, it would indeed not be too difficult to settle things. After all, Schwarzenegger was merely an actor, yet by marrying into the Kennedy Family, they managed to elevate him to the position of Governor of California State, the third-ranked state in America, and even helped him win reelection despite his abysmal performance. This showed the extent of the Kennedy Family''s power. However, everything had two sides. The Kennedy Family''s archenemies were the top echelon of America, and that was a risk David was not willing to take at the moment. Selina, looking at David''s resolute face, ran her red lips back and forth but ultimately chose not to say anything further, just nodded her head and then left the office. David also stood up, put on his jacket, picked up his tax badge and service weapon, and headed downstairs. Then he got into the car with Nisen Simmons and drove towards the Central Library in the downtown district. The Central Library, located about 800 meters to the right of Las Vegas City Hall, was a notable culturalndmark. In front of the library was a spacious square, nted with various flowers, nts, and trees, with many citizens basking in the sun at this time. "Simmons, are you sure they are trading here?" Nisen drove there, observing the proximity to the City Hall and the bustling crowd, and started to doubt. This ce didn''t look like a suitable venue for the Counterfeit Banknote Group''s dealings! "I confirmed it several times with Isidore, of course I''m sure... Look, there he is!" Simmons had barely finished speaking when a Mercedes stopped about 30 meters in front of them. Isidore got out carrying a ck briefcase and then walked towards the library. "Let''s go, we follow him, keep it low-key!" Since David had been on television oftentely, many people recognized his face, so he deliberately wore a mask and a baseball cap before getting out of the car. The three of them got out of the car and maintained a certain distance from each other, pretending to be citizensing to the library to read, and they casually entered. The library''s interior had several reading areas, including quiet study rooms, afortable reading room, and a multimedia section, among others. Chapter 219: 156: First Pull Out Stevensons Fangs_2 Three people followed Isidore and came to a section for history books, where they saw him walk to a nearby locker, enter the password to open the box, and then take out a small suitcase and stuff his own briefcase into it before leaving with it in hand. As he passed in front of David, he gave a covert nce to David, implying that his mission had been aplished. In the time that followed, David and the others pretended to read books while keeping an eye on the locker, trying to see who would appear. About twenty minutester. Under the watchful eyes of the three, a man around 18 or 19 years old, wearing a hip-hop hat, appeared. He approached the locker, expertly entered the password, took out the briefcase, and casually walked off with it. [Name: Maxwell Ian.] [upation: Unemployed.] [Ie: 9000 US Dors.] [Ie Details: On December 7th, stole a wallet at a nightclub, making 800 US Dors profit; on December 14th, sold two packets of contraband, making 1000 US Dors profit; on January 11th, picked up contraband for someone, making 300 US Dors profit...] [More details:...] [Tax due: 900 US Dors.] After reviewing this guy''s personal information, David felt somewhat disappointed. Continue your story on m-vl-em,py-r This guy was not from the Counterfeit Banknote Group. He was just a runner hired by the Counterfeit Banknote Group to help collect the money. "Chief Tax Officer, he''s gone." Seeing that David was still lost in thought, Nisen quickly walked over to remind him. David then snapped back to reality and immediately followed after him. Outside the library, the young man named Maxwell Ian got into a Chevrolet and drove toward Casino City Avenue. And without any dys, David and his team quickly jumped into their car and followed suit. The two cars drove for about three kilometers until they both reached a traffic light intersection, where it happened to be red. But then, in the next second, something unexpected happened. In front of their eyes, the Chevrolet rolled down its window, and the door of an Alphard waiting to turn left suddenly opened as well. The young man named Maxwell threw the suitcase he had picked up from the library into the Alphard''s door. Afterpleting these actions, the left turn signal turned green, and the Alphard instantly elerated and turned away. All of this happened in just a few seconds. Nisen, realizing what happened, was about to shift gears and chase after them, but David stopped him. "Don''t chase them yet!" Chasing them now would most likely result in being spotted either by the Alphard or by the young man named Maxwell. After thinking for a moment, David instructed Simmons, "Call the traffic department, have them track that car with the surveince system... And also, that suitcase, find out where its final destination is!" Simmons immediately took out his phone and dialed the traffic department. Meanwhile, Nisen found a ce to park the car and began to wait. An hourter, when the three of them were growing impatient, Simmons finally received a call. After hanging up, he grumbled, "This gang is damn cunning. ording to the traffic department, they drove around the city block several times, and that suitcase changed vehicles five times before leaving the city area." Hearing this, the two nearby finally understood why it had taken so long. David then asked, "So where did they go in the end?" "They went towards the outskirts, in the direction of Ansheng Paper Mill on Sparks City Avenue." "Ansheng Paper Mill..." Generally speaking, there is indeed a kinship between counterfeiting and papermaking. If that''s the case, this paper mill could very well be the Counterfeit Banknote Group''s hideout. David immediately picked up the phone and dialed Keanu''s number. "What''s the situation, Director David?" "There''s a breakthrough in the counterfeit case, call out two inspection squads, we''re heading to Ansheng Paper Mill to enforce thew!" "Ansheng Paper Mill?" At the city district bureau, Keanu paused, surprised by the news. Of course, he knew there were many simrities between counterfeiting and papermaking. Therefore, ces like paper mills and printing factories had already been subject to his numerous inspections. And he had investigated Ansheng Paper Mill many times as well, only to dismiss it each time. "Yes, no time to exin, arrange for people toe over!" "Okay, I''ll arrange it... no, I''ll personally lead the team!" Keanu wanted to see for himself if this paper mill, which he had already ruled out, turned out to be the Counterfeit Banknote Group''s base of operations as David imed. If so, how did the Counterfeit Banknote Group manage to evade the city district bureau''s inspections so many times. ... Ansheng Paper Mill. When David and his team arrived, Keanu''s people had not yet shown up. In order to not spook the suspects or provoke a conflict, they waited another 20 minutes before the city district bureau people arrived. "Director David, sorry to have kept you waiting." "It was just for a little while, let''s go in!" The paper mill was situated next to a wide river that provided the factory with an ample water supply. As soon as they walked into the factory, they could sense a strong odor, a mix of wood, chemicals, and dampness. "Who are you!" As soon as David and the others set foot inside, a security guard from the guard booth approached with a wary face. Chapter 220: Chapter 156: First Pull Out Stevensons Fangs_3 "Internal Revenue Service!" Nisen shed his tax badge, but then David and the others ignored him, walking straight into the factory with their group. In the towering factory, machines like giant steel titans roared deeply, operating nonstop, transforming various raw materials into thin sheets of paper. On the production line, workers bustled about, wearing safety helmets, d in work uniforms, holding tools, meticulously operating each step. During the papermaking process, raw materials were fed into machines, undergoing a series ofplex chemical reactions and physical treatments, eventually resulting in smooth, white sheets of paper. At the other end of the factory, the storage area was piled withrge quantities of paper, neatly stacked, waiting for transportation and distribution. After a careful look, the group realized that this was indeed just an ordinary paper mill, showing no apparent connection to counterfeit money. But David was different, he did not pay much attention to the interior of the paper mill; instead, his focus was mainly on the workers at the scene. However, after scrutinizing them for a while, he also did not find anything unusual. That changed the next second when he saw a middle-aged maning down the left-hand corridor, and his eyes suddenly shone with a sharp light. [Name: Faulkner Ban.] [upation: Paper mill owner.] [Ie: Monthly legal ie two thousand US dors, illegal ie, one million three hundred fifty thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: Share obtained from providing instruments, equipment, and facility space for the Counterfeit Banknote Group...] [More Details:...] [Tax Owed: five hundred thirty-four thousand six hundred US dors.] "Isn''t that Inspector Keanu? What, is the IRS going to check us out how many times, eh? We''ll have toin about you soon, you''re always disrupting our business!" This owner of the paper mill named Faulkner obviously knew Keanu, and startedining as soon as they met. While Keanu was a bit embarrassed, thinking that it was David who wanted to investigate, he felt somewhat more confident and replied, "The IRS has its reasons for inspecting you, Mr. Faulkner, what''s the rush? Got a guilty conscience?" "Me, guilty conscience?" Faulkner became angry and retorted, "Alright, alright, you just go ahead and search. Search all you want. If you can''t find anything today, we''ve been paying our taxes as a paper mill for nothing. The IRS must give us an exnation!" Keanu did not say another word and simply looked at David. David stepped in front of Faulkner and, looking him in the eye, asked, "Mr. Faulkner, we are investigating a Counterfeit Banknote Group. Have you heard anything about it by any chance?" "What Counterfeit Banknote Group? We make paper here, not counterfeit notes. You''ve got the wrong ce!" "Are you sure?" "Of course I''m sure. If you don''t believe me, ask Inspector Keanu; he knows how many times he''s searched here!" David turned to look at Keanu, who nodded, indicating that he indeed hadn''t found anything unusual here. Then, David turned to Simmons and ordered, "Bring me tworge excavators!" At this statement, everyone on scene was dumbfounded. Faulkner was the first to react, his eyes betraying a faint, hard-to-detect panic as he asked, "What are you trying to do?" "You''re sure your paper mill has no problems, but I''m sure it does; what do we do then? Even if it means digging three feet into the ground, I have to prove that my suspicions are correct!" David''s bullish words left Faulkner not knowing what to say, and in the end, all he could do was pretend to be tough and retort, "You... you can''t do that. This is deliberately damaging a citizen''s property, I can sue you for this!" "Sue all you want, but if I dig something up, then who''s suing whom bes a different story!" "No, you can''t do this!" David, not willing to waste more words with him, gave Simmons a look, and Simmons instantly understood, taking out his phone and starting to make arrangements. Meanwhile, Faulkner seemed calm on the surface, but inside, he was as anxious as ants on a hot pan. If the excavators truly arrived, unless he had some sort of supernatural space like in the novels, no matter how well hidden, it would definitely be exposed. And the noise from the excavator was so loud; it might even attract the attention of the people around, and then he would really be finished! After weighing the pros and cons in his mind for a long time, he finally bit the bullet and said to David, "What exactly do you want?" Experience more tales at m vl-em|p-yr Seeing Faulkner''s anxious demeanor, the inspectors from the district, including Keanu, were also visibly moved. Could it be... just as David said, that the Counterfeit Banknote Group was hiding in this very paper mill? "What else could the IRS want but to collect taxes? As long as the taxes are paid to us, then naturally we will turn around and leave, no longer bothering your continued ''papermaking''!" Faulkner fell silent. Meanwhile, about 200 meters away from where everyone was, in an unattended area of machinery underground. "Things are looking a bit dicey, IRS folks must have discovered something, or Faulkner wouldn''t be acting like this." "Damn, hasn''t the IRS already been here several times without discovering us? Why did they suddenly find out now?" "Didn''t you see who''s leading the team this time? It''s David who led the armed operations and caused major earthquakes in both Sparks and Henderson. This man is no simpleton." This was an underground room of about 100 square meters. Inside there were ten people, among them a young man and a young woman looking to be in their early thirties, who kept conversing while watching the surveince screens. Around them were arrayed ink, paper, counterfeit money molds, various instruments, equipment, and stacks of printed fake banknotes. Chapter 221: Chapter 157: Killing with a Borrowed Knife "Wait¡­ What is Faulkner preparing to do?" Before they could continue, one could see through the big screen that Faulkner seemed to have said something to the tax bureau people and then walked out of the surveince monitor''s range. Just then, suddenly, a phone under the surveince screen rang. The young man first nced at everyone, then picked up the phone and put it to his ear, "Hello?" "Roger, it''s Faulkner, you must have seen the situation on the monitor, the tax bureau people are here, and I can''t hold them off." Upon hearing this, the man known as Roger became anxious and immediately responded, "What''s going on, Faulkner, have they discovered we''re here?" "The tax bureau folks even threaten to bring an excavator over, and dig three feet into the ground to find you all, they must be sure that you''re here." "Then¡­ what do we do?" "No choice now, we''ll have to pay the taxes, after all, the tax bureau isn''t the FBI, once they collect the taxes, they won''t care about whether the currency is fake or not, and they won''t arrest you, Roger, I think it''s better to just pay them!" Roger was silent for about 30 seconds before he finally made a decision through gritted teeth, "Fine, I''ll pay!" He was just counterfeiting currency, not some heinous criminal, so how could he dare to take a stand against the tax bureau? Moreover, he had seen what had be of the Indian Tribe that had dared to stand up to them. On the paper mill workshop side. Faulkner returned to David''s side and said, "Follow me!" David and the others followed Faulkner for about 200 meters,ing to a section with machinery. Faulkner stopped in front of a machine that looked somewhat old, crouched down at the bottom and seemed to press some hidden button. The next second, with a creaky sound, the old machine slowly rose up like the cargo bed of a heavy truck. Meanwhile, Inspector Keanu and the inspectors from the street district all had their eyes widened in shock. They said they had inspected this workshop several times now, so howe they had never found a single trace? Turns out it was hidden beneath this machine. Either they had to dismantle this machine or, as David had said, directly bring over an excavator to dig three feet into the ground to possibly discover it. But since they had only been suspicious before and couldn''t be as certain as David, of course, it was not possible to dismantle the machine or dig three feet into the ground. Lost in thought, the ascent of the machine stopped, revealing a hatch-like opening with an iron staircase installed underneath. Faulkner went down first, followed by Keanu signaling to his two inspectors, and those two went down to investigate first. Once they confirmed there was no problem, their voices came from below. "It''s safe!" David, Keanu, and the others didn''t linger any longer, one by one descending the staircase, and once at the bottom, seeing the stacks of banknotes that came into view, they couldn''t help but click their tongues in amazement. [Name: Roger Bradley.] [upation: Counterfeit Banknote Group strategist.] [Ie: 13.1 million US dors.] [Ie details: December 4th, sold a batch of counterfeit notes, profited one million USD, December 8th, sold a batch of counterfeit notes, profited 1.2 million USD, December 14th¡­] [More details: ¡­] [Tax payable: 5,187,600 US dors.] ¡­ [Name: Antonia Julie.] [upation: Counterfeit Banknote Group strategist.] [Ie: 13 million US dors.] [Ie details: December 4th, sold a batch of counterfeit notes, profited one million USD, December 8th, sold a batch of counterfeit notes, profited 1.2 million USD, December 14th¡­] [More details: ¡­] [Tax payable: 5,148,000 US dors.] ¡­ [¡­] While everyone was busy observing the surroundings, David was the first to start examining the information about the people present. What surprised him was that the brains behind this counterfeit banknote group were these two seemingly harmless and young men and women. However, upon observation, David could also tell that these two, including their group, weren''t the kind that was involved in violent activities. They were simply running a business dealing in counterfeit currency. "Stop, don''t touch that, put it down, put it down!" Just when the atmosphere on-site was somewhat quiet, a shout from the woman named Antonia startled many people. David also turned his head to look, only to see Simmons holding an US Dor temte with a stupefied expression. Antonia didn''t care as much, walking straight over to Simmons, taking the temte from his hands whileining, "You can collect taxes, and we will pay you, but please don''t damage our props, okay? They''re hard toe by!" "Alright, everyone stop being curious and don''t touch their stuff¡­" Seeing that the other party was sensible, David didn''t want to spoil their meal, so he turned and said, "Since you are willing to pay taxes to us, would you like to do it here or go to our national tax office to handle it?" David had already seen it, in a corner not far away, there was a pile of US Dor bills, among which was the suitcase that previously belonged to Isidore, so it could be deduced that this pile of money was definitely real. By the tax rates, aside from Antonia and Roger, who each needed to pay over five million in taxes, the other eight peoplebined had roughly seven million or so, totaling less than eighteen million. This pile of money should be enough. "Let''s just process it here." In the time that followed, Keanu had his subordinates prepare the filing sheets, and then they started to count the taxes on the spot. At first, Roger and the others tried to be slick and report less tax than owed, but after being directly called out and scolded by David, they all became honest. One hourter. The filing and counting werepleted, and David and his colleagues ''politely'' said their goodbyes to Roger and the others, then left with over eighteen million. "Director David, once I take the money back to the treasury, I''ll transfer your sixty percent right away!" Although this case did not bring in over twenty million like the previous smuggling case, it still made Keanu truly ecstatic. "Alright, oh and Inspector Keanu, if there are more high-value cases like this in your main street area, feel free to contact me anytime!" "Understood, I will organize the files of other cases when I get back, and then I''ll get in touch with you!" In fact, Keanu had intended to do this even without David''s suggestion. All three cases had made a fortune for their main street area, so naturally, he did not want to keep scraping by on just one or two million in tax achievements per assessment period like before. It would be foolish not to take a shortcut that''s avable! ¡­ After returning to the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, David wanted to look for Bucky and the others immediately to inquire about the progress of the investigation. However, he discovered that Bucky and his two colleagues had not returned, and he had no choice but to drop the matter temporarily and returned to his office to handle affairs while waiting for news. At 5 p.m. Carson City, Governor''s Mansion. "Governor, I think he must have received the document and checked it by now." Stevenson sneered and replied, "Then what are we waiting for? Begin!" Eugene first took out a piece of paper and unfolded it, revealing a series of numbers. Then he pulled out his phone and dialed the number. The call was answered quickly. Eugene activated the speakerphone, ced the phone on the desk, and said, "Is this Director David?" "It is I, who might you be¡­?" "I am the secretary of the Nevada State Governor, my name is Eugene!" In the office of the Lake District Sub-Bureau, David, on hearing it was the Governor''s secretary, was first taken aback, then his eyes gradually narrowed as he replied, "What can I do for you?" "I wonder, the little gift we sent you, is Director David satisfied with it?" "What do you mean?" "It''s fortunate that the documentnded in our hands. If it had fallen into the hands of others, say Brown Soros, Bemy Hattie, it would have been a significant blow to your career and reputation, Director David." David''s expression grew increasingly cold. He certainly understood; the other party was aware of their national tax bureau''s ''god-making'' scheme and was using it to threaten him. "However, the Governor thinks you are a promising talent and is willing to give you a chance to mend your ways. He will keep this document confidential on one condition¡­" "Which is?" David had already guessed that since Stevenson had those documents but had not directly leaked them, he surely wanted to use this as leverage against him. Now it was turning out just that way. "Have you heard of Lawson Rubins?" "The name sounds familiar." "He is a Nevada State Senator Candidate. ording to reliable information we received, there is a problem with his taxes. We hope that you can investigate thoroughly and give the public an exnation!" David understood the situation. It seemed that this Senator Candidate Lawson was definitely an opponent or rival of Stevenson''s. Stevenson refrained from directly releasing the documents and going after him, as he wanted to use another to kill his target. One should know that in America, anyone aiming to run for Congressman, Senator, or simr positions, inevitably has the support of powerful financial groups or forces behind them. And now Stevenson expected him, a mere Chief Tax Officer, to go after such a person¡ªit was too devious! Although feeling terribly displeased, David knew that losing his temper would ruinrger ns. He suppressed his agitation and replied, "Alright, I will investigate it." "Very good!" Back at the Governor''s Mansion, after Eugene hung up the phone, Stevenson couldn''t help but burst into jubntughter. "Haha, look at what kind ofbels our Nevada media have given him: ''The Iron-Fist Chief Tax Officer,'' ''The Nemesis of Tax Offenders.'' If they knew that their Iron-Fist Chief Tax Officer is now in such a pitiful state, I wonder if they would be greatly shocked." This was the first time heughed so heartily since his son was killed. Chapter 222: Chapter 158: You guys at the FBI have never died before, huh? Eugene also smiled and then said, "Now it all hinges on his performance. If he can really smear Lawson Rubins, that would save us a lot of trouble." Stevenson also stopped smiling, bing anticipative. His term as Governor would soon end. Although he wanted to run directly for President, there were simply too many ruthless characters in American politics. There were predecessors like old Trump and the incumbent old Biden. In addition, Hiry, known as the Iron Lady of America, was also waiting to make aeback in ''24. While he had the backing of the Morgan Family,pared to these figures, his reputation and political resources were far inferior. Therefore, his real n was to run for Senator after his term as Governor to umte more fame and political resources, then use that as a springboard to aim for the top position. But the current problem was, Lawson Rubins wasn''t just his biggestpetitor but also repeatedly attacked him on TV for his improper policies as Governor of Nevada. If David could really stink up and take down that guy, that would be sweet! ... Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. After ending the call, David stroked his chin in thought for a while before finally picking up the phone: "Bring me the files on Senatorial candidate Lawson Rubins." About 20 minutester, Ariel brought over the documents. David flipped through them, quickly getting to grips with the details of this candidate. Indeed, this person was Stevenson''s political enemy. And he had often publicly criticized Stevenson at various events... no wonder Stevenson wanted to use David to smear the man! However, what David said to Eugene on the phone about starting an investigation was just a dy tactic. He wasn''t about to foolishly let himself be used as someone else''s pawn. The Governor had been giving him a hard time on every front, and if he let it go unchecked, who knows what trouble he might bring next. Now, after reviewing Lawson Rubins'' information, he had some ideas. This Stevenson wanted to use David to get rid of a political enemy, so couldn''t he also use the opponent''s enemies to get rid of him in return? All along, what made David wary of Stevenson was the worry that directly targeting him could raise concerns among his backers and other high-level figures, resulting in a very disadvantageous situation for David. But if he could use one of Stevenson''s opponents, such as Lawson Rubins, he might just have himself a shield. Of course, this required careful nning! "Hehehe..." Just as David was deep in thought, there was a knock at the door. "Come in." Bucky walked in and reported, "Checked it out¡ªthe two gangs that bribed Poppy have been taken away." "Taken away? By whom?" David was puzzled. Bucky replied: "Can''t find out for now since their identities are concealed, but for sure, it''s someone from aw enforcement agency!" David''s expression darkened as he asked, "Did you find out where they went?" If he could just meet these people and scrutinize them with his ''golden finger'', he would probably find out whichw enforcement department it was. "Bradley, Condliffe are on it. It''s going to take some time," Bucky informed. "Alright, carry on. Let me know if there''s any news." ... The time reached 9 o''clock in the evening. David was still in his office, dealing with case files sent from various cities. At the same time, he was awaiting news from Bradley and Condliffe. Not long after, there was a knock on the door. Bucky entered and said, "We''ve got news, Chief Tax Officer. They''re at ''Savage Bar'' in Newtown District." David immediately stood up, put on his coat, grabbed his badge and sidearm, and headed out the door. Savage Bar was situated in an alley of Newtown District. When David and Bucky arrived, Bradley and Condliffe were standing at the doorway, smoking. Upon seeing David, they immediately dropped their cigarettes to the ground and extinguished them, with Bradley speaking first, "They''re inside!" "Lead the way!" Bradley and Condliffe led them straight into the bar. It was a pub, and upon entering, a thick scent of tobo and alcohol hit them, with a faint haze lingering in the air. The bar''s walls were adorned with various primitive decorations, like animal hides, feathers, and wooden tools, true to the ''Savage'' aspect of Savage Bar. They followed Bradley and Condliffe to a corner of the bar, where they saw a burly man with his back to them, savoring a cocktail. [Name: Bronning Todd.] Find your next read at m-vl-em-pyr [upation: FBI Special Agent.] [Ie: Legal monthly earnings of Sixteen Thousand US dors, illegal ie of Eighty-Two Thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: On December 9, dealt with a group of terrorists in Henderson City, confiscating half a million dors of funds, of which he embezzled Two Thousand US dors. On December 17, captured three spies in Virginia City, confiscating Two Hundred Thousand dors of funds, from which he embezzled Two Thousand US dors...] [More Details:...] [Tax Payable: Twenty Thousand, Five Hundred US dors.] As this man''s information shed before David''s eyes, he finally understood. He wondered why Poppy''s investigative files were so professionally done... it turned out to be someone from the FBI. And it wasn''t just anyone, but an FBI Special Agent at work! Within the FBI system, regr agents usually handle the bureau''s routine investigative work, including criminal activity investigations, intelligence gathering and analysis, interstate crime, financial crime, and terrorism activities. Chapter 223: Chapter 158: You guys at the FBI have never died before, huh?_2 As for the agents involved, they are elite members of the FBI, typically tasked with handling cases rted to national security and foreign intelligence, such as counterespionage, counterterrorism, and quelling riots. No wonder then that the identities they were investigating at the National Tax Bureau were kept confidential. "Brother, this seat is taken." Lost in thought, Bradley and Condliffe approached the agent named Bronning, nking him from both sides. Bronning, assuming they wanted to share the table or save seats, cautioned them promptly. Experience the best from m|v|l|e|mp|y|r "Am I not a person?" David arrived at the table and sat down directly across from Bronning. Bronning, initially irritated, instantly changed his expression upon seeing David''s face, but quickly regainedposure and feigned ignorance, "What do you mean by that?" "First, let me introduce myself. I''m Director David from the National Tax Bureau Lakeside District Sub-Bureau Branch." "Director David..." Bronning pretended to ponder for a moment, then as if suddenly remembering something, eximed, "Director David? I''ve heard your name on TV!" Seeing his reaction, David couldn''t help but find it amusing. With all the notable news he had recently made, it was certain this FBI Special Agent in Nevada knew him quite well. Yet there he was, feigning ignorance, which must have been difficult for him. "What''s your name?" "Saul rk." "And what do you do?" "I''m an electrician." "Stop pretending!" David''s blunt words slightly darkened Bronning''s expression as he asked, "What do you mean by that?" "Don''t you have any idea why I''ming to you, Mr. Bronning, FBI Special Agent?" Having his identity directly exposed, Bronning fell silent, but his gaze gradually sharpened. Meanwhile, Bucky and the others were initially stunned, then anger started to appear on their faces. In America''sw enforcement hierarchy, it was always the National Tax Bureau that dealt with the FBI, not the other way around. And the previous investigation concerning Poppy had been carried out by the FBI. Though Poppy was in the wrong, not giving any prior notice was disrespectful and dismissive toward them at the National Tax Bureau. "What is this about?" As the atmosphere grew tense, a questioning voice from behind caused everyone to turn and look. [Name: Mitchellson Nate.] [upation: FBI Special Agent.] [Ie: Monthly legal ie sixteen thousand US dors, illegal ie eighty-two thousand US dors.] [Ie details: On December 9, dealt with a group of terrorists in Henderson City, confiscating half a million dors and personally pocketing two thousand US dors; on December 17, captured three spies in Virginia City, confiscating two hundred thousand dors and embezzling two thousand US dors...] [More details:...] [Tax due: twenty thousand, five hundred US dors.] As David sized up the agent named Mitchellson, Mitchellson also caught sight of David and his pupils imperceptibly constricted. "Perfect timing, Special Agent Mitchellson, let''s have a good talk!" Hearing David''s words, Mitchellson felt a sense of unease but still slowly approached and sat down, asking, "Director David, what do you mean by cornering us?" "Is it true that you''ve been investigating my subordinate Poppy recently?" Mitchellson and Bronning exchanged nces before Mitchellson replied, "We had no agenda against your subordinate. Dealing with corruption is part of our duty as the FBI." David scoffed derisively, "Such a small case of corruption warranted the attention of not one, but two FBI Special Agents?" Typically, cases of bribery and corruption are investigated by the FBI''s regr agents. Special Agents focus on issues of national security. The fact that these two were investigating Poppy clearly indicated someone was directing them from behind. Yet, he wondered whether it was Stevenson or someone else higher up pulling the strings. After a moment of silence, it was Mitchellson who spoke, "We happened to stumble upon the matter, so we took up the investigation. What''s the problem, Director David? We''re just doing our jobs. You wouldn''t have any objections to us investigating your subordinate, would you?" His statement was a veiled taunt at David, hinting that although David had a formidable reputation, the FBI operated impartially by thew, and was David suggesting they seek revenge? "Of course not, I''m just concerned that you at the FBI might be exploited by some individuals with ulterior motives!" "You don''t have to worry about that, Director David. We at the FBI will ensure proper judgement!" "Does that mean there''s nothing to discuss then?" Bronning and Mitchellson, upon seeing David''s authoritative demeanor and recalling his role in leading armed interventions, as well as the significant impact he had made in Henderson and Sparks, felt a sudden shiver. But remembering the tasks assigned by their superiors, Mitchellson was forced to respond firmly, "Director David, I''m not sure what there is to discuss here. After all, the fact that your subordinate epted bribes is true, you can''t expect us to bend thews for personal reasons, can you?" "Hmm, you''re right!" David stood up, and Mitchellson and Bronning both felt a sense of relief, thinking David was about to leave in defeat. But what David said next made them question everything. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 224: Chapter 158: You guys at the FBI have never died before, huh?_3 "Take them back!" Bucky, Bradley, and Condliffe were initially stunned, but they quickly regained theirposure and were about to step forward. Meanwhile, Bronning Mitchelson, after a brief moment of distraction, had finallye to his senses. Bronningshed out angrily, "What do you mean by this? Are you trying to settle personal scores?" "Director David, it''s true that your National Revenue Agency is powerful, but we at the FBI are not pushovers. If you want to target us, first see if you can bear the consequences!" Mitchellson chimed in. David looked at them impassively and said, "What personal scores? We currently suspect both of you of tax evasion and would like you toe with us for an investigation. You at the FBI should know that we have the authority to do this, right?" The two red at David for a good while before Mitchellson gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, we''lle with you. But if you can''t provide an exnation afterward, this matter is far from over!" After taking the two men back to the office, David didn''t continue to interrogate them. Instead, he decided to lock them up for the night to dampen their spirits. Latter, to avoid alerting the suspects, he first had their cell phones collected, then instructed that they be denied phone calls. Finally, he called over Bucky and his team, briefed them with some information about Bronning and Mitchellson, and had them investigate overnight. After all this, he returned home. The next morning, David arrived at the office, and Bucky and his team immediately found him and handed over the information they had gathered overnight. After carefully reviewing it for half an hour and ascertaining there were no issues, he then ordered Bronning and Mitchellson to be brought into the interrogation room. "How are you gentlemen doing? Did you have a good restst night?" Hearing David''s mocking tone, Bronning and Mitchellson were red with rage, looking as though they were ready to devour David. As FBI special agents, it had always been their job to deal with others. Who had ever dared to handle them like this? Enjoy stories on m_v lem|p-yr And to have been detained in a cell for a whole night. That was an entire night! They had no idea how they had managed to get through the night. At this point, they had secretly sworn in their hearts that they would repay this vendetta twofold! David ignored their angry gazes and said, "Alright, I''ll just get straight to the point. Who instructed you, and if you hand over those criminals who bribed Poppy, we''ll let the matter go, and I won''t pursue anything else!" "You still want to pursue other things..." Already fuming, the two men were infuriated further upon hearing these words. "What, it''s a crime when my people ept bribes, but it''s not a crime when you evade taxes?" "Don''t frame us, use us of tax evasion if you dare, show us the evidence!" David leaned back, crossed his arms over his chest, and said slowly, "Do you remember what happened on December 9, 2021?" At the mention of this date, Bronning and Mitchellson were taken aback, and then exchanged a puzzled look. "If you don''t remember, then let me help you recollect!" "At that time, you were in Henderson City and caught a group of terrorists nning to execute acts of violence on Christmas. You confiscated half a million dors in illegal funds at the scene, correct?" Upon hearing this, the color drained slightly from their faces. Immediately, Mitchellson retorted, "I don''t know where you got your gossip from, but we seized four hundred and sixty thousand US dors, which have been fully turned over. If you want to know more, you can check with our department!" David wasn''t in a hurry; he opened the documents he had brought and pulled out a few photos, cing them in front of the two men. In the photos was Mitchellson, at a red-light establishment in the downtown area. "What is this supposed to mean? Who says FBI agents can''t go to these ces?" Although it was a red-light establishment undercover, it was legal on the surface, so Mitchellson wasn''t worried about David using this as a pretext to target him. David then pulled out another document, ced it in front of him, and said, "This is a statement from the dancer who entertained you. You gave her one hundred US dors, and the establishment charged an eight hundred US dor fee." "However, what is interesting is that you paid this money in cash, and we''ve traced your ount, finding that, apart from some automatic charges over the past few months, your total expenditures were only five hundred US dors. How do you exin the source of this nine hundred dors in cash?" All public servants in America have their sries and bonuses directly deposited into their ounts; there are no instances of being paid in cash. Therefore, the simplest way for the National Revenue Agency to investigate any public servant is to directly track their ounts and check their cash transactions, which makes everything clear at a nce. Although Mitchellson was an FBI agent with a strong sense of counter-surveince, if he had taken bribes, he would inevitably spend it. In this era of ubiquitous high-tech cameras, with the powerful channels and resources of the National Revenue Agency,bined with the information at David''s disposal through the ''golden finger'', it was not too difficult to find all these clues. Mitchellson''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he quickly countered, "I withdrew ten thousand US dors half a year ago. This cash has been carried over since then. Is there a problem with that?" Chapter 225: Chapter 158: You guys at the FBI have never died before, huh?_4 David smiled, then took out another document and ced it in front of him, saying, "Half a year ago, you indeed withdrew ten thousand US dors from your ount, but afterward you spent one thousand US dors on car repairs, bought a massage chair for your parents for twelve hundred US dors, there are also insurance payments, daily smoking costs..." "Adding up all these expenses, the total amount we have calcted is nine thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven US dors; how do you exin this?" He was dumbstruck upon hearing this, even as an agent with exceptionally strong psychological resilience like Mitchellson. It was one thing for the IRS to investigate and find he had spent nine hundred US dors at entertainment venues, but to detail every single expense since he withdrew the money half a year ago, even noting the exact amount spent on cigarettes, was beyond him. How could he possibly argue against this? Seeing that he remained silent, David took out several more documents and ced them in front of him, saying, "Besides this nine hundred US dors, you have also made cash transactions in Virginia, Reno, and Carson City, totaling eleven thousand two hundred and thirty-six US dors; how do you exin this amount of money?" Mitchellson''s inner turmoil began to escte. Because he knew very well that if he couldn''t exin the cash expenditures, David would have an excuse to go after him. Meanwhile, although David''s ''butcher knife'' hadn''t yet turned towards him, Bronning was likewise feeling uneasy, seeing his partner in such a state. The principle was straightforward. If David could obtain the detailed cash expenditure records of Mitchellson, it wouldn''t be difficult to do the same for him. As expected. The next second, David threw a pile of documents onto the table in front of him and said, "Bronning, in the past two months, you have made cash transactions totaling five thousand and sixty-five US dors. We have verified this amount and it''s not from your sry. Please exin the source, the source of every single transaction!" Bronning picked up the documents and looked over them for a while before his expression also turned grim. "Don''t think it''s just about these few thousand US dors. Besides December 9th in Henderson, on the 17th, you caught three spies in Virginia and seized two hundred thousand dors in cash, and each of you also kept twenty thousand US dors." "Then on the 23rd, when you were tracking an international arms organization, you embezzled twenty-five thousand US dors from the seized cash..." "Since the ''ck Tax Act'' came into effect, you have embezzled more than eighty thousand US dors in total. If this gets out, I reckon you both wouldn''t have an easy time, would you?" Bronning and Mitchellson were already under considerable stress, but hearing that David also had information about their other cases, they could no longer sit still. This was no longer a simple matter of David catching them red-handed; they were elite FBI agents. If they were arrested by the IRS for tax evasion, it would also be a significant blow to the reputation of the FBI. At that time, not to mention their colleagues and superiors, even the executives at the Washington D.C. FBI Headquarters would want to y and eviscerate them. They absolutely couldn''t afford the consequences! "Speak up, who directed this operation, and where is the person now?" Seeing that he had breached their defenses, David wasted no more words and directly asked. He first needed to know if it was Stevenson''s instruction or something from their superiors. Chapter 226 : 159: Heading to Carson City, the State in an Uproar If Stevenson was behind this, we could simply start by dealing with Stevenson directly. But if Stevenson went to these two men''s superior, and it was this superior who instructed them, then we must take care of this superior as well. Otherwise, just dealing with these two isn''t going to fundamentally solve the issue of the FBI meddling. Seeing that there was silence for a long while, David ran out of patience and directly threatened, "If you don''t exin yourselves, you''ll be in court this afternoon. Although the money you''ve embezzled may not amount to a thousand-year sentence, I can assure you that for the rest of your lives, you''ll never see the day you walk out of prison again!" Mitchellson and Bronning''s brows furrowed into a frown. If someone else had said this, they wouldn''t have been so scared, buting from David, they couldn''t help but be apprehensive. After all, the Native Americans and officials from both Sparks and Henderson had been personally sent to court by David and ended up with the death penalty. And if they were really taken to court, their fate would certainly be no better. With this in mind, Mitchellson and Bronning exchanged nces. The two had been partners for many years and could understand each other''s intentions with just a nce. Thereupon, Mitchellson spoke up, "We can exin, but on the condition that you ensure we stay out of trouble!" "Fine, I can promise you that!" David wasn''t very interested in dealing with these two FBI agents and agreed without a second thought. "This matter was ordered by Special Agent Gavin. As for what deal Special Agent Gavin struck with the Governor, we have no idea," they said. "Special Agent Gavin..." David was taken aback but quickly regained hisposure. Although he had never dealt with this agent, he had heard of him as the top dog of the Nevada FBI. Originally, he thought that Stevenson had directly promised benefits to Bronning and the other man or had reached out to their superiors. But unexpectedly, it was this particr special agent who had given the orders. It seems Stevenson''swork was indeed not small. Gathering his thoughts, David changed the subject, "What about the two gangs involved with Poppy?" "We''ve arranged for them to be guarded at a certain location." "Hand them over to us. Also, when you go back, if Gavin or anyone else contacts you, act as if nothing has happened and you haven''t seen me, understood?" The two men paused, then nodded in unison. David looked at Bucky and ordered, "Take them back, then arrange a location to take custody of the people and keep those two gangs under surveince!" "Understood." No sooner had Simmons taken the two men away, Ariel walked in and said, "Chief Tax Officer, the Director is back and wants you toe to his office." David immediately stood up and arrived at the office door on the fourth floor. After knocking, he entered and said, "Director, you wanted to see me?" "I''ve heard about it. Your Inspector Poppy from the task force has gotten into trouble?" The Washington D.C. Headquarters had convened a meeting of all the division directors from across the country thesest two days, and William had just returned. "Yes, here''s the situation..." David detailed everything about Stevenson and the FBI''s investigation into Poppy. "That damned Stevenson! Haven''t the lessons from both Henderson and Sparks been enough for him to stop making trouble?" "And the FBI as well, since when did they start investigating our Tax Investigators?" Upon hearing everything, William burst into a tirade. Stevenson, perhaps, could be overlooked, given that he had lost a son and wanted to retaliate, which was somewhat understandable. But for the FBI to dare to meddle with their Tax Agency? That was absolutely brazen. "Don''t worry, Director, I''ll handle this," David assured. William''s anger subsided as he looked at David and asked, "Are you sure you can handle this?" He wasn''t questioning David''s abilities. This matter wasn''t like the previous crackdown, where arresting some municipal officials to set an example would be enough to intimidate the cities and break down the state government''s directives. The problem now was that the FBI and Stevenson had obtained Poppy''s dirt. If they went public, not only David but also the Tax Agency would be caught in a media storm. All things considered, the matter seemed very thorny. "Whether I''m sure or not, I can''t say, but what I can say is, if they dare to publish that file, they will pay a heavy price!" "Alright, then you handle this. If there are any problems,e to me anytime." William didn''t say more upon hearing David''s resolute tone. Shifting gear, he said, "By the way, during my visit to the Washington D.C. Headquarters, besides the work report on taxation, the Headquarters also extensively discussed the Deification Project with us." "Oh?" David became interested; the Deification Project was his current main concern. "When the n was initially announced, the Headquarters exined that once selected, the starting position would be a Tax Investigator, with the highest possible being a division director. However, after days of discussion by the senior executives at Headquarters, it has been pretty much decided that once selected, one will be promoted directly to division director, and it might even be for one of the major cities!" Chapter 227 : 159: Heading to Carson City, The State Boils Over_2 "Head of the sub-bureau in the big city!" A surge of heat rose in David''s heart. Once chosen, simply being promoted to sub-bureau chief was one thing, but possibly even the chief of the big city''s sub-bureau, that was quite remarkable. Just think, if he were chosen, he would be transferred to big cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco. With the GDP of these citiesbined with his Midas touch, wouldn''t he soar to great heights! "Yes, the headquarters is considering that, since the ''god'' has been chosen, it surely needs to be well-packaged. If ced in a small city, the exposure would be too little. Only by cing it in a big city will there be enough exposure to also boost the production of the ck Tax Bill." "I see..." "Oh, right, after the meeting on the ''god-making'' n, Deputy Director Donald specifically sought me out and expressed his expectations for you, hoping you would strive for it." "I will." Now that it was confirmed he would be promoted directly to bureau chief if he seeded, and he might even be transferred to a big city, David naturally would fight tooth and nail for it. "Chief, I have reached a cooperation agreement with other cities in Nevada State, simr to the one with Lake District Sub-Bureau, so in theing period, I need to make trips to visit these cities." William was initially startled but quickly understood David''s intention and replied, "That''s actually a good idea, go ahead." There were no big cases left in their Lake District. Having David handle those trivial little cases would be an underutilization of his talents. Cooperating with other cities to tackle their big cases was indeed an excellent choice. After all, when these big cases were solved, Lake District Sub-Bureau would definitely reap the major rewards. Leaving William''s office, David immediately called Buckynison Simmons over and said, "Get ready, we''re heading to Carson City." "Going to Carson City... Do we need to disguise ourselves?" Nisen sensed David''s n, but also feared that doing so might spook the enemies, hence the suggestion. "No need, it''s useless, go get ready." Carson City is the capital of Nevada State, where the state government and the FBI Office are located. After the major earthquakes in Sparks and Henderson City, whether it be the city hall or the state government, they would surely have prepared for his arrival. And since Special Agent Gavin dared to make a move against him, the FBI would certainly be guarding against his arrival. Moreover, due to his recent high profile, many media outlets were also closely monitoring him. Therefore, unless David had Sun Wukong''s seventy-two transformations, it would be difficult for him to evade so many agencies, personnel, and cameras'' surveince. Since that was the case, he might as well go there with a bold front. Half an hourter, everything was ready and David and his team gradually got into Nisen''s Volvo, heading toward the highway. Because David had no intention of hiding his movements, sure enough, some in the media who had been keeping a close eye on him quickly tracked his vehicle leaving Las Vegas. To gain traffic, these paparazzi immediately edited many headlines and, along with photos taken while tracking, posted them online. [Shocking, Iron-fisted Chief Tax Officer is leaving Las Vegas, which city is he pointing to?] [After returning to Las Vegas, Director David mobilizes once again, which city will he visit?] [Apart from Sparks and Henderson City, could there be another city''s officials about to fall?] "My goodness, Director David is on the move again, which city is he heading to?" "I hope hees to our Reno City, our city hall is in dire need of a cleanup." "No matter which city he goes to, we just need to enjoy the show. If another official gets sentenced to a millennium of prison time, that''d be really entertaining!" These news posts, once uploaded to the inte, instantly sparked a heated debate across Nevada. The onlookers were continuously specting which city David was heading to. Meanwhile, besides Sparks and Henderson, in the City Halls of the remaining 16 cities of Nevada State, many officials started to panic after receiving the news. "What the hell, we''ve already repealed the state government''s crackdown directive, and now you, David, are targeting us, that''s not very kind, is it?" Officials in various cities were increasingly frightened, and many of them were so concerned that they couldn''t even take care of government affairs; instead, they started tracking the paparazzi''s coverage of David''s enforcement action. Fortunately, after more than half an hour of tracking, when they concluded that David''s vehicle was heading towards Carson City, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. But while the other 15 City Halls breathed a sigh of relief, the City Hall of Carson City was tensed up. Mayor Risa Matson urgently summoned all the key members to the conference room and said with a grave face, "I believe you are all aware that David ising to our city, what do you think we should do?" "We are the capital of Nevada, he wouldn''t dare mess around here, would he?" "That''s not necessarily true; if he''se, he must have a purpose!" "A purpose? Could it be because we haven''t repealed the crackdown in Carson City, and he''s specificallying here to deal with us?" Out of the 19 cities in the state, Carson City was the only one still upholding the crackdown directive issued by the state government. Therefore, everyone there felt that David was probably targeting them because of this. "No matter what his purpose is, as long as everyone present here is clean and has not engaged in illegal activity, then he won''t be able to touch us!" Risa Matson interrupted the others, sweeping his gaze sharply around the room. Many of those he looked at lowered their heads slightly, clearlycking confidence. Seeing this, Risa Matson felt somewhat disappointed. His words were actually a test for the people present, but now it seemed there were quite a few unclean hands behind the scenes in his City Hall. At that moment, one member quietly suggested, "The other cities have all called off the crackdown, why don''t we... just go with the flow?" "Are you out of your mind? It doesn''t matter if other cities call it off, they are autonomous, but we are the capital, the location of the state government. Doing this would be a public p in the face of the state government!" "Dawson is right; it''s not quite appropriate to cancel outright, especially since we are the capital and the Governor is also in our city!" "..." As soon as the member made this suggestion, he was immediatelymbasted by the others present. "Enough!" Risa Matson interrupted their words again and said coldly, "Before he gets here, those of you who have been involved in dirty dealings better handle it quickly. If you can''t handle it, then hand me your resignation immediately. Don''t bring down our entire City Hall. Do you understand?!" After David dealt with Sparks and Henderson, not only were four senior officials put in jail, but most of those who weren''t incarcerated were also forced to resign. Risa Matson did not want such an oue in Carson City. "Understood..." The people unanimously responded and then started to leave the room. Governor''s Mansion. Eugene burst into Stevenson''s office and said, "Governor, that David ising to Carson City." "What?" Stevenson, who was working on government affairs, was startled at first but quickly thought of something and asked, "Is Lawson Rubins in Carson City now?" Eugene replied, "Yes, he''s here in our city for the next few days to attend some academic lectures." "Haha, truly a good obedient dog!" Stevenson thought that David was following his instructions toe here and deal with Lawson Rubins, and immediately burst intoughter, delighted with the turn of events. Chapter 228: Chapter 160: The Division Chief Personally Welcomes "Governor, this kid is different this time, he''s actually making such a high-profile entrance, and although Lawson Rubins is indeed in Carson City, I always feel that something isn''t quite right," said Eugene. Previously, whether in Sparks or Henderson, David had been extremely low-profile when visiting these two cities, only to suddenly make a move and take down the officials of these cities'' city halls. But this time, David showed no signs of being low-key; instead, he swaggered into town, which made Eugene somewhat suspicious. Stevenson stopped smiling and, after a moment of contemtion, said, "Then let''s keep a close watch on his every move." "Understood." ... At the end of Ninglin Avenue in Carson City, there stood a building that was not particrly eye-catching. The building, with its understated grey concrete facade, blended in with the surrounding office buildings. To the unaware, it might appear to be just an ordinary structure, but in reality, it was the Nevada offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). At that moment, inside an office on the third floor of this building: "As the media reported, he indeed came our way to Carson City; he''s expected to enter the city limits in 20 minutes," reported an FBI agent. Opposite him sat a man with neatlybed silver-grey hair and eyes that grew more profound. He was Gavin Oligi, the FBI''s Special Agent in Nevada. After a pause, Gavin finally said, "Keep a close eye on him and see what he''s up to next!" "Yes." ... On the highway leading to Carson City: "Chief Tax Officer, in another 2 kilometers we''ll be in Carson City," said Nisen, ncing at the road sign before reminding the three people in the car. "Head straight to the Ninglin State Tax Bureau." The 2-kilometer distance passed quickly, and after the vehicle exited the highway, it entered the bounds of Carson City. The city of Carson City wasn''trge, with a poption of just over a hundred thousand, and it didn''t even rank in the top ten of Nevada''s 19 cities. Explore stories at m-v le-mpyr But why did it be the capital of Nevada? The reason was simple. Firstly, Carson City''s strategic location was rtively central within Nevada, facilitating government administration and service to all parts of the state. Moreover, Carson City''s history was rtively short, unlike some other state capitals with long historical backgrounds, making it easier to adapt to the evolution and changes of the times. Secondly, Carson City yed a significant role in Nevada''s economic development. The city''s economic base was mainly derived from government agencies and military-rted businesses, providing the city with numerous employment opportunities and financial revenue. Being close to Las Vegas and the major city of Los Angeles, Carson City also benefited from the economic development of the surrounding cities. Finally, Carson City was rtively rich in cultural and educational resources. The city boasts several institutions of higher education, such as the University of Nevada and the University of Las Vegas, which provide ample opportunities for cultural exchange and education in the region. Considering all these factors, it thus became the capital of Nevada State. After half an hour''s drive, Nisen arrived at 411 Ninglin Avenue in his Volvo, the entrance to the Ninglin Branch Office. Previously, David had contacted the branch director here to discuss a coborative case, and on the way, he had given a heads-up. Therefore, when the three of them got out of the car and walked into the branch office lobby, they found that someone was already waiting for them. What David hadn''t expected was that it wasn''t just any ordinary Inspector or Chief Tax Officer who greeted them, but it was Director Egbert himself, along with the deputy directors, Tax Investigators, and others, which somewhat startled the group. "Director David." "Director Egbert..." Egbert walked over and shook hands with David. While the two shook hands, the deputy directors, Tax Investigators, and Inspectors behind them sized David up with curious gazes. Whether it was the armed leadership deployment or the shake-up in Henderson Sparks, both could be described as sensational events. Now, seeing in person the man who had brought about these impressive feats, many in the Ninglin Branch Office felt like they were meeting a star or an idol. In the midst of these thoughts, Director Egbert had already finished exchanging pleasantries and introduced the others by pointing behind him: "This is our Deputy Director Comgridge, this is our Tax Investigator..." As Director Egbert made the introductions, David also shook hands with the senior members of the Ninglin Branch Office, and then followed Egbert to his office. David was the first to speak, "Director Egbert, how''s the crackdown directive going?" "Don''t even mention it. As the capital of Nevada State, the city hall keeps up the directive to save face for the state government. Although the major departments aren''t as restrictive as before, the impact on our crackdown on ck taxes is still significant." Egbert wore a troubled expression. Truth be told, after the crackdown directive had been issued, he, like the heads of other branch offices, held some resentment towards David. When the directive was subsequently cancelled in various cities but remained in effect in Carson City alone, his resentment grew stronger. However, he was somewhatforted after receiving the call about coborating with David. This time David hade to Carson City so quickly, which was a surprise to him. The branch''s ck tax revenue for this assessment period was severelygging. If David''s visit could generate a substantial amount of tax revenue for the Ninglin Branch Office, it wouldn''t only solve an urgent problem but could also potentially set a new record in ck tax revenue like Sparks and Henderson had. That was precisely why he had put aside his pride and personally went down to wee David. "Don''t worry, Director Egbert, since I yed a part in causing this situation, I won''t let you suffer any losses." Hearing this, Egbert felt relieved, thinking that his effort in personally weing David wasn''t in vain, and then he replied with feigned nonchnce, "What''s this about you causing it? The whole mess is Stevenson''s fault for settling personal scores under the guise of official business." David nodded in acknowledgment, then changed the subject, "By the way, Director Egbert, I have an urgent matter that I need to address here. I''ll need to make use of some of your branch''s channels and the assistance of your Inspectors. Would that be convenient for you?" Egbert was taken aback, then replied, "Convenient, of course! Just let me know what you need!" Though David hadn''t immediately helped increase their tax revenue, he was now in Carson City, and he wouldn''t be leaving any time soon, so there was no rush for the moment. Chapter 229: Chapter 161: Who do you think you are, David? ``` After chatting with Egbert for about half an hour, David finally walked out of his office, found Nisen Bakesimmons, and the trio, and said, "Go to the FBI Office." Like the Ninglin State Tax Bureau, the FBI Office was also located on the same main avenue in Ninglin, just a ten-minute drive away, and they soon arrived at the entrance. On the third floor, an agent hurried into Gavin''s office and said, "Mr. Gavin, David has brought people to our building." "Hm?" Gavin was reviewing documents, and upon hearing this, his pen hovered in midair, and his expression turned somewhat rigid. He knew it wouldn''t be hard for the Tax Bureau to figure out that Bowen''s investigation report had originated from their FBI. He had considered that after David arrived in Carson City, he might have ns for retaliation against them, but he hadn''t expected the man to so brazenly show up at their doorstep. And his brazen early visit was definitely not for a casual cup of tea, it was most likely to pick a bone! This was their FBI Office in Nevada State, his turf! You, David, messing with others is one thing, but thinking you can cause trouble on my FBI''s ground? What does that mean? Just as Gavin was feeling irked, another agent barged in and said, "Mr. Gavin, Director David from the IRS has requested to meet you." "Requested to see me? Who does he think he is? Tell him, I''m very busy!" Although David had been in the limelight recently, when it came to rank, he was way below Gavin, and since he was most likely there to cause trouble, Gavin obviously would not show him any courtesy. "Yes, sir." The reporting agent promptly turned and exited the office, soon reaching David in the lobby on the first floor, and said, "I''m sorry, Director David, our Mr. Gavin is swamped with official duties and can''t spare the time right now." "What do you mean by this, FBI? Our State Tax Bureau personallyes over, and you don''t even give us a chance for a meeting?" Nisen immediately rose to his feet, angered. While Bucky Simmons didn''t speak, their expressions were also very displeased. The FBI was already wreaking havoc with their inspectors, and now that they''d taken the trouble toe to them, they wouldn''t even perform the courtesy of a face-to-face meeting, turning them away instead? That''s a bit too disrespectful! The agent spread his hands: "It''s not that we don''t want to, but as you know, our FBI isn''t like your State Tax Bureau, which only needs to handle a single task of taxation. We investigate terror attacks, kidnappings, espionage, and other cases, and we also need to provide various assistance to federal, state, county, and local agencies. The workload is just too much." Only on m v|le|mp|yr "And Mr. Gavin is currently busy investigating a terror attack case. As important as taxation is, it can''t be more important than national security, right?" On the surface, the agent seemed to be exining the reasons to Nisen Bakesimmons and the others. But in reality, there was a sarcastic tone in his words, and Nisen and the others were not fools; they could certainly hear it. Just as they were about to be more upset, they were stopped by a gesture from David. "The reason I am here today is simply to have a chat with Special Agent Gavin. Please go and inform him again, and let him ''consider it carefully''!" As David spoke thest four words, he emphasised them slightly. The agent hesitated for a moment, but, not daring to conclude directly, he turned and went up to Gavin''s office on the third floor again, reporting: "Mr. Gavin, he still wishes to speak with you and says to ''consider it carefully''." "Consider it carefully?!" The agent had mimicked David''s tone when saying these four words, so of course, Gavin picked up on the implied threat. He snorted coldly and replied, "Tell him, I''m very busy, and I don''t have time to consider these things!" "Yes, sir." Carrying Gavin''s message, the agent went back down to David in the lobby on the first floor and said, "I''m sorry, Director David, but Mr. Gavin is truly very busy right now, and he really doesn''t have time to consider anything else." After delivering this message, the agent immediately felt his heart sink. The saying goes, "A man''s reputation is like a tree''s shadow," and after all, David had led armed forces into the Indian Tribe and had rectified the city halls of Sparks and Henderson, so the agent feared his words might directly anger the lion that was David. To his surprise, after hearing his message, David didn''t seem angry but calmly took out paper and a pen, which left the agent confused. After a pause, he asked, "Director David, what are you... doing?" "Nothing much, you get on with your work; I''ll be leaving in a while." David''s calm demeanor and unflustered speech left the agent even more puzzled. This wasn''t right. Whether it was leading armed forces into the Indian Tribe or fixing the city halls of Sparks and Henderson, all of it showcased David''s domineering and ruthless tactics. So howe now, when they, the FBI, had shown such disrespect, not only did David not react impulsively, but he also remained so calm? Unable to understand, the agent didn''t dare to linger in front of David and instead fled to a government service window some ten meters away. He pretended to be busy with work but was actually covertly observing David''s actions. [Name: Trevicon Gilbert.] [upation: FBI Junior Agent.] [Monthly Ie: 8600 US Dors.] [Ie Details: Sry, bonuses, earnings...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: 0.] ... [Name: Bertie Louis.] [upation: FBI Senior Agent.] ``` Chapter 230: Chapter 161: Who do you think you are, David?_2 [Ie: Monthly legal ie $19,600, illegal ie $63,000.] [Ie Details: On December 17th, during a crackdown on a drug den on the outskirts of Carson City, seized $160,000 in cash, from which $20,000 was skimmed. On December 25th, cleared a gang of violent criminals, involving the son of a high-ranking official, and received $30,000 as a bribe for favoritism and misrepresentation of thew...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: $15,750.] ... [Name: Polly Algernon.] [upation: FBI Special Agent.] [Ie: Monthly legal ie $16,000, illegal ie $51,000.] [Ie Details: On January 11th, sold a ssified document to the CEO of apany in Carson City, profited $20,000. On January 19th, leaked information about an internal operation to an arms dealer, profited $30,000...] [More Details:...] [Tax Due: $10,250.] ... [...] Over here, David was using the functions of the Golden Finger, scrutinizing the FBI personneling in and out, up and down. After his scrutiny, he found that almost only the rookies who had just joined were clean, while the veterans all had more or less some issues. And whenever he discovered a problematic veteran, David would immediately pick up a pen and write down some key information on a piece of paper. He continued until he had written about the fifth person and then stopped scanning from the corner of his eye. He put the pen and paper in his pocket and then turned and left. Over at the government service window, after seeing David and others turn to leave, the agent immediately went up to Mr. Gavin''s third-floor office to report, "Mr. Gavin, he''s left..." "He left?" Gavin''s face showed a twist of emotions and then he asked, "Did he show any other behavior?" "After hearing your message from me, he remained very calm. Then he took out paper and pen, I don''t know what he was noting down, and left shortly after." "Oh?" Gavin pondered with a thoughtful expression for about a minute before finally instructing, "Keep a close eye on him." Although Gavin was not pleased with David''s arrogant arrival at their ce, he was somewhat wary of David''s abilities. "Yes." ... On the way back to the Ninglin Branch Office, the trio of Nisen Bakesimmons remained sullen-faced. Ever since the events in the Indian and Henderson Sparks cities, they had grown ustomed to the awe they inspired among the media, criminals, and various departments. Now, with the FBI giving them such a cold reception, it naturally stuck in their craw. "Don''t worry, today they may have given us a cold shoulder, but tomorrow we will pay them back double!" Upon hearing David''s words, the trio nced at each other, their expressions shifting from sullen to expectant. To facilitate David''s work, Egbert had specifically arranged a temporary office for him inside the Ninglin Branch Office. When David returned to this office, he immediately took out the notebook from his pocket and began to outline in detail the information he had previously taken down. After more than an hour, he stopped, turned to Nisen, and ordered, "Get me five Chief Tax Officers." Nisen immediately went out. It was only about ten minutes before he came back with five Chief Tax Officers from the Ninglin Branch Office. And these five Chief Tax Officers, one by one, came in with hopeful eyes, for they had already learned from Nisen that David had called them for a task. Being given a task meant there might be tax achievements to be gained, didn''t it? "Director Bezi, there''s a matter that requires your inspection squad''s immediate attention," "Please, instruct me," The one known as Bezi, the Chief Tax Officer, stood up immediately, ready to be dispatched by David. David picked up a document he had written, handed it over, and said, "I need your inspection squad to verify the people, documents, and the consumption details of the subject as quickly as possible." Bezi took the document with anticipation and began to read it earnestly. He had assumed it might be about some city hall official, but as he read on, he was taken aback by what unfolded before his eyes. This was no city hall official''s file at all. It was the file of a senior FBI agent. What shocked him was that it also recorded all the illegal activities the senior agent had been involved in, who else was involved, and a myriad of details about the amounts of money profited from these endeavors. One could say, If one were to take action based on the information in this document, targeting those involved and uncovering the specified amounts, this senior agent would be doomed! "How about it, Director Bezi, any issues?" Bezi snapped out of his shock and straightforwardly replied, "With the thoroughness of your information, coupled with our personnel and system of channels, it certainly won''t be difficult to resolve..." Toward the end, Bezi hesitated slightly. He wasn''t aware of Poppy''s situation, so he was somewhat puzzled as to why David would suddenly target the FBI out of the blue. Weren''t they supposed to resolve the city hall issues first, especially since the crackdown directive hadn''t been repealed yet? Seeing the confusion on Bezi''s face, David immediately exined, "To tell you the truth, Director Bezi, I am doing this out of necessity. Rest assured, all the tax revenue generated from this will go to your squad. I don''t want a penny!" Upon hearing this, the initially puzzled Bezi''s eyes lit up instantly. Although he didn''t understand why David was targeting the FBI, besides the senior agent who owed over sixteen thousand dors in taxes, the other criminals who had transactions with the agent would also need to pay taxes. Even though the exact tax amount was currently unknown, it was certain to be no small sum! Bezi no longer concerned himself with the subtleties and promptly promised, "No problem, I''ve got this!" David nodded, picked up a file concerning another FBI individual, and turned to another Chief Tax Officer, "Director Fake, I need your team to handle this with the utmost speed as well." As Fake picked up the document and started reading, his reaction mirrored Bezi''s earlier surprise. "After you sort this out, all the tax revenue generated will also belong entirely to your inspection squad," David added. Oveing his surprise, Fake nodded and said, "Alright, I''ll take care of it too!" Then, David picked up three other prepared documents and handed them to three other Chief Tax Officers. Upon David''s assurance that all the tax revenue would belong to their squads, these three officers were equally resolute in their eptance. Lastly, David reminded them, "FBI personnel are definitely monitoring our every move, so be careful not to ruin the operation." "We understand," the five Chief Tax Officers spoke in unison and then left, eager to get started. David remained in the Ninglin Branch Office until 7 o''clock in the evening, after which he and Nisen and others drove to a hotel arranged by Egbert. After enjoying a meal, they returned to their rooms. FBI Office Building. "Mr. Gavin, since returning to the Ninglin Branch, that David has stayed put the entire time, not leaving until 7 o''clock when he went to a hotel, had a meal, and then retired to his room," reported an agent who had juste in. Gavin thought for a moment and then inquired, "What about his subordinates? Did they leave or investigate anything?" "No, they''ve been with him the whole time, going to the hotel and then to their rooms as well. However... Several inspection squads from the Ninglin Branch Office have suddenly be active. But with five to six dozen inspectors in these squads, and our limited personnel, it''s not possible to keep an eye on each one..." Even though this was the Nevada State FBI Office, most of the agents were on assignment; dispatched to various cities and counties for cases. There were only about twenty or thirty agents left idle at the office, so naturally, they couldn''t attend to everything. Chapter 231: Chapter 162: The One We Caught is Your FBI Agent Gavin rested his chin on his hand and thought for about a minute before saying, "Don''t rx the surveince on David. Also, those few inspection squads you mentioned, try to keep an eye on what they''re up to." "Understood." ... Governor''s Mansion. Eugene drove there, entered the hall, found Stevenson, and detailed David''s activities of the entire day. When Stevenson heard that David had actually gone to the FBI Office, he appeared surprised and asked anxiously, "Do you know what he went there for?" "ording to the message from over there, he went to see Gavin, but it seems Gavin was unhappy with him bringing people over to the FBI Office so arrogantly, so he didn''t pay him any attention." "Is that so..." Although Stevenson didn''t know what David went to see Gavin for, he felt it definitely wasn''t anything good. "Governor, I think through the channels of the state tax bureau, they must know that Bowen''s investigative report originated from the FBI. This visit of David to Gavin is probably about this matter." After listening to Eugene''s analysis, Stevenson also felt it made some sense, his expression darkened as he replied, "Then it seems this kid is still not being honest..." "Yes, and all day today, he hasn''t made any moves against Lawson Rubins. If you say he''s really here to deal with Lawson Rubins as we requested, that doesn''t seem to make sense either." Stevenson fell silent for a while before replying atst, "Continue to observe for now. If he still shows no intention of taking action against Lawson Rubins by tomorrow, we''ll give him a little nudge!" "Yes." ... Night, with a bright moon hanging high. Many officials at the city hall were still nervous and restless about David''s arrival, unable to sleep through the night. The FBI agents were also keeping a constant watch on David as well as the movements of the Ninglin State Tax Bureau. As for the five inspection squads arranged by the Ninglin State Tax Bureau, they were working overnight, pursuing and arresting people based on the materials David had provided. Time quickly moved to nine o''clock the next morning. At the FBI Office Building, as soon as Gavin arrived in his office, he immediately called his trusted agents and asked, "How''s it going, anything fromst night?" "Nothing from David''s side, he and his men stayed in the hotel all night. Thetest update is they just finished breakfast and are currently heading to the Ninglin Branch Office." "What about the Ninglin State Tax Bureau?" "Their inspection squads did make some big movesst night, nabbing several groups of people." "They nabbed several groups? Who?" "Some criminals and some leaders of enterprises." Gavin''s face tightened as he asked, "Do any of these people know me, or are they connected to me in any way?" "Not at all..." Upon hearing this, Gavin felt a weight lift off his chest. Since these people had nothing to do with him, it was definitely not a move against him. Could it be that David was just helping the Ninglin State Tax Bureau generate revenue? That was a possibility. After all, Carson City in Nevada was the only ce where the crackdown directive had not been lifted, so the local tax bureau was no doubt harboring someints against David. Now that David hade here, it would be normal for him to throw a bone to the local tax bureau to chew on. With this in mind, Gavin remarked, "Alright, keep watching." Ninglin State Tax Bureau. David and his entourage had already arrived there. Upon hearing of his arrival, The five directors from the previous day arrived at his office as soon as possible. "Director David, here are the confessions, the financial details, and other documents you requested, all of them right here." "Director David, our squad has also finished the task." "..." The five individuals handed over their neatly organized documents one by one. After David had opened and checked that there were no issues, he asked, "No one from the FBI side noticed anything, right?" Bezi showed a cunning expression andughed, "Heh, they don''t have many agents they can mobilize, andst night during our operation, not only did we catch some people you needed, but we also caught a bunch of other criminals to mix in. They definitely won''t notice we were targeting them." David nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Then since that''s the case, go ahead with the arrests. After the arrests, leak some information to the media, but if they ask, you neither confirm nor deny." After saying that, he turned to Bucky Nisen Simmons, "You wanted to vent your frustrations, right? Follow Director Bezi." At these words, Nisen Bucky Simmons got pumped, all rubbing their hands in anticipation. Check back at m-v le-mpyr for more After being snubbed the day before and having no outlet for their gloom, now that they had the chance, they were eager to let off some steam. "Okay, we''ll handle it." Director Bezi''s group of five also unanimously agreed. Although they didn''t know the purpose behind Director David''s decision to target the FBI, the operationst night did indeed bring in a substantial amount of taxes, and now they were off to pick up someone from the FBI office, a matter of great prestige, which they were naturally willing to undertake. Ten minutester. Five cars arrived at the entrance of the FBI office. The doors opened, and people like Bucky Nisen and Director Bezi stepped out and walked into the lobby. "What''s this all about, Ninglin State Tax Bureau? Bringing so many people to our FBI Office?" The grand disy startled the FBI agentsing in and out, and many approached immediately, seeking an exnation. As the Chief Tax Officer, Bezi should havee forward. But, considering Nisen Baki and the others had alsoe, and Director David had previously said to let his subordinates assert themselves, Bezi cleverly deferred, turning his attention to the three of them, intending to give them the chance to take center stage. Nisen didn''t hold back and stepped forward to announce, "After investigation by our Ninglin State Tax Bureau, several of your FBI senior agents, including Bertie Louis, Senior Agent Alec Sylvester, Special Agent Polly Algernon¡­ as well as five others, are suspected of tax evasion. We would now like to ask them to apany us back for investigation!" This statement left the FBI personnel on site dumbfounded. Ever since the IRS was established by Lincoln, it has wielded considerable power, but throughout these years, there has never been a precedent of the IRS arresting FBI personnel, much less at their office. The reason for this is quite simple. Since the FBI''s fundinges from allocations by the American Treasury Department, the FBI does not need to report taxes to the IRS. Furthermore, the use and management of the FBI''s budget are audited by the American Treasury Department to ensure the funds are used legally, inpliance, and effectively. Hence, the FBI does not require audits by the IRS. For many years, these two powerful institutions have non-interfering existences. Therefore, when they heard that staff from the IRS were there to arrest their FBI personnel under charges of tax evasion, the agents present were caught off guard and couldn''t react. "Don''t be so surprised. You all are aware of the ''ck Tax Bill'' passed by Congress on December 3rdst year. We have the authority to pursue ountability for any illegal ie. Is that clear?" Upon hearing Nisen''s words again, the agents finally realized the gravity of the situation. Indeed. Under past circumstances, the IRS had no authority to audit or investigate their tax affairs, but ording to the ck Tax Bill now, not just the FBI but even the President would be subject to investigation by the IRS if found to have illegal ie. On the third floor, in the Special Agent''s office. Special Agent Gavin was on the phone with the high-ranking officials from the FBI in Washington D.C. Suddenly, an agent burst in without knocking, which made Gavin frown instantly before he said to the person on the phone, "Sorry, Deputy Director Hosein, there''s something I need to handle here. I''ll send you a detailed report on that caseter¡­" After ending the call, he suppressed his anger and asked, "What''s the matter?" "It''s not good, Mr. Gavin, people from the IRS are here, saying that our Bertie Louis, Senior Agent Alec Sylvester, and Special Agent Polly Algernon¡­ have issues with suspected tax evasion and want to ''invite'' them back for investigation." "What did you say!?" Special Agent Gavin was first shocked, then a sense of foreboding rose within him. He was no fool. If the IRS dared such a brazen approach, they must be quite confident. If the situation escted, even the IRS wouldn''t escape unscathed¡ªafter all, the FBI was not to be trifled with. Could it be¡­ The confidence of the IRS stemmed from those arrested the night before? This thought gave Gavin a sense of miscalction. He had been so focused on preventing Director David from targeting him that he seemed to have overlooked the possibility of his subordinates being targeted. However, even if he had wanted to be on his guard, it would likely have been quite difficult considering the number of agents at his office. Who knew whom Director David would target? But no matter what. If any of his subordinates really had issues uncovered, as the head of the FBI in Nevada, not only would he be held ountable, but he might be in the position of not being able to escape the consequences. There has never been a precedent of FBI personnel being arrested by the IRS, and if such a precedent arose in his jurisdiction, he would certainly have to take the me! With this in mind, Gavin couldn''t afford further dy. He got up immediately and walked out of his office, hastening to the lobby on the first floor. Once there, he saw his trusted subordinates negotiating with the Tax Bureau people, and he stepped forward to ask, "What''s going on, why are people from the IRS arresting someone at our FBI?" His words immediately drew everyone''s attention to him. Nisen replied with a sneer, "Oh, if it isn''t Special Agent Gavin. Weren''t you very busy yesterday, or preupied as I''ve heard? What, not so busy now?" Special Agent Gavin of course picked up on the mockery. He was, after all, the chief of the FBI in Nevada. Now, being ridiculed by a mere Inspector was infuriating. Nevertheless, he still suppressed his anger and scanned the crowd, intent on confronting Director David directly. But not finding Director David there, his anger rose a notch higher. He then scolded, "What now, the big shot doesn''t dare show his face and sends youckeys instead? Tell Director David toe out and speak!" "Our Director is very busy and doesn''t have the time to deal with such trivial matters." Having said that, Nisen felt a thrill of triumph wash over him. Didn''t Special Agent Gavin dismiss them yesterday with the excuse of being too busy? Now he could throw back that Director David was too busy as well, hitting back hard! Chapter 232: Chapter 163: If Only We Had Our Own Court ``` "Law..." Veins bulged on Gavin''s forehead, nearly losing control and cursing aloud, but after he stopped himself, he still looked as if he wanted to devour Nisen. Nisen ignored him and bellowed, "Where is the person our State Tax Bureau wants? If they don''t show up, don''t me us for taking coercive measures!" "You dare!" Gavin immediately stepped forward, and the other agents behind him also red menacingly. The State Tax Bureau had brazenlye to their FBI Office, and if they dared to act wild on FBI turf, how could the FBI face anyone if word got out? "Enough!" Seeing the situation escting, Bezi stepped forward and said to Gavin, "Special Agent Gavin, ording to the regtions of the ck Tax Act, our State Tax Bureau has the right to bring in anyone with illegal ie for investigation. You''re a special agent, so you should be clear about this. Let''s not blow this out of proportion, shall we?" Gavin''s face darkened and he struggled with his response for a while before finally saying, "And what if you don''t find anything, then what?" If we find nothing, of course, we will exin ourselves to you!" "Fine, if you can''te up with any exnation, then I''m telling you, this isn''t the end!" Gavin dropped this line and turned to leave. He was well aware that with the ck Tax Act in hand, the State Tax Bureau indeed had the authority to ''invite'' members of the FBI to return with them. If this continued, and things blew up, the FBI would undoubtedly be in the wrong. Back in his office, Gavin immediately said to the trusted agent who followed him in, "Ou En, tell me honestly, do the people the State Tax Bureau wants to take have any issues?" "This... right now I can''t be certain..." The agent called Ou En dared notmit; with so many agents in the office, how could he possibly know everyone''s background? And even if some of them were involved in corruption, they would surely be hiding it. How could they possibly go around talking loosely and let him find out? "Now immediately inform them, or go directly to the State Tax Bureau, tell them not to talk nonsense, and if any of them have unclean hands, they''d bettere clean quickly. Otherwise, if something happens, I won''t let them off the hook!" Now, the State Tax Bureau personnel had only taken people back; the case wasn''t yet defined, so what Gavin had to do was to dissolve the State Tax Bureau''s offensive by all means possible. ... After bringing the five FBI members back to the Ninglin Branch Office, Bezi leaked the news to the media through some third-party channels as instructed by David. Upon hearing the rumors of the State Tax Bureau arresting FBI personnel, the media exploded with interest and immediately flocked to the Ninglin Branch Office seeking confirmation. In response to the media''s inquiries, Bezi followed David''s instructions, neither confirming nor denying. It was precisely this intriguing stance from the Ninglin State Tax Bureau, coupled with the fact that David was currently in Carson City, that made both the media and online audience even more curious about the incident. "Do you think it''s true what''s being said online, that the State Tax Bureau arrested someone from the FBI?" "The FBI arresting someone from the State Tax Bureau? Now that would be something to watch!" "Haha, the FBI is usually the one arresting people, but who would''ve thought there''s now a rumor that an FBI person has been arrested? If that''s true, it''d be quite entertaining!" While the people of Nevada State were discussing it hotly online. At the Governor''s Mansion. Eugene received the news immediately and hurried to Stevenson''s side, saying, "There''s trouble, Governor. Just now, arge group from the State Tax Bureau stormed the FBI Office and ''invited'' five members back on the pretext of tax evasion!" "What?!" Stevenson couldn''t quite believe his ears. "A few of David''s subordinates were also at the scene, so it''s certain that this youngster is behind this incident. Otherwise, those people from the Ninglin Branch Office wouldn''t have the guts to do something like this!" Stevenson frowned and his expression grew grim. If it was as Eugene suggested, that David masterminded this, his n to use David to deal with Lawson Rubins was probably going down the drain. After all, he had directed the FBI to investigate Poppy, and now that David dared to target the FBI, it was clear that he was opposing him, how could he then work for him? "Governor, if this brat is so ignorant, then we might as well release the investigation report on Poppy to get back at him!" After thinking it over, Stevenson shook his head and said, "No, if he dares to arrest FBI personnel, he must have something on them. If we release Poppy''s investigation report, he''ll surely retaliate against the FBI to the fullest extent, and we''ll have a hard time exining to Gavin''s side. Let''s wait and see how things unfold for now, let Gavin fight him first!" Upon hearing this, Eugene felt it made sense. If they were going to release Poppy''s investigation report, Gavin would have done it by now. And if Gavin hadn''t done so, he must be wary of something. Since that''s the case, they really should wait and see. After all, David is currently targeting the FBI, and he hasn''t reached out to their state government yet! At the Ninglin Branch Office. Simmons walked into David''s office and reported, "Chief Tax Officer, people from the FBI are here; they demand to see their agents immediately!" "Let them cool their heels for a while." David stood up, grabbed several organized files, and made his way to one of the interrogation rooms at the Ninglin Branch Office. ``` Chapter 233: Chapter 163: If Only We Had Our Own Court_2 And seated there was Bertie Louis, the senior agent brought back from the FBI Office. Upon seeing it was David that entered, Bertie Louis''s expression changed slightly, but he quickly recovered to normal and asked, "Director David, grabbing someone from our FBI must be your masterpiece, huh? But have you thought about whether you can bear this responsibility?" David didn''t pay attention to his remark, but instead pulled out a document and threw it in front of him. "What''s this?" "Aren''t you asking whether I can bear the responsibility? Just look and you''ll know!" Seeing David''s confident demeanor, Bertie Louis had a bad feeling, but still picked up the document in front of him and started reading carefully. However, as the contents inside became clear, hisplexion turned increasingly pale, and finally, in panic mixed with a tinge of anger, he asked, "Where did you get these materials from?" "You think I need to exin that to you?" "What do you want to do? I can pay the taxes!" David didn''t reply, but gave a scornfulugh and stood up, then headed for the door to leave. Bertie Louis was also desperate, shouting, "David, leave some leeway for future encounters, we''re all from Americanw enforcement agencies, there''s no need to go this far!" The threat of capital punishment for city hall officials from both cities indeed frightened him. David still ignored him, walked out the door, and said to Simmons, "The FBI can see him now!" Having said that, he directly went to the second detention room. And Simmons, taking Gavin''s dispatch, Ou En, let him enter this detention room. As soon as he entered, seeing the seemingly frantic Bertie Louis, Ou En felt something was wrong and immediately asked, "What''s happened, Agent Bertie?" Bertie looked up, saw it was Ou En, wanted to say something but his lips moved without making a sound, ultimately not gathering the courage to speak. "Speak up, Agent Bertie, Mr. Gavin sent me. He warned you, if you really havemitted any illegal acts before, you have toe clean now, otherwise if the tax bureau really proves it, no one will be able to save you, and it will drag down the entire FBI!" Bertie bit his lips and said, "But I have already been proven guilty..." "What did you say?" "Just before you came, that David brought over a document, on the document... anyway, it has all my records." Ou En immediately followed up, "All your records, what does that mean? Is there anywhere that can be challenged, anywhere that can be cleared..." "It''s no use, Agent Ou En, I don''t know where he got that document from, but it has very detailed records about me, so detailed it includes who I''ve dealt with, which ces, and any financial transaction over these past two months have all been recorded..." By the end, Bertie was shaking his head mixed with a hint of regret. As an FBI agent, he of course knew what evidence and data were needed to convict a criminal. And that document targeting him he had seen was irrefutably detailed. There was absolutely no room for rebuttal. At this moment, Ou En''s face looked extremely grim, but since Bertie himself had already spoken like this, he understood that it was very likely the case couldn''t be overturned. Having no choice, he stood up and walked out the door, asking Simmons to see the second FBI agent. In a short time, Ou En was brought into the interrogation room of the second agent. But ten minutester, he too emerged with a face as pale as death. In the following time, he went one by one to see the remaining three people, but the result was without exception. They all told Ou En with a defeated demeanor that their crimes were hard to clear themselves from. Helplessly, Ou En could only drive back to the FBI Office as quickly as possible, walked into Gavin''s office, and reported everything in detail. After hearing everything, Gavin was so enraged that he mmed his coffee cup to the floor and cursed, "Fake Yau, what the hell is wrong with these bastards? That David has only been in Carson City for one day and he''s already got so much dirt on them?" Gavin truly couldn''t make heads or tails of it. Of course, if he had known that David had something like a golden finger, he wouldn''t have found it so baffling. "Mr. Gavin, what''s done is done, there''s no need to waste time on this matter anymore. David wants to use this to screw us over, but we have dirt on him too, don''t we?" Upon hearing Ou En''s reminder, Gavin suddenly pped his thigh and came to his senses. That''s right. Now David had caught their FBI people and had leverage over them, but didn''t they hold leverage over David as well? Their FBI being used of tax evasion was indeed sensational news. But acts of ''poaching'' by their own IRS people would be an even more serious and sensational matter! Thinking this, Ou En sneered, immediately picked up the phone, and dialed a number: "Agent Bronning, hand over the person I had you take care of immediately to our office." Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Bronning, after hearing the order, felt his scalp tingle and had no idea how to respond. The person had already been forcibly taken away by David. What could he turn over? "Are you deaf or dumb?" Hearing the shouting from the other end of the phone, Bronning dared not keep silent any longer. He gritted his teeth and stammered: "Mr. Gavin, the person...is gone..." "Gone?" Gavin, puzzled, immediately pressed: "I don''t have time to beat around the bush with you, spit it out!" "The person has been... ''taken'' by the IRS''s David. I''m really sorry, Mr. Gavin, we were forced into a corner..." "What did you say, you damned bastard..." Gavin was furious, unleashing a tirade into the phone. Finally, realizing that the situation was irreversibly settled, he put down the phone and said to Ou En: "If the witness is gone, can this case still result in a conviction?" From Gavin''s reaction, Ou En, who had been by his side, already knew the situation on the other end of the phone, so he wasn''t too surprised to hear that the witness was gone. He replied: "The amount involved in his case is too small, only a mere 5,000 US dors. Besides, we don''t have the IRS''s channels to check his subordinate''s detailed expenditures and fund transactions over the past few months. If we''re also missing the witness, considering the level of the IRSwyers, it probably won''t be easy to get a conviction." "Just tell me straight, what are our chances of winning?" Ou En thought for a moment and said: "40 to 50 percent, I''d say." Gavin''s brow furrowed, and his gaze dimmed, clearly dissatisfied with those odds. "If only our FBI had its own court..." Ou En sighed helplessly. The FBI, unlike the IRS, didn''t have its own private court. And precisely because the IRS had its own court, they were often able to forcefully convict tax evaders with inadequate evidence, and impose extreme penalties. Read next chapters on m vl-em-py-r Now, if they were to have a falling out with David, even if they arrested Poppy, she would certainly have to be tried in a court under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice. And the courts under the Department of Justice, not only operate with a jury system, but Westernws also emphasize the need for aplete chain of evidence. Moreover, not only is this matter involving David, it also touches on the face of the IRS. The IRS would definitely send a top-notch legal team to clear Poppy''s name of these charges. That''s why Ou En was so envious of the IRS having their own court. If the FBI had their own court, just with the document evidence they had on hand, they could have forcefully convicted Poppy. No need for any detailed financial documents or witnesses. Chapter 234: Chapter 164: Deputy Governor and Secretary of State Gavin was restless for a long time, but in the end, he couldn''t harden his heart. A 40-50% conviction probability was indeed too low. If they failed to secure a conviction in the end and had a falling out with the IRS, wouldn''t the IRS give his people hell? He didn''t dare to gamble. "Dial tone..." Just then, the ring of the desk phone interrupted Gavin''s train of thought; he quickly answered, "Who''s this?" "This is Hosein, Gavin. What exactly is going on in your Nevada State? There are some media reports saying your IRS has detained several of our FBI senior agents. Is there any truth to this?" Hearing the call and the questioning from the Deputy Director of the FBI, Gavin clenched his fist. He hadn''t expected the incident to escte so quickly and already reach Washington D.C. Then he replied stiffly, "Rest assured, Deputy Director Hosein, the IRS just had a little misunderstanding with us, I can handle it." "You''d better take care of it. Don''t let the IRS actually arrest our FBI agents on charges of tax evasion. The image we''ve built over the years at the FBI can''t be destroyed in Nevada State, understand?" "I understand, Director Hosein!" After ending the call, Gavin''s expression was extremely grave. Because he had already detected the warning in the Deputy Director''s words¡ªif that David actually took their agents to court and sent them to prison, then he was doomed! "To the Ninglin Branch Office!" Gavin stood up straightaway, clear in his mind that David was reluctant to make an official statement to the media because he didn''t want a real showdown with the FBI either. So he couldn''t just sit and wait for death; he had to take the initiative to talk this over in person. Twenty minutester. Gavin arrived at the Ninglin Branch Office, and upon his arrival, the inspectors and some directors turned to look. Soon after, Nisen approached David and said, "Director, Gavin has arrived. He says he would like to talk to you." David was not overly surprised; yesterday, he had wanted to talk to Gavin nicely, but that guy didn''t give him the time of day. And today, did he think he could juste over and see him? Things were not that easy! David smiled yfully and replied, "Tell him that I''m currently swamped with public duties and can''t find the time now!" Read fresh chapters at m_vl_em_p_yr Nisen almostughed out loud when he heard this. He immediately went out to Gavin waiting in the reception hall and said, "I''m sorry, Special Agent Gavin, our director is currently swamped with public duties and can''t spare the time." Gavin nearly had a surge of blood to his brain upon hearing these words, nearly fainting from anger on the spot. When David came to see him yesterday, he had responded in the same way. But now that he was here himself, the other side was giving him the same response. It was somewhat a case of poetic justice. Gavin, suppressing the urge to vomit blood, asked, "Then when can your director spare the time?" Nisen shrugged his shoulders, "That''s hard to say." "Then tell him I''ll be waiting right here for him, and ask him to see me as soon as possible!" There was no other choice, the situation was unfavorable to the FBI at the moment, and the Deputy Director in Washington D.C. had put so much pressure on him, so even though he knew he was swallowing a bitter pill, he had to grit his teeth and bear it. Nisen returned to David''s office, barely holding back hisughter, and said: "Ha, Director, you should have seen his downcast face. I nearly diedughing..." "What did he say?" "He said he''ll be waiting at the office and asked that he see you as soon as possible." "Then let him wait!" David nned to leave him hanging to teach him a lesson about respecting the rules! "Oh right, go find Director Bezi for me and ask him to pull the files on Nevada''s Deputy Governor and the Secretary of State for me." The FBI situation was already more or less under control, and next up was dealing with the nuisance, Stevenson. ording to David''s thinking, in order to take down Governor Stevenson, he definitely couldn''t use the same brusque methods he used on the city hall or the FBI now. He had to borrow some power, some momentum, so it wouldn''t backfire on him. More than half an hourter, Nisen brought in the files. The Deputy Governor of Nevada was named Laurie Frederick, aged 48. The predicament of America''s Deputy Governors and Vice Presidents is almost the same¡ªthey generally don''t wield much power. Many media outlets have joked that the daily work of a Deputy Governor is to wake up in the morning, check the papers to see if the Governor has died, and if not, go to the office, drink tea, idle away, and act as a mascot at important events. And this Laurie Frederick was no different. Because of Stevenson''s strong personality, he could hardly get involved in any state government decision-making and was virtually invisible. However, by digging deeper into his background, David discovered that he had once served as the mayor of Reno and Henderson. During his term as mayor of those two cities, he was very proactive, nning many affectionate policies for the cities which ultimately had notable effects. But after being elected Deputy Governor, several good policies he proposed over the past few years had been outright vetoed by Stevenson. From this, it could be inferred that the rtionship between the Deputy Governor and the Governor wasn''t particrly good. "This Laurie Frederick... might just be the key for my next move!" While Lawson Rubins was Stevenson''s political opponent, he currently was just a candidate for Senator, and didn''t have enough clout. If he had the cooperation of the Deputy Governor, the odds would be much better! Putting his thoughts away, David picked up another file to review. The second file was on the Secretary of State, a position equivalent to the Secretary of State for America at the state level. The Secretary of State typically handles the state''s civil affairs, including managing the state government''s seal, processing paperwork, and so forth. In addition, the Secretary of State oversees business registration and voter registration within the state. In terms of elections, the Secretary of State, as the chief election officer, is responsible for election matters in their state, from determining qualifications for candidates to be included on the ballot to certifying election results. On social media, the Secretary of State has to work hard to convince voters that the election system is secure, user-friendly, and will produce fair results. Moreover, it''s the Secretary of State''s role to ensure that voters know where to find information about voter registration deadlines, polling station hours, and election day details. In summary, the Secretary of State is an official in the state governments tasked with managing and overseeing elections, business registrations, and has a significant impact on the state''s administrative and civil services. They are the power behind the Governor and Deputy Governor, effectively the third inmand in Nevada. Chapter 235: Chapter 165: The Scapegoat Gavin Although the Secretary of State is third in ranking, he holds real power, unlike the Deputy Governor, who is constantly restricted by the Governor. If we could also secure the cooperation of the Secretary of State, it could be said that Governor Stevenson would bergely undercut. Twenty minutester, David put down the document in his hands, his expression slightly grave. The Secretary of State for Nevada was Oldington Joe, who was not only from the same party as Stevenson but also had been directly promoted by him. ording to his file, over the years Stevenson pointed east and he went east, pointed west and he went west, never once disobeying or questioning Stevenson''s decrees. To put it more colloquially, he was nothing but a loyalckey. Since there was no rift between them, winning him over would definitely not be as simple as it was with Laurie Frederick. David pondered carefully, his gaze gradually sharpening. He didn''t care how loyal the Secretary of State was to Stevenson, but if the man insisted on being ''willfully ignorant,'' then he wouldn''t mind taking care of him! After reviewing the personal files of these two individuals, David didn''t immediately meet with Gavin but instead turned to examine the major case files of the Ninglin Branch Office. Time passed quickly, and soon it was five o''clock in the afternoon. In the waiting hall, Gavin had one cup of coffee after another, smoked one cigarette after another, but still had not been called by David, which was making him restless. Just as he was about to get up to make a scene, he was stopped in his tracks by a figure emerging from the elevator. It was none other than Jon, the Nevada State Director of the IRS. Jon''s visit today was primarily prompted by rumors that the IRS had arrested an FBI agent, and he wanted to find out what was going on. But he hadn''t expected to find Gavin there, which made him freeze and stare in surprise. However, he quickly recovered. Gavin, as the head of the FBI in Nevada, was now here, which meant the media reports were probably true. The Ninglin State Tax Bureau had indeed brought back an agent of the FBI! Collecting his thoughts, Jon approached as if unaware and asked, "Isn''t this Special Agent Gavin? What brings you to our Tax Bureau?" "I''m here to see Director David. I''ve been waiting for over four hours now. If Director Jon could, please let him know on my behalf." Upon hearing this, Jon was taken aback once again. Gavin, as the FBI''s big shot in Nevada, was not a low-ranking official. Even if Jon himself wanted to meet with him, Jon would not dare to leave him waiting for over four hours. But here he was, having been kept waiting by David for more than four hours? And what surprised him even more was that, despite being kept waiting for so long, Gavin was willing to take it? After careful consideration, Jon could only think of one possibility. It was not only that the FBI agent had been brought here, but it was also very likely that David had obtained some very damaging leverage over him. Otherwise, David wouldn''t have the confidence to leave someone hanging for over four hours, and Gavin wouldn''t be so willing to suffer the indignity. Realizing this, Jon replied, "Director David must be busy. How about this¡ªI''ll go see him first and then see if he can spare some time to meet with you." "That would be much appreciated, Director Jon..." Since Jon was the State Director, even Nisen didn''t dare to neglect him. She immediately led him to the door of the makeshift office, knocked, awaited a response, then pushed the door open and entered. "Director, Jon is here," said Nisen, and Jon stepped directly into the room behind her. Seeing Jon''s arrival, David didn''t take liberties and promptly stood up, saying, "Director Jon, what brings you here?" Jon replied, somewhat irritated, "The media outside is buzzing about how our IRS has arrested an FBI agent. How could I note to see what the fuss is all about?" David felt slightly embarrassed as he responded, "Sorry, Director Jon, we should have informed you about this beforehand..." "Enough, let''s not discuss that now. What''s your purpose in detaining an FBI agent?" Arresting an FBI agent, if not for a specific reason, didn''t offer much benefit to their Tax Bureau. After all, the FBI is a powerful agency in America; both agencies frequently interact, and a tense rtionship could significantly affect their tax collection work in the future. "It''s a long story, but I''ll keep it short. Mainly, the FBI found evidence of bribery against one of my subordinates and wanted to use it to threaten me, so I had no choice but to act," David exined. "They found evidence of bribery against one of your subordinates?!" Jon was initially shocked, but he quickly thought of the feud between David and Stevenson and assumed this was likely Stevenson''s move to deal with David. However, their feud wasn''t Jon''s primary concern. His main focus was the issue of the subordinate''s bribery, because if it ever got out, it would be a significant blow to the image of their Tax Bureau. And as the head of the Nevada State Tax Bureau, he would naturally bear some of the responsibility. "Yes, if this wrongdoinges to light, it will be a scandal for our Tax Bureau, so I must now take care of the executioner from the FBI!" Jon nodded, indicating that he sort of understood David''s approach, then followed up with a question, "Since you now dare to directly make a move on someone from the FBI, you must have a considerable level of confidence, right?" David smiled, "With the evidence we''ve gathered now, there''s absolutely no problem sending them to court and into prison!" "Oh?" Jon''s eyes lit up, but to make absolutely sure there was no mistake, he still wanted to confirm it himself. He then said, "Show me the evidence, let me have a look!" Right away, David opened the cab under his desk, took out the files of those five FBI members, and ced them in front of Jon. And Jon didn''t dawdle; he immediately started to read through them. Twenty minutester. A smile spread across Jon''s face. After his examination, he found that, just as David had said, these pieces of evidence were indeed enough to take down those five FBI members. "That''ll do, but don''t overy, okay? We will stop while we''re ahead, there''s no need topletely burn bridges with the FBI!" "I''ll take care of it, Director Jon." "Oh right, when I came in just now, I saw that Special Agent Gavin has been waiting, and he''s been waiting for over four hours now. That''s probably enough; have a talk with him." "I was just thinking of looking for him." Actually, without needing Jon to say it, David had already nned to summon Gavin because leaving him hanging for over four hours was already quite a revenge for him. "Alright, then. I''ll go talk to Director Egbert." After Jon left, David immediately gave Nisen instructions to bring Gavin to his office. A second before entering the office, Gavin still wore an expression as if his mother had died, but once inside, to facilitate a smoother negotiation, he had to forcibly adopt a more open demeanor, reaching out his hand first and saying, "Director David, I''ve long heard of your reputation, and I''m finally meeting you today." "Special Agent Gavin, I''ve also heard much about you, please have a seat." Observing the other''s forced demeanor, David felt somewhat amused inside, but he did not show it outwardly and quietly used the golden finger to examine his information. [Name: Gavin Oligi] [upation: Nevada State Special Agent for the FBI.] [Ie: Legal ie of $25,630, illegal ie of $253,000.] [Ie Details: On December 15th, the Deputy Mayor''s son of Carson City was arrested by the FBI, epted a $50,000 bribe for a favor; on December 28th, a state legitor involved in a prostitution scandal, solved the issue for him for $100,000¡­] [More Details: ¡­] [Tax Owed: $83,490.] After sitting down, Gavin was the first to speak, "Director David, I heard that your Tax Bureau has taken a few of my subordinates in to investigate a case. Is there any progress?" David didn''t beat around the bush and simply pushed the same five files that Jon had finished reviewing to Gavin, saying, "Why don''t you take a look for yourself, Special Agent Gavin." Gavin frowned slightly, then picked up the files and started to check them. As the contents kept flooding in, his brow gradually morphed into lines ofplex and chaotic furrows. By the time he reached the fifth file, his spirits had plummeted to rock bottom. Ou En had already reported to him earlier that the Tax Bureau had obtained irond evidence that could prove their guilt. And now, after reviewing it himself, he had thoroughly confirmed one thing. They had solid evidence against Poppy, with a witness, but now that the witness was gone, and they did not have the advantage of having their own court like the Tax Bureau, the two were iparable. Exclusive stories at m,v,l,e,mpyr Pushing aside his thoughts, Gavin looked up and asked, "What do you want?" David shot back, "It''s not about what I want, it''s about what you want, Special Agent Gavin!" Gavin''s expression shifted back and forth for a while before finally responding, "The Governor and your issues with the Tax Bureau¡ªthe FBI will not interfere anymore!" David gave a scornful smile, "That''s hardly enough." "What do you mean?" "Special Agent Gavin, do you think our Tax Bureau is easy to bully? You think you can mess with us whenever you want and just back off when you don''t?" David''s words left Gavin speechless for a moment. But he really had no rebuttal. Because the causality of this matter was indeed initiated by the FBI when they first targeted David''s subordinates, and now David was just counterattacking. "So, what do you want?" "First, you immediately destroy any investigation reports rted to Poppy. For the ones that have been sent out, find a way to make them look like fictitious documents without any basis!" "That''s doable." Since the FBI could investigate and produce a report on someone''s criminal evidence, making that report into an invalid document wasn''t a difficult task, so Gavin agreed without hesitation. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 236: Chapter 166: If I Tell You to be a Dog, You Must Act Like a Dog "Second, in addition to the five people we''ve now brought back here, you need to bring all the agents in your bureau with ill-gotten gains to our National Tax Bureau to pay taxes and file a record!" "That''s impossible!" Gavin''s face turned dark instantly. Paying taxes and filing with the National Tax Bureau would confirm their tax evasion, and any day the Bureau wanted to target them, they could pull up the filed records to do so. If that really happened, wouldn''t the Nevada FBI Office bepletely at the mercy of the National Tax Bureau? Gavin wasn''t a fool; how could he willingly put himself under someone''s control? "Impossible? Then there''s nothing to talk about!" David didn''t get angry at the opponent''s words, rather, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, rxed, and calmly uttered this sentence. Gavin red at David with fiery eyes and, after turning the thought over in his mind for a good while, he clenched his teeth and said, "We can pay taxes to the National Tax Bureau, but I can''t agree to filing our records!" David remained unmoved. After all, the initiative was now in his hands; he had enough capital to slowly y with Gavin in front of him. Watching David still look so in control, Gavin wanted to rush up and bite him to death at this moment, but remembering what Assistant Director Hosein had said, he still managed to force himself to calm down and, clenching his fists, said, "Only the records of these five people can be filed, that''s my biggest concession!" "I just said, all agents of your entire FBI Office... Oh yes, including you personally. Besides that, there''s no room for negotiation!" "What the fuck are you talking about!" Gavin suddenly stood up from his seat, his face unable to contain his expressions anymore, twisted in rage as he red at David. It''s no wonder he was so beside himself. Not only did David want all FBI agents to file taxes with the National Tax Bureau, but he even included Gavin himself in the demand. This was simply unbearable! One could say, he had never been so humiliated in his life! It was an utter disgrace! "What the fuck am I talking about?" David responded with a curse too, pointing at the five files and saying, "I''m talking precisely about this. You may refuse, no problem there; I won''t force you. But if there are any consequences... don''t me me!" Gavin caught David''s drift, and retorted, "Fine, you can disclose these documents to the media and bring our people to court, but don''t forget that we can also take your subordinate Poppy to court. An inspector from the National Tax Bureaumitting corruption and tax evasion is far more explosive than anything we at the FBI could do!" David, however, was not afraid in the slightest, sneering, "Sure, you can take Poppy to court, but whether you can secure a conviction is another matter!" He dared to confront Gavin because he was certain. Firstly, regarding Poppy''s investigation report, its contents were indeed very professional and could be considered solid evidence. However, the amount of money involved in Poppy''s case was quite small, and FBI didn''t have the means to investigate the detailed financial transactions linked to Poppy''s bribes. Secondly, David''s side had already secured witnesses for Poppy''s case, and he could flip them at any time. With the witnesses flipping, and the FBI''s investigation reportcking in financial details, plus the fact that the National Tax Bureau had ess to top-notch legal teams and trials taking ce under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice. The probability of Gavin securing a conviction was at best 40%. This was the reason behind his bold stance. At this point, Gavin was both angry and helplessly mixed with frustration. The reason he had said all this was, of course, to intimidate David into offering concessions, but David simply wasn''t having any of it. It seemed that David was rock-solid in the belief that even if faces were ripped off, the FBI was very unlikely to convict Bowen. If they couldn''t convict Bowen, then all the media pressure would naturally converge on the FBI. And if the guilt of those five was proven in court or even if they were sentenced, the FBI''s reputation would bepletely ruined. This was the worst-case scenario! Gavin recalibrated his thoughts and looked at David, questioning, "These five, you can have them pay taxes or even file a record, but you demand the rest of our agents, including myself, pay taxes and file; what makes you think we are also suspected of corruption and tax evasion?" The logic was simple, he and his agents might be corrupt, but David only had evidence against the five men they had brought back, not against them. Why should they admit guilt and file taxes? "On what grounds?" David smiled slightly and said slowly, "Based on December 15, 2021, when the son of Carson City''s Deputy Mayor Evans was arrested by your agents for drug possession. Eventually, Evans came to you, and you took $50,000 to do him a favor..." When this incident was brought up, Gavin was utterly stunned. David had only been in Carson City for one day, and while it was one thing to control the evidence against his five subordinates, how did he even know about something that happened over two months ago? Before he could recover from his shock. David continued, "And on December 28th, remember when Congressman Warner from our state was involved in a prostitution scandal? It was you who he sought out, and you sold him a favor for a hundred thousand dors to quietly take care of the matter." "And then on January 7th..." Enjoy new stories from m-v l''e-NovelBin "All these transactions together, you have received over two hundred and fifty thousand dors in illegal funds in one month alone. Now you ask me by what right?" After listening to this speech, Gavin deted like a punctured ball, slumping into the chair, a picture of despondency and distraught. Since David knew about these transactions, it seemed likely that plenty of evidence had already been gathered. Even if he did not want to be at someone''s mercy, now he had no room to resist. At that thought, a wave of regret suddenly welled up in Gavin''s heart. He deeply regretted having listened to Stevenson''s "nder", which led him to provoke David. Otherwise, he would not have ended up with today''s downfall. "Is there anything else?" Gavin realized that the game was up and now he just had to ept it. "Third, from now on if I say you''re a dog, you better lie down and bark for me, do you understand?" "You..." Such humiliating words almost made Gavin lose hisposure andsh out again, but the thought that David not only controlled the fate of his five subordinates but also his own, he could only forcefully ept it. "Go back, get your agents in line toe over here. Those five agents of yours will be released once their taxes are filed, and if I need anything else, I will contact you!" Seeing the other guy had no choice, David lost interest in any further conversation. Gavin did not rise immediately but instead, his brain was racing, searching for any other way out. However, after several minutes of fruitless thought, he found no solution and had to stand up and leave resentfully. "How did it go, Mr. Gavin?" In the waiting hall, Ou En was surprised and perplexed as he approached Gavin, who looked utterly despondent while walking out. Gavin ignored him and continued walking downstairs. Ou En didn''t dare to press him further and followed him downstairs, then opened the car door. After Gavin got in, he took the driver''s seat and started the car, heading back to the FBI Office. Back at the FBI Office, Gavin sat alone in his office, lost in thought. Several times he had picked up thendline, wanting to confess to the higher-ups in Washington D.C. and then seek advice on what should be done. But when the phone was really in his hand, the fear deep in his heart stopped him from dialing the number. The reason was simple. Nevada was his state to manage, and it was one thing for so many of his agents to be in the grasp of the IRS, but it was quite another for him, the boss, to be caught as well. This was truly inexcusable and too embarrassing. If the higher-ups in Washington D.C. found out, he would probably be dismissed immediately. After agonizing for a long time with no way out, Gavin had no choice but to call Ou En into the office and, in a venting manner, ryed everything that had happened in David''s office. "What, David even has control over your transactions, Mr. Gavin?" After hearing everything, Ou En couldn''t quite believe his ears. Could it be that David had already conducted a thorough investigation and was now just waiting for the right time toe to Carson City? It had to be so! Otherwise, how could it be that just one day after arriving, not only did he have the incriminating evidence against their five agents, but he also had a grasp on the biggest FBI boss in Nevada? If that was the case, then David was terrifying indeed. He managed to avoid all their high-tech surveince, channels, and the watchful eyes of their many agents, silently gaining leverage over their fate! "I don''t want to believe it either, but he provided such detailed information, even the precise amounts of money involved. This shows he must have evidence in his hands. So, Ou En, tell me, what should I choose to do?" After much thought, Ou En finally said, "In that case, Mr. Gavin, I think all we can do is follow his instructions." "After all, the IRS only wants to collect taxes, they don''t really want to finish us offpletely, that wouldn''t benefit them much." "And if we do as he asks, although we may be under his control in the future, as long as this doesn''t reach the ears of the higher-ups in Washington D.C., our prospects still remain!" Ou En was certainly no fool. If Gavin truly confessed to the Washington D.C. Headquarters and ended up being dismissed, not only would Ou En lose his powerful backer, but he could also likely be implicated. Chapter 237: Chapter 167: How to Join Forces Against Stevenson Gavin fell silent, but he had to admit that Ou En''s words struck a chord with him. If he confessed to the higher-ups, his future was definitely over. If he didn''t, although he would be under David''s control, at least he would still have his current position and future prospects. Anyone who is not a saint would almost always choose thetter. And Gavin was certainly no saint; he was fundamentally inclined towards thetter. Now, seeking Ou En''s advice was nothing more than a quest for psychologicalfort. After a moment, Gavin spoke, "Then let''s do as you suggest. First, gather all the agents in our office and ''exin'' things to them." Ou En was somewhat speechless, thinking isn''t this exactly what you want deep down? To do it my way? What a burden to ce on me. Though that''s what he thought, he didn''t dare to contradict and promptly turned to summon the agents. Ninglin Branch Office. Because Egbert had been discussing matters with Jon, it was only after Jon left that he entered Director Egbert''s office and said, "Director Egbert, there''s something I''d like to discuss with you." "What''s the matter?" "Tomorrow, there might be arge amount of tax moneying in, and it''s not a small sum. I hope we can divide this tax revenue 50-50, just like with the cooperative cases!" This assessment period, because of the issue caused by Stevenson, he had already wasted too much time. And now on the tax performance leaderboard, people like Brown Soros and Bemy Hattie were far ahead of him. Therefore, Director David certainly couldn''t continue to hand over tax performance to these branch offices for nothing; he had to im some for himself. Otherwise, the more time he wasted, the greater the gap between him and those on the leaderboard would be. "A 50-50 split..." Egbert was slightly subdued, but thinking of the considerable tax performance they had already gleaned from those five FBI agents, their request now seemed reasonable and not excessive. He then nodded and replied, "That''s certainly possible, but Director David, what''s the story behind thisrge amount of tax moneying in?" Ever since David arrived here, he had been investigating the FBI and hadn''t looked into anything else, so Egbert was a little puzzled as to where this tax money wasing from. "The FBI." "The FBI?" Egbert was startled and quickly asked, "Do you mean the five agents we brought back, or...?" "Of course not, I mean that tomorrow, arge number of agents wille to the FBI Office, including Gavin, who will bring the tax money to pay." "What did you say!?" Egbert''s eyes bulged as big as copper bells, filled with disbelief. The only ones they had brought back who had sufficient evidence of tax evasion were those five agents, weren''t they? Why would other agents from the FBI Officee to pay taxes to them? And that was not all, Gavin, the head of the Nevada State FBI, would alsoe to pay taxes to them? That was impossible! If it hadn''t been David saying this, Egbert would have immediately stood up and loudly ridiculed the notion as absurd! "I''m saying, tomorrow Gavin and his men wille to pay taxes, and then we''ll split the revenue 50-50!" Once confirmed again, Egbert couldn''t contain himself any longer. He questioned, "Director David, Gavin will pay taxes to us? Are you serious?" "Of course, I''m serious." "This...how did you aplish this?" "Well...that''s a long story, just make sure to collect the taxes." Hearing that David seemed reluctant to exin the process, Egbert, though still curious, didn''t feel it appropriate to pry further and could only agree, "Alright, if they really doe, after receiving the taxes, I will transfer your share ording to the ratio." "That sounds good, I''ll go take care of other matters now." Nisen had already been waiting outside, and as soon as he saw Davide out, he immediately approached and said, "Found him. Lawson Rubins is at Newman University attending an academic lecture, expected to end at 6 pm, then he will return to his residence." David looked at his watch; it was 5:30 pm, meaning there was half an hour left. He immediately said, "Let''s go. We head straight to Newman University now." Newman University, located in the heart of Carson City, is a vibrant and innovative private institution of higher education. The architectural style of the university is unique, blending elements of history and modernity, disying a kind of elegancebined with a modern aesthetic. The historical buildings on campus retain their original rustic appearance, with red brick walls, pointed roofs, and arched windows revealing the institution''s rich historical heritage. When David and his entourage arrived, it was exactly 6 pm. As the academic lecture inside had just concluded, students and invited guests from all walks of life were continuously exiting the main entrance. About ten minutester, a 40-year-old man in a suit emerged, escorted by several security personnel. Upon seeing him, David''s eyes lit up. [Name: Lawson Rubins.] [Profession: Politician.] [Ie: Legal ie $21,200; Illegal ie $73,100.] [Ie Details: On January 11th, embezzled $20,000 from campaign funds for hotel expenses; January 19th, diverted $10,000 from campaign funds for special services...] Chapter 238: Chapter 167: How to Jointly Deal with Stevenson Part 2 [More details:...] [Tax Due: $18,275.] After examining the candidate Senator''s information, David''s lips curled into a smirk, then he pulled out pen and paper from his pocket and began to write. A few minutester, he tore off two pages and handed them to Simmons, who was sitting in the passenger seat, and said, "Check these out and get them sorted." ... Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin This night was another restless one for everyone involved. Over at Carson City Hall, they hadn''t rxed just because David hadn''t targeted them directly; on the contrary, they were even more on edge. They had heard rumblings about the FBI, and although they didn''t know why David wanted to mess with the FBI, if David dared to tackle the FBI, would he care about them? It was likely that after dealing with the FBI, they would be next! As the officials at City Hall were thrown into disarray, over at the Governor''s Mansion, Stevenson and Eugene were also considering the FBI situation. "Other than taking away the agents from the IRS, there hasn''t been much activity there, and at the FBI, it''s equally silent. What are they up to?" Stevenson felt something was amiss. Logically speaking, after the brazen move by the IRS to go to the FBI office and take away five agents, the FBI wouldn''t just let it slide. But now the FBI waspletely silent, as if the incident hadn''t happened, and after taking the people away, the IRS also quieted down. What were these two agencies up to? "Governor, I think there''s only one possibility: they might have reached a settlement privately, ore to some agreement, which is why both sides have calmed down." Eugene''s words made Stevenson''s expression turn sour. Because if the FBI and IRS really had reached some agreement, that wouldn''t be good news for him. After much thought, he asked, "What about Gavin? Didn''t he let anything slip?" "I''ve personally called him, but he seems to be avoiding the question, so I''m not sure whether they''ve reached a settlement or an agreement." Stevenson thought for a while longer and, failing toe up with a reason, could only say, "Well, let''s just keep an eye on the situation." The night passed quietly. The next morning around nine o''clock, not long after Stevenson arrived at his office, Eugene rushed in and said, "Governor, we just received word that David is on his way to Newman University!" "On his way to Newman University? Isn''t Lawson Rubins there today?" "Yes, he''s continuing to attend academic lectures today!" Upon confirmation, Stevenson''s demeanor shifted, then he asked, "If he''s going after Lawson Rubins, could it be... he''s doing it as per our request?" "It''s unclear, but it''s possible. After all, we''ve got something on him, and right now, during the myth-making project, if he doesn''t act ording to our wishes, publicizing his subordinate''s investigation report could cause him a lot of trouble." "Haha, well, let''s hope he knows what''s good for him!" Stevenson cheered up, believing that what Eugene said made some sense. It seemed that David''s reason for targeting the FBI was merely to seek a bit of revenge. Now that he had gotten his revenge and they had Poppy''s investigation report in their possession, especially during the myth-making project, David wouldn''t dare make a big fuss and would likely follow their orders, which made sense. On the road to Newman University. "Understood, make sure you and your team get to the Ninglin Branch Office to pay your taxes as soon as possible." David hung up the phone. He had just been talking with Gavin. And his impending visit to Newman University to find Lawson Rubins was something he had deliberately let slip to Stevenson through the FBI. The purpose was to confuse Stevenson, making him assume that David was following his orders to go after Lawson Rubins. As he mulled over this, the vehicle had already arrived at the entrance of Newman University. To avoid unwanted trouble, he first put on a mask and a hat before stepping out of the car and then entered the campus. Today at 9:30 a.m., Lawson Rubins would continue participating in the academic lecture, which was being held at a venue in the West District of the campus. David and his group arrived there, and, after showing their tickets to the staff, they went inside and found a spot to wait. Seven or eight minutester, a host came onto the stage. He started with a weing speech, then moved on to the day''s discussion topics before finally saying, "Now, let''s wee our esteemed guest speakers with a round of apuse." Under the roaring apuse, three guests entered from a side passage, among whom was Lawson Rubins. "Hello everyone, I''m Lawson Rubins..." "Hello everyone, I''m..." "..." After the three guests introduced themselves, they entered into the day''s discussion session. The discussion included thetest academic research trends, new theories, discoveries, and technological advancements, among other topics. It wasn''t until noon when the host said, "That''s it for this morning''s session. We will continue at 2 p.m.!" With that, people in the audience began to disperse. David realized it was time, quickly stood up, and followed in the direction of Lawson Rubins. "Excuse me, sir, this is a passage for invited guests only. You can''t go this way; please, use that exit over there." Chapter 239: Chapter 167: How to Join Forces Against Stevenson Part 3 Seeing the arrival of David and his team, the staff stationed at the passageway hurriedly reached out to stop them. Nisen didn''t waste any words and directly produced the tax emblem, "We''re from the Tax Bureau, we''re on duty, please step aside!" On hearing that it was the Tax Bureau, the staff member didn''t dare to obstruct them any longer and quickly stepped aside. Without beating around the bush, David and the others immediately proceeded, and quickly came to a rest area. Having lost their target, Nisen could only randomly grab a staff member and ask, "Excuse me, where is Mr. Lawson Rubins''s resting room?" "Right there, turn left, the second door." Without dy, David and his team followed the directions and indeed found the entrance to a resting room guarded by two bodyguards. "What are you doing?" Upon seeing David and his party approaching, the bodyguards at the door immediately became vignt. Nisen also lifted the tax emblem and said, "We''re from the Tax Bureau, our Chief Tax Officer wants to have a word with your Mr. Lawson Rubins." Hearing that it was the Tax Bureau, the bodyguard hesitated for a moment but still opened the door and went inside, saying, "Mr. Lawson Rubins, there''s someone from the Tax Bureau at the door, they say they want to see you." At that moment, Lawson Rubins had already loosened his tie and was enjoying a steak when he was startled by these words. Ultimately, he had no choice but to re-adjust his cor and said, "Then, let theme in!" "Very well, sir." The bodyguard turned and walked out the door, and the next second, David also walked in, apuding as he said, "Mr. Lawson Rubins, your speech was excellent. As soon as the Senatorial election officially begins, I will definitely cast my vote for you!" Initially, Lawson was quite pleased to hear this, since he was here for an academic lecture mainly to boost his poprity and garner votes. He was about to respond with words of gratitude, but when he focused on seeing half of David''s face, he suddenly froze. David took off his hat and mask and said with a beaming smile, "Mr. Lawson, it seems you recognize me." "David... Chief Tax Officer!" Lawson had thought David looked familiar, and now that the mask and hat were removed, his suspicion was confirmed. Before him was none other than the ''Iron Fist Tax Chief'' who had recently been in the spotlight within the Tax Bureau system! "That''s me." David didn''t stand on ceremony and directly pulled over a chair, sitting down with amanding presence. Lawson''s brows furrowed slightly. Being sought out by the Tax Bureau was generally not a good sign, especially when the person doing the seeking was such a ruthless Chief Tax Officer. After mulling it over for a while, he tentatively asked, "Director David, my tax affairs are handled by a specialist. I believe there are no issues, so what is your purpose in seeking me out?" "Don''t be so tense, Mr. Lawson. I''m just here to have a chat with you today," David said. "Alright then, what would you like to talk about?" "As far as I know, you don''t have a good rtionship with Governor Stevenson?" "We just have minor political disagreements; that''smon knowledge. Personally, we don''t have any big grudges." David smiled and said, "Really? Then why would Governor Stevenson ask me to take you down?" "What did you say!?" Lawson was initially shocked and then stared at David with a questioning gaze. "I meant what I said. You im to have no personal quarrels with Governor Stevenson, but he wants to destroy you; what do you think about that now?" "Stevenson sent you to deal with me?" David nodded, remaining silent. Lawson fell silent as well, his expression changing as he pondered. After a moment, David spoke, "Mr. Lawson, since Governor Stevenson wants to take you down, and since I''ve already taken a dislike to him, how about... we team up and fight back against him?" Lawson looked at David for about 5 seconds and then suddenlyughed before responding, "Director David, you put it quite interestingly. The Tax Bureau is in charge of taxation, and I am only a candidate right now, without the right or position to retaliate against anything." Lawson was no fool; on the contrary, he was very astute to dare run for Senator. Stevenson and David clearly had a grudge. Why then would Stevensonpel David to target him? It was evident that Stevenson had something on David. With David''s character well known, he wouldn''t be someone easily manipted, and a struggle between the two was inevitable. Why not enjoy watching them fight from the sidelines? Why bother getting involved? Now, at a critical point in the election, if he got involved, Stevenson would surely make more trouble for him. Yet if he stayed out of it, letting David restrain Stevenson, he would face much less resistance and be able to focus more on the election. "Mr. Lawson, I came to you with utmost sincerity and opened up so candidly, don''t ruin the good impression I have of you?" David said, his tone bing more serious as he detected the cunning in the other''s words. Lawson spread his hands: "Director David, I am very grateful that you havee to me in person to inform me of this, but like I said, I am just a candidate with no authority or position. I''m afraid there''s nothing I can do to help!" Seeing that the other party was so uncooperative, David didn''t waste any more words and just stretched his hand back towards Nisen. And Nisen immediately passed a file bag into his hand. Chapter 240: Chapter 167: How to Join Forces Against Stevenson Part 4 This was the document David had meticulously examined with his "golden finger" yesterday, obtained after an all-night operation through the Ninglin Branch Office. David took it and passed it over to the person sitting across from him, Mr. Lawson. Mr. Lawson, however, was somewhat bewildered and asked, "What is this?" "You could open it and take a look, but as a friendly reminder, if I were you, I wouldn''t open it, I would ept the previous proposal," David replied. Lawson''s expression turned serious, his intuition telling him that the envelope likely contained something detrimental to him. Yet for him to simply agree to David''s proposal, that was impossible. In the end, after a mental struggle, Lawson still took the envelope, opened it, and began to examine the documents inside. As he took in the contents, his face went from shock, to disbelief, and then to ash. "Where did you get all these from?" he demanded. David responded with a lightness in his tone, "There''s nothing the IRS can''t find if they want to look!" After much contemtion, Lawson offered his defense, "This was money spent for official campaign purposes. It doesn''t count for much, right?" "Money spent for official campaign purposes?" Davidughed and said, "ording to federalw, campaign funds can only be used for campaign-rted expenses, but when you went to Henderson City to canvass votes, you stayed in a luxury hotel and drank red wine priced at 5,000 US dors per bottle. That''s hard to justify, isn''t it?" "Additionally, I think you haven''t examined it carefully enough. On January 19th, when you went to Reno City, you spent 3,000 US dors on a Bunny Girl, and this expense was also imed from the campaign funds." "Federalw certainly doesn''t allow for Bunny Girls to be summoned for official purposes, does it?" "Since the enactment of the Tax Evasion Act, you''ve embezzled over 70,000 US dors for your own private desires. ording to the Tax Evasion Act, this is a clear case of profiteering, subject to tax. You would owe the IRS over 18,000 dors in taxes!" Lawson flipped through the documents in his hands once again, and indeed, thest page recorded his activities on January 19th. Now he truly couldn''t remain seated. David was right; staying in luxury hotels and opening expensive wines might be defendable, but how could he justify the matter with the Bunny Girl? He couldn''t possibly tell the voters and the public that after a tiring campaign speech in Reno City, he ordered a Bunny Girl to rx his muscles in the evening and conveniently charged it to the campaign funds, iming it was a legitimate expense. "Mr. Lawson, as I said earlier, I came here with sincerity. Otherwise, if I did as Governor Stevenson suggested, would you still be able to attend this academic lecture today?" David questioned. "These documents in your hands, they haven''t fallen into Stevenson''s possession, have they?" Lawson inquired urgently. "What do you think? Of course not!" David answered. Lawson felt a slight relief upon hearing this; as long as the information didn''t reach Stevenson, everything was negotiable. He then replied, "You mentioned joining forces to hit back at Stevenson. I''m a little interested now. What do you have in mind?" Lawson knew that if he didn''t agree, with the information David held, a public revtion would instantly ruin him. And agreeing to join forces against Stevenson, though it would introduce instability to his current situation, at least he wouldn''t end up disgraced or in prison. Being a shrewd man, he would certainly make a calcted decision. Chapter 241: Chapter 168: Want Me to Help You Climb the Ranks? David''s lips curled up slightly, and he thought to himself, why didn''t you just say so earlier? "There''s no hurry right now, just wait for my signal!" Louson nodded to show he understood, but then something else seemed to ur to him, and he said, "Since we''re going to take down Stevenson, I do have a suggestion!" Just as David, who was about to leave, heard this, he stopped in his tracks and asked, "What suggestion?" "To put it bluntly, even though you, Director David, are currently in the limelight, you are still just a Chief Tax Officer at the IRS, and I am merely a Senatorial candidate for now. To bring down the most powerful person in Nevada State will still be difficult, unless... unless..." Looking at Louson, who hesitated but still appeared shrewd and crafty, David lost his patience and said directly, "Unless what? Just say it, there''s no need to beat around the bush now." "Alright, I''ll just say it!" Louson organized his words and then spoke, "I believe that in order to bring down Stevenson, we at least need someone who can stand toe-to-toe with him, and I am just a Senatorial candidate at this moment. If you could help me remove mypetitors and ascend to the position smoothly, then I think our chances of sess would be much greater!" Since David could gather dirt on him, he could certainly do the same for other Senatorial candidates. And if David could take care of the other Senatorial candidates, then their chances of dealing with Stevenson would undoubtedly be much greater. Of course, when Louson said this, it was not solely with the intent to take down Stevenson; he was more interested in using David to climb to a higher position himself. David, of course, saw right through Louson''s intention to use him to advance, and he said sarcastically, "Mr. Louson, you certainly have quite the n there." Louson gave an embarrassed smile and said nothing. "Wait for my signal, that''s all." Louson''s proposal was indeed a good one. However, what he didn''t know was that David had no intention of simply cooperating with him. David had also nned to join forces with the Deputy Governor and the Secretary of State. When the time came, if several parties attacked Stevenson together, it would be much more powerful than just one Senator. Furthermore, the Senatorial election wouldn''t begin until November, and it was only February now; there were still five to six months left. Certainly, he couldn''t wait until then to help Louson ascend and then turn around to deal with Stevenson. What he needed to do now was to resolve the Stevenson issue as quickly as possible, so that his tax collection work could return to normal and he could fullymit to the "deification n." ... Nevada State Government, located at the heart of Carson City, this area is the city''s core and the center of political, economic, and cultural exchange. Surrounding it are many important public buildings andmercial facilities, such as the city hall, courthouse, library, shopping centers, and others. The government building is a majestic example of ssical architecture, with tall columns and a solemn facade. The interior decoration is also very exquisite; looking up from the entrance, one can see luxurious marble floors, elegant murals, and opulent chandeliers. 4:50 PM. A Volvo stopped across the street from the state government building. "ording to the information, the state government''s office hours end at 5 PM, and officials like the Secretary of State and Deputy Governor will head home around this time," Simmons said from within the car. Sure enough. As the clock struck five, the employees and officials from the state government began to emerge one after another. David''s gaze sharpened as he appeared to search for something in the crowd. Soon, a man in a suit, although in his forties yet with a babyface, caught his attention. [Name: Laurie Frederick.] [upation: Deputy Governor of Nevada.] [Ie: Legal monthly ie $19,000, illegal ie $41,000.] [Ie Details: On December 18, received a ruby from an official at Sparks City Hall, worth $8,000; On December 28, received an agate from a Reno businessman, worth $6,000; On January 11...] [More details: ...] [Applicable taxes due: $12,500.] After scrutinizing the Deputy Governor''s information, David''s expression turned somewhatical. Who would have thought, this Deputy Governor is actually a gemstone enthusiast. However, on second thought, with Stevenson hindering him at every turn, Laurie might only have hobbies like tea drinking and studying gemstones to pass his time. "Oldington Joe ising out too!" Hearing Nisen''s words, David immediately snapped out of his reverie and looked up. Indeed, about ten meters behind Laurie, a slightly portly man,ughing and talking with several state government officials, walked out. [Name: Oldington Joe.] [upation: Secretary of State of Nevada State.] [Ie: Legal ie $17,800, Illegal ie $1.2 million.] [Ie Details: On December 6th, epted a bribe from a Virginia businessman, awarded a state government road construction contract to the party, profiting $200,000. On December 27th, epted $300,000 from a Reno City businessman, amended the city''s red-light district legal statutes...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Due: $475,200.] "Another big fish of corruption..." Even after finishing with this Secretary of State''s information, David felt somewhat more pleased than before. After all, if this $475,000 in taxes could be collected, it would indeed be a significant amount of revenue. "Let''s head back!" Having returned to the Ninglin Branch Office, David entered his temporary office and began to transcribe the information obtained through the "golden finger" onto paper. More than half an hourter, after confirming there were no errors, he called Buckynison Simmons into the room and pushed the written pages towards them, saying, "Go and give Director Bezi a hand, and tell them to send someone to each city overnight to quickly retrieve people''s statements, information, and financial details!" "Understood." A quiet night passed, and the next afternoon arrived. David was in his office reviewing the case files for a major incident in Carson City, while Bucky walked in holding two file folders and said, "It''s all taken care of." After receiving the folders, David opened them and began to examine the contents carefully. As he went through the material, his expression grew increasingly satisfied. Because both sets of documents indeed investigated everything he had requested information on, without missing a single detail. For instance, the financial details of Oldington Joe, his recent spending patterns, and ounts used afterundering the money were all meticulously recorded. As for Deputy Governor Laurie, the documents included information about the businessmen who had given him gems and some photos captured by surveince cameras at certain locations while receiving the gems. Looking at his watch, David noted it was 4:10 in the afternoon, with 50 minutes to go until the state government offices closed. He stood up and said, "Let''s wait for Deputy Governor Laurie at his home!" The Deputy Governor, unlike the Governor, did not have an official residence arranged by the state government. Deputy Governor Laurie''s home was located in a residential area of Tianxiang Bay in Carson City. When they arrived, it was exactly 5 o''clock. David and his team first rang the doorbell of Laurie''s home. About a minuteter, a white female in her early forties opened the door and asked, "Who are you looking for?" Nisen directly showed his tax badge and said, "We''re from the IRS and would like to have a talk with Deputy Governor Laurie." The white female hesitated for a moment, then said, "My husband hasn''te back yet." David took over the conversation and said, "Not a problem, ma''am, we can wait for him!" The white female paused briefly but eventually made a weing gesture. After David entered the living room, she asked, "Would you gentlemen from the IRS like something to drink?" "That won''t be necessary, ma''am." The white female did not say much more but picked up the phone from the table and went into the bathroom to make a call. Meanwhile, about seven or eight kilometers away in a Cadic, a bewildered Laurie received the call and immediately asked, "Why would people from the IRSe to my house? Did they exin why?" "They just said they wanted to talk to you." Laurie was silent for a few seconds before replying, "Okay, I''ll be there in about ten minutes, we''ll deal with it when I get back!" Ten minutester, the Cadic Laurie was traveling in returned to his home. After getting out of the car, he quickly took out his keys to open the door and hurried into the living room. But the moment Laurie saw David''s face, he was stunned. Although he did little every day and was regarded as a lucky mascot within the state government, David was the one who had stormed into the Indian Tribe with armed forces, and had cleaned up officials in Henderson and Sparks City Halls. How could he not know or recognize him? However, Laurie considered himself rather clean and was confident there were no issues with his taxes. Additionally, he had never offended David, so Laurie truly didn''t understand why he was being sought out. "Deputy Governor Laurie, I''vee uninvited today. I hope you won''t hold it against me," David said. Laurie quickly returned to the moment from his thoughts and asked, "Of course not, but tell me, Director David, what brings you here today?" "Nothing in particr, just a casual chat," David replied. Laurie sat down opposite David, appearing all ears and ready to listen. "Not long ago, I visited Henderson City and noticed that its urban nning and the standard of living for its residents are quitemendable. Later, I found out that much of the urban development ns and policies that have benefited the livelihood of the residents were left by you, Deputy Governor Laurie, back when you were the Mayor there." "Moreover, the high quality of life enjoyed by the residents is due to the policies you established back then. Deputy Governor Laurie, did you know? Everyone says you are a highly capable leader." Chapter 242: Chapter 169: Have you heard of the Watergate incident? Hearing this stream of praise, Deputy Governor Laurie not only did not feelcent or happy; instead, his expression grew grave. Because he was very clear that Director David wasn''t so idle as toe and praise him specifically for no reason; there must be some other purpose. "As for Reno City, although I have not yet visited, from understanding the information from all aspects, under the management of you, Deputy Governor Laurie..." "Wait, wait, wait, wait..." Laurie couldn''t listen anymore and directly interrupted, "Director David, I think you wouldn''t take the trouble just topliment me on my contributions to the governance of various cities, would you?" David leaned back into the sofa and, with a piercing gaze fixed on Laurie, said, "What I mean is, with your capabilities, Deputy Governor Laurie, if Nevada State were entrusted to you for governance, I think it would develop even better!" Upon hearing this, Laurie''s face instantly changed. The contradiction between Stevenson and David was well known by many people in Nevada, and as the deputy governor, he was naturally crystal clear about it. And now what did David mean by saying that if Nevada were entrusted to him for governance? Clearly, David wanted to topple Stevenson so that he, the deputy governor, could take over the governor''s position! Only then could it exin why David would say that Nevada would be better governed by him! Because only if he became governor could he truly have the power to manage the entire state! Thinking of this, Laurie''s expression gradually sank, and he first sneered, then replied with an ironic tone, "Director David, I admit you have some skills, but you are being too naive. You have no idea how much power a governor has and how much support Stevenson has behind him!" If Stevenson could be so easily toppled, he wouldn''t have been able to sit firmly on the governor''s throne of Nevada for almost eight years, nor would he, the deputy governor, have been suppressed at every turn. David was not angered by the other''s sarcasm. Instead, he responded calmly, "Nixon had great power and many forces supporting him, but what was the final oue?" "A few journalists managed to bring him down, don''t tell me, Deputy Governor Laurie, that you think I''m not even as capable as a few journalists?" What David said was essentially hinting that even Nixon, who had once been the President of America, ended up stepping down due to the Watergate scandal. Could Stevenson''s power be greater than Nixon''s? Laurie was indeed stumped by this remark and for a moment didn''t know how to refute it. After a while, he replied, "That''s different. The Watergate scandal is an extremely rare event in the history of America." David replied, "So do you, Deputy Governor Laurie, think the incidents that urred in the city halls of Henderson and Sparks aremon urrences?" "This..." Laurie was again stumped. Because incidents involving city halls suspected of tax evasion and thus being arrested by the IRS are also extremely rare in America. And it was these extremely rare incidents that David himself aplished twice, so what else could he say? "Deputy Governor Laurie, I''ll just say it straight. There''s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity before you, and that is to cooperate with me. I will help you ascend to the governor''s throne with all my strength. How about it? You can''t be content living in Stevenson''s shadow forever, can you?" Laurie''s expression changed again, then he immediately asked, "Help me ascend to the governor''s throne? How do you n to achieve that?" "You don''t need to worry about that. Just tell me whether you agree or not!" Laurie fell silent. Of course, he was not content always being suppressed by Stevenson, but he also worried that if this did not seed, he would definitely be in big trouble. Laurie knew very well Stevenson''s vengeful nature; daring to covet the governor''s throne was one thing, but also conspiring with the IRS to target him was another. If it did not seed, then Stevenson would surely make sure he paid dearly. ``` But as David had said, this matter might indeed present an opportunity for him. After all, David''s capabilities were well-known; if he could handle the officials at city hall, then perhaps... he might find a way to deal with Stevenson too! If he truly seeded, he could be considered to have soared to the heavens in a single step. Because ording to Americanw, a Governor must be elected, so despite currently being the Deputy Governor and just a step away from Governor, that distance could be insurmountable for many who served as Deputy Governor. However, if Stevenson were to truly be taken down now, ording to the federal constitution, he could bypass the election and directly assume the Governor''s throne! Though Stevenson''s term was nearly over and he wouldn''t serve for much longer even if he took over, as Governor, he''d have exposure and resources far beyond what a Deputy Governor could have, which he could use to bolster his campaign for re-election. Faced with such a temptation, it was naturally difficult for him to just give up. After weighing the pros and cons in his mind for quite some time, Laurie suddenly thought of something and quickly changed the subject, asking, "May I ask you something?" "What is it?" "I heard the other day that your IRS took five FBI agents back with you, and media reports suggested that these five agents were suspected of tax evasion, but then things quieted downter on. What exactly happened with that?" This event had garnered significant attention and curiosity in Carson City over the past few days. ording to David''s previous tactics and personality, such as when he dealt with the officials from Sparks and Henderson city halls, once he caught someone, he would immediately issue an announcement, and then the next day they would be brought to court for trial. But the incident with the five FBI agents from a few days ago was clearly orchestrated by David, yet in the end not only did nothing happen, but the agents were also released. This was clearly out of character for David. And Laurie, as a politician, could of course see that something odd was going on. "Do you really want to know?" Laurie immediately nodded to indicate he did. "It''s simple, because they are now part of our IRS!" "Oh?" Laurie certainly picked up on the underlying implications in David''s words and asked further, "Are you talking about those five agents?" "No, the entire FBI system in Nevada State!" "What did you say!" Laurie''s expression changed dramatically, and his muscles tensed instantly. "I said, the entire FBI system in Nevada!" "That''s impossible!" After the initial shock, Laurie immediately expressed skepticism. The IRS''s power and influence were undoubtedly significant, but the FBI, known as a formidablew enforcement agency, was not to be underestimated either. And while David''s capabilities were indeed remarkable, Laurie could believe his managing to handle those five agents, but to say he had control over the entire FBI system in Nevada, that was something Laurie found unbelievable. Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin ``` Chapter 243: Chapter 170: Freemasonry and the Illuminati David didn''t waste words with him and directly took out his phone to dial a number, then he switched on the speakerphone and ced it on the table. About seven or eight secondster, the call was answered, and he asked directly, "This is David, give me a report on Stevenson''s activities today." "One moment..." Two words came through the phone, and about half a minuteter, a voice reemerged, "At 9 A.M. this morning, Stevenson was in the residence, meeting with an official from Washington D.C." "At 11, after finishing his meal, he went to the gym area and ran for half an hour." "At 1 P.M. he met with the city manager from Carson City, and the two discussed issues regarding the urban development of Carson City." "At 3 P.M., he gave a brief interview to the media." "At 5 P.M. ..." "..." As the phone ryed information, Laurie, who was sitting on the side, stared dumbfounded and felt his scalp tingle. As Deputy Governor of Nevada State, of course, he recognized Gavin. And now, the voiceing through the phone, no matter how he heard it, was unmistakably that of the FBI''s top official in Nevada, Gavin! And this top FBI official in Nevada was now reporting Stevenson''s every move to David as if he were reporting to his superior. Didn''t that mean David''s previous words weren''t meant to deceive him? Had David really taken over the entire FBI system in Nevada? "All right, keep going, and let me know immediately if there''s any significant situation," David said, concluding the conversation. The voice that ended the talk finally snapped Laurie out of his shocked thoughts, and his eyes scanned David repeatedly, as if reassessing him. After a long while, Laurie''s voice trembled slightly as he said, "Gavin is not an easy person to deal with, how did you manage that?" David responded expressionlessly, "You don''t need to worry about that, so now can you tell me, do you want to be a shark that swims freely in the ocean, or do you want to be a sardine that people can insult at will?" This question struck deep within Laurie, causing a struggle to show on his face. Who the hell would want to be a sardine subject to others'' wanton insult? Of course, he wanted to be a shark! After wrestling with the thought for a while, Laurie replied, "This matter is of great importance, may I take a night to consider it thoroughly and respond to you in the morning?" David did not respond but stood up and went to a cab near the windows on the left side of the living room, where a variety of stones were disyed, including Madagascar Red Agate, emerald, yellow sapphire, and many others. He picked up one of the red agates, looked at Laurie, and said, "Deputy Governor Laurie, what is this?" Laurie was somewhat confounded. He was asking David if he could consider the matter overnight, but David not responding was one thing, why bring up these stones? Though perplexed, Laurie still truthfully answered, "It''s a Madagascar Red Agate." David nodded, then asked, "Where is it from?" "A friend gave it to me..." "Is it from a friend in Reno City named Hayden, who is a miner businessman?" Laurie was startled, but then remembered David''s abilities, realizing it made sense that he could find out such details, and replied, "Yes." "Deputy Governor Laurie, are you aware that ording to the taxws, such valuable gifts also need to be dered and tax paid to our IRS?" Although David assumed that as long as Deputy Governor Laurie wasn''t out of his mind, he would certainly not refuse his proposition or betray him. But as the saying goes, it''s better to be safe than sorry. If Laurie really did lose his senses, or for some other reason turned around and sold him out to Stevenson, then that wouldplicate matters. David was using these gemstones as an example to warn Laurie not to y any tricks. Otherwise, it wasn''t like David had no means to deal with him! Laurie was no fool and clearly understood the message, promptly responding, "Don''t worry, I will pay the tax whenever the IRS needs it!" His answer also told David, don''t worry, I won''t y any tricks! David understood and then replied, "Good, give me your answer before tomorrow, I''ll take my leave now!" After David and his people had left, Laurie immediately took out his phone and dialed a number, "Sherwood,e to my house right now, immediately!" Sherwood was Laurie''s secretary. And to facilitate Laurie''s call at any time, Sherwood had deliberately settled his residence only two kilometers away from Laurie. So in less than ten minutes, Sherwood appeared at Laurie''s house, out of breath, asking, "What''s the matter, Mr. Laurie?" "Just now, IRS Director David came to see me..." Laurie exined that David wanted to push him to the Governor''s seat. After hearing everything, Sherwood was shocked at first and then said, "Director David is really bold, to consider overthrowing the Governor..." As Laurie''s secretary, he was also aware of the grudge between Stevenson and David. And although David had made a move against the officials of Sparks and Henderson City Governments, giving Stevenson a p on the wrist... He was nevertheless surprised that David dared to take action directly against Stevenson. That was the Governor after all! The most powerful person in Nevada! "Mr. Laurie, Director David is capable, no doubt, but as far as I know, Stevenson isn''t just a Governor; he has intricate ties with many consortia behind him and is not so easy to contend with; we must be careful with this!" Sherwood advised. Chapter 244: Chapter 170: Freemasonry and the Illuminati_2 If Laurie''s bid for Governor were sessful, as her secretary, he would naturally rise with her. However, the risk involved was still too great for him to dare to take a gamble. "I certainly know the stakes are very high, but David is not just a little capable, he actually got the entire FBI system in Nevada State on his side!" "What did you say?" Sherwood doubted his own ears, looking at Laurie incredulously. "Somehow, David managed to win over Gavin. Now it seems Gavin can only obey hismands." "How... how is that possible..." This time, Sherwood was even more shocked than before. Who was Gavin? He was none other than the biggest boss of the Nevada State FBI. And David, even if recently high-profile, was merely a Chief Tax Officer. The difference in their levels was huge. Yet now, Gavin was supposedly taking orders from David? If he hadn''t heard it from Laurie, he would certainly have cursed the messenger for spouting nonsense. "I initially also thought it was impossible, but David made a phone call to Gavin right in front of me, like giving an order to a subordinate, and Gavin had no choice but toply without a hint of anger. I couldn''t help but believe it." Upon hearing this, Sherwood''s mind was struck with force once again. It took a while before he recovered and said, "As far as I know, Stevenson and Gavin have a special rtionship. If Gavin is now taking orders from David, it''s very likely that he was caught in some fatalpromise." "I have the same feeling. You can tell from the conflict between the IRS and FBI two days ago; in the end, both parties acted as if nothing happened. This proves that some sort of deal or settlement was reached." Sherwood nodded in agreement, finding it logical, and then said, "The IRS is already very powerful, and with David''s own formidable methods, now that he controls the entire FBI system in Nevada State, that''s indeed like adding wings to a tiger." Laurie, stroking her chin, said, "That''s why I think this has some potential. It might be worth taking this risk. What do you think?" "David, the IRS, plus the FBI, it''s definitely worth the gamble..." Although the risk was still significant, fortune favours the bold, and such an opportunity, if missed, might nevere again in one''s lifetime. Having weighed the decision carefully, Sherwood felt somewhat tempted. "Contact the Carpenter and Elliot financial groups. Sound them out subtly. If I have a chance to be Governor, see if they''re willing to back me fully!" America is a capitalist country. Here, whether it''s bing a mayor, a senator, a Governor, or even a President, you need the backing of financial groups to seed. If you don''t have the support of financial groups, you won''t even get past the hurdle of campaign funding, let alone other matters. "I''m on it..." ... Banshan Vi District, located to the east of Carson City, near the border with Reno City. Perched amid the hills, where one can gaze down at the night view of the entire Carson City, the scenery is exceptionally beautiful, making it a preferred residence area for many of Nevada''s powerful elites. In the center of the vi district, there stands a private mansion upying about 10,000 square meters. This mansion is said to be built by a duke from Ennd, not open to the public, and exclusively for the elite. At this time, a Volvo arrived at a small door at the side rear of the mansion. As the car door opened, Director David and his entourage stepped out. "Director David?" The man standing guard at the entrance, a in-faced guy smoking a cigarette, immediately approached upon seeing the people who alighted from the vehicle. "Is he inside now?" After leaving Laurie''s house, David had gone to visit Secretary of State Oldington Joe at his residence but was told that the Secretary was not at home. With no other choice, he called Gavin to track down the man''s whereabouts. After some investigation, they were informed that the Secretary of State was at this address, and coincidentally, there was an FBI agent on duty here. Gavin simply arranged for this agent to meet them. "Here." "Lead the way!" The agent immediately pushed open a small door, leading David and the others through it, down a long corridor and into the mansion''s grand hall. The first thing that caught their eye was a delicate mural, where upon closer inspection, each stroke and line was filled with the rhythm of life. Underneath the mural, an array of handcrafted luxurious sofas were scattered across the marble floor, their colorsplementing the mural, akin to a silent symphony. The central carpet in the hall was from royal weavers in the Middle East, and the waitstaff here, all selected from young and beautiful women, were strictly screened. Dressed in uniform attire, their tight outfits perfectly outlined their graceful figures, and they not only had professional service qualities but also possessed an innate elegance. On the other side of the hall, many socialites were conversing with some influential figures, surrounded by bodyguards in suits and earpieces. "Who owns this mansion? It seems quite extraordinary!" This was the first time Nisen Simmons Bucky had experienced such a luxurious ce and he couldn''t help but exim in admiration. "The owner here is from Ennd, a man called Duke Wenge, rumored to be a member of the ''Illuminati''!" "The Illuminati?" Not only were Simmons, Bucky, and Nisen startled by this revtion, but even David, who had been sizing up the influential people nearby with a keen eye, involuntarily turned his head. The Illuminati is a mysterious organization with scarce concrete information, but rumors about it controlling the fate of the world have intensified over the years. In recent years, rumors and spections about the Illuminati have been rife, some of which even link it to celebrities in the entertainment industry. However, these are all just rumors and have never been substantiated. "Is there really an organization like the Illuminati?" David was also curious. "There definitely is one, and their influence is immense, extending throughout America. But who exactly are their members and how they operate internally remain unknown." "Then, what is the rtionship between the Illuminati and Freemasonry, and which one is more powerful?" This time, it was Nisen who asked. He was very curious about these secretive American organizations. "It''s hard topare, but the Freemasonry controls the Federal Reserve, the lifeblood of the global economy. So, what do you think, which one is more powerful?" "Definitely Freemasonry!" Bucky''s statement went unchallenged by either Nisen Simmons or David. The Federal Reserve''s influence over the global economic pulse is like a person''s heart, undoubtedly crucial. "Alright, enough of that, let''s focus on today''s objective!" Whether it''s the Illuminati or Freemasonry, neither had any bearing on David at the moment. His pressing concern was to deal with Stevenson''s issue first! The agent silently led David and his party through the mansion''s grand hall and then took the elevator to a room on the fourth floor. He then gestured to David and the others, signaling that the target was inside. Following that, he pulled out a card and swiped it over the door handle. The door clicked open. Nisen and Bucky Simmons were the first to rush in, and the next second, screams echoed from inside. "The inside is secure." After Bucky stepped out to give a heads up, David nodded and then walked in. Chapter 245: Chapter 171: All Hands on Deck, The Show Begins ``` At this moment in the room, two blonde girls, wearing nothing to cover their bodies, huddled in the corner, while the corpulent Oldington incessantly cursed from the bed. But as he saw David entering from behind, his brain wentpletely nk, and the cursing abruptly ceased. David nced at the blondes in the corner, then turned to Oldington with a sneer, "Secretary of State Oldington, you certainly know how to have a good time!" Regaining hisposure, Oldington switched to an angry demeanor and rebuked, "David, do you have any idea where you are, and do you realize that this is an invasion of my privacy!" David turned to Nisen and the others, and said, "Did you hear what the Secretary just said? We are viting his privacy!" With a mischievousugh, Nisen instantly pulled out his phone, switched on the camera, and started snapping away at Oldington and the two blondes. "Fake Yau, what the hell are you doing!" Oldington panicked and cursed vehemently. Nisen ignored him, provocatively suggesting while taking pictures, "Secretary, if these were sent to the media, I bet they''d be quite interested!" "Heh." With a coldugh, Oldington shot back sarcastically, "Since when does the IRS start moonlighting as paparazzi?" "We''re certainly not paparazzi, and to be honest, your privacy isn''t that interesting to us; we''re just here to have a little chat with you, Mr. Secretary!" "Chat about what?" David looked to the two blonde girls and said, "You two, out." The blondes didn''t dare protest and immediately gathered their clothes and left. The FBI agent who had led the way also tactfully exited, closing the door behind him. It was then that David turned to Oldington and said, "Let''s talk about how to get our Governor Stevenson to step down, shall we?" "What did you say?" Oldington doubted his ears. "I said, let''s talk about how to make our Governor Stevenson step down." This time, Oldington knew he hadn''t misheard, but the suggestion struck him like a blow to the head. He knew David could be ruthless. But he hadn''t anticipated that David would be audacious enough to entertain such an idea. And not just entertain the idea but also dare toe and say it straight to the face of the Secretary of State himself. It was outrageous! Putting his thoughts aside, Oldington looked at David as if he were looking at an idiot and said, "Director David, should I say you have guts or you simply have no idea of the consequences?" "So what do you think of my proposal?" "Aren''t you afraid I will tell Governor Stevenson about your little talk here?" "You won''t." "Heh..." Oldington sneered once more, then said, "No, I will definitely tell him, as a price for your rudeness today!" Without another word, David raised his hand, and Simmons promptly pulled a folded file folder from the inside pocket of his suit and handed it to David. After taking it, David tossed it in front of Oldington. Oldington nced at it, then looked up and asked, "What''s this?" "Why don''t you open it and find out?" Oldington frowned, picked up the file folder, ripped it open, and started examining the contents. However, as the details became clear to him, hisplexion drastically changed. After reading thest page, he mmed the papers down on the ground. He then looked up at David with a re and demanded, "Where did you get these from?" "I don''t think I need to exin that to you!" "What do you want?" "I already told you earlier, do I need to repeat myself?" Oldington fell silent, his expression constantly shifting. Experience new stories on m v|l e''-NovelBin The documents contained detailed information about every bribe he had taken since the ck Tax Act came into effect over two months ago. It also included details of who was involved, which projects, final ounts where hisundered funds ended up, and some of his transactions with unexined sources of funds. Beyond that, there were numerous depositions from those implicated. It could be said that if this information were to be made public, not only would his career as Secretary of State be over, but his reputation would be destroyed, and he might even end up in prison for tax evasion! But to stand against Governor Stevenson... That was tantamount to a death wish, so he really was caught between a rock and a hard ce. "Mr. Secretary, my time is precious; don''t waste it!" Oldington gritted his teeth and said, "I''m just a Secretary of State, how could I possibly have the power to topple Governor Stevenson..." "I don''t n on having you confront him all by yourself." Oldington was taken aback and quickly asked, "You mean to say there are others involved?" ``` "You don''t need to ask so many questions right now, you just need to give me an answer!" Oldington looked unsettled. He thought that if David could fabricate such detailed evidence against him, it was very likely he could do the same to others. Perhaps, within the current state government, many had already been ensnared. If that were the case, then indeed there was some confidence in toppling Governor Stevenson. With this thought, he replied, "If it''s within my power, then I can do it for you, but if it''s not, there''s nothing I can do." Although he had a very good rtionship with Stevenson, who had also shown him great favor, there''s an old saying: even birds of the same forest fly separately when disaster strikes. And now, having his Achilles'' heel firmly gripped by David¡ªan individual known for ruthless methods¡ªhow could he dare to resist any further? At this moment, all he could think about was saving his own skin first! "You will be informed when the timees!" Leaving these words behind, David turned and walked away. As soon as David and his people had left, Oldington immediately picked up his cell phone and dialed Gavin''s number. "Mr. Secretary of State, what''s the matter?" "Gavin, what kind of job is your FBI doing, how can...how can..." Oldington was aware of Gavin''s dealings with Stevenson and knew that since David''s arrival in Carson City, Gavin''s FBI had been monitoring David. He originally wanted to reprimand Gavin, questioning how his surveince of David could be sox that he was unaware even when David was investigating him. But as he was about to speak, he suddenly realized that he couldn''t directly tell Gavin that his own vulnerability had been exposed, could he? "What seems to be the issue with our FBI, Mr. Secretary of State?" After a moment of contemtion, Oldington had a stroke of inspiration and said, "It seems David is investigating me. Have you any knowledge of this?" In the FBI Office, Gavin showed a trace of concern upon hearing this, and after a short pause, replied, "I''m sorry, Mr. Secretary of State, we''re not quite clear on this." "Can''t your FBI be a little more responsible? Never mind, let it be!" Hearing the beep of the disconnected call, Gavin too set down the phone, deep in thought about something. Standing nearby, Eugene asked cautiously, "What''s wrong, Mr. Gavin?" "Judging by Oldington''s tone, it seems... he, too, has fallen into David''s hands." "What!" Eugene was somewhat incredulous upon hearing this. That was the dignified Secretary of State, after all! But soon his shock faded toposure. They were the FBI, and yet they were also being manipted by David; what then was the Secretary of State? "David, the IRS, Senator candidate Lawson Rubins, Deputy Governor Laurie, and now Secretary of State Oldington... things are getting interesting..." While Gavin did not dare to keep David under surveince, the information he gathered from various sources indicated that David and his group had been approaching these individuals. If they reached an agreement with him against Governor Stevenson, then this time, Stevenson might not be killed, but he''d likely be skinned! At the Governor''s Mansion. "No news yet?" In the living room, Governor Stevenson asked Eugene as he entered. "None." "What on earth is he up to!" Stevenson was getting increasingly agitated. Yesterday, upon hearing David had gone to seek out Lawson Rubins, he was quite pleased, thinking the kid would yield to his power and, ording to his instructions, go after that candidate. But as he eagerly awaited a scandal from the IRS about Lawson Rubins, he ended up waiting until today with still no word. "Governor, I have a bad feeling about this. David has been in Carson City for several days now and hasn''t made a move, and the FBI seem equally inert, not bringing us any useful information for the past few days. I have reason to suspect that the two may have joined forces," Eugene posited. Eugene did, indeed, have some instincts for danger. The sh between the FBI and the IRS a few days ago had gradually subsided, which was in itself provocative. Despite assurances from Gavin, over the phone and in person, that everything was fine, and that the IRS had had to release Lawson Rubins due to ack of solid evidence, it had been silence from the FBI since then¡ªhe found that suspicious. Now with David approaching Lawson Rubins and still no further developments after almost two days, After Eugene''sments, Governor Stevenson also began to calm down and after some thought, he said, "The IRS working with the FBI? That seems unlikely. I know Gavin; he''s a man who wouldn''t lift a finger without profit. He agreed to act only after I promised him help in returning to Washington D.C. post-sess. What benefit could there be for him to help the IRS against me now?" "There''s no benefit, but what if David... has something on him?" Eugene''s bold guess rmed Stevenson, who quickly objected, "That''s impossible. David has some skills, but Gavin, as the head of the Nevada FBI, isn''t just idling about. How could he let David gain such leverage tomand him?" Chapter 246: Chapter 172: The Eve of the Great Earthquake ``` "It''s hard to say, Governor. Think about it¡ªif Gavin is really in David''s grip and is currently helping him against us, then we can''t afford to ignore this possibility!" Reminded by Eugene''s words, Stevenson gradually calmed down. After careful consideration, assuming Gavin was indeed controlled by David, and everything he was doing was to lull him into a false sense of security, indeed, it was a dangerous situation. "Arrange my schedule for me. I will personally go see Gavin tomorrow morning!" After much thought and in order to test the waters, Stevenson decided it was best to meet with Gavin face-to-face, to see if he could confirm his suspicions and n his next move ordingly. The time came to the next morning. After waking up, David first freshened up, then went to the hotel''s dining area, and had breakfast with Buckynison Simmons and the others. "Damn, Brown Soros just made another nine million!" Nisen''sint made David and the others, including Bucky Simmons, pause, before they took out their phones and checked the tax achievement rankings. Before they arrived in Carson City, Brown Soros''s tax achievements were at forty-one million one hundred and sixty thousand, and now it had shot up to fifty-five million two hundred thousand. Meanwhile, Bemy Hattie, who was second, had her tax achievements increase from thirty-five million sixty thousand to forty-seven million six hundred and thirty thousand. As for David himself, he made ten million eight hundred thousand US dors from the counterfeit money case on Main Street, bringing his total tax achievements to forty million one hundred and fifty thousand. But due to wasting several days after arriving in Carson City, he had only increased his tax achievements by two million, presently at forty-two million one hundred and fifty thousand, ranking third in the nation. He was only trailing Bemy Hattie, who was in second, by about five hundred thousand, which seemed manageable to catch up to. However, he trailed Brown Soros, who was in first ce, by over thirteen million, and with less than a week left in the assessment period, he needed to make the most of his time. "Dudu dudu..." While David was lost in thought, his phone rang. He focused his eyes and saw it was a call from Gavin, so he answered right away, "What''s the matter?" "Director David, I just received a notification. Stevenson ising to my office and is expected to arrive in half an hour!" "Got it." David had been preparing to investigate Stevenson today and was wondering how to meet him, but now the opportunity had presented itself. "Stop eating, we''re going to the FBI Office!" Seeing that David had spoken and was leaving, Buckynison Simmons and the others didn''t dare to dy and quickly followed after wiping their mouths. Twenty minutester, they arrived at the FBI Office, parked the car across the street, and began waiting. About ten minutes passed, and suddenly, a series of urgent siren sounds filled the air, caughting everyone''s attention. Down the street, they saw several motorcycle policemen leading the way, followed by four ck Cadics. The procession reached the front of the FBI Office, and the leading motorcycle officers parked their bikes and began to disperse the surrounding crowd. From the three Cadics at front and back, several Secret Service agents armed to the teeth emerged and began to form a protective detail around the middle vehicle. Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin Finally, the door of the middle Cadic opened, and Stevenson and Eugene both stepped out of the car. "What a grand affair; anyone would think the President had arrived!" Nisen couldn''t help butment sarcastically at the spectacle. "Well, he is the Governor, the most powerful man in Nevada. It''s normal for him to have this kind of entourage." "..." As the few of them chatted inside the car, David remained silent, fixating his gaze on Stevenson who had gotten out of the car, preparing to enter the office. [Name: Stevenson Curtis.] [Profession: Governor of Nevada.] [Revenue: Legal monthly ie of twenty-one thousand US dors, illegal revenue of three million six hundred thousand US dors.] [Revenue Details: On December 13, profited one million USD from the approval of the Golden Ear Bridge construction project; on December 25, signed the State Agricultural Export Bill and profited six hundred thousand USD; on January 14, reached a profitable deal with State Representative Marcus Tumore, gaining a benefit of five hundred thousand USD ...] [More Details: ...] [Tax Owed: One million four hundred and twenty-five thousand six hundred US dors.] Having scrutinized Stevenson''s information, David couldn''t help but smirk. Compared with the scandals of Laurie and Oldington, Stevenson''s were better to leverage. Because whether it was the Golden Ear Bridge construction project or the Agricultural Export Bill, both could easily be investigated. "Go to Ninglin Branch Office!" Upon returning to the Ninglin Branch Office, David immediately went to Director Egbert''s office, then summoned Bezi and Lorio, the two Chief Tax Officers. "What''s the matter, Director David?" Seeing David''s secretive demeanor, Egbert couldn''t help but ask. "Director Egbert, I need to look into some matters, and it needs to be kept strictly confidential and not leaked." Hearing this, the expressions of Egbert, Bezi, and Lorio turned solemn. ``` A few days ago, when David asked them to investigate the Deputy Governor and the Secretary of State, he never said such words. And now, he was issuing a warning before the investigation had even begun, so they felt that the person David was going to investigate next must be extraordinary. Could it be... the Governor Stevenson? "Rest assured, Director David, we will be prudent!" David nodded and said, "I suppose you all might have guessed it by now, yes, the person we''re going to investigate next is indeed Stevenson!" Although some of them had already guessed a bit, they still couldn''t help but feel a tremor in their hearts when they heard David confirm it in person. Who was Stevenson? He was the Governor of an entire state. If news of the IRS investigating Stevenson were to get out, it would undoubtedly be an unprecedented major shock. At that point, the Ninglin Branch Office would definitely be caught in a vast whirlpool of public opinion... Thinking of this, Director Egbert couldn''t help but feel worried, and he asked, "Director David, although our IRS wields great power, you should know the weight of a state Governor. Acting against him rashly... If something goes wrong, neither you nor I can afford it." To be honest, Director Egbert did not want to take this risk. But these past few days, David had brought in a considerable amount of tax revenue for them, and they were going to coborate on other major cases, so he couldn''t just offend David now. David detected the resistance in the other party''s words but still reassured, "Don''t worry, Director Egbert, I know what you mean. Of course, I wouldn''t let you and me fall into a vortex. I''ve already arranged everything!" "What do you mean by that?" "It''s simple, in the end, this matter will have absolutely nothing to do with our IRS!" Hearing this, and recalling the people David had them investigate recently, the three people, including Director Egbert, seemed to think of something, and their expressions suddenly rxed. Being smart people, they naturally understood what David meant by his words. After that, Director Egbert responded, "If that''s the case, then there''s no problem, but what do you want us to do?" "No need to rush that!" David turned his head towards Bemy and Lorio and said, "Bemy, Lorio, I need you to pick some reliable inspectors. When the timees, I''ll tell you what to do!" "Can do, that''s no problem at all." After discussing this matter with Director Egbert and others, David returned to his temporary office, took out some paper and a pen, and began to write. An hourter, he stopped writing and carefully examined the list of personnel, details, and financial records he had noted down on the paper. After making sure there were no issues, he called over Bemy and Lorio and handed them the essential points of the written materials, cautioning them, "Stevenson must be on his guard by now. Let the inspectors heading out for the investigation be careful. Additionally, I''ll arrange for FBI assistance for them!" The two nodded their understanding, then proceeded to review the paper materials he had handed over, but as they took in the contents, their faces also showed surprise. "The repairs of the Golden Ear Bridge, the local city hall has been applying for it for many years without approval for procedures or funding. Turns out, Stevenson had already reserved this political achievement for ''his own people''!" "And the Nevada Agricultural Export Act, this act can be considered as infringing on the rights of our state''s farmers, so that''s the reason behind it..." After reviewing the materials on the paper, both Bemy and Lorio, the tax officers, expressed an epiphany. "Go, find everything I need from within, and start controlling the relevant personnel!" "We''re on it right away!" ... The following morning, at around 11 o''clock, as David was reviewing case files in his temporary office, he heard a knock at the door and immediately responded, "Come in." The next moment, Bemy and Lorio pushed the door open and entered. Bemy ced two sealed document bags in front of the desk and said, "As per your request, these are the documents you needed." "This is also information you needed." Lorio ced two more document bags on the table. David picked them up and began examining them. About half an hourter, his expression appeared satisfied, and he asked, "There weren''t anyplications, were there?" "None at all. The leads you provided were very detailed, and with the FBI''s assistance, we virtually got everything without any effort." "Good." David picked up the phone, dialed Lawson Rubins''s number, and said, "Mr. Lawson, shall we find a ce to talk?" "Del Armo Park?" "That works, I''ll be there in half an hour." Del Armo Park was located in the southern part of Carson City and was a popr recreational and entertainment spot. At that moment, inside a pavilion near the park''ske, Lawson stood on the edge, continuously casting bait into theke. "Mr. Lawson, they''ve arrived," came the reminder from his secretary. Upon hearing this, Lawson scattered the rest of the bait into theke, patted his hands, and turned around. He saw David, along with Buckynison Simmons, approaching along the pavilion''s path. Chapter 247: Chapter 173: The Bickering Begins ``` Soon, both parties met face to face, and David directly spoke up, "Mr. Lawson, are you ready?" Lawson''s eyes darted as he asked, "You mean¡­?" David made a gesture and Nisen immediately handed a file over to Lawson, who also quickly took it and started looking through it. As the contents of the document gradually came into view, Lawson''s expression changed from initial calmness to surprise, and finally to shock. Afterward, he set the document down, looked at David, and asked, "Director David, you really have wide-reaching powers, even the personnel, details, and transactions involved in the Golden Ear Bridge renovation project are investigated so clearly!" "I need you to quickly find a media tform to use this document tounch an attack on Stevenson, can you do that?" Lawson pondered for a moment, then replied, "That''s not difficult, but just with this document, given Stevenson''s PR capabilities, it will only drag him into a public opinion storm at most, not enough to truly bring him down!" "I know, there''s no hurry, we''ll take it ''one thing at a time.''" Understanding the implication in David''s words, Lawson immediately waved to his secretary not far away, and once the secretary approached, he instructed, "Hasn''t KNPR-FM Television Station invited me over for more than a month now? Tell them I can make it tonight!" "Understood, Mr. Lawson, I will inform them right away!" David looked at Lawson and reminded him, "Remember Mr. Lawson, this matter and I, as well as our Internal Revenue Service, have absolutely nothing to do with each other; this information, you obtained on your own, understand?" Lawson was taken aback but quickly grasped what David meant. David was nning to use him as a pawn! But there was no helping it; his own leverage was currently in David''s hands, so even if he was being used as a pawn, he could only grit his teeth and ept it. Then he nodded and replied, "I understand." "Rest assured, Mr. Lawson, if you handle this matter well, I will also help you as much as possible within my capabilities whenever you need anything in the future!" Hearing this, Lawson felt somewhat relieved. But he quickly began to think. David was too connected. If he could get such a person to help him strike at his rival, then securing the position of senator was almost certain. Of course, right now the main thing was to help David settle this matter. "It''s all on you now, Mr. Lawson!" With this statement, David turned and left, heading back to his car. Once inside, he called Deputy Governor Laurie, "Deputy Governor Laurie, the show is ready to begin. You should also start to move things along within the state government." In the office of the state government, Laurie''s expression became instantaneously serious upon hearing this, and he replied, "This quickly?" Just yesterday morning, he had called David and informed him of his decision to take a gamble. Unexpectedly, having only made the decision yesterday, he received this notification today, naturally causing him some worry. "There is an old saying in Huaxia, ''The essence of war is speed.''" "Alright, I understand!" After ending the call with Laurie, David made another call to Oldington, likewise telling him to get ready. And since Oldington''s leverage was in David''s hands, he naturally didn''t dare say much and agreed straight away. "Director, this matter is no small affair, should we¡­ notify Director Jon of the state branch?" After David finished his calls with the two of them, Bucky also tentatively asked. In his view, something as big as moving against the governor required a powerful top-level endorsement; otherwise, it could cause a lot of trouble if things went wrong. Nisen Simmons, although not speaking, shared the same concern. "He doesn''t need to know about this, and he wouldn''t want to know either!" Through multiple conversations, David had realized that the state director was a very smart man. Strictly speaking, this affair was a conflict between David''s side and Stevenson''s side. And it didn''t have much to do with the Internal Revenue Service. So even if this effort were sessful, it wouldn''t benefit Jon much; on the contrary, if it failed, it would bring trouble to him. Therefore, if David were to inform the state director about this matter now, it would actually displease him. At the Governor''s Mansion. Eugene walked into Stevenson''s office and said, "Governor, we just received a notice from KNPR-FM Television Station, at 7 o''clock tonight, Lawson will be on their station for an interview, iming to respond to the criticism you directed at himst month!" Hearing this, Stevenson''s face darkened. The animosity between the two men wasn''t a matter of a day or two, and every time they caught wind of any vulnerability in the other, they would choose to go on KNPR-FM Television Station to attack and criticize each other. Justst month, Stevenson had learned through his channels of Lawson squandering campaign funds while canvassing in various cities, and for this, he had vehementlymbasted his opponent on the television station. ``` Lawson ultimately suffered in silence, hiding for over a month, but unexpectedly, today he finally decided to make his move. Could it be... Had there been some disclosure about himself recently that the other party had seized upon? After much thought, Stevenson still couldn''t figure it out and could only look towards Eugene, asking, "Have I slipped up anywheretely?" "As of now, there doesn''t seem to be anything, but..." "But what?" "Governor, don''t forget that a few days ago, David personally went to see this Lawson, and up until today, Lawson is suddenly going to appear on a KNPR-FM Television Station interview. Don''t you think there might be something fishy about it?" Upon hearing Eugene''s words, Stevenson''s expression immediately grew serious. Indeed. Several days had passed, and there had been no word from the tax bureau about any actions against Lawson, yet now Lawson was going to respond to his criticism on television. Had David and Lawson reached some kind of secret deal between themselves? "Governor, yesterday when you went to see Gavin, didn''t you confirm that he indeed had some issues? If Lawson also has problems, that could spell trouble..." Eugene''s words weighed heavily on Stevenson. That''s right, during yesterday''s conversation with Gavin, although Gavin tried to act as if nothing was amiss, Stevenson still keenly spotted some issues. If Gavin was really colluding with David, and now with Lawson in the mix, these three forcesbined, although he didn''t yet know what they wanted to do. But they were certainly conspiring something detrimental to Stevenson! "We can''t find out anything at the moment; we only have to wait until tonight when Lawson appears on television. Perhaps then we will know if they are in cahoots or what they''re up to." Stevenson nodded, acknowledging that for now, they could only wait for Lawson''s interview that evening to see what would be said. Time rolled around to 6:50 p.m. At the Governor''s Mansion, Stevenson turned on the television right away. At the Ninglin Branch Office, David and his team also stopped their work, ready to watch Lawson''s performance intently. And since the television station promoted the interview in advance as Lawson''s response to Governor Stevenson''s criticism, this interview attracted the attention of many citizens in Nevada State. Under the watchful eyes of thousands. At this moment in the KNPR-FM Television Station. "Mr. Lawson, you mentioned that tonight''s interview is going to bring us some blockbuster news¡ª is that true?" In the studio''s preparation area below, the head of the television station approached Lawson, who was getting ready, and asked. "Of course!" Upon getting confirmation, the head of the television station immediately became ted. Lawson, as a Senator Candidate, naturally meant that this so-called blockbuster news would be extraordinary, and undoubtedly, it promised to bring a significant surge in viewer attention! Soon, the time reached seven o''clock sharp, the cameras were all in position, and the host, Milton, stepped in front of the camera. He started off with opening remarks, thanking everyone for their interest in the interview, and then turned and made a weing gesture, saying, "Now, please wee our guest for this evening, Senator Candidate Mr. Lawson!" The next second, a radiant Lawson, holding several documents, stepped forward, waved at the camera, and said, "Hello, viewers, I''m Lawson." "Please have a seat, Mr. Lawson!" The host made a gesture inviting Lawson to sit down, and after Lawson was seated, he asked, "Mr. Lawson,st month the Governor gave an interview here where he pointed out yourvish spending of campaign funds in different cities. How do you n to respond to this today?" "First off, regarding the issue ofvish spending, I''ve realized my mistake. Hence, in theing days, I specifically instructed my staff to be mindful of this..." As he spoke, Lawson took out one of the documents he had brought and spread it in front of the camera, saying, "This is theplete expenditure detail of our team since the Governor''s criticism. We''vepared it, and it''s even lower than what more than half of the current national Senator Candidates spend in a month." "Very well, Mr. Lawson, this financial detail of yours is indeed the best response to the Governor. I think the Governor might also be watching the program right now, and he ought to be satisfied with your financial detail!" "Maybe. The Governor might be satisfied with my financial detail after his criticism, but... I''m not satisfied with some of the Governor''s hical actions!" As soon as these words were spoken, a slight change came over the host Milton''s face. The television station''s executives and other senior staff below also had their expressions turn grave in an instant. Meanwhile, other citizens watching the interview were instantly abuzz. Lawson and Stevenson had been at odds not just for a day or two, but all along it had been limited to verbal jabs, trading criticisms and insults. But now, Lawson had actually used the words ''hical behavior,'' which was no small matter. You have to understand, Stevenson is the Governor of Nevada; if he engaged in hical behavior, he could be criminally liable! Chapter 248: Chapter 174: Nevada State Explodes Governor''s Mansion. Upon hearing these words, Eugene and Stevenson, particrly Stevenson, had their expressions suddenly freeze. He knew all too well what a sly fox Lawson was, and now that thetter had used the words "vited regtions" against him, he must have had some heavyweight leverage in his hands. What could it be? Amidst the shock throughout Nevada State, live at the KNPR-FM Television Station. At this time, the host Milton had regained hisposure and asked, "Mr. Louson, what is this vition you''re alleging the Governormitted?" "Golden Ear Bridge!" When Lawson spat out these five words, people all across Nevada State watching the broadcast shuddered again. The cities of Reno and Orray in Nevada State were adjacent to each other, but because they were located between mountains and rivers, the traffic between the two cities had always been very inconvenient. Thus, as far back as seven or eight years ago, the local city hall proposed to the state government the building of arge bridge over one of the local rivers, which would not only promote trade between the two ces but also facilitate the travel of the residents of both cities. However, even after the local city hall hadpleted the nning and even chosen a name for the bridge and submitted the proposal to the state government, it was repeatedly unable to obtain the state government''s approval for many years. It wasn''t until November 2021 that the state government''s approval finally came through, and the construction of the Golden Ear Bridge officially began. Overall, although the bridge''s approval had been dyed for many years, it wasn''t much of an issue now that construction had started. So at this moment, neither Milton nor any other viewers from Nevada State understood what Lawson meant by bringing up the bridge. But that was something others didn''t understand. At the Governor''s Mansion, Eugene and Stevenson, having heard mention of this bridge, had a bad feeling in their hearts. Those who belong to a household know the affairs of that household best. The bridge had been approved under their watch, and they knew better than anyone what underhanded dealings were involved. With this in mind, Stevenson red at Eugene and demanded, "What''s going on? Did details about the bridge get leaked?" In his opinion, since Lawson had previously said he had behaved improperly and now brought up the bridge again, the problem must lie there. "This... I... I..." Eugene actually wanted to say, how would I know? But the words wouldn''te out when they reached his lips. But his response wasn''t necessary anymore, because the host Milton on the TV had started speaking again. At KNPR-FM Television Station, Milton pressed, "Mr. Louson, could you specify what the issue is with the Golden Ear Bridge?" "This bridge, the local city hall had started proposing its construction many years ago, but it was repeatedly rejected by the state government... oh no, to be precise, it was repeatedly vetoed by Governor Stevenson. Do you know why?" "Why?" Milton asked the question that everyone in Nevada State wanted to know. "It''s quite simple. Because the project was a proposal from the local city hall, if it had been approved at that time, the credit would have gone to the city hall, and not to Stevenson himself!" "Later, Stevenson sent out his own inspection team and engineers to re-n the bridge entirely." "This re-nning took several years, and by that time, the city hall officials responsible for the project had all been rotated out." "And you all know what happened next. Stevenson personally came out and made a deration to the media, stating that the original nning by the local city hall for the bridge had many hidden dangers, and only after being reconstructed by their state government were these dangerspletely eliminated. Ultimately, the credit naturally went to him..." Lawson''s words were like a bombshell that stunned all those watching. If that was indeed the case, then Governor Stevenson was shameless, effectively stealing the credit from the local city hall. "Oh, and by the way, I can''t say that all the credit went to him. The officials from the city hall who were initially in charge of the project were reced by his own people after their terms ended, so they shared the credit too!" "Afterwards, to thank our Governor Stevenson, these officials also offered a special thank you of One Million USD, which is the most crucial point here, and what I referred to as the irregr behavior!" "What..." If Lawson''s previous statements had merely surprised the people at the television station and the viewers, then hearing about the one million made them feel like a bomb had exploded in their ears. The reasoning was simple. If Stevenson had sent the inspection team and engineers to re-n the bridge, that might have been chalked up to mere credit grab. But taking bribes was a different story. That was bona fide illegal! Governor''s Mansion. "Fake Yau, how did he find out, how on earth did he find out!" Upon hearing about the million dors, Stevenson utterly lost hisposure, swearing out loud. "Let''s not get excited, Governor. Although he knows the exact amount, verbal ims aren''t proof. We can issue him a legal notice right now for defamation, if there''s no evidence!" Eugene''s words somewhat calmed Stevenson down. Well, that was true. America values evidence above all; without it, no matter how flowery one''s words are, they are meaningless. KNPR-FM Television Station. Milton had just managed to recover from his shock and questioned, "Mr. Lawson, Stevenson is our Governor of Nevada State. You im that he epted a bribe of one million US dors from this bridge. Do you have any concrete evidence?" "Of course, words alone won''t suffice." Unperturbed, Lawson picked up the document David had given him, unfolded it, disyed it for all to see, and said, "This is an investigative report about the bridge. It contains detailed financial and personnel records. Please take a close look!" The studio fell suddenly silent. And the viewers in front of the television also held their breath, watching the investigative report with rapt attention. As the contents continued to reveal themselves, the average onlookers weren''t too fazed;cking professional knowledge and insight, they wouldn''t be able to discern the authenticity or significance of the document immediately. However, some of the others, such aswyers, officials, and the executives of the television station present on-site, realized the importance of the document instantaneously. Their expressions turned to ones of shock. Governor''s Mansion. "Fake, who the hell can tell me where the hell this document came from?" Stevenson lost hisposure once again. At his level, if he couldn''tprehend the significance and lethality of the document, he wouldn''t be fit to serve as Governor. Eugene, also with an ashen face at this moment but not being the person directly involved, still managed to keep his wits and said, "Don''t bother thinking about it. Lawson couldn''t possibly have gotten his hands on such a detailed report. It must be David''s work!" "David..." Stevenson was jolted awake, angrily spitting out the name. Indeed. Lawson was just a Senatorial candidate after all. If he had had ess to such information, he would have used it to retaliate when he criticized him for wastefulness, instead of waiting until now. And the fact that they''re bringing it up now, in conjunction with David currently being in Carson City and their meeting a few days ago, the conclusion was self-evident. In fact, it proved that the two of them had indeed conspired! "Governor, dwelling on this is pointless. We must deal with this document. Otherwise, if things continue to ferment..." Eugene didn''t continue. But Stevenson was well aware of the danger. Suppressing his rage, he ordered, "Bring Oldington to me. Also, start some damage control on this, feed those media outlets a sweetener, try to stir up some other big news, and downy this as much as possible..." Furious as he was, Governor Stevenson was certainly no simpleton; he instantly came up with a strategy. KNPR-FM Television Station. Milton had also confirmed the authenticity and significance of the report and said, "Mr. Lawson, you truly caused a seismic event at our station today. May I be so bold as to ask where you got this document?" "If Governor Stevenson could gather information about our team''s excessive spending, then we naturally could investigate his suspected regtory vitions!" Lawson also remembered David''s words that this matter couldn''t be linked to the IRS or David in any way. This act was initially meant to make him a pawn, but now he felt it was quite exhrating, especially as it firmly struck back at Stevenson. Moreover, there was another key point. He was the whistleblower on the Governor''s misconduct, the dragon yer! Perhaps this could attract a significant number of voters for him, earning him a substantial number of votes! "Then... Mr. Lawson, concerning the Governor''s misconduct, is it only the Golden Ear Bridge incident, or is there more?" "Of course, there''s more, but the information isn''t fully consolidated yet. Once it''splete, I''ll make another trip to your interview." From what David had told him today, this was only the beginning. To take down Stevenson, David must have other ''moves.'' Milton''s eyes lit up. The Golden Ear Bridge scandal was definitely explosive, and the traffic for today''s interview would surely hit the peak of the past several months, or even the year. If Lawson could bring even more sensational news next time, their station''s traffic was bound to reach new heights without question. With that in mind, he immediately agreed, "Then we wee Mr. Lawson to join our television interview program anytime!" "No problem." After the interview, back backstage, Lawson''s secretary came to him with news, "Mr. Lawson, after big data analysis and statistics, following your counter against Governor Stevenson, support for you online has risen by 8 percentage points!" "Really!?" "Big data doesn''t lie!" "That''s great!" Receiving confirmation, Lawson''s face instantly flushed with excitement. He had been rushing from city to city to deliver speeches and hold discussions, but at most, he would see a rise of 2 to 3 percentage points in public support. Who would have thought that being used by David this once would have spiked his support by a full 8 points? Now, far from holding any grudge against David, he was actually grateful. Chapter 249: Chapter 175: FBI Arrests Governor? After the excitement had passed, Lawson immediately took out his cell phone, dialed a number, and said, "How was my performance, Director David? Are you satisfied?" "Not bad, Mr. Lawson, you did very well!" "So what should I do next¡­?" "Just wait for my instructions." "Okay." ... After the interview ended, the situation continued to ferment. Especially in the cities of Reno and Orray, whether the citizens or theizens, they all started to denounce Governor Stevenson. The reason was simple. The proposal for the Golden Ear Bridge was submitted several years ago. If it had been approved at that time, the bridge would have already been built for the convenience of the citizens of the two cities. Why did it have to be dragged out until now? Therefore, the citizens of both cities felt that because Stevenson wanted to take credit for himself, he affected their travel and trade for so many years, which naturally infuriated them. In Las Vegas, in the apartment building where Selina lived. "Okay, I understand¡­" On the balcony, Selina, who had just hung up the phone, showed a range of expressions on her face: shock, confusion, bewilderment. After a few minutes of thought, she picked up her phone and dialed a number. "What''s up, Selina." "Father, something big happened in Nevada just now; I think I need to report it to you." "What happened?" "It''s like this¡­" Selina reported the series of events that had unfolded on KNPR-FM Television Station in detail. After about a minute of silence on the other end of the phone, a voice came through, "Governor Stevenson has been attacked like this, but who is this Senator Candidate Lawson?" "That''s not the point. The main thing is that a few days ago, David had already gone to Carson City. That''s quite intriguing." "So you mean, Lawson is just a ''spokesperson,'' and the real mastermind behind all this might be David?" "Taking into ount the informationing from various sources, I think David indeed is the mastermind. Only he could possess such damning information about Stevenson." "In that case, we might have underestimated him again. David managed to get leverage on someone as important as Stevenson!" "Yes, but he''s smart. He knows if he personally took action against Stevenson in the name of the IRS, it might cause a huge bacsh. That''s why he found a ''gunman,'' who just so happens to be Stevenson''s adversary." Selina thought David had been very clever and correct in his approach. After all, David was just a Chief Tax Officer now. If he dared to take on Stevenson so publicly, not to mention whether Stevenson''s backers would retaliate, What would governors from other states and the powerful figures in Washington D.C. think? You, David, dare to target someone of the governor''s level; what if you turn your sights on me next? To prevent such future trouble, I definitely couldn''t allow you to really rise up. Even if I couldn''t erase you now, I at least had to contain you! Now that David had found Lawson as his gunman, he could deceive the public and prevent those real power brokers from targeting him so soon! This was a very astute move! "From what you''ve said, he really is clever. This man has both tactics and brains; he can truly be considered courageous and strategic." On the other end of the phone, Selina''s father also understood David''s intentions and praised him without any reservation, then asked, "Do you think he can really bring down Governor Stevenson?" "This report is very aggressive, but given the resources and power Stevenson controls, it''s probably not enough to take him down¡­" "Makes sense. In our American history, it''s rare to see governors brought down by impeachment or deep scandals, not to mention one who has the support of the Morgan Family like Stevenson." "It''s not an absolute thing, father. From what I know of David these days, if he made a move, he must be confident about it. Let''s just wait and see what happens next." While it was difficult to bring down a governor, based on Selina''s recent understanding of David, she felt there might still be a chance. ... The next day arrived. After the Stevenson scandal brokest night, many people spotted the trickery involved, such as William from the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. Because he knew very well about the animosity between Stevenson and David, so as soon as Stevenson''s scandal came out, he immediately understood that it was orchestrated by David and called to verify. Of course, David didn''t need to hide it and admitted everything to William. The two talked untilte into the night, and because he went to sleepte, David didn''t wake up until 9 a.m. Now he had just gotten out of bed and was brushing his teeth. Suddenly, there was a rapid knock at the door. He quickly rinsed his mouth and went to the door to open it; the visitors were Simmons, Nelson, and Baki. "Director, take a look at this." Experience new stories on m v|l e''-NovelBin Bucky passed over several newspapers, which David picked up to read. On the front page headlines, it wasn''t about Governor Stevenson and the Golden Ear Bridge scandal. Instead, it was about a Hollywood male star who got arrested in Las Vegas for solicitation of prostitution, and the person he solicited was not a woman, but a man. "Governor Stevenson really has some skills," David said. David wasn''t angry. Instead, he smiled sardonically. Because he was sure that the male star''s headline dominance was definitely maneuvered by Stevenson himself. Of course, the other party might have removed what should have been his front page headline, but David had the ability to continue to put him back on it. He was curious to see how many times Stevenson could manage to remove it. "Chief Tax Officer, take a look at the next one!" Bucky said. Hearing Bucky''s words, David put aside his thoughts and flipped over to check the second paper. The second one was from the local newspaper of Reno City. It printed an announcement issued by the city hall that day, whitewashing Governor Stevenson and iming they never made any deal with the state government or with Stevenson. In the end, the local city hall even found the officials who proposed the bridge back then to testify, and somehow Stevenson had managed to get all of them to im that the bridge proposal they submitted was too hasty, admitting that many hidden dangers were unresolved. Later, after detailed surveys and inspections by the state government, they had eliminated these dangers and there absolutely was no question of the state government taking undue credit. "Wow, not only did he use a male star to grab the headlines, but in one night, he managed to get both the previous and current city hall officials involved; his response is definitely textbook level!" David remarked. David tossed the newspaper aside and sat down on the sofa in the living room, took out his cell phone, dialed Lawson''s number, and said, "Mr. Lawson,e to my hotel room." Now that Stevenson surely knew about his partnership with Lawson, there was no need to hide it anymore. "Alright, I''m on my way!" With the files David had provided yesterday, Lawson saw a significant boost in his support ratings on TV after hammering Stevenson. He was thrilled, and now seemed eager for another task. After ending the call with Lawson, David dialed Gavin''s number. "With the situation this big, you FBI guys should start acting!" Tax issues fall under the jurisdiction of the IRS, but now they were dealing with corruption and bribery, which are under the FBI''s authority. "Understood." At the FBI Office, Gavin, who had just hung up, immediately called for Ou En and ordered, "Take a team to the Governor''s Mansion, make it noticeable." "Yes." Ou En immediately turned and left. Shortly after, when the news of the FBI''s visit to the Governor''s Mansion to investigate the bribery case spread, the entire Carson City was in an uproar. Although the documents Lawson had unveiled the previous night did indeed confirm that Stevenson was involved in severe corruption, Stevenson was the governor of Nevada State, after all. For the FBI to march into the Governor''s Mansion as if to arrest a criminal was a bold move thatcked respect. "Fake, that damn Gavin!" Inside the mansion, when Stevenson heard that the FBI hade to his doorstep with many reporters in tow, he was furious. At the same time, he was now certain that Gavin was indeed in collusion with David! "I didn''t expect that Gavin, David, and Lawson had truly formed an alliance. Governor, we''re in real trouble now..." Eugene said, eyes swollen and looking exhausted. Because of the document about the Golden Ear Bridge, he had spent the whole night awake, like a machine dealing with a series of issues. Just when he thought the public outrage had somewhat subsided, the FBI instantly reignited it. "Gavin, Lawson..." Stevenson gnashed his teeth as he muttered their names, before saying: "I will never forgive these two!" "Let''s worry about that after this issue, Governor. Now that the FBI is at our doorsteps, if we ignore them, we can''t exin it to the public. We should let them in," Eugene advised. Stevenson had not lost his wits, of course, and understood that Eugene was right. He then forcibly calmed himself down and replied, "Then let theme in." While the FBI and Stevenson were in confrontation, Back at the hotel, Lawson had already arrived in David''s room and cheerfully said, "Director David, even the FBI has fallen into your hands. I can''t help but admire you!" On his way here, he had already heard about the FBI making a grand visit to the Governor''s mansion. He had nowe to terms with it, but when he first heard the news, he was shocked for quite a while. These people, being under David''s grip, was one thing. But that was the FBI. Though the FBI might not have as much power as the IRS, intelligence and data handling were this agency''s strengths. And yet, even they were under David''s control. That was a bit too unbelievable. If it weren''t happening right in front of him, he would rather die than believe it. David did not pick up on his ttery and instead directly picked up an archival bag from the table and handed it over to him. Lawson didn''t waste any more words either and immediately started examining it. As he reviewed the contents of the documents, his expression changed from shock to delight, much like when he saw the Golden Ear Bridge file the day before. Chapter 250: Chapter 176: Want to Negotiate Now? Too Late! "This agricultural export bill was one point I had attacked Governor Stevenson for in the past, but he managed to talk his way out of it every time with his eloquence. But now, with this document in hand, I''d like to see him try to talk his way out of this!" "Then let''s get ready. Tonight, we''re going to add fuel to the fire!" "OK." Lawson sneered, then turned and left. While the entire state was still buzzing about the FBI reaching out to Governor Stevenson, an announcement from KNPR-FM Television Station stirred the state into a frenzy once again. The announcement was quite straightforward. It was that at 7 o''clock tonight, Senator Candidate Lawson would again appear on the KNPR-FM television interview program to drop another bombshell on Governor Stevenson. "Dammit, our Governor Stevenson hasn''t even dealt with the Golden Ear Bridge issue yet, and now there''s new gossip to be revealed?" "The Golden Ear Bridge scandal was already explosive enough. What is Senator Candidate Lawson nning to disclose next?" "Governor has enough on his te already, won''t another explosive revtion force him to resign?" As soon as the news broke, social media across Nevada State lit up. Gossip like this happens almost every day, but not often about someone of the Governor''s stature¡ªthis was a rarity indeed. Instantly, many across the state prepared their benches, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and drinks, ready for the blockbuster revtion that evening. At the Governor''s Mansion. "Fuck, what the hell is this bastard up to now?" It had taken Governor Stevenson the strength of nine bulls and two tigers to handle the FBI agents, and just as he sat down to catch his breath, this sudden news exploded on him. Eugene pondered for a moment before replying, "No matter what he''s nning, it''s definitely something that''s not in our favor..." "So, are we just going to do nothing and sit here waiting to die?" "Governor, at this point, I''m not sure if it''s appropriate for me to speak my mind." "We''vee to this, just say it!" "I think we can''t keep going on like this. We are very passive right now. Maybe... we should have a talk with Lawson and see if we can downy this whole situation." Hearing this, Governor Stevenson''s face contorted in rage, but after some thought, he began to calm down. As a seasoned politician, he certainly knew not to lose hisposure now, and the negotiation Eugene suggested was indeed what they should be contemting. After all, they were not only getting hit but also didn''t know what move the opponent would make next. The best course of action was to temporarily avoid the sharp edge of their attack¡ªthis was the most prudent choice. With that in mind, he said, "But surely this is all Director David''s maniption behind the scenes. What''s the point in talking to Lawson?" "If Director David is pulling the strings from behind the curtain, it means he doesn''t want to involve the Federal Tax Bureau. So, even if we wanted to talk to him, he wouldn''t be open to it. We can only talk to Lawson to pass on a message!" After thinking it over and finding the argument reasonable, Governor Stevenson, after a full 2 minutes of contemtion, gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, then let''s arrange a talk with him." At the Ninglin Branch Office. Director David had arrived at the temporary office and was on a call: "Thinking of talking now? It''s toote!" Ever since Governor Stevenson''s son had died, he had been thwarting David at every turn. If he let his opponent off the hook this time, there was no guarantee that they wouldn''te back for more in the future. So, the best strategy was topletely remove him from the governorship. "Alright, I''ll get it done." Just after he ended the call, a knock came on the office door. David said, "Come in." Simmons entered and said, "Director David, Director Jon''s secretary, Secretary Monroe, would like to see you." "The Director''s secretary?" David thought for a moment that this must be the state director trying to inquire or pass on a message, he then said, "Bring him in." About five minutester, a white man in his thirties was brought in. He extended his hand to David while introducing himself, "Director David, nice to meet you. I''m Secretary Monroe, the secretary of Director Jon." "Hello, Secretary Monroe." David shook his hand and then asked, "What brings you here today, Secretary Monroe...?" "It''s like this, Mr. Jon is busy with official duties, so he sent me here to inquire whether there might be a need for the Federal Tax Bureau''s involvement regarding the matter with Governor Stevenson?" "As expected..." David thought to himself, indeed, the secretary must have been sent by Jon to feel out whether the scandal involving Governor Stevenson was something he had orchestrated. Gathering his thoughts, he calmly replied, "Had the matter not been brought to light, our Federal Tax Bureau could have gotten involved, but now that it''s out and with the FBI involved, I believe it wouldn''t be appropriate for our Federal Tax Bureau to step in." Secretary Monroe nodded and then asked, "Director David, do you think there''s an issue with Senator Candidate Lawson? Right now, he hasn''t had any problemse up for him?" "Mr. Monroe, we are all members of the Federal Tax Bureau here. Just speak inly with what you want to ask!" David knew the other party was still fishing for information, but he wasn''t one for beating around the bush, and so he decided to speak directly. Secretary Monroe fell silent for a moment before asking, "Director David, actually, Director Jon sent me mainly to ask whether this matter really concerns our National Tax Service or not." David smiled faintly, speaking with deep meaning, "Does Director Jon really want to know?" As someone who could be Jon''s secretary, Monroe had more than ordinary abilities in thinking and reading people''s expressions. Therefore, after seeing David''s expression and hearing his meaningful words, she instantly had her answer. Afterwards, she replied, "Director Jon asked me to remind you that your career has just started, and you should be cautious in everything." "Please thank Director Jon for his reminder," David said. From the secretary''s reply, David could infer that, as he had previously thought, Director Jon was very shrewd. He did not want to get involved in such matters. But that was also fine, as he had never nned to involve the director anyway. ... The sunset was setting, marking the end of another day. Under the discussion and anticipation of the entire Nevada State, the time reached 6:50 PM. KNPR-FM Television Station. "Mr. Robert, our television station''s viewership has increased by tenfoldpared to yesterday!" A staff member approached the head of the television station to report. This man named Robert, upon hearing these words, was also ted. He immediately went over to Lawson, who was still getting ready backstage, and asked, "The audience is already looking forward to it, how about it, Mr. Louson, are you ready?" Lawson straightened his tie and replied, "I am ready." "Then let''s get started!" As they were speaking, the time reached seven o''clock. Stay connected through m-v l|e''-NovelBin The live broadcast was ready to go. Milton walked onto the stage, first thanking the audience for tuning in, and then he announced, "Let us wee Senator Candidate Lawson!" Compared to yesterday, Lawson, who walked in front of the cameras today, seemed even more radiant and spirited. He was very clear that, although yesterday''s Golden Ear Bridge document was explosive, it only concerned the citizens of two cities. But the agricultural legition that David had leaked to him today concerned all the people engaged in agriculture throughout the state of Nevada. If this document were to be released, Governor Stevenson would surely be the target of widespread criticism, and he, as the dragon-ying hero who exposed it all, would certainly receive the votes and support from those rted to agriculture! Pushing aside his thoughts, Lawson said to the camera, "Hello, everyone, I am Louson, and I am very pleased to be here at the KNPR-FM Television Station for the interview again today¡­" After a brief introduction, the two of them took their seats. Milton was the first to ask, "Mr. Louson, I hear that today you have another major piece of news about Governor Stevenson, what is it?" "We''ll get to that slowly, no rush," Lawson adjusted his thoughts and then said, "I wonder if everyone still remembers December 11, 2021, the agriculture export bill signed by the Governor for the state of Nevada!" Upon the mention of this legition, the people of Nevada State who were concerned about it suddenly became very attentive. Over at the Governor''s Mansion, both Governor Stevenson and Eugene felt a shudder in their hearts because they knew all too well the secrets hidden within this legition. At this moment, all they could do was pray internally, praying that Lawson did not have actual evidence. Back to the live broadcast at KNPR-FM Television Station, Milton, curious, asked, "Mr. Louson, what''s the issue with this bill?" "Of course, there is a big problem!" "When this bill was being drafted, I stood up and criticized it. It is a vile bill that sacrifices the interests of our agricultural folks in Nevada State to exchange for Stevenson''s personal benefits." "Now, I still stand by what I said, and I now have solid evidence!" Upon these words, the entire Nevada State erupted into chaos. This agricultural bill, at the time of its drafting, caused strong opposition from the state''s agriculturalists because it involvedpressing their interests. However, Stevenson, with many agricultural representatives and various experts, heavily promoted the idea that the reduction in benefits was only temporary. Once the products were exported abroad and the market was seized, they would surely earn back double! After all, with so many agricultural products in the world, if you don''tpete with the advantage of a price war, how can you beat other regions and countries? Most of these agriculturalists had little education, and with Stevenson''s promotion through various channels, it sounded somewhat reasonable, so they agreed to it. Eventually, this statew was also passed. But now, with Lawson''s words, these agriculturalists suddenly felt deceived. Could it be that, as Lawson said, everything Stevenson told them about earning back double was a lie? Actually, was Stevenson only out for his own political achievements and benefits? Chapter 251: Chapter 177: Palace Coup Governor''s Mansion. At this moment, Governor Stevenson''s face was ashen, and his body trembled involuntarily. He had been very clear that if anything went wrong with this bill, it could cause significant damage to him. Now, hearing Mr. Louson say on the television that he had conclusive evidence, how could he not panic? "Governor, if this bill really has issues, we''re in big trouble this time!" Under Stevenson''s vastwork resources, Eugene felt quite confident about taking care of the Golden Ear Bridge matter. But this agriculture bill involved too many people across the state. If something was really amiss, how could he be confident in handling it? "Contact David immediately. If he can back down, I can assure you that I''ll no longer pursue the matter of my son..." Although Mr. Louson only mentioned that he had evidence but hadn''t actually revealed it yet, Stevenson didn''t dare to take the gamble any further. And since Mr. Louson hadn''t presented the evidence yet, there was still room for retrievement as long as the information wasn''t disclosed. If the conclusive evidence was released, then it would be the end! "Governor, when you called Mr. Louson today, he showed no intention of wanting to negotiate. It''s obvious he''s acting on David''s instruction, so the matter of not pursuing your son''s issues is unlikely to sway him..." "Then tell him that as long as he stops, I can agree to some conditions." Stevenson was truly frightened. After all, his greatest goal was to ascend to the presidency one day. But if this scandal broke out, he wouldn''t just forget about the presidency¡ªhe might be kicked out of the governor''s seat immediately. "I''ll try..." Eugene walked to the side and picked up the phone. At the live broadcast of KNPR-FM Television Station, Milton was just about to inquire about the evidence Mr. Louson held but was interrupted by Mr. Louson''s secretary. The secretary whispered something in Mr. Louson''s ear, and after she left, Mr. Louson took the initiative to say, "We were just discussing the agriculture bill. Now, let me tell you more about the pros and cons of this bill..." Milton was not interested in the agriculture bill at the moment; he wanted to see the evidence. But seeing that Mr. Louson seemed reluctant to disclose it right away, he couldn''t just interrupt and had to patiently wait and listen, holding back his curiosity. Meanwhile. At the Ninglin Branch Office, Egbert personally came to David''s temporary office and ced a mobile phone in front of him. "Good day, Director David, I''m Eugene, Governor Stevenson''s secretary. It seems there''s been a small misunderstanding between our governor and you. What I mean is, since it''s a small misunderstanding, it isn''t necessary to cause a big stir. Is it possible to talk things over?" Hearing the words from the other end of the phone, Davidughed. It seemed that Governor Stevenson was indeed scared after hearing about the evidence rted to the agriculture bill. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have made such an effort to have his secretary humbly seek negotiations. "Director David?" "Mr. Eugene, is it? What do you mean by ''negotiations''?" There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment before he said, "Then I''ll get straight to the point. We have indeed offended you before, and for that, I apologize on behalf of the governor. We also know that Mr. Louson is currently working for you. If you can get him to stop, we will be sure to reward you handsomely in the future." "We know that your IRS has recentlyunched a ''god-making'' project, and for the sess of this project, you''ll undoubtedly need a great deal of tax achievements." "And if you have the help of a state''s Chief Executive Officer, just think, wouldn''t that be a great help to you in achieving this project?" David found the words amusing again. So, when Governor Stevenson was causing trouble for him, he never thought of apologizing. Now that he was being counter-attacked and seeing big trouble looming, is that when he thought of apologizing and seeking peace? Plus, having the help of a state governor could indeed make his tax work much more effective. But after he pulled Stevenson down, Laurie, who he had supported, would take over. Wouldn''t Laurie eagerly support and coordinate with his tax work? So, did he need Governor Stevenson''s help? With these thoughts, David calmly replied, "Mr. Eugene, what are you talking about? Mr. Louson is a senatorial candidate, and I am just a lowly director at the IRS. How could he possibly work for me? I think you are mistaken." "Director David, old enemies should resolve their issues, not prolong them. The governor has already pledged not to hold the past against you, as well as to provide assistance in the future. Continuing this will do you no good. I hope you will reconsider carefully." One could hear the urgency in Eugene''s voice. Otherwise, as the governor''s secretary, a very influential person in Nevada, he wouldn''t be pleading so insistently. "I still say the same thing: you are mistaken, Mr. Eugene. I have no connection with Mr. Louson!" With that, David hung up the phone. "Dammit!!!" Back at the Governor''s Mansion, Eugene cursed loudly and shook his head at Governor Stevenson, signaling, "He didn''t agree." Upon hearing this, Governor Stevenson said nothing, but hisplexion turned even more ashen. At the live broadcast of KNPR-FM Television Station. Mr. Louson''s secretary came back to the stage, ced a document in his hand, said a few words into his ear, and then turned and left. Chapter 252: Chapter 177: Palace Coup_2 "Cough cough..." Lawson cleared his throat and said, "I just detailed the pros and cons of this bill for everyone. Next, I will reveal the point everyone is most concerned about, the evidence that Governor Stevenson signed this bill for his own personal gain!" With that, he opened up the document his secretary had given him earlier and spread it out in front of the camera. As the document''s contents appeared before the eyes of all the people of Nevada State, some became angry, some incredulous, and some were utterly shocked. The reason was simple. In the document, it was clearly recorded that the head of thergest agricultural exportpany in Nevada State, owing to the profits from this bill, had given Governor Stevenson six hundred thousand US dors in bribes. The details about the expenditure of these funds, what ounts they were reported on, and into which ounts they were ultimately deposited, including the owner of the ount, were all crystal clear. "Fake Yau, our Governor is still touting this as a bill beneficial to us, but now it seems it really was for his own selfish desires!" "Well, he sold out the interests of our farmers for his own selfish gain. What a ''good Governor'' we have here!" "How easy is it for us farmers to earn the little money we make in a year? Now Governor Stevenson has actually deceived us like this, it''s absolutely unforgivable!" The farmers of Nevada State, as well as many others involved in agriculture, were enraged andunched an attack against Governor Stevenson on various social media tforms. Las Vegas. "Did you see that, father? Stevenson is in big trouble this time; he might really be toppled..." Inside a residence, Selina was talking on her phone, a look of astonishment on her face. She knew the Golden Ear Bridge was just the beginning, and that David surely had other moves to make, but she hadn''t expected his next move to be so explosive. This made her admire David even more. "This matter concerns a state agricultural bill, and the public pressure this time is indeed immense; however, nothing is absolute, let''s see how Stevenson will respond next!" Stay connected via m-v l|e''-NovelBin Meanwhile, various power yers in Nevada State, including the wealthy, were discussing and exploring the implications of this explosive news. Many of them realized the possibility that Nevada State was on the verge of a change of power and quietly started preparing for it. At the Governor''s Mansion. At this moment, Governor Stevenson was filled with both rage and immense regret. He had forcefully signed the bill, not for the sake of that trivial six hundred thousand dors. At his position, money had actually lost much of its significance. His main reason for signing the bill was to boast of the GDP figures and political achievements. Sure, it involved somepromise of the agriculturalmunity''s interests, but it wasn''t as Lawson had used¡ªthat the bill was entirely without merit. Without taking the money, Lawson could im the bill had no benefits, so he could promote the many advantages of the bill. But now the documents showing he had taken the money had been leaked. At this point, the public didn''t care whether the bill had any benefits; they were predisposed to believe he had taken the money from the agriculturalpany to help it profit, hence signing a bill harmful to the lower-level agriculturalmunity. "Fake, I shouldn''t have taken that money in the first ce; it was a meaningless thing to do!" Stevenson became increasingly frustrated as he thought about it, pushing everything on his desk¡ªpapers, a cup, an ashtray¡ªto the floor in a sweep. The reason he epted the money was mainly to appease that agriculturalpany, so it would have fewer hesitations in lobbying the farmers andndowners below, getting them to agree to the bill. However, this very thing had now be the scythe threatening to destroy his career. "Governor, we can''t withstand the opinion of all the agricultural people in the state by ourselves. The top priority is to immediately convene a government meeting, uniting everyone, all departments forprehensive stability maintenance!" Eugene had not lost his reason and immediately suggested a course of action. "What are we waiting for, go ahead!" Stevenson also realized he couldn''t handle this alone and must seek assistance from various government departments if there was any chance to ovee the crisis. Just as Eugene was about to stand up and leave, he seemed to remember something and turned to ask, "By the way, Governor, should we ask Deputy Governor Laurie toe too?" "Why would we need him here? It''s not necessary!" He and Laurie didn''t really get along, and since the Deputy Governor wasn''t in charge of any department and had no real power, Stevenson naturally didn''t want him getting in the way. Although Stevenson was immersed in a huge public opinion scandal, he still upied the Governor''s position, so when his summons was heard, the members of the state government immediately rushed to his mansion. Tianxiang Bay, Deputy Governor Laurie''s home. At this moment, Laurie stood by the window, his gaze shimmering as he looked at the moon. When David first approached him with the proposal to help him ascend to the Governor''s throne, he thought it was utterly ridiculous. After a conversation, though he decided to take a gamble, to be honest, he wasn''t very sure about it. But unexpectedly, yesterday Lawson actually stood up, and not only did he stand up, but he also released the details about Stevenson''s vitions regarding the Golden Ear Bridge. And by tonight, he even dropped the Agricultural Bill bombshell. At this point, even a fool could see Stevenson was in big trouble, and Laurie himself seemed to see hope for ascending to the Governor''s throne! This made his heart pound wildly at this moment. The Governor''s throne, that seemingly unattainable dream, appeared to be waving at him! "Deputy Governor, sir..." Just as Laurie was lost in his fantasies, a call from behind made him turn his head; it was his secretary Sherwood who had arrived. "I just received the news, Governor Stevenson has called for the heads of each department to convene at the mansion for an emergency meeting!" "Good, get ready!" Laurie was about to get dressed and depart, but he noticed Sherwood looking embarrassed and frozen in ce, prompting him to ask, "What''s the matter?" "He didn''t summon you..." "What!" Laurie was stunned. He was the Deputy Governor, after all. It was one thing not to invite him to regr meetings, but to exclude him from such a crucial emergency meeting? At this thought, Laurie felt a surge of anger rise from within: "Fine, they really treat me like a mascot, do they? Soon I''ll show them the ability of this ''mascot''!" If it were in the past, he would certainly have been angry too, but powerless and without influence, he could only bear it. But things were different now. Now Stevenson was embroiled in sessive scandals, and most importantly, he had the support of David. Why would he be afraid of Stevenson now? "Deputy Governor, about this matter, I think you should give a call to Director David, to ask him what should be done next!" Laurie collected his thoughts, felt that made sense, immediately picked up the phone and dialed David''s number, saying, "Director David, I just got notified that Governor Stevenson has summoned the department heads for an emergency meeting, but that bastard didn''t inform me." Ninglin Branch Office. David, who heard this, wasn''t surprised, because just recently, Secretary of State Oldington had already informed him in advance. He replied, "He didn''t inform you, so you''re not going on your own?" Laurie paused, then said, "So, Director David, you mean... go straight there and challenge him now?" David replied, "When else are you waiting for? It''s the right time, and I will have Secretary of State Oldington support you!" "What! Secretary of State Oldington!" Laurie''s face showed shock, somewhat disbelieving what his ears heard. David had not only united with him but also settled matters with Lawson, gathered leverage against Stevenson, and now, he had even managed to secure Secretary of State Oldington? Davidforted, "Yes, go ahead boldly, Secretary of State Oldington will definitely support you!" "Alright, alright, I understand!" With confirmation a second time, Laurie was ecstatic to the extreme. Even though David currently had Stevenson on the ropes, Stevenson still had a hold over the state government. Laurie was reluctant to confront him so directly. But with Oldington on his side, now he really had the confidence. After all, that''s the Secretary of State we''re talking about, the most powerful person in Nevada after Governor Stevenson! Chapter 253: Chapter 178: If youre not decent, someone will help you be decent Seeing Laurie hang up the phone, Sherwood, who had been curiously awaiting, immediately asked, "Deputy Governor Laurie, what''s the matter with Secretary of State Oldington?" Laurie turned his head and said, "Director David asked me to attend the emergency meeting too, I''ll confront the issues head-on, and Oldington will assist me!" "What!" Sherwood was shocked and instantly asked, "Does that mean, Secretary of State Oldington, has been settled by Director David too?" "Yes." Sherwood was overjoyed at the confirmation. He was well aware of how much support from the Secretary of State could help them in this kind of situation! "Stop dawdling, and prepare the car right away." "Yes, I''m on it!" While discussions were happening everywhere, the live broadcast at KNPR-FM Television Station was entering its final stage. However, with host Milton''s next question, already shaken Nevada State trembled again. Milton: "Mr. Lawson, following the Golden Ear Bridge and the Agricultural Bill, do you have any more bombshells to drop on the Governor?" Lawson: "Of course, I''ll announce more once I''ve organized my material and evidence!" The Golden Ear Bridge and the current Agricultural Bill scandal were already sensational; the hint of more toe set Nevada aze. But Lawson was unfazed; after walking off the stage, he immediately asked his secretary, "How''s my approval rating?" "After the big data statistics, it''s risen another 15 percentage points; we''re now leading the other candidates by 16 points!" "That''s fantastic!" Lawson was ecstatic. Based on previous records, as long as he could maintain this lead, his election as a Senator was virtually guaranteed when it came time to vote! "Oh, Mr. Lawson, the Governor just held an emergency meeting." "An emergency meeting?" Lawson''s expression shifted. At the Governor''s Mansion. On hearing that Lawson might have more bombshells, Governor Stevenson''s fists clenched so hard that his knuckles almost dug into his palms. But thankfully, Eugene approached him and said, "Governor, almost everyone is here." Stevenson immediately stood up and briskly made his way to the conference room door. Upon entering, he looked around. Secretary of State Oldington was already seated; the Chief of Staff, State Treasurer, Chief of Police, along with other department heads were present. Seeing most of the people had arrived, Stevenson was about to speak when he was interrupted by the arrival of a Secret Service agent. "Governor, Deputy Governor Laurie''s motorcade is at the door; he says he wants to join the meeting!" Hearing this, Stevenson was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Eugene beside him. Eugene showed an innocent expression, as if to say I followed your instructions, and didn''t invite him! Realizing it was not Eugene''s fault, Stevenson fell silent for a moment, then said, "Let him in then." With the media surely present outside and Laurie being Nevada''s Deputy Governor, if he didn''t allow Laurie to enter, the media would blow it out of proportion. So, he reluctantly let Laurie in. Five or six minutester, footsteps echoed from outside, and Laurie entered the conference room. He looked around at everyone present, giving Oldington a signaling nce when their eyes met. Finally, he spoke, "Well, it looks like everyone is here. Governor Stevenson, you won''t hold it against me foring uninvited, will you?" Stevenson narrowed his eyes. He detected the sarcastic undertone in Laurie''s words, but for the sake of his image, he didn''t react. Instead, he exined, "I know Deputy Governor Laurie, you usually rest quite early, so I didn''t want to disturb you sote. But since you came, it means you also want to help alleviate some of the government''s pressure; of course, there''s no question of me." "That''s good..." Laurie unapologetically found a seat and sat down confidently. Stevenson proceeded without further attention to him, addressing the others, "About the Golden Ear Bridge, and tonight''s Agricultural Bill incident, I''d like to know what everyone thinks?" "The Golden Ear Bridge, the local city hall has dispelled the rumors, and there wasn''t any misconduct. As for tonight''s Agricultural Bill, it is not like Lawson said, aimed at stealing from the agriculturalmunity for political gain. Our Department of Network Information will strictly control the spread of such defamatory statements online!" "Indeed, the Golden Ear Bridge doesn''t prove anything, and the Agricultural Bill is just a matter of financial details. We from the State Police will ''ascertain the truth'' about that." "Our Department of Commerce..." "..." Seeing each department expressing their support, Stevenson finally felt a bit more at ease and was more confident in dealing with the matter. However, unbeknownst to him, Laurie was silentlymunicating with Tilmont, the head of the Nevada Environmental Protection Agency. As the Deputy Governor, there were things he wasn''t suitable to address directly. So after agreeing with David, he reached out to Tilmont, his confidant from the days he was a local mayor, and lobbied him ordingly. Finally, with promises of a significant role after Laurie''s potential rise to power, Tilmont reluctantly agreed. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin Chapter 254: Chapter 178: If Youre Not Decent, Someone Will Help You Be Decent_2 Although he had agreed at the time, Tilmont couldn''t help but feel a bit nervous now that it was almost time to ''enter the battlefield.'' But upon thinking about his future prospects, and with the backing of David from the IRS, along with Stevenson now in deep trouble, he finally steeled his heart and gritted his teeth, "I believe, the Golden Ear Bridge incident was one thing, but the impact of the current agriculture bill scandal is too detrimental. We must make a statement of admission of guilt!" As soon as he said this, many people in the room were taken aback, including Stevenson himself. Having garnered so much support from many, Stevenson was full of enthusiasm and was about to set up arrangements for all major departments to mitigate the impact of this incident. However, Tilmont''s sudden dissenting remarks caught him off guard. Stevenson immediately turned his head and, upon realizing that it was Tilmont who had spoken, burst into a rage. "What do you mean, Tilmont? What wrong should we admit to? Have you gone mad from all that environmental protection?" Stevenson''s words were actually sarcastic. You''re just the head of an environmental bureau, why the fuss and so manyints? Seeing that there was no turning back, Tilmont now had less to worry about, as he was well aware that he would be the first one to suffer if this matter fell through. He then said even more forcefully, "Governor Stevenson, haven''t you been watching television? Lawson has already said it, the Golden Ear Bridge and the current agriculture bill are just the beginning, he still holds other major scandals involving you. If thosee out, how do you n to solve them? Are you nning to drag us all down with you?" Tilmont didn''t even use the respectful term ''you'', indicating that he was indeed ready to risk it all. Next to him, Laurie gave him an approving look. As for the others in the room, including those who had previously supported Stevenson, they were now silent. Indeed. The Golden Ear Bridge and the current agriculture bill could perhaps be resolved. But what if Laurie were to expose more dirt? How would they deal with that then? And now, these two incidents were already very troublesome. If other even more troublesome events were exposed, they might not be able to handle it. If Stevenson had bad luck, that would be one thing, but these ''aplices'' would certainly not escape the public''s wrath! Concerned about their own interests, no one dared to blindly support Stevenson any longer. Seeing that Tilmont''s words had made all of his sycophants shrink back like turtles, Stevenson was livid and scolded, "What are you rambling about? Do you really think Lawson is God, or am I so utterly corrupt that I have provided him with so many opportunities to grasp at my ws?" "Lawson may not be God, but maybe ''someone'' is!" These words caused a sudden change in the expressions of many people present. Of course, this so-called ''someone'' that Tilmont referred to was not Lawson, and considering the enmity between Stevenson and David, with David currently in Carson City. It was obvious to everyone who he was talking about. In fact, ever since the Golden Ear Bridge and now the agriculture bill, many people present had great doubts. They found it hard to believe that Lawson, a candidate for Senator, could have obtained so much dirt on Stevenson on his own. But if these scandals were ''delivered'' to Lawson by David, it would make perfect sense. After all, everyone present was well aware of David''s capabilities. Only he could havepiled so much detailed and heavy dirt on Stevenson. "You bastard, you are fired! Get out now!" Stevenson was not a fool; he also understood that Tilmont''s ''someone'' referred to David. The trouble he was in now was all thanks to David, and now here was Tilmont using David to press down on him. He couldn''t take it anymore. "Governor, Director Tilmont was merely stating the facts; there is no clear fault on his part that warrants dismissal!" The atmosphere, which had been tense, caused everyone to turn their heads in unison upon hearing this statement, only to be taken aback when they saw who had spoken. It was none other than Secretary of State Oldington. It was well-known throughout the state government that Oldington was not only handpicked by Stevenson but also a loyal pdog" who would do his bidding unquestioningly. Now this same loyal pdog" had openly contradicted Governor Stevenson, which naturally shocked the crowd. At that moment, Governor Stevenson looked at Oldington in disbelief, and after a full minute, he asked in a tone that couldn''t hide his disbelief, "Oldington, what did you just say?" "I said, Director Tilmont has not made any clear mistake that would justify his dismissal, and furthermore, I also support Director Tilmont''s view on this matter!" Oldington had indeed been Stevenson''s loyal pdog" before. But firstly, he was now equally under David''s control. Secondly, Governor Stevenson, a man of such stature, was being dealt a terrible hand by David. Not to mention that Lawson and Laurie were also subdued by David. So, in order to protect himself wisely, he could only follow David''s orders. It was the ssic case of every man for himself. "Oldington, do you realize what you''re saying!" Stevenson''s veins throbbed on his forehead, his face twisted into a fierce glower directed at Oldington. But before Oldington could add anything, Laurie, sensing the right moment had arrived, also stood up to add, "I believe both Director Tilmont and Secretary of State Oldington''s viewpoints are valid. The issues with the Golden Ear Bridge and the Agriculture Bill lie primarily with you, Governor Stevenson. Continue your journey on m|v-l''e -NovelBin You should take responsibility for these matters and not drag our entire state government into this!" Stevenson''s gaze shifted from Oldington to Laurie, but the anger on his face did not lessen in the slightest. But soon, he seemed to realize something and said with a self-deprecatingugh, "Ha... I understand now, I really do... David, you really have quite the strategy!" By now, he had finally realized why Laurie hade uninvited today and why, after arriving, he had the audacity to speak to him with such sarcasm. And why his trusted pdog" Oldington would suddenly publicly oppose him. If he wasn''t mistaken, all of this was surely manipted by David from behind the scenes. If David could deal with Gavin, handle Lawson, and even dig up dirt on him, then winning over Oldington and Tilmont would obviously not be a difficult task. As for Laurie? He probably didn''t even need to be threatened by David since he was already the Deputy Governor. If David managed to take him down, Laurie would naturally rise to the top. If he were Laurie, with such a condition, he too would take the gamble! Laughably, he had beenpletely oblivious to this until now, foolishly believing that by simply convening the heads of the state government departments, all problems could be resolved. Laurie ignored what Stevenson was thinking and continued, "Governor Stevenson, if I were you, I''d bow out gracefully. If you don''t, someone else will make sure you do, though you may end up regretting it even more!" In the past, Stevenson''s other pdogs" would have jumped to scold Laurie before Stevenson even had to open his mouth. But under the current circumstances, not a single department dared to step forward anymore. It had be clear to them that under the external public opinion and the ''rebellion'' of Laurie and Oldington inside, Stevenson was already on his way out. If they didn''t choose the right side now, they would naturally suffer the consequences as well. Chapter 255: Chapter 179: The Resignation that Shocked Nevada State "Laurie, don''t think that just because you have David backing you, you can do whatever you want!" Looking at Stevenson''s face, twisted with anger, Laurie was not in the least bit afraid, shrugged her shoulders, and retorted, "I''m not sure if I can do as I please, but Governor Stevenson, you, I''m afraid, won''t be able to do as you please anymore." Stevenson heard the sarcasm in her voice that his tenure as Governor wasing to an inglorious end, and he gritted his teeth and retorted, "Fine, fine, very good, Laurie, Oldington, I''ll remember both of you, now get out of here!" Under the leadership of Laurie and Oldington in the rebellion, he already knew that it was impossible to deal with the agricultural bill with the help of the state government, so there was no need to keep these people showing off their power. Having burned all bridges, Laurie and Oldington didn''t want to waste any more time here, and immediately stood up and left. Seeing the two of them leave, the Secretary of State, the Treasurer, and a host of directors also silently followed them out. In less than a moment, therge conference room was left with only the pale-faced Stevenson and Eugene. "Those damned bastards, I won''t let them off!" Eugene thought to himself, You''re hardly able to protect yourself right now, yet you talk of not letting others off? Of course, while he thought so, he didn''t dare to say these words directly but instead turned and said, "Without the cooperation of all departments, it''s going to be tough to get the agricultural bill done, and besides, Lawson and David might continue to make trouble. Governor, the only option now might be to seek Mr. Joshua''s help to see if there are any other solutions... " As Stevenson''s confidant, he naturally knew about Stevenson''s rtionship with the Morgan Family. As soon as he heard that they had to ask the Morgan Family for help, Stevenson''s face instantly flushed red, He, the mighty Governor of Nevada State who had been deeply rooted in the state for nearly eight years, was now in such a sorry state because of a mere Chief Tax Officer and even forced to seek help from the Morgan Family. It was like an adult getting into a fight with a child, not only failing to win but also having to go back and ask for his father''s help, which was just too embarrassing. But after much thought, Aside from seeking the Morgan Family''s help, there seemed to be no other option in this situation. Eventually, Stevenson had to grit his teeth, pick up the phone, and dial a number: "I''m Stevenson, I need to speak with Uncle Joshua urgently." His wife was the niece of the Morgan Family''s Cacti Sect Leader Joshua, and so, naturally, he had to respectfully call Joshua ''Uncle''. About two minutester, a hoarse voice came through the phone: "This is Joshua, speak." "Uncle Joshua, I''m sorry to disturb you sote, but I''m in big trouble, I really need your help..." Stevenson went through the whole situation, then nervously paced back and forth with the phone in his hand. After about a minute of silence, the voice on the phone said, "Stevenson, you''ve greatly disappointed me..." Stevenson''s expression changed drastically, and he quickly tried to exin, "I''m sorry Uncle Joshua, it''s just that damn David, he''s so treacherous, not only did he secretly collect dirt on me, but he even turned Laurie and Oldington against me..." "Enough!" Joshua on the phone interrupted Stevenson''s exnation and continued, "Call a press conference, announce your resignation." "What! Resign?" Stevenson''s eyes widened in shock. Why had he called Joshua so reluctantly? It was to have him use the family''s powerful influence to help resolve this crisis. But now he was being told to resign? He felt like he was already badly injured but not yet dead, and now he was being put straight into the coffin. "Listen carefully, the Golden Ear Bridge and the agricultural bill issue have already caused a stir in Nevada State. If another scandal about you is revealed, nobody will be able to save you. Resigning and letting things cool down, then making other ns is your best option right now, beep beep beep..." Before he could respond this time, the phone was hung up on the other end, leaving only a series of beeping tones and a stunned Stevenson standing still. "Governor, what did Mr. Joshua say?" Snapped back to reality by Eugene''s call, Stevenson spoke with a deathly pallor, "He told me to resign..." "Resign..." Eugene was also stunned, but on second thought, it wasn''t too surprising that the Morgan Family had given such a response. After all, the controversy over the agricultural bill was too significant, and it was unlikely that the Morgan Family could suppress itpletely. And even if they could suppress it, who could guarantee that David wouldn''t instigate Lawson to blow up another big story on TV tomorrow? If another big story came out, the situation might be even worse. But if he resigned now, the public pressure would definitely ease gradually, and with some maniption by the Morgan Family, perhaps the whole affair would blow over. Though he would lose the governorship, if he could get out of this intact, he might still have a chance for aeback in the future. There''s a saying, "Where there''s life, there''s hope." With that thought, Eugene immediately advised, "If that''s the case, then Governor, you should follow Mr. Joshua''s advice and resign first. After all, your term is nearly over, and if we can resolve this situation, we still have a bright future..." Chapter 256: Chapter 179: The Resignation that Shocked Nevada State_2 Stevenson also understood this principle and remained silent for several minutes before he finally said with a heavy heart, "Prepare for tomorrow''s press conference." This night was not only sleepless for Stevenson. Throughout the state of Nevada, many others were lying awake for various reasons as well. Some were still decrying Stevenson for the Agriculture Bill, while others worried about their own futures and interests. So, time moved on to the next morning. Shortly after David arrived at the Ninglin Branch Office, Simmons, Nisen, and Baki burst into his office and announced, "Chief Tax Officer, we''ve just been informed that the Governor is holding a press conference at the Governor''s Mansion in ten minutes." David was startled at first, then said, "Turn on the television." Simmons immediately switched on the television hung on the wall, tuning into Nevada''srgest TV station where the Governor''s Mansion entrance was visible, swarming with media already at the scene. Also visible were some agricultural stakeholders who had, at some unknown time, gathered there, not only carrying various banners denouncing Stevenson but also chanting slogans demanding Stevenson take responsibility for the bill. It was 9:40 AM. Stevenson finally emerged from the mansion, his clothes neat and his hair styled immactely. But the bloodshot in his eyes and the strain on his facial features betrayed inner turmoil that contradicted his polished exterior. "Good morning to the media friends, citizens, and viewers across Nevada. I am the Governor of Nevada, Stevenson," he began. After greeting everyone, Stevenson continued, "In light of Mr. Louson''s disclosure yesterday regarding the Agriculture Bill, I admit there were details I failed to handle properly, which have led to widespread dissatisfaction among agricultural workers." "For this, I am willing to take full responsibility. Effective immediately, I am formally resigning as Governor. Thank you for nearly eight years of support and affection from the voters of Nevada..." As soon as the word "resignation" was uttered, all of Nevada was stunned. They had thought today''s press conference was merely to respond to the Agricultural Bill and were not expecting Stevenson to announce his resignation outright. Indeed, many professionals had previously analyzed that, even with the scandals of the Golden Ear Bridge and the Agriculture Bill, it was not yet time for Stevenson to resign. Of course, they didn''t know aboutst night''s difficult meeting with Laurie and Oldington. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have been so surprised. "Looks like Stevenson is quite sensible, to actually take the initiative to resign," they remarked. "He is a smart man. If he kept clinging on, it would have only fueled the anger of the people. Resigning now at least quells public outrage to some extent," they said. "..." Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin Regarding Stevenson''s resignation, whether it was David or Simmons, Nisen, and Baki, there was little surprise. Because they were aware ofst night''s pce coup. In a situation where the scandal was unresolved and internal rebellion was present, even if they were in Stevenson''s shoes, the best option would only be to resign. Las Vegas, Lake District Sub-Bureau. Upon seeing Stevenson announce his resignation on TV, Selina was also shocked and fell into a daze. She immediately headed to the restroom and dialed her father''s number, saying, "Father, are you watching Stevenson''s press conference?" "I am, but I can''t quite understand why Stevenson would just announce his resignation," he said. Clearly, Selina''s father could see that, although Stevenson was embroiled in scandal, it was not yet so severe that resignation was necessary. "I''m also puzzled, but what''s certain is that something else must have happened after Louson disclosed the Agriculture Bill detailsst night, something that ultimately forced Stevenson into resignation," she said. "Whatever it is, it must be another of David''s schemes. That man is too sharp, capable of bringing down even a Governor. I''m growing more and more impressed with him, but... s, how can we get such a sharp knife into our hands?" hemented. Hearing this, Selina also felt a bit helpless. She had thought that David would have a hard time against Stevenson, so her n was to offer help in exchange for David''s allegiance or partnership when he was down. To her surprise, David didn''t need their help, as he single-handedly toppled the top figure in Nevada, which greatly exceeded her expectations and left her unsure of how to win David over. "By the way... Selina, you''ve worked under him for a sizeable amount of time now, do you think he... has any special interest in you?" he inquired. "What are you talking about, Father!" she eximed. Selina knew exactly what her father was implying and her face turned red in an instant. "You see, Selina, although Davides from humble beginnings, with his talents he''s bound to secure a position in the national tax bureau. We need to draw him to our side; he can be of great help. If a marriage alliance could make this possible, it would be ideal," he reasoned. In America''s high society, marriage alliances are amon strategy. And for them to bind David to the Kennedy family, what could be more stable than marriage,pared to favors and gratitude? Chapter 257: Chapter 179: The Resignation that Shocked Nevada State_3 Moreover, David now seems unstoppable; there''s no chance for them to sway him with favors. Therefore, the only option is a marriage alliance. Selina fell silent. Firstly, even though David had Asian ancestry, his overall appearance was not bad at all, and describing him as outstanding would not even be an exaggeration. Secondly, David led the armed forces into the Indian Tribe and stirred up trouble in both Sparks and Reno city halls, and now he had even unseated the top boss of Nevada State. Anyone would find any single one of these feats earth-shattering, yet David had aplished all four. And females naturally carry a gene that admires the strong, Selina was no exception, so deep down, she was not really averse to marrying David. But... Out of a woman''s innate shyness, she also felt embarrassed to agree too readily. "If you really don''t want to, I can talk to your cousin Moira about this matter, see what she thinks..." It was apparent that Selina''s father cared about his daughter and did not view her as a mere tool for political marriage for the sake of family interests, unlike some families. Upon hearing this, Selina, who had appeared somewhat shy, suddenly tensed and spoke up, "No, Father, cousin Moira has not even met David. I don''t want to ruin her happiness for a lifetime. If a marriage alliance is necessary... I... I am willing to make that sacrifice... "Good, since you say so, then it''s decided. But we are not in a hurry; let''s wait until the results of their deification ne out, then we''ll slowly start discussing this with him!" After all, Selina was a precious daughter of the Kennedy Family, and for her to marry a Chief Tax Officer would be somewhat mismatched in terms of status. Therefore, Selina''s father intended to wait. If David could quickly climb to the position of a Branch Office Director with the help of the deification n, that would be more suitable. "Yes, Father, I understand..." While Selina and her father were discussing, the press conference of Governor Stevenson continued on the television. After announcing his resignation, he also delivered a speech on his experiences during his eight years in office, essentially singing his own praises about his diligent service and contributions to Nevada State. Some experts could tell that this speech was nothing but a prelude to Stevenson''s plotting his next moves after his resignation. But at this moment, most people were not in the mood to listen; they were still immersed in the shocking news of Stevenson''s resignation. Ninglin Branch Office. "Humph, Stevenson really knows how to brag. He''s been the Governor of Nevada for so many years, and I have yet to see any great contribution from him." "Listening to his speech, he probably even thinks about running for Senator, Congressman, or some other position after resigning as Governor. How wishful." "Director, he is indeed a bit too optimistic. How about we add more fuel to the fire and destroy himpletely so he can''t make aeback?" Inside the temporary office, Buckynison Simmons and the others also saw through Stevenson''s intentions and spoke viciously. But before David could respond, there was a knock at the door, and then Bezi entered, saying, "Director David, Secretary Monroe from Director Jon''s office is here to see you." David frowned slightly. Hadn''t Monroe juste by yesterday? Why was he here again today? Not understanding the reason, he simply replied, "Alright, then let him in." Bezi nodded and left. A few minutester, the door was knocked again, and Monroe walked in, saying, "Nice to see you again, Director David." "Secretary Monroe, may I ask what brings you here today?" "Let''s cut to the chase. Director Jon sent me to ask you if you or Mr. Louson still have any other dirt on Governor Stevenson?" On hearing this, David''s expression slightly altered. From their conversation the day before, he had picked up that Director Jon did not wish to get involved in this matter. But now, Monroe''s words were so direct, there must have been some change of circumstances. Gathering his thoughts, he calmly asked, "May I inquire, what difference does it make whether we do or we don''t?" "Well, the message from Director Jon is that regardless of whether more dirt exists or not, it''s time to let the matter go and refrain from delving any deeper!" At this deration, David''s brow instantly furrowed, and the faces of Simmons, Nisen, and Baki listening in also darkened. As the saying goes, a centipede does not fall after losing its head. Especially when it''s a Governor. If they don''t take Stevenson down now, he might rise again and cause them further troubles in the future. It would have been a different case had someone else said it. But this was an order from Director Jon, and they had to obey, unless they wished to no longer be part of the Nevada tax bureau system. "Director David, I understand that this situation may upset you, but oftentimes many things are beyond our control, even for Director Jon. This is also the message he wanted me to convey to you." Monroe''s words eased David''s expression slightly. He realized Jon was not intentionally making things difficult for him; rather, higher-ups had pressured Jon, leaving him no choice but to order David to stop pursuing Stevenson''s destruction. "Please tell Director Jon that I know what to do now." "That''s good to hear. I won''t disturb you any further, I''ll be on my way." Chapter 258: Chapter 180: Laurie Riding High on the Spring Breeze After Monroe left, Nisen burst out with a curse: "Damn it, who the hell did Stevenson get to speak for him that even the top brass at the IRS personally stepped in to stop our operation!" "Even Director Jon couldn''t resist, it must be an order from the high-level officials in Washington D.C. Headquarters. Stevenson... does he have connections with our high-level officials in Washington D.C.?" "Hard to say, after all, he has been Governor for so many years, and to be in that position, hisworking surely isn''t simple. I think we need to conduct a more detailed investigation into his background..." Bucky and Simmons were also pondering separately. Firstly, it was definitely the higher-ups in Washington D.C. Headquarters who intervened, otherwise, even the President wouldn''t have the authority to directly instruct Jon to do so. "Forget it, we''ve already kicked him out of the Governor''s seat; he won''t be able to cause us any trouble for a while." Since the higher-ups wanted to protect Stevenson and Jon had passed the message along, David had no choice but to temporarily stand down. "Right, let''s take a trip to Tianxiang Bay!" ... Tianxiang Bay, Laurie''s family home. "Be careful, you guys, don''t break my gems!" Stevenson''s sudden resignation was like an earthquake for Nevada State, but if you ask who was the happiest person, it was naturally Deputy Governor Laurie. And at this moment, he was discussing with the movingpany, nning to move into the Governor''s Mansion as soon as his family home was packed up. The Governor''s Mansion. This was the ce he had dreamt of taking over for so many days and nights! And to his surprise, it actually came true. Laurie was feeling more and more delighted. "Deputy Governor... Governor, the State Treasurer, the Secretary-General, and others¡­ they are all at the door, asking to see you." Sherwood came over. He instinctively started to call him Deputy Governor but quickly corrected himself upon realizing the change in situation. "Heh, day in and day out, each and every one of them would pull faces at me, treating me like a fool, thinking they could kick me around, and now that they see I''ve risen to power, they alle running to pay homage, huh? Tell them I''m busy. After the inauguration ceremony, I will ''summon'' them one by one!" Laurie sneered, not showing much surprise. ording to statew, the Governor has the right to appoint or dismiss any official in the state government. Now that Stevenson has resigned, and ording to the federal constitution, he automatically became the new Governor. "The Emperor''s entourage changes with his reign," naturally, these people were afraid of being dismissed by him. "I will let them know right away." A few minutester, Sherwood returned, saying, "I''ve sent them away, but Mr. Louson has arrived. What do you think, Governor...?" "Louson came too?" Laurie thought for a moment. Although it was David who orchestrated Stevenson''s downfall, Louson had also yed a part. Moreover, the two could be considered ''brothers from the same school''. He could refuse to meet with others, but since Louson hade, it was proper to grant him the courtesy. With this thought, Laurie replied, "Then let him in." Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -NovelBin "Yes." In no time at all, Louson was brought in, and upon seeing Laurie, he cheerfully congratted: "Congrattions to Deputy Governor Laurie, no, I should call you Governor now, congrattions on ascending to the Governor''s throne." "Mr. Louson, I must thank you for your help with this. If ever there is anything I can assist you with in the future, just let me know!" Hearing this, Louson was extremely pleased. The reason he hade in person was actually secondary to the congrattions ¨C his main intent was to remind Laurie not to forget that his ascension to the Governor''s seat also had something to do with him! Although he thought this, he still waved his hand and modestly responded, "You tter me too much, Governor Laurie. I was merely making an appearance; the real assistance to your rise..." "Governor, Director David is here." Louson was just about to mention David when Sherwood arrived and interrupted him. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. "Pleasee in...oh no, I''ll go receive him myself!" Upon hearing that David had arrived, Laurie, who had been putting on airs as the Governor, instantly let his guard down and became more approachable than he had been before. Firstly, it was with David''s help that he had been able to ascend to his position. Secondly, if David could take down Stevenson like that, taking him down would be a matter of minutes. So even though he was now the supreme leader of Nevada State, he didn''t dare to act haughty or put on any airs when he heard David wasing. "Director David, if you needed me, just give me a notice, and I would havee to you. There was no need for you toe all the way here." By this time, Laurie had already reached the door. "Now that you''re the esteemed Governor of a state, how could I a mere Director dare to have youe in person? It''s better that Ie myself." Laurie chuckled awkwardly and replied, "How can you say that, Director David? Without you, there would be no today for me. I will remember your kindness for a lifetime." "Let''s talk inside." "Please,e in." Turning around, Laurie waited until David and his entourage had entered before he then closed the door and walked in, asking, "Director David and the inspector brothers, would you like something to drink?" "No need for formalities, Governor Laurie... Eh, Mr. Lawson, you''re here too." Seeing Lawson in the living room, David was also somewhat surprised. Lawson smiled awkwardly and said, "I just happened to be passing by and thought I''de in to congratte Governor Laurie." David showed a meaningful expression and then turned to Laurie, saying, "Governor Laurie, I have three matters to discuss with you." "Don''t just say three matters, even if there were three hundred, I would handle them without error!" Pleased, David nodded and said, "First, after you take your oath of office, immediately cancel the crackdown directive in Carson City, and let the work of the local IRS resume as normal." "Second, clear out all of Stevenson''s cronies." "Third, issue instructions to all your departments to fully cooperate with my tax work from now on!" Stevenson''s affair had wasted too much of his time, and now with only a few days left until the end of the assessment period, he had to unite all forces and make up for the tax performance lost time. With the state government''s cooperation, although it wouldn''t give him wings like a tiger, it would definitely yield good results for his tax work. "No problem!" Laurie, without a moment''s hesitation, agreed immediately. David turned to Lawson and asked, "Mr. Lawson, I''ve seen your support rates. Based on these percentages, as long as you don''t have a scandal like Stevenson in theing months, the Senator''s position should be secure, right?" "That''s right, but even though there are still several months until the election, unexpected things could happen. I think the expos¨¦ on Stevenson these past few days has had a great effect. Could you... could you..." Lawson didn''t finish his sentence, but his intent was clear¡ªhe wanted David to continue releasing information to boost his support rate. Of course, he wasn''t doing this entirely for a higher approval rating. Mainly it was because he and Stevenson were arch enemies. Now with the Golden Ear Bridge affair and the agricultural bill issue simmering down after Stevenson''s resignation, and with some rtionship navigation, Stevenson would very likely avoid legal responsibility. Since he had already taken action, how could he be willing to let Stevenson get off so easily? Even if he couldn''t destroy the manpletely, at the very least, he would have to strip ayer off Stevenson! "The Stevenson affair ends here." "Ah... this..." Lawson was surprised but quickly bit his lip and said, "Pardon my bluntness, Director David, but as the saying goes, ''wildfires never quite burn out, and spring winds blow them back to life''. Stevenson is now standing on the edge of a cliff¡ªone more push and he will shatter to pieces. We can''t let him have the chance to recover!" Chapter 259: Chapter 181: Whose Home Does the Deity Ultimately Belong To? David turned his head and looked directly at him, saying, "Have I not made myself clear enough?" "This... Well, I understand," he replied. Although it wasn''t clear to Lawson why David would let Stevenson off the hook, with the conversation having progressed this far, Lawson dare not insist any further. "As long as you understand. After all, he has now lost the position of governor and can no longer obstruct your path to bing a senator. Just do your job well; I may need your help in the future," David continued. In America, legitors y a very important role and, from a certain perspective, these individuals'' powers can even surpass those of the president. Because they control Congress, which in turn controls legitive power. Take, for example, their Internal Revenue Service''s ck tax bill, which was passed through Congress and voted in by these legitors, thereby granting this legitive authority. In America, there are two types of legitors: Congressmen and Senators. Although both are legitors, there is a significant difference in their powers. To begin with, there are 435 Congressmen in the entire Congress, all of whom are elected from the states with varying numbers per state, up to about a dozen, and serve a two-year term once elected. As for Senators, there are only 100 in the entire Congress, which means that each state elects only two, and once elected, they serve a six-year term. The process for a bill starts with the Congressmen drafting the proposal. After drafting, there is a series of debates, and ultimately it is voted on in the House of Congressmen. If more than 218 Congressmen vote in favor, then the bill passes the House of Congressmen and moves on to the Senate for review. Only if more than 51 Senators approve, can it be considered officially passed by Congress. Therefore, in America, many refer to the House of Congressmen as the Lower House, while the Senate is called the Upper House. This indicates just how significant the Senators'' roles are in the Senate. This is why David mentioned that he might need Lawson''s help in the future. Upon hearing this, Lawson was also pleased. The logic was simple: if David might need his assistance in the future, then if Lawson needed David''s help, wouldn''t it be the case that he wouldn''t have to be so polite either? With this in mind, he hurriedly replied with a smile, "Sure, Director David, just let me know if there''s anything I can do for you in the future!" David nodded and replied, "Then..." "Director." Just as David was about to leave a message and take his leave, Simmons at his side seemed to have something to say and pulled David aside to whisper, "Director, now that Laurie is being so cooperative, I think we should encourage him to lead the state government in setting an example by having their members pay the ck tax to us. This might lead the cities to follow suit and, in turn, we could receive a sizable amount of tax revenue..." It was a wake-up call. Hearing this, David snapped back to reality, realizing he had forgotten this point. He then returned to Laurie and said, "Governor Laurie, I think there''s one more thing I need to add..." ... In the following days, David did not leave Carson City but instead initiated an efficient tax collection operation there. With the cooperation of the state government and the FBI, and relying on the major cases from the Ninglin Branch Office, he soon harvested more than 10 million in tax achievements, bringing the total to 56.56 million dors. However, due to the excessive time wasted on the Stevenson matter, even though he managed to collect over 10 million in tax achievements in the past few days, he was still behind Bemy Hattie, who was in second ce by over 4 million dors, and behind Brown Soros, who was in first ce by over 8 million. March 1st, at 9 a.m. Simmons entered the temporary office and said, "Director, those guys came to pay their taxes yesterday, we''ve booked another 6.1 million." David nodded and replied, "Alright, get ready, we''re going back to Las Vegas." After his sweep of the past few days, the major cases in Carson City were almost all wrapped up. Furthermore, today marked the deadline for the assessment period, so he had to return to the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. Half an hourter. All their work here was duly handed over, and David cleared out the temporary office, gathering his documents and materials to prepare for the return to Las Vegas. When they reached the lobby, Director Egbert, Director Bezi, and the rest of the high-ranking officials from the Ninglin Branch Office, who had been informed, were already waiting for them. Find more chapters on m_v l|e-NovelBin "Director David, I heard you''re returning to the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, and I must say, it''s hard to let go," one of them said. "Director David, thank you very much for your assistance to the Ninglin Branch Office during this time..." another said. "Director David..." One after another, Egbert and the others came forward to say goodbye, expressing their reluctance to see him go. Up to this point, in cooperation with David, the Ninglin Branch Office had totaled over 8 million in revenue. That was over 8 million dors, several times more than all the revenue they had recorded in previous assessment periodsbined. How could they not be grateful to David? Regrettably, all good things muste to an end; now with most of Carson City''s major cases already dealt with, David was about to leave them and return to the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. Thinking of this, everyone from the Ninglin Branch Office felt a profound sense of loss. "Director Egbert, Director Bezi... I also thank you for your cooperation during this time. We must be going now. Goodbye!" David and his party took their turns to bid farewell to the people of the Ninglin Branch Office, expressing their thanks, before stepping out the door, getting into a car, and heading back in the direction of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. Chapter 260: Chapter 181: Whose Home Does the Deity Ultimately Belong To?_2 When I returned to the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, it was already 11 a.m. Upon learning that David had returned, William immediately called him into the office and eximed, "Director David, you''re finally back." "The assessment period is closing, how could I not return." "Alright, oh by the way..." William seemed to remember something, his expression towards David bing more meaningful as he spoke, "Tell me in detail about your ''masterpiece'' in Carson City!" After the incident at the Golden Ear Bridge, he knew it had to be David''s doing, which is why he had called David that evening to inquire about it. But unexpectedly, the next day the news about the agricultural bill burst forth. What surprised him even more was that after the agricultural bill was exposed, Stevenson announced his resignation the very next day. When William saw the news, he was truly startled. He could see that these two issues, although quite troublesome, were not enough to force a resignation from Stevenson, who had a deep-rooted presence in Nevada State. There must''ve been some undisclosed events! In order to understand the reasons, he made additional inquiries over the phone with David, but David imed it was tooplex to exin over the phone, promising to report in person upon his return. Thus, William had to curb his curiosity until now. David adjusted his thoughts and slowly began, "Actually, it''s like this..." ... Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, at the Long Beach Branch. "How''s it going?" "Checked it, there''s been no tax revenue for David from Lake District for over an hour now, while Brown Soros just had another 1.6 million credited." In the office, a thirty-year-old man with a buzz cut was deep in thought, a cigarette perched in one hand and his chin resting in the other. He is the star figure in the current IRS system, Bemy Hattie. Across from him was one of his subordinates, Inspector Kofi Michel. Inspector Bemy, with less than half an hour to the deadline, I think it should be safe now." Bemy remained unresponsive to Kofi''s words. Three days ago, his tax performance was still leading David by over four million. However, David''s sudden push had not only caught up with him but had almost overtaken him. It took nine challenging days to regain a lead of over two million in tax performance. But now he was worried about being ''surpassed'' at thest moment. Simply put, it meant David might have a tax revenue hidden up his sleeve to deposit at the deadline, overtaking his rank. "Just stay vignt, don''t capsize the boat at this juncture." "Yes, sir." ... New York, Manhattan Branch. At this moment, Brown Soros was also discussing with his subordinates the possibility of being ''surpassed.'' Although currently, they were still leading the second ce Bemy Hattie by more than six million, and third-ce David by nearly nine million. But as they were in the crux of ''Operation Deification'', no one could guarantee that their rivals wouldn''t pull some tricks. After much deliberation, for safety''s sake, Brown finally said, "Call Hillbot, have him prepare 5 million toe over. In thest minute before the deadline, deposit this tax revenue into my ount." "As youmand, Chief Tax Officer." After the inspector left, Brown turned to his partner during his tenure as Chief Tax Officer, Kelly Orsey, and asked, "How''s the information you were tasked to gather?" "There are rumors in Nevada State saying David killed Stevenson''s son on a mission, causing Stevenson to be very angry. As to whether Stevenson was ousted by David, there''s no direct evidence." Hearing this, Brown fell into deep thought. The abrupt resignation of a Governor was a sensational matter, not just for Nevada but for all of America. Of course, while the issue was sensational, it wasn''t of much relevance to him, especially during the critical period of Operation Deification. He wasn''t inclined to concern himself with it. But for some reason, within their IRS system¡ªparticrly from Nevada¡ªthere was talk implying Stevenson''s resignation was linked to David, with some even iming it was David''s machination, which was quite shocking to him. Although he had won every first-ce slot since the start of the appraisal period in the IRS system, taking on even a city mayor would be daunting for him, let alone a governor with supreme authority over an entire state. After pondering for a good while, Brown raised his head and asked, "Let''s hear your opinion, Kelly." "Stevenson''s case isn''t certain, but the matters in Henderson and Sparks are definitive. The city halls in both cities were indeed given a hard time by David, so I think while Stevenson''s issue might seem exaggerated, it''s not entirely impossible..." Upon hearing this, Brown quickly snapped back to reality. Yes, the issues with the city halls of Sparks and Henderson weren''t rumors; the officials implicated in corruption and tax evasion were indeed put behind bars by David. When viewed in that light, the rumor of Stevenson being ousted by David might sound far-fetched, but it seemed it might not be entirely imusible. With this thought, Brown''s expression gradually became more solemn. He had always considered Bemy Hattie his ultimatepetition, not only for his formidable capabilities but also for his simrly extraordinary background and status. Chapter 261: Chapter 181: Whose Home Does the Deity Ultimately Belong To?_3 David had investigated his own profile and found nothing particrly special about his background, so although he was highly capable, deep down, he had never considered David a finalpetitor. But now things were different. If David could even eliminate a state governor, then his methods were truly ruthless, and he was not someone to be taken lightly. "Forget it, let''s not worry about this matter for now, and focus on the uing assessment period instead," "Understood." Amidst the tense atmosphere filtering through the IRS system, the time reached 12:30, and the ounting system was formally shut down. Bemy Hadith, Brown Soros and others breathed a sigh of relief; the feared ''tower theft'' had not urred. They also managed to retain their current positions, as they had wished. Lake District Sub-Bureau. "So that''s how it is. I was wondering how the Golden Ear Bridge and agricultural bill affairs could''ve possibly led a governor who had been digging in for nearly eight years to resign voluntarily. Turns out you even managed to handle their Secretary of State and Deputy Governor. You really do have a way with things, Director David," After David''s exnation, William finally understood why Stevenson had resigned so readily. With such heavy public opinion pressure from the outside and internal power struggles rendering him powerless, resignation was his only option. "It''s only because those two weren''t clean that I was able to catch them," David merely stated that he had handled these individuals, but as for how he had done it, he naturally would not reveal his ace card, and William couldn''t possibly guess it. "However, it must be said that what you did was absolutely correct. If you had confronted Stevenson directly in your capacity as an IRS official, it would have made you instantly famous across America, but it also would have brought you a lot of trouble in your career. Keeping a low profile is the best strategy for you now," William indeed admired David''s shrewdness in this regard. "I think so too..." "But no matter what, other people may not be aware of this matter, but many within the IRS are. If this reaches the ears of our high-level officials at Washington D.C. Headquarters, and considering it''s now the time of ''Project Deification,'' this could be a plus for you..." To be honest, William was not very optimistic about David when ''Project Deification'' was firstunched. But after the events involving the two city halls and now Stevenson, his previous views had slowly changed. The two city halls were one thing, but Stevenson was a governor. And now, even a supreme ruler of a state had been ''sliced down from his horse'' by David. How could the high-level officials at Washington D.C. Headquarters not appreciate such ability? Although in terms of background, David might not have the depth of Bemy Hadith or Brown Soros. But with such formidable abilities on disy, as long as the higher-ups at Washington D.C. Headquarters truly took a liking to him, then David might also have a chance at bing the deity of ''Project Deification''! "Let''s hope so..." William nodded slightly, then said, "All right, the assessment period meeting is about to start, let''s go!" The two men left the office one after another, heading in the direction of the fifth-floor conference room. When they arrived at the fifth floor conference room, most people were already present. Seeing David arrive, Keanu, Hector, Hutton and others greeted him one by one. Then, his gaze searched for others in the seats at the back, quickly locating Ariel and the others, nodding to each of them in turn. However, when his eyes met Selina''s, he noticed something odd about her, but David didn''t pay too much attention to it and soon sat down in a front row seat. "Good morning everyone, I am your Chief William." By now, William had already stepped onto the stage, and behind him on the big screen, the national tax performance ranking for all branches appeared. Previously, when viewing this list, one would have to scroll down quite a bit to find the Lake District Sub-Bureau''s name. But there was no need to scroll this time, because in this round of assessment, the Lake District Sub-Bureau, with a total tax performance of 66.563 million, ranked 10th nationwide. Of course, the reason for cing tenth and achieving 66.563 million was mainly due to David''s contribution of 62.66 million alone. The rest of the entire Lake District Sub-Bureau''s inspectors'' performances added up to nearly only about 4 million. "This time our Lake District Sub-Bureau has reached a total tax performance of 66.563 million, rising to the 10th position nationwide, primarily thanks to the efforts and contributions of everyone present. I hope in the new assessment period, everyone will continue to strive for excellence." For some reason, upon hearing William''s words, many faces in the room felt a sting. Because reaching this tax performance and ranking was clearly due to David''s own efforts, and the rest of them contributed less than 4 million in tax revenuebined. How could that be called relying on their efforts and contributions? "Now, let''s take a look at the inspector''s tax performance leaderboard!" As he spoke, the screen operator immediately changed the image. The big screen now disyed the national inspector''s tax performance leaderboard. At the top, unsurprisingly, was Brown Soros from the New York Manhattan Branch, with a total tax performance of 75.11 million. In second ce was Bemy Hadith from the Los Angeles Long Beach Branch, with a total of 65.133 million. David came in third with 62.66 million. Discover more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin And from the fourth to the tenth ce, all had tax performances exceeding 40 million. Overall, this assessment period showed a leap in numberspared to thest, whether from first to tenth ce or from tenth to a hundredth ce. Of course, the significant increase was not only due to the inspectors'' growing familiarity with the anti-tax evasion bill but also to the motivation provided by ''Project Deification.'' Chapter 262: Chapter 182: Washington D.C. Headquarters Meeting ``` "Everyone has seen it, our Director David has reaped a tax performance of 62.66 million, ranking third nationally. Let''s give him a round of apuse..." As William''s words came to an end, thunderous apuse erupted from the audience. David immediately rose from his seat and bowed to the people behind him to express his gratitude. "Alright, let''s now report on the situation of each team in our bureau..." In the following time, William went through the tax collection situation of each team during the appraisal period, criticizing where necessary and offering encouragement where due. Finally, he came to a point that many people in the room were most concerned about, which was the matter of official funding for this asion. "Hmm..." William cleared his throat slightly, and under the gaze of the expectant crowd, he slowly said, "Due to the substantial new heights reached by this period''s tax performance, the official funding has also seen a significant increase. As instructed by the headquarters, our Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch has been allocated 3 million in official funds..." Upon hearing the amount of 3 million, aside from David and his team, the eyes of the other nine Chief Tax Officers and their team members present all lit up with eagerness. "This official funding, as Director David''s inspection team has contributed the most, hence the seventh team will receive an allocation of 1 million. As for the first team..." In the time that followed, William began the distribution of the official funds. As usual, the team with the greatest contribution received more funds, while the less significant ones received less. Twenty minutester, the 3 million official funds were officially distributed. William then delivered some motivational words for the new appraisal period, and the appraisal meeting was adjourned. Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., at the America Tax Bureau headquarters. The America Tax Bureau Headquarters are located in the heart of the Washington D.C. area, on the magnificent Constitution Avenue. The headquarters building is rectangr, adorned with ssic white marble, and the frontage bears the emblem of the America Tax Bureau. This emblem, shaped like a shield set upon a silver banner, represents the authority and precision of taxation. Upon entering the building, what stands out the most is the portrait of Lincoln, the founder of the Tax Bureau, on the wall, and beneath him hang the portraits of past directors. At the other end of the wall showing Lincoln and past directors, there are also portraits and information of individuals who have made significant contributions to the Tax Bureau in its nearly 160 years of existence, including Inspectors and Chief Tax Officers. Naturally, having one''s portrait disyed here is the dream of every Inspector, Chief Tax Officer, Tax Investigator, and even Branch Director across the country. At the top floor of the headquarters building are the offices of the Director and other senior leaders. At this moment, in a conference room on this floor, there is a rectangr table set up in the center surrounded by almost all of the high-ranking officials of the Tax Bureau. "This assessment period is over, let''s hear everyone''s thoughts?" At one end of the rectangr table, a man in his early fifties wearing a gray suit, with rtively thick brows that gave him a powerful presence even when calm, spoke these words. He is the current helmsman of the America Tax Bureau, Obadiah Bill. "The Manhattan Branch performed well, bing the first to break the one-billion mark in ck tax revenue since the passage of our ck taxw. I think we should tilt more resources towards this branch to achieve even better results." "The Long Beach Branch is also good, not quite a billion but still reaching more than 80 million, showing great potential." "The Queens District Branch did well too..." "..." Many of the high-ranking officials present had risen through the ranks from these branches and still wielded influence over them. As these branches fell within their spheres of influence, they were naturally vocal in defending their regions'' interests. "I think the branch that performed best is the Lake District Sub-Bureau in Las Vegas. It''s a miracle that such a small branch could achieve tax performance of over 60 million!" As everyone continued to defend their branches, this statement made everyone stop their discussions and turn their heads to look. Turns out, the one who made this statement was none other than the Deputy Director in charge of the ck taxw, Donald Gardner. Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin "I agree with Deputy Director Donald''s words. It is indeed a miracle for a small branch like the Lake District topete with, and even surpass, some of therge branches like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago." "The reason the Lake District Sub-Bureau was able to achieve such tax performance is mainly due to that Chief Tax Officer named David. He is a talent, and we should focus on cultivating him..." "..." Following Donald''s remarks, some of the other senior executives also echoed his words, with quite a few even singing David''s praises by name. "Since we''re on the topic of David, let''s discuss the ''Shadowy Project.'' I''d like to hear everyone''s thoughts on who in our Tax Bureau system would be suitable!" As Obadiah finished speaking, the expressions of the senior officials present changed. But before long, one of the deputy directors directly said, "Speaking of the ''Shadowy Project,'' Brown Soros from the Manhattan Branch has been the number one since the establishment of the appraisal period. I think there''s no one more suitable than him!" "Indeed, in terms of contribution, he is the number one person under our ck taxw so far, and in terms of ability, he is now making criminals in the Manhattan District tremble at the mere mention of his name. He is indeed the most suitable person to represent our ck taxw." ``` Chapter 263: Chapter 182: Washington D.C. Headquarters Meeting_2 "I also support Brown Soros..." "Bemy Hattie from the Long Beach Branch isn''t bad either; haven''t you heard about the ''223'' incident he dealt with in his jurisdiction? He subdued thergest local drug trafficking group in one fell swoop, winning quite a bit of public favor for us." "Bemy Hattie is indeed not bad; not only is he exceptionally capable, but his image and demeanor are also top-notch. I believe he should be the spokesperson for our ckout tax bill..." "..." It was clear that both Brown Soros and Bemy Hattie had the support of many senior executives present. At this point, Donald could not stand it any longer and interrupted directly, saying, "What, Brown Soros and Bemy Hattie, these two Chief Tax Officers, are outstanding, but isn''t David from the Lake District of Las Vegas remarkable as well?" "Don''t forget who led the armed operation in Nevada State; that was simply the best publicity our IRS has had in years." "Besides the armed operation, there were also his actions in Sparks and Henderson, which further disyed our IRS authority to the world." "Do you really believe that Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros are better suited to be the spokesperson for the ckout tax bill than he is?" Donald knew that the backgrounds of Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros were no ordinary matters, which was why so many high-level executives present were speaking up for them. However, as the drafter of the ckout tax bill, he was wholeheartedly eager to see this bill flourish and naturally wanted to choose the most suitable candidate to be the spokesperson for the bill. And he believed the most suitable candidate was none other than David! "I support Deputy Director Donald''s view. Since David led the armed operation, the media hasbeled him the ''Tax Evasion Nemesis'' and ''Iron Fist Tax Chief''. He is definitely more suitable than Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros to be the spokesperson for the ckout tax bill!" "David''s tax performance in a small branch like the Lake District isparable to those two; this is already honorable even before we mention his leadership in the armed operation and his actions in Sparks and Henderson. He is very suitable." "I support David." "I pick David; he has made significant contributions to our IRS..." Although David did not have any substantial connections, his outstanding performance not only won over Donald but also many of the senior executives present. Upon hearing thesements, the senior executives who had previously supported Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros now couldn''t help but fall silent. The reasoning was indeed sound. The candidates they supported, Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros, although they had higher tax performance ratings than David every term since the evaluation period began. But keep in mind, David was stationed in a small branch like Las Vegas, and yet he still managed to achieve such tax performance ¨C from a certain perspective, that was already a win. Not to mention David was also the hero who re-established the IRS''s armed deterrence throughout the country, plus his remarkable achievements in both Sparks and Henderson. But despite that, for their own interests, after a moment of silence, one vice director still went against his better judgement and said, "Deputy Director Donald has a point, but after all, Brown Soros has been the consistent number one on the tax performance charts, making a huge contribution to our IRS. If we don''t choose him, wouldn''t that be discouraging to all the Inspectors of our IRS?" "That''s right, this round David is only third after all. Choosing the third instead of the first or second will not be seen as legitimate." "I also agree with this..." Hearing these words, Donald was on the verge of exploding with anger. Promotions based on who has the most tax achievements seem fair on the surface. But still, how can a tform like Las Vegas bepared with therge tforms of Los Angeles and New York? For the sake of assisting Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros, these people were shameless! Just as Donald was about to speak up, Obadiah was a step ahead and said, "Since everyone has their own opinion, Consultant Welton Heng, what do you think?" Across from Obadiah, a man with high cheekbones who was seated by himself, showed a thoughtful expression upon hearing this. His name was Welton Heng Matt, and he was the Chief Consultant of the IRS. Within the IRS system, the Chief Consultant, like the Director, requires a nomination by the President and confirmation by the Senate to be appointed. Therefore, the role of Chief Consultant can be said to be one of the two most powerful individuals within the IRS system. After pondering for a moment, under everyone''s watchful eyes, Welton Heng slowly stated, "It''s undeniable that David has performed excellently, and from a certain angle, he may have surpassed both Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros." "However, Vice Director Rohan and others also make sense. Brown Soros and Bemy Hattie have made the most significant contributions to our ckout tax bill." "If we do not pick the first and second and instead go for the third, this will not only dishearten those two but may also cause dissatisfaction among many Inspectors across the country, thinking that we high-level executives are rigging things behind the scenes. If it''s severe, it might even lead to negative emotions among them, which would be detrimental to our tax work..." Hearing this, Donald, as well as a few others who had just supported David, felt their spirits plummet. As the Chief Consultant of the IRS, Welton Heng''s words definitely carried weight. Chapter 264: Chapter 182: Washington D.C. Headquarters Meeting_3 Now that he had made his stance clear, even if Obadiah was inclined to support David, he would certainly be unable to smoothly ascend to the position. Moreover, they still did not know whether Obadiah internally supported David or not. When one person rejoices, another groans. Those who had just supported Brown Soros burst with joy instantaneously, as ording to Obadiah''s remarks, the one to ascend would naturally be Brown Soros. "Consultant Welton Heng''s analysis is very reasonable; however... if we go by that reasoning, it will certainly dishearten David. Although his tax performance is not as good as the other two individuals, he is after all stationed in such a small division and moreover, he has a series of bonus points from armed operations, which cannot be overlooked..." These words from Obajoa immediately electrified those like Donald who were originally downcast. Because they had discerned that their Chief seemed to be supportive of David. And as long as they had Obadiah''s support, David still had hope! After Obadiah spoke these words, the room instantly fell silent. The situation had be clear: amongst the IRS bigwigs, one supported Brown Soros and another David. Since the Divine Project could select only one person, the situation had be quite delicate. And just as the atmosphere was gradually intensifying, Vice Director Rohan suddenly spoke up: "Although David qualifies, I believe we absolutely cannot choose him!" At these words, many faces in the room showed surprise. Because although this Vice Director supported Brown Soros, he had also recognized David''s contributions. Yet now, his words carried an aggressive tone, which naturally shocked and puzzled many. Donald furrowed his brows and immediately demanded, "Vice Director Rohan, what do you mean by that? Why can we absolutely not choose him?" "I have received the information that the Governor of Nevada State, Stevenson, was brought down by him personally. Although outsiders are still unclear about this, no one can guarantee that it will note out one day." "And if this matter really gets out and bes known to Governors of other states, Senators, Congressmen, and some people in Washington D.C., it will bring us major trouble." "So, if we were to select him as the face of our IRS, and he really gets into some kind of troubleter, what would we do?" Upon hearing Rohan''s remarks, many people instantly tensed up. The ck Tax Bill passed Congress because no one cared to sympathize with those criminals, and it didn''t touch the interests of those Senators, Congressmen, and other influential figures, which is why they let the bill pass. But if David''s overthrow of Stevenson were to leak, it would surely cause panic among many of those powerful figures. They could potentially go to any length to strike at David. And if they really did choose David as the spokesperson for the IRS, they might indeed face significant troublester on. Thinking of this, the senior officials who had supported David, including Obadiah himself, began to sway slightly internally. But Donald was not swayed in the slightest; he retorted angrily: "Vice Director Rohan, if David was able to topple Governor Stevenson, that proves his ability far surpasses that of people like Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros by who knows how much. That''s supposed to be a bonus, how could it be a demerit in your eyes?" "And let''s not forget everyone, the great power of our IRS is granted to us by the Federal Constitution." "It has always been us troubling others, how can we fear others troubling us?" "If Mr. Lincoln knew about this, he would certainly criticize us descendants for being as timid as mice!" Donald''s words rang out powerfully, like thunder, reaching the ears of all present. And those like Obajoa, who had wavered slightly, now suddenly woke up, with their faces turning a bit red. Indeed. They were the IRS, the most powerful institution in America; did they need to fear those influential figures so much? And if those people dared to give them trouble, they could very well just set David loose on them. Since David could bring down Governor Stevenson, surely dealing with those powerful figures wouldn''t be too difficult, right? Thinking this, Obajoa spoke up directly: "Deputy Director Donald speaks correctly. Since David managed to bring down Stevenson, that also indirectly reflects his capability, and it should not count as a demerit!" Donald exhaled in relief; his forceful words had seemingly awakened the Chief. As long as the Chief stood firm, there was still a chance to win! "Since we all have different opinions, I have a suggestion!" Everyone turned their heads to see who was speaking and realized it was Tursi Sizer, the special agent in charge of supervising and managing the tax investigations andw enforcement work in different districts. Obajoa immediately asked, "What''s your suggestion?" "There''s no need to select the candidate for the Divine Project right now. Since a new round of assessment has started, why not just inform them that after this assessment period, the one with the highest tax achievement will be the candidate? If anyone loses, they will likely ept the oue, and this seems to be the fairest choice at the moment." "Wait a second¡­" Donald immediately interjected, "What kind of joke is this? How can Las Vegas possiblypete with Los Angeles, and New York? That''s hardly fair." Tursi replied, "Then we can transfer David to another district now, giving him a fair tform topete. That should be fair, right?" Donald''s brow wrinkled. The other''s proposal seemed fair but was in fact still biased. The reasoning was simple: whether it was Brown Soros or Bemy Hattie, both were deeply familiar with their respective jurisdictions, and naturally, tax collections were smoothly executed. Transferring David to a new district now, while the tform was the same, would require time to familiarize, and how could David possibly keep up with their tax revenue pace in a short time? But just as he was about to voice his opposition, Consultant Welton Heng beat him to it, saying: "I think the suggestion is good and indeed fair. What do you think, Chief Obajoa?" Chapter 265: Chapter 183: Is the Headquarters Biased? At this moment, all eyes were focused on Obadiah, waiting to see how he would respond. About a minuteter, Obadiah, with a changing expression, finally spoke, "Since Consultant Welton Heng thinks the proposal is sound, let''s go with that. The meeting is adjourned." With those words, the higher-ups who supported Brown immediately became cheerful, while those in David''s camp, led by Donald, had their faces darken. However, since Obadiah had agreed, they naturally couldn''t say much more. After returning to his office, Donald immediately picked up the phone and called the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. After the assessment period meeting dispersed, David gathered his Inspectors in the office to allocate the cases and matters to be prepared for this assessment period. Afterward, he began to feel increasingly anxious. Because he knew all too well that although the "Deification n" did not specify a deadline, today marked the end of the assessment period, and the headquarters would surely discuss this matter. There was even a high probability that they would make a selection today and then announce it to the entire Inspector system. This assessment period, because of Stevenson''s waste of time, his tax performance was only third, and he didn''t know if he would be chosen. But he thought... The high-level executives at headquarters would also consider the tform factors, right... After all, his city was Las Vegas, while Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros were in major cities like Los Angeles and New York. Even so, his tax performance was only slightly behind the two of them; the headquarters'' higher-ups couldn''t just ignore this, right? Just as David was feeling restless, a knock on the door brought him back to reality, and he called out immediately, "Come in." The visitor was William''s secretary. She said, "Director David, Chief William is asking you to stop by his office." Upon hearing this, David''s nerves tightened even more. Being called over at this time, could it be that there was some result from the headquarters? Thinking this, he immediately stood up and hurried to Chief William''s office door. After knocking and receiving a response, he pushed the door open and asked, "Chief, you wanted to see me?" William pointed to the desk phone set aside and replied, "To be exact, it''s Deputy Director Donald from the headquarters who wants to speak with you." David''s expression tightened. It seemed indeed rted to the "Deification n"; otherwise, the high-ups at the headquarters wouldn''t be calling him directly. With his heart pounding, he approached the desk, picked up the phone, and said, "Hello Deputy Director Donald, this is David." "Hello, Director David. I wanted to talk to you today primarily about the ''Deification n''." "The result is out?" "Not yet." Hearing that, David felt a slight relief. He dreaded the headquarters deciding the oue solely based on tax performance, but now, since the result was still pending, whatever requirement the high-level conference came up with next, he would be able to strive and fulfill. After all, having resolved the issue with Stevenson and having won over the new Governor Laurie, Nevada State could pretty much be said to be under his influence. If in this new assessment period the higher-ups required to be first in tax performance to be elected, he was not the least bit afraid. He couldn''t believe that with the tax support of an entire state, he couldn''t outperform those two from Los Angeles and New York! "Actually, by all rights, you should be the one elected since you are the greatest contributor to our department''s resurgence in the face of the public over the years, and moreover, cities like Sparks and Henderson have once again demonstrated our IRS''s authority to the whole of America." "Most importantly, you''re in a small subdivision like the Lake District of Las Vegas and still managed to rank in the top three nationally in tax performance, not far behind the first and second." "So I was very supportive of your election at the high-level meeting." "Unfortunately, as the Deputy Director of headquarters, I cannot decide such a significant matter by myself." "Aside from a few others and myself, many high-level executives, including the Chief Consultant, support people like Brown Soros and Bemy Hadith..." In truth, with Donald''s status, there was no need for him to exin so patiently to David, but he did so out of high regard for David, and as a way to appease him, he had lowered his stance. After listening to this exnation, David''s heart sank. As an IRS insider, he fully understood the weight of the Chief Consultant, a role that could stand on equal footing with the Director. And this individual supported Brown Soros, no wonder that even though Donald was the Deputy Director overseeing the Anti-Tax Evasion bill, he couldn''t simply secure his election. But the problem now arose. If the Chief Consultant supported Brown Soros, without any other disturbance, it should''ve been him getting elected, right? Why did Donald just say that the result was still not out? Could it be... ``` Was it the General Director who jumped out to express his support for him? It seemed only with such support from the chief consultant that Brown Soros could still fail to be elected directly! In an instant, David roughly guessed the situation of the high-level meeting. And the following words from Donald confirmed his guess. "But you don''t need to worry too much, our Director Obadiah has recognized your potential and expressed his support for you." "After some discussion, we came up with a unified n." "That is, to take this assessment period as an exam, you three, including others, whoever achieves the highest tax performance in this round, will be elected to the ''Project of Deification''." "However, we have also taken into ount the disadvantage of your tform, so you can apply to be transferred to a higher tform, and we will approve it as quickly as possible. What do you think?" It was indeed almost as David had expected. But if it had been before, facing the General Bureau''s green light to move to another bigger tform, he would have certainly given it some thought. But now, with the entire Nevada State under his control, he naturally would not consider this. Without hesitating for too long, he directly replied over the phone, "No need, Deputy Director Donald. I am quite adept at the taxation work here in Nevada State, moving to a new tform would just tie my hands and feet. I don''t need to be transferred, I''ll stay right here." There were only two people in the office, so William could roughly hear the content of the phone call, and he was extremely anxious when he heard Donald say that David could be allowed to move to another big tform. But fortunately, David didn''t even think about it before directly refusing, which made him secretly sweat. "Are you sure?" "I''m very sure!" "Well, if that''s the case, then I won''t force you. But remember, this assessment period is particrly important for your career advancement. If you really win it, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say you could elerate by at least 10 years. Try your best topete." Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -NovelBin "I understand, Deputy Director Donald." "Alright, let''s leave it at that for now." "Goodbye, Deputy Director Donald." After hanging up the phone, William immediately said, "Thank goodness Director Obadiah stood by your side in this high-level meeting, otherwise Brown Soros would have been elected for sure!" David also felt a sense of relief. This was the reflection of one''s background. To put it bluntly, if the armed actions he led, along with the major incidents in Sparks and Henderson, plus the downfall of Stevenson, had happened to Bemy Hattie or Brown Soros, these two wouldn''t just be ranked third in the tax achievements, they would''ve likely been elected in the fourth or fifth position. It was only because he didn''t have the support of a background that he wasn''t elected directly, despite having led so many awe-inspiring events in America. "But don''t worry, our Lake District Sub-Bureau will definitely do our best to help you ascend this time. Besides, you''ve taken control of the state government and entered into major project cooperation with cities all over the state. I believe you can still beat those two!" William had long realized that David was no ordinary individual. Therefore, he had not nned to keep David in their Lake District Sub-Bureau indefinitely, but as long as David was elected for the ''Project of Deification'' while in their jurisdiction, he, as the Chief of the Lake District Sub-Bureau, would naturally get some credit. This was also one of the reasons he got nervous when he first heard Donald say that David could be transferred ¨C because if David were transferred to another sub-bureau, then if he were really elected, the glory would go to that sub-bureau, not theirs. "I was thinking the same..." William nodded and replied, "Then I won''t disturb you any longer. Just let me know if you need anything." "Alright." As David and William were talking, the results of the ''Project of Deification'' had also reached the ears of various sub-bureaus and inspectors across the country. Los Angeles Long Beach Branch. Upon hearing that the one with the highest tax performance in this new assessment period would be elected, Bemy Hattie was not worried but rather pleased in his heart. Before this, in terms of tax performance contribution, he was not as good as Brown Soros from New York. And in terms of charisma and prestige, he was not as influential as David from Las Vegas, leaving him somewhat betwixt and between. Among the three, he could be said to have the lowest chance of being elected. But fortunately, the criteria for election in the ''Project of Deification'' had now been clearly set, indicating that the highest tax contribution in this assessment period would be enough to get elected, giving him a chance topete! New York, Manhattan Branch. "Damn it, what does Director Obadiah mean by this? Our Chief Tax Officer has been at the top of the tax performance charts for years; he should have been elected directly. Why now do we have to go through another round?" "Our Revenue Service is mainly responsible for tax collection, and our Chief Tax Officer has generated the most tax revenue for the Revenue Service since the passage of the ck taxw. It''s disgusting not to be elected!" "Chief Tax Officer, I feel Deputy Director Donald and Director Obadiah are indeed biased. Why don''t we... raise the issue with the General Bureau again?" The inspectors under Brown''smand were discontent with the oue. ``` Chapter 266: Chapter 184: The Squad Members Cling to the Powerful Thighs Meanwhile, Brown, who was sitting in the chair, remained indifferent, his face betraying a thoughtful expression. Strictly speaking, this result wasn''t too far beyond his expectations. Indeed, he had won the top spot for several assessment periods in a row and was the foremost contributor to the ck Tax Bill. However, the armed operations led by David scored too highly, and then there were the earth-shattering feats like toppling the city halls of two cities or even the Governor. With such achievements, it came as no surprise that he caught the favor of some high-level officials at the main bureau, even Director Obadiah himself. "Director, there are rumors that Stevenson was brought down by David. Now it seems quite likely, and if that''s the case, David''s influence in Nevada must be second to none. He''ll be tough to deal with..." Kelly didn''tin like the others, and her meaning was obvious enough. That is, their past sesses in topping the assessment periods were mainly due to the resources of the super district of Manhattan. But now, David''s influence in Nevada was too great, giving him the resources of the entire state at his disposal. Although Manhattan had a high economic output and Wall Street, a hen thatid golden eggs, the risks ofparing one district''s capabilities to the power of an entire state were definitely significant. Brown, of course, understood Kelly''s point and shifted from contemtion to a furrowed brow. After a moment, he spoke up, "Contact Charlie Tax Inspector from Queens and tell him I want to have a chat." ¡­ A new assessment period began, and with the official announcement of Operation God-making from the main bureau, all the Inspectors, along with the newly promoted Chief Tax Officers, were gearing up for a big battle. Just three days had passed, and Brown Soros had soared to the top of the Inspector''s achievement chart with 30 million. And Bemy Hattie ranked second with 26 million. The third ce was held by David with 25 million. The reason David had managed to haul in 25 million in tax achievements in just three days was primarily thanks to the state government''s contributions. When Laurie was sessfully installed as Governor, David personally visited him to have a talk, suggesting that he leads some members of the state government to proactively dere their illegal earnings for taxation. Needless to say, Laurie dared not disobey and, while dutifully leading the state government toply, also passed the message on to the city halls of various cities. Seeing that the state government took the lead in paying taxes on illegal ie, and with David releasing a message at the start of the new assessment period that he would personally visit any city hall that dared notply, the officials of the city halls acquiesced. They promptly reported to their local federal tax bureaus to pay the taxes owed on their illegal ie. David had already established cooperation with all the subdivisions in Nevada. He was entitled to a 60% share of the taxes paid by these officials. Therefore, these past three days saw David effortlessly collecting 25 million in taxes funneled from various subdivisions. Around noon, about 500 meters away from the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, Nisen Bakesimmons Ariel and a few others were having a meal in a restaurant. The next second, Nisen''s phone rang, and he immediately set down his knife and fork to answer, "This is Nisen¡­" A couple of minutester, he hung up the phone, his expression slightly pleased as he told the others, "Keenan''s gang has already paid their taxes at the Newtown District Sub-Branch." Keenan was part of a fraud ring, a case in Newtown District. David had cracked the case yesterday, and only today did they receive the taxes paid by the gang. At this news, everyone was pleased, all except Bucky. Seeing Bucky''s silence, Nisen couldn''t help but ask, "What''s the matter, Bucky?" "I think... we might need to make a change..." This statement left those present feeling perplexed, and Nisen asked again, "Change what? What are you talking about, Bucky?" "The main bureau has already issued the official notice about Operation God-making. Whoever ranks first in tax achievements this period will be selected, and I think... we should fully support Director David''s election. What do you guys think?" Upon hearing this, everyone paused for a moment, but they quickly understood what Bucky meant. All along, David had led them on missions, and with each sessfully solved case, he had shared a significant sum of tax revenue with each of them. Now, despite being in the critical period of the Operation God-making, since they had cracked the case involving Keenan, they knew that, based on their understanding of David, he would surely share a portion of the tax achievements with them as well. Although the sum might not be substantial for David''s assault on Operation God-making, they still wanted to contribute their effort to help ensure his sessful election. "You make a good point, Bucky. Ever since Director David took office, we''ve already gained enough benefits. The other Inspectors in the bureau are dying of envy. Now, since the Operation God-making relies on tax achievements to win, we can''t be ungrateful," said Nisen, the first to voice his support. And Simmons quickly followed suit, adding, "I agree!" "I have no problem..." Aside from the suspended Poppy and the absent Selina, the rest of the squad expressed their support as well. "Since everyone agrees, I''ll go have a good talk with Director David about this matterter." "Nisen, there is actually something else... I don''t know if I should bring it up or not..." Looking at Bucky, who hesitated, Nisen immediately said, "We''re all confidants here. Whatever it is, Bucky, just speak your mind!" "Here''s the thing, if Director David really gets elected for the political campaign, ording to what the headquarters says, he will be directly reassigned to head a district sub-bureau branch, and it''s highly likely to be arge city." "So my thought is... could you maybe hint to Director David, and if he gets elected, see if he could take us with him..." Bucky was willing to give up the tax performance bonus because he wanted to help David get elected, true, but more than that, he hoped to be taken along when David was elected. After all, the word was also out from the headquarters that once elected, there was a very high chance of a direct reassignment to head a sub-bureau branch in arge city. If thest assignment ended up being to New York, Los Angeles, or even Chicago Houston, that would be far more promising than staying here at the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. On hearing this, Nisen Simmons and the others also suddenly realized. The tension of the new assessment period had distracted them, and they hadn''t given this matter proper thought. Now that they thought about it, what Bucky said made a lot of sense. If David really got elected and was reassigned to head arge city, taking them with him, it could be considered a promotion from a certain perspective. Moreover, the head of a sub-bureau branch was a powerful local official with considerable authority in hand. As long as David was willing, they couldn''t say for others, but getting them directly promoted to the position of Chief Tax Officer was definitely not a big problem! And if David continued to do a good job as the head of the sub-bureau, and waster transferred to headquarters, bringing them along as well, that would be like their ancestors'' graves billowing forth green smoke! With these thoughts, everyone present felt a surge of excitement in their hearts. Simmons was especially eager as he spoke, "Yes, Nisen, you have the best rtionship with Director David. If he really gets elected, he''s sure to take you, but us... you must put in a good word for me." "Nisen, for the sake of being colleagues, help me out with a few words as well..." Ariel couldn''t sit still any longer. She was all too aware of her own worth. If she didn''t cling tightly to David''s coattails, it was difficult not just to be transferred to headquarters, but even to anotherrge city. "Nisen..." The rest of the members also began requesting one after another. At this moment, Nisen felt a wave of tion in his heart, as he not only had the best rtionship with David but had also saved David''s life in the Dieter case. If David really got elected, it was unthinkable that he would not take him along! After indulging himself for a while, Nisen also stood up a little taller and said, "Alright, alright, seeing as we''re all colleagues, I''ll talk to Director David about this matter for you." "Thank you so much, Nisen." "Extremely grateful..." "..." Amid the chorus of gratitude, Nisen was lost in it for quite a while before he got up, "Alright, I''ll go back to the office now and talk to Director David." The restaurant was very close to the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, less than a ten-minute walk. Nisen returned to the office, knocked on the door of David''s office, then walked in, and said, "Director, Keenan''s group haspleted their tax payments at the New City District Sub-Branch, and we''ve received a total of 11 million in tax revenue shares." David, who was looking at the case files, did not raise his head and casually replied, "Good, 10 million goes under my name, and the remaining 1 million you guys can split." "There''s no need, Director..." Upon hearing Nisen''s response, David couldn''t help but lift his head, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "What do you mean?" "It''s the critical period of the political campaign now, and the announcement from headquarters was that the highest tax performer will be elected. So the few of us in our team have discussed it, and we would like to contribute our share of support for you..." David understood and felt somewhat touched by the consideration of these team members, and he responded, "Since you all feel this way, then I''ll ept this kindness." Nisen nodded, then added, "By the way, Director, we''ve discussed another matter and were wondering if it would be convenient for you when the timees?" David, looking puzzled, asked, "What is it?" Nisen scratched his head and said with a sheepish grin, "Well, if you''re elected for the political campaign, you''ll have to be reassigned as the head of another sub-bureau, right? We were hoping to continue working under you, so..." Chapter 267: Chapter 185: Location Selected for Taking Office, Los Angeles Branch! "Is that so? No problem, if I''m really elected, I''ll apply to transfer all of you as well!" In truth, even if Nisen hadn''t mentioned it, David had already nned to do just that. After all, he was now used to the inspectors in his squad, and there was an unspoken understanding between him and his squad members. Going to a new ce where life is unfamiliar and without having capable subordinates at hand would not be conducive to his work. "That''s great, then let me thank you on behalf of everyone, Chief Tax Officer." Although Nisen had expected such a response, he still felt a surge of happiness when he heard David easily agree. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin "Alright, keep a close eye on that Mofei case, and as soon as you find a suspect, bring them in for interrogation immediately." This was still a major case in Newtown District, and after dealing with Keenan''s gang, David nned to quickly wrap up this case as well. ... Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another week had passed, and there were only five days left until the end of the performance appraisal period. In this time, thepetition on the tax achievement leaderboard had entered an intense stage. The one currently in the first ce was still Brown Soros from New York, dominating with a tax performance of 76.55 million. Ranked second was Bemy Hardy from Los Angeles, with a total tax performance of 69.80 million. David was in third ce, with a minor gap of 69.11 million, temporarily conceding to third ce. The reason why the two people ranked before him could boast such tax achievements was entirely due to the resources of the super cities like Los Angeles and New York. As for David''s achievement, in addition to the ''golden finger'' bug, there was also the tax revenue sessively paid by officials from various city halls. In addition, during this week, he traveled to several cities, cracking major cases selected by various branches, achieving a total of 69.11 million in tax performance. At the Washington D.C. Headquarters, in the top-floor conference room. With only five days remaining until the end of the current appraisal period, Obadiah also called for a high-level meeting today to determine matters after the results came out. Once everyone had arrived, he surveyed the room and said, "Now there are only five days left until the end of the performance appraisal period. What are your thoughts?" "Last appraisal period, Brown Soros was in first with 75.11 million in tax performance, but he''s already reached 76.55 million now. I think in the remaining days, it''s very possible for him to be the ''Billionaire Mr. Soros''!" "Achieving over a billion in tax revenue in a single appraisal period would be an unbelievable feat. The Making of a Legend project is tailor-made for him!" "Bemy Hattie is not bad either. He ended thest appraisal period with 65.13 million in tax performance, and now he''s already reached 69.80 million. In the remaining few days, I think breaking the 80 million mark shouldn''t be a problem..." "..." Seeing many senior executives start boasting about their favored candidates, Donald naturally did not want to be outdone. He immediately said, "Well, ording to what you''re saying, David from the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch is even better. His performance from thest appraisal was 62.66 million, and now he''s reached 69.11 million!" "Right, in terms of growth rate, Brown Soros''s increase over thest round is only about 1 million, while Bemy Hattie''s is about 4 million, but David''s growth is almost 7 million. From a certain perspective, David has already won." "I support David." "I support him too..." Following Donald''s lead, several senior executives who had previously supported David also began to speak up in agreement. Those senior executives who had originally supported Bemy Hardy and Brown Soros were somewhat silenced at that moment. Because what Donald and the other David supporters were saying was correct, purely in terms of growth rate, David currently had thergest increase among the three. Just as the momentum seemed to be tipping in one direction, Chief Advisor Wilton Heng spoke up, "We have already determined that whoever has the highest tax performance in this appraisal period will be elected. The decision relies on tax performance, and growth rate is not the decisive factor." With these words, the previously dispirited supporters of Brown Soros and Bemy Hattie were suddenly buoyed with confidence. Exactly, everything depends on tax performance; what''s the use of growth rate now? Now, whether it''s Bemy Hattie or Brown Soros, their tax performance is still pressing down on David''s, so the ones who should be worried are David and his supporters! After hearing Wilton Heng''s remarks, Obadiah slightly furrowed his brow but quickly appeared as if nothing had happened and said, "There are still five days left, it''s too early to tell who will emerge victorious, but once the results are out, where do you all think the transfer to be most suitable? Let''s hear your opinions." "Phdelphia, I think. This city has consistently had the highest crime rate in America, and the several major branches of the city are in aplete mess regarding the tax on illegal ie, making it the most suitable ce for the elect of our Making of a Legend project!" "Phdelphia is a good choice, but I think Chicago is even more suitable. ording to statistical data, Chicago is also one of the cities with the highest crime rate in America, especially in terms of the rate of violent crime in recent years. Although the Chicago government has taken some measures to fight crime, the problem is still a significant challenge facing the city and would be a great ce for our IRS elect to excel." "ording to your logic, Houston would actually be even more suitable, you see..." "..." The senior executives started rmending their favorite cities, and while doing so, they listed the various crime rates of the cities and the advantages regarding the tax on illegal ie. Chapter 268: Chapter 185: Location Selected for Taking Office, Los Angeles Branch!_2 Meanwhile, Obadiah turned to Consultant Welton Heng and asked, "Consultant Welton Heng, you were also present at the economic conference chaired by the President yesterday, why not share your thoughts as well." Welton Heng was silent for a moment before speaking gravely, "Actually, ording to the President''s request, none of the ces everyone just listed are quite appropriate..." Upon hearing this, many of the high-ranking officials present were immediately stunned. They certainly hadn''te up with these ces casually, but had carefully selected them after analyzing various sets of data. Why were they not appropriate? With a heart full of doubt, Rohan, a supporter of the Brown Faction, could not help but ask, "Consultant Welton Heng, what did the President request?" "You all know the state of our economy, and so far the ck Tax Bill has only generated about 30 billion in tax revenue, do you think the President would be satisfied?" When Welton Heng said this, everyone at the scene fell silent. Tax revenue and the economy are basically linked, and as high-ranking officials at the National Tax Bureau, how could they not understand the current economic situation in America? Despite being the only global superpower, the most powerful developed country, due to various reasons, the global economy is on a downturn, and America is no exception. However, even though the economy is declining, many of the country''s expenditures cannot be reduced and are even increasing year on year. For example, defense spending, the cornerstone of America''s status as a world superpower, cannot be cut no matter how strapped for cash we are. America''s military spending for 2020 was 738 billion US dors, an increase of 1.9% from the previous year. Next is social security spending. ording to data, America''s social security spending for 2020 was 1.1 trillion US dors, an increase of 3.8% from the previous year. Social security spending is also a significant expenditure in America, used to support welfare for the elderly and disabled, healthcare insurance, and pensions, among others. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin Therefore, it can''t be cut either. After all, America is a country where everyone has a gun. If you dare to make cuts today, those affected by it may very well take up arms against you tomorrow, causing social unrest. Next is healthcare insurance spending. America''s healthcare insurance spending for 2020 was 1.1 trillion US dors, an increase of 2.5% from the previous year. Healthcare insurance spending is primarily for supporting healthcare insurance programs, including healthcare, Medicaid, and Medicare, among others. There is also Medicaid spending. America''s Medicaid expenditures for 2020 were 686 billion US dors, an increase of 3.3% from the previous year. Medicaid is a healthcare insurance program jointly managed by the federal and state governments, aimed at providing healthcare services to low-ie individuals. Last is veterans'' benefits spending. In 2020, America''s expenditure on veterans'' benefits was 67 billion US dors, an increase of 1.5% from the previous year. Beyond these, the government has a variety of other expenses. In summary, the country of America needs money everywhere. And where does this moneye from? Of course, ites from the tax revenue collected by the National Tax Bureau. But with defense, social security, and healthcare insurance expenses rising annually, and the tax rates being fixed, they can''t just be increased whenever we want, nor can they rise on their own. This naturally creates arge fiscal gap. So, where does the moneye from then? The answer is interest rate hikes! Since 2016, the Federal Reserve has already raised rates eight times consecutively. Raising rates, although it can cause arge amount of global capital to flow back to the country, easing some of the national fiscal spending pressure. However, this can also lead to intion, the outflow of quality assets, and other negative effects, so raising rates can''t always be the solution whenever there''s fiscal pressure. So what can be done? That leaves us only one option: taxation! That''s also why the ck Tax Bill, which seems preposterous in other countries, managed to pass in America Congress. But now, after two or three months of effort, they''ve only managed to scrape together about 30 billion. To ordinary individuals, this sum is astronomical, but for a colossal entity like America, it doesn''t even count as a hair. This amount of money, not to mention easing the financial pressure on the entire nation, wouldn''t even suffice to build a single aircraft carrier. No wonder Welton Heng said the President was dissatisfied. Watching the silence drag on among the crowd, Obadiah spoke up, "Actually, what the President implied yesterday was quite clear. He suggested that the ck Tax Bill was like handing us a knife, but the knife might not necessarily be used on those criminals..." "Not to cut down criminals, but to cut down those capitalists?" As soon as Rohan spoke, many of the senior officials felt a shudder in their hearts. In the United States, one percent of the wealthy control thirty-two percent of the nation''s wealth. Yet ironically, the rich, through various ''legal tax avoidance'' schemes, contribute less in terms of taxes than the middle ss and the poor. Because it is legal tax avoidance and these capitalists band together to defend their interests, even the all-powerful Internal Revenue Service can only gnash its teeth in frustration, unable to take action against them. "I never said that!" Facing Rohan''s words, Obadiah first retorted, then continued, "But this is the President''s hint, after all. We can''t ignore itpletely. We have to take action!" Donald nodded and concurred, "If that''s the case, then the chosen one for the Deification Project cannot just be moved to a city with a high crime rate. In my opinion, we need to select a location that is rampant with crime, and also has a high rate of financial crime. That would be more appropriate." Chapter 269: Chapter 185: Location Selected for Taking Office, Los Angeles Branch!_3 "Crimes are rampant... plus the high capital crime rate... could it be a transfer to New York?" "Are you insane? It''s okay to fight crime in New York, but if you want to strike at capital across the board, do you know what those Wall Street folks would be like when they go crazy?" "If not New York... then the only other ce I can think of is the Bay Area of San Francisco, after all, it''s where Silicon Valley is located, and indeed, it''s a ce with a high rate of capital crimes." "Touch Silicon Valley? With super-capital conglomerates like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft there, to cause trouble on their turf, do you want to make trouble for our National Tax Bureau?" "..." The senior officials present began to seriously sift through regions, but whether it was Silicon Valley in San Francisco or Wall Street in New York, both were met with opposition from many of those present. Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin Then, after about five or six minutes, one of them seemed to have an epiphany, suddenly mming the table and saying, "Since New York and San Francisco won''t do, then I think there''s a suitable ce!" "Oh? Woodward, which ce are you talking about?" "Los Angeles, Western Suburb Branch!" "Western Suburb Branch!" Upon hearing this branch, the expressions of the people varied. The IRS in Los Angeles had a total of 4 branches. They were the Long Beach Branch, Santa Monica Branch, Riverside Branch, and the Western Suburb Branch currently under discussion. Although the Western Suburb Branch wasn''t thergest in terms of GDP scale in Los Angeles, in terms of notoriety, the Western Suburbs were definitely the most famous. The reason was simple, because the globally renowned Hollywood was inside this region. The official named Woodward continued to exin, "I''ve looked at the crime rate in that area before, andpared to other regions in the country, it''s considered high." "And the head of that branch is named Vivian, whose capabilities are far too mediocre. Holding the super region tform of Los Angeles, the tax performance for ck taxes in thest assessment period was less than 40 million, aplete waste!" "And as everyone knows, the film industry has always been paradise for moneyundering criminals, and those Hollywood big shots also have phenomena like Yin-Yang Contracts." "But that''s not the most critical point. The most critical point is that taking on the capital in this area would be much less pressure than in other ces!" As the conversation ended, the eyes of everyone present sparkled with approval of Woodward''s words. The film industry, indeed, was heaven for some moneyunderers. Due to regtory loopholes in the financing of the film industry, some filmpanies adopt various methods to legitimize illegal funds to evade oversight. The industry chain involved is long, from investment, production, distribution to sales, each link is veryplex, and even the IRS''s oversight can hardly cover all aspects. Another point is that those who can manipte the film industry for moneyundering are economic sharks among criminals, tens of millions at least, even billions, not something an ordinary criminal canpare to. Just one case that they manage to prosecute could bring in more revenue than an entire assessment period for the Long Beach Branch or the Manhattan Branch. But that''s not the main point. The most important thing, just as Woodward said, is that the capital here is much weaker than in other ces. The current controllers of Hollywood are just the eight major film studios, among which only ''Disney'' has some strength. The other seven major film studios, although backed by capital, aren''t to the point of rming the IRS. If they transfer the selected candidate from the Deification Project here, not only might it create substantial tax revenue for the IRS. It would also meet the president''s directive to show that the IRS is intent on cracking down on capital crime and tax evasion, killing two birds with one stone! After much thought, Donald was the first to stand up and state, "The Los Angeles West Suburb Branch, I do think it''s indeed suitable, so I agree!" "I agree too." "Agreed!" "..." Whether David''s supporters or Bemy Hattie, Brown Soros''s direct subordinates, they all agreed on this location. In the end, only Obadiah and Welton Heng did not make a direct statement. Obadiah then looked toward Welton Heng and asked, "How about it, Consultant Welton Heng, do you agree with this location?" "Compared to New York with its Wall Street and San Francisco with its Silicon Valley, where capital heavyweights gather, the capital power of Hollywood in Los Angeles is indeed much weaker, so I agree as well." Welton Heng was no fool; first, this ce was indeed suitable. Also, he had just been called by the president yesterday, and if he didn''t make a gesture, it would certainly not look good, so he had to agree for both emotional and rational reasons. "Since Consultant Welton Heng agrees too, then this proposal is unanimously passed!" Obadiah looked at Woodward: "You deal with the Western Suburb Branch issue, move that branch head and the personnel that need to be moved. Get ready, in five days after the assessment resultse out, for the chosen one of the Deification Project to take office at that branch." "Yes, Chief." Obadiah then turned to Donald and said, "Arrange to send out an internal announcement to confirm the appointment of the chosen one of the Deification Project in Los Angeles, but don''t specify which branch just yet!" Chapter 270: Chapter 186: Billion-Yuan Tax Revenue from Private Prison Los Angeles is America''s secondrgest city after New York. And when the announcement for the God-Making n''s appointee to take office here went out, thesest few days definitely incited a frenziedpetition among national inspectors. "Yes, Director!" ... Soon, the announcement regarding the God-Making n''s appointee being transferred to a division in Los Angeles was posted on the America Tax Bureau''s intr. Suddenly, branch offices across the country were abuzz. All inspectors and chief tax officers, and everyone in the Tax Bureau, fantasized about finishing first in tax achievements this round to seize this heaven-sent opportunity. Find more chapters on mvl In the Long Beach Branch, even Bemy Hattie, who was from this area, had a burning excitement on his face after hearing the news. His name might now be resounding throughout the America Tax Bureau system, but at the end of the day, he was only a chief tax officer. And if he were truly appointed, he would be instantly promoted to the director of a division in this mega-city, and using Los Angeles as a springboard, it might not be impossible to be promoted to the higher echelons at the Washington D.C. Headquarters in the future... Thinking this, Bemy Hattie couldn''t sit still. He immediately summoned all his inspectors and ordered them sternly, "In the remaining five days, I ask that everyone work hard. If I get appointed, I promise each of you will receive a chief tax officer position!" "Understood!" The inspectors knew their limits; there was no chance for them to be chosen for the God-Making n, but now the promise of a chief tax officer position was within reach. So at this moment, they were as if injected with adrenaline, determined to go all out in the next five days, even if it meant foregoing food, drink, and sleep to earn more tax achievements. New York, Manhattan Branch. Strictly speaking, the Manhattan Branch is currently thergest tform among the America Tax Bureau''s branch offices. But Brown also knew, even if he were chosen for the God-Making n, the likelihood of being promoted to director of this branch was impossible. So when he heard the appointee would be promoted to a division in Los Angeles, his heart was equally thrilled. He also immediately called over all his inspectors and made various promises to fire them up for an all-out effort in the next five days. At the same time, on a highway from Las Vegas to Rio City. "My goodness, headquarters has issued an announcement, the chosen one for the God-Making n will be transferred to assume the role of director of a division in Los Angeles!" On the speeding Volvo, Bucky looked at his phone and let out an excited roar. Hearing his words, David, Simmons, and Nisen, who was driving, felt like their brains had been struck. Subsequently, Nisen couldn''t care less about driving and pulled over to the emergencyne, urgently asking, "What happened, let us have a look!" Bucky immediately disyed the intr announcement before the others. And after reading it, David and the others were finally sure that not only had the headquarters truly issued the announcement, but the chosen one for the God-Making n would be transferred to a division in the mega-city of Los Angeles! To be honest, David, Simmons, and Nisen were all a bit surprised to hear the chosen one would be transferred to a mega-city like Los Angeles, In their view, the chances of being transferred to Los Angeles or New York were there, but shouldn''t have been that high. Therefore, they previously thought it would more likely be a slightly less prominent city like Houston or Chicago. But now, this announcement could be described as happinessing too unexpectedly! After a brief stunned pause, everyone in the car started to feel a surge of excitement; it was Los Angeles! The mega-city second only to New York in America. If they could make a name for themselves here, and contribute excellent tax achievements, then advancing to headquarterster on might not be out of the question! "Alright, thinking about this now is useless. Our top priority is to strive for the first ce in tax achievements, let''s go!" Of course, David was also very excited about the prospect of being transferred to Los Angeles, but he was well aware that without securing first ce in tax achievements, it would all be mere empty talk. Nisen, too, set aside the fiery thoughts in his mind, shifted gears, and continued toward Rio City. An hourter. Rio City, Sand Bay Branch of the America Tax Bureau. Here, Director Saxton, alongside the deputy director and tax investigators, and a group of senior officials, waited expectantly at the entrance, seeming to wee some important figure. Soon, the sight of a Volvo in the distance caught their attention, and Saxton reminded everyone, "They''reing, stay sharp!" As he spoke, the Volvo pulled up beside the curb, and out stepped David and his threepanions. "Director David, wee, we''re very pleased to have you visit our Rio City Sand Bay Branch." "Director Saxton, good to see you." After shaking hands, Saxton introduced the others behind him, "This is our deputy director ir, this is our tax investigator Ymedov, and this is..." "Director David, it''s an honor to meet you..." "Director David, I''ve only seen you on television before, and now I''m finally meeting you in person..." Facing such a star chief tax officer from their Tax Bureau system, the senior officials, chief tax officers, and inspectors from the Sand Bay Branch looked at him with a mix of awe and curiosity. Chapter 271: Chapter 186: Billion-Yuan Tax Revenue from Private Prison_2 "Come in, please take a tour of our station first, Director David..." After the pleasantries, Saxton led David and his group into the station and began introducing the situation of the Sand Bay Branch. Discover exclusive content at mvl Having a general understanding of the operational model of the Sand Bay Branch, David did not beat around the bush and directly said, "Director Saxton, you know there are only five days left until the God Creation Project, and my time is very pressing, so just get straight to the point about your ''big case''!" Just yesterday, David had been in Henderson City, and ording to his n, he was first preparing to handle the cases of Virginia City''s branch. Unexpectedly, he received a call from the Sand Bay Branch. Through the phone, Saxton informed him that a ''big case'' had urred in their local jurisdiction, a case whose value would definitely surpass that of other city branches, thus requesting to cut in line. Upon hearing this, David became interested, pondered for a while, and finally decided to let them cut in line, and so he rushed over here today at full speed. Saxton fell silent for a moment, then reminded him, "Before I tell you, I want to remind you, Director David, that this case might involve some trouble, just not sure if you dare to take it on..." "Director Saxton, what are you suggesting? Our Chief Tax Officer has led armed forces into Indian Tribes, has organized local city halls in both Sparks and Henderson, and also the state... Which of these hasn''t been troublesome? Is there any case in Nevada that our Chief Tax Officer dares not handle?" Before David could respond, Nisen from the side already voiced his dissatisfaction. Saxton looked at David and realized that David seemed to agree with Nisen''s statement, and said with an awkwardugh, "That''s also true. In that case, Director David, pleasee to my office first. I''ll exin to you while showing you the case files." The office of the Director of the Sand Bay Branch was on the third floor. Saxton led David and others into it, and after they were seated, he said, "Director David, I don''t know if you''re familiar with America''s private prisons." "Private prisons?" Upon hearing this, David''s expression paused. Unlike other countries, where prisons are typically under the jurisdiction of the governmentw enforcement departments, the concept of private prisons does not exist. But America is an exception. This matter actually dates back to the 1960s and 70s when Americaunched the longsting Vietnam War, drafting numerous young men to the Vietnamese battlefields. There, the harsh tropical rainforests left a deep shadow on them, and upon their return to America, unable to withstand various mental pressures, they turned to drugs for relief. At the same time, America was suffering consecutive losses in the multi-year war, with defeats abroad and intensified conscription at home. This caused many American youths to develop anti-war sentiments, with anti-war protests erupting across the country. Thus, a significant number of young people turned to drug use to alleviate mental stress. Under the influence of these two factors, the drug use rate in America skyrocketed, causing great chaos in social order. After Nixon took office, in view of the chaotic drug situation in society, he established a department specifically to eradicate drugs. However, due to therge number of drug users, America had already developed a huge and mature drug trafficking system by then. Drug enforcement officers suddenly arrested arge number of drug addicts and traffickers, but soon they realized that the existing prisons simply couldn''t hold so many inmates. Nixon, to show his determination to fight drugs, dered he would intensify efforts to eradicate them. However, the prison problem still had to be resolved; otherwise, there would be nowhere to detain the captured criminals. In the end, Nixon came up with apromise. That was to open up part of the prison operation to the market, allowing capable private capital to contract the management, while the government only needed to subsidize these contractors. From that point on, America''s private prisons started to be marketized. "Yes, it was a policy created by President Nixon himself, initially intended to relieve the pressure on public prisons, but who would have thought, it seems like a good intention that may have led to bad consequences!" Saxton shook his head, continuing, "In recent years, private prisons have gradually be a lucrative business in America, and even arge number of members of the judicial system have coborated with powerful consortia, leading to rampant corruption, with the involved funds amounting to astronomical figures." At this point, David finally understood what kind of case this was. It turned out to be about corruption in private prisons and various exploitative mary transactions. "Do you know, what was the fundamental reason for the Floyd incident on June 6st year?" David, of course, knew about the Floyd incident, after which the African Americans even organized several protests. This indirectly led to zero-dor bail policies for non-serious offenses to soothe the anger of the African Americans. Unfortunately, after the introduction of their tax reformw targeting this issue, these African Americans became the first ''prey'' for the Tax Bureau! Saxton continued, "Actually, the Floyd incident, if traced back, has much to do with private prisons too." Chapter 272: Chapter 186: Billion-Yuan Tax Revenue from Private Prison_3 "Because government subsidies for private prisons are conditional, they only grant subsidies once a prison reaches 90% upancy." "This leads to private prison operators looking for ways to incarcerate more prisoners after setting up the facility." "As a result, these private prison managers wouldy out a significant amount of money to bribe local judges and prosecutors." "Once these judicial officers ept the money, they naturally adhere to the principle of ''taking money to avert disasters for others,'' either by imposing disproportionately heavy sentences for minor offenses or by intentionally extending prisoners'' sentences to meet the private prison''s upancy rate." "And this Floyd was probably a case where the police took the money and wanted to use him as a ''performance'' for the private prison, which led to this tragedy..." After hearing this exnation, even David gained some new insights. They say artes from life. In the past, I often saw the darkness in American prisons in various TV dramas, such as ''Prison Break.'' But now, hearing Saxton describe it, I feel that the TV shows might actually be conservative and that in reality, especially in these private prisons he is talking about, even darker and dirtier things could be happening." "Of course, the corruption and exploitation of prisoners involved don''t concern us at the IRS, nor do they fall under our jurisdiction." "What I mainly want to express is that, regardless of the corruption or exploitation of prisoners, they involve arge amount of money transactions, and much of these funds are beyond the supervision of the IRS, which is why I have approached you!" David nodded to show he understood, then replied, "So, you are asking me to investigate a private prison case, but I suppose you''ve already begun a preliminary investigation? What''s the estimated scale of the funds involved?" That was what he was most concerned about. "ording to our initial investigation, the conservative estimate of the funds could reach a scale of hundreds of millions of US Dors!" On hearing this, a spark shot through David''s eyes, but it quickly faded away as he asked somewhat skeptically, "Director Saxton, it''s been just over three months since the ck Tax Act was passed. Even if these private prisons are making huge profits, they couldn''t have reached a scale of hundreds of millions in such a short time, could they?" "Director David, you are correct that the ck Tax Act can only track illicit ie rued after December 3, 2021." "But let me put it this way, we have investigated, and found that this prison has been exploiting prisonerbor for many years." "But as you know, if the exploitation of prisoners by private prisons was to get out, it would definitely cause public outcry." "Therefore, every year they use ounting tricks to produce a set of ''reasonable'' books, and all the IRS can do is collect taxes on these ''reasonable'' figures." "As for the rest, we cannot collect anything at all!" Upon hearing this, David suddenly saw the light. It''s like working overtime in an electronics factory. The standard shift is 8 hours, but the factory requires an additional 4 hours of overtime. Although the workers are reluctant, they pinch their noses and agree for the sake of their livelihoods. But as a prisoner in jail, yourbor time is supposed to be about 8 hours a day, and the prison administrators want to push it to 12 hours. And they don''t even pay for overtime, plus you''re under someone else''s roof and have to bow your head. That''s exploitation. And the benefits derived from this exploitation of prisonbor, can you say they are illegal ie? It might or might not be seen as such. After all, prisoners are supposed to work in prison, and if you increasebor time without letting the media find out, then the prison has the interpretative power. If it''s not illegal ie, then it must be considered legal ie. And if it''s legal ie that is not reported to the IRS, then it''s pure tax evasion, and they can be pursued and taxed without the ck Tax Law provisions! And if we pursue this... Considering the years the prison has been operating and generating revenue, reaching a scale of hundreds of millions seems to be quite normal... A scale of hundreds of millions of US Dors, by a conservative tax rate, is a tax revenue of 40 million US Dors, and even if I get 60%, that''s a colossal tax sum of 24 million US Dors. But that is only the preliminary estimate from the Sand Bay Area. Compared to previous cases, the real scale of the funds is surely much higher. Thinking of this, David began to get excited. But soon, as if remembering something, he turned and asked, "Oh right, you mentioned that this case is a bit troublesome. In what ways exactly?" "First, there are difficulties in obtaining evidence." "Second, America has three major, top-tier private prisonpanies: GCO, CEA, MTC. These threepanies each have an overt annual ie of over 5 billion US Dors." "Moreover, thesepanies have close cooperative rtionships with our Justice Department and its subordinate agencies such as the FBI, DEA, Immigration Bureau, police departments, and other majorw enforcement departments." "The private prison we have here in Rio City is owned by GCO, so taking action against them might involve pressure from all sides, from different departments." After hearing all this, David fell into deep thought. Gathering evidence isn''t a problem for someone with a ''golden finger'' like himself. But GCO being one of America''s top private prison businesses, their capital backing is definitely strong. And with close ties to variousw enforcement departments, if action were to be taken, as Saxton said, it might indeed prove troublesome. Yet, given the scale of funds involved has reached hundreds of millions, I couldn''t just let it go either. After all, there''s only five days left in the evaluation period. And I''ve been working my tail off these days, but so far, I''ve only managed to just keep up with Bemy Hattie from Los Angeles. To catch up or even surpass Brown Soros from New York seems a bit far-fetched. But now, this prison case presents an opportunity! An opportunity for me to catch up to or even surpass Brown Soros! With this thought, David steeled himself and dered, "Alright, I''ll take the case, give me the files to review in detail first!" Chapter 273: Chapter 187: Huge Interest Tax Revenue in Prison Saxton''s expression rxed at these words, and he pulled open the cab below, taking out a stack of files and pushing them in front of David. Then he picked up the phone and said a few words. It wasn''t long before his secretary knocked and entered. "Director David, I''ve already asked someone to clear out an office for you. After you''ve read through the case files, let me know if there''s anything you need to do," said Saxton. David nodded in understanding and then followed the secretary out the door to an office about ten meters from the director''s office. After spending around an hour, David had finally finished reading through the case files. The prison in the Sand Bay Area was thergest owned by GCO Corporation in Nevada State, incarcerating over 5,000 individuals. The annual financial reports published by the prison ounted for a profit totaling 50 million US dors, which,pared to other private prisons of the same level in other states, seemed to be a reasonable figure. However, that was just the surface figure. As Saxton had previously stated, some illegal ie and funds not suitable for public release absolutely exceeded that number. Collecting his thoughts, David turned to Nisen Bakesimmons and others and said, "Go coordinate with the inspectors from the Sand Bay Branch, bring back a few GCO guards for me to interrogate." It wasn''t urgent to directly head to the prison now; it was better to start by finding a few of the guards to get a sense of the prison''s underside. About an hourter. Nisen had returned and said, "We''ve found three GCO Prison guards on vacation and brought them to the interrogation room." David immediately stood and went to the second floor''s interrogation room, pushing open the door to see a man about thirty years old. [Name: Valentine Carter.] [upation: Guard at Nevada GCO Prison.] [Ie: Legal monthly ie of 4,500 US dors, illegal monthly ie of 8,100 US dors.] [Ie details: On December 7th, extorted 300 US dors from a prisoner named George, on December 11th, facilitated a drug lord named Mike in prison for a profit of 500 US dors...] [More details:...] [Tax owed: 810 US dors.] After scrutinizing with his "Golden Finger", David had gained a deeper understanding of the prison. First, as previously mentioned by Saxton and the case files, the prison indeed had a substantial amount of illegal ie. For instance, this guard would extort over 8,000 US dors a month just from the inmates. ording to the records, the GCO prison had several hundred guards; the tax involved totaled up to hundreds of thousands of dors. And that was just the guards; as for higher-ups like the chief guards, administrative staff, deputy wardens, wardens, and the managers of GCO Nevada prisons, their illegal earnings were certainly much more significant. "Direc... Director David..." This guard named Valentine, who clearly recognized David through television, newspapers, or other channels, was immediately stunned at his arrival. "You know why we''ve brought you here, right?" "I know... I''ll pay the taxes..." A person''s reputation precedes them, and Valentine certainly knew of David''s prowess. If high-ranking city officials in Sparks and Henderson could fall to him, this mere prison guard dared not resist stubbornly. "Good to know." David didn''t waste words and, after turning and heading out the door, entered another interrogation room... Twenty minutester. Having scanned all three returned guards with his "Golden Finger", he had a rough grasp of the situation in GCO Prison. He then immediately summoned Nisen Bakesimmons and the others and said, "Let''s go, it''s time to visit GCO Prison." GCO Prison was located in the northeast corner of the Sand Bay Area, surrounded by a deste expanse of sand dunes. The prison''s design exuded a harsh and secure style, with grey as its primary color and tall watchtowers strategically ced. The armed guards in the towers were constantly vignt of any odd movements around the perimeter. Just then, the arrival of a Volvo attracted the attention of the watchtower guards, who spoke into the intes, "A vehicle is approaching, Bilde, check out who it is." The prison was situated in a secluded area, and it wasn''t a day for visits, so the presence of an approaching vehicle understandably put the guards on alert. At the prison gate below, a few stationed guards responded with ''received'' and sharpened their focus. Minutester, the vehicle stopped at the prison''s entrance. Seeing Nisen Bakesimmons and the others step out of the car, the guards were merely cautious, but upon seeing thest person to alight¡ªDavid¡ªtheir expressions drastically changed. "IRS, we need to talk to your warden!" Upon seeing Nisen showing the tax badge, the guards finally snapped out of it, with one guard cautiously replying, "Our warden has gone to Carson City for a meeting..." Nisen looked towards David, who replied, "Never mind, let''s start by ''visiting'' your prison." He needed to walk through the prison to urately gauge the overall tax situation there. The guards exchanged nces, and then one of them went to the booth and picked up the phone to make a call. Meanwhile, in the prison''s internal administration office area... Chapter 274: Chapter 187: Huge Interest Tax Revenue in Prison_2 Deputy Warden Andrew was doing his work when suddenly a prison guard burst in with a trembling voice, "Not good, Deputy Warden Andrew, Director David from the Tax Authority is at our door!" Upon hearing this, Andrew''s expression froze as he shouted back, "What did you say, which Director David?" "It''s the Director David who led the armed incursion into the Indian Tribe and stirred up trouble in Sparks and Henderson City. He said he wants to ''visit'' our prison." Having his fears confirmed, Andrew felt his blood pressure soar, and his mind became even more chaotic. What does the Tax Authority do? It''s responsible for tax collection. And now they''re supposedly here to inspect the prison, but the real purpose must be to examine our prison''s ounting records! It would be bad enough if it were just the Tax Authority, but the fact that it''s this ruthless Director David, how could he not panic? "Deputy Warden, what should we do now?" "Quick, go to Block C, D Zone and dispose of those things, and warn those people not to fucking say anything out of line!" "Yes." The guard immediately trotted out. Meanwhile, Andrew picked up the phone and called the Warden, who was at a meeting in Carson City. Carson City, GCO Nevada State Branch, inside a conference room. "Very good,pared tost quarter, our GCO Nevada''s revenue growth increased by 5 percentage points..." "Click, click, click¡­" The person responsible for GCO Nevada was presenting the data to the wardens from all over the state when a knock from outside interrupted him, and he said with a frown, "Come in." The next second, a woman in her twenties walked in through the door. Seeing her enter, one of the ck wardens sitting there had a dark expression on his face, this was Marz Atwood, the Warden of Rio City Prison. The woman entering was his secretary. Ignoring the gazes of the others, the secretary quickly went to Marz''s side and whispered a few words into his ear. Marz, who had been keeping a stern face, froze on the spot upon hearing her words. At this moment, GCO''s executive Justin also sensed that something was amiss and immediately asked, "What''s the matter, Warden Marz?" Only then did Marz regain hisposure and said solemnly, "Director David from the Tax Authority has arrived at my prison." "What did you say!" Not just Justin, but the other wardens felt a storm surge in their hearts upon hearing that. While it was currently only Marz''s prison being visited by the Tax Authority, if any issues were uncovered, the saying went ''uproot one radish and bring out a heap of soil''¡ªthe rest of their prisons would inevitably be implicated. "Damn it, has the Tax Authority run out of ces to check that they have toe down on us!" Justin couldn''t help but curse. He was the head in charge of GCO in Nevada, so of course he was well aware of the inner workings of all the prisons. If the Tax Authority did uncover any inconsistency, he certainly would not escape the consequences. With this in mind, he quickly turned to Marz and asked, "Warden Marz, how''s the situation at your prison, they haven''t caught you on anything, have they?" "My Deputy Warden is already doing everything possible to handle it, but we would have had the confidence to cope if it were just the usual Tax Authority staff. However, as you know, that David... he''s not someone easy to deal with..." These words left Justin feeling restless and uneasy. Yes, regr Tax Authority personnel might have been manageable, but this David was not just any Tax Authority employee¡ªhis presence always caused turmoil. Now that he hade to their GCO Prison, even if they did not perish, a skinning seemed inevitable... While the folks at GCO were in disarray, Over at Rio City Prison, David had already begun his ''visit'' of the prison, apanied by a guard captain named Peter. "Director David, this is Zone A of our prison, which primarily holds petty thieves with short sentences. There are about 1500 inmates in total. They get up at 6 a.m., then at 6:30 a.m... In short, their whole day, especially working hours, definitelyply with legal regtions, not exceeding 6 hours." Peter was walking and introducing the area, emphasizing the inmates'' working conditions, as if he feared David and his team would scrutinize this aspect too closely. David looked at him and asked meaningfully, "No more than 6 hours, you''re sure about that?" Feeling David''s questioning gaze, Peter''s heart fluttered, but he still tried to sound calm as he responded, "Absolutely sure, this is a prison, not a torture chamber!" This time David just smiled and said nothing more. Through his ''golden finger'' scrutiny, David of course knew that Peter was lying through his teeth. It wasn''t about sticking to the 6-hour rule; those inmates without the means to pay protection fees were often forced to work for 15 to 16 hours regrly. "My God, Director David..." "Director David, wow..." "..." As they reached the area where inmates were kept, suddenly, there were shouts of surprise from the cells, as though the inmates were thrilled to see David there. David himself was somewhat surprised; he did not expect his reputation to have spread even into the prison, where many inmates recognized him. "Director David, you did a great job sending those corrupt officials to us from Sparks and Henderson City!" "Director David, I want to report that this damn prison has many people evading taxes too; I hope you can send them in here to keep uspany." Chapter 275: Chapter 187: Huge Interest Tax Revenue in Prison_3 "That''s right, especially that damn Peter..." After the exmation, many prisoners began to voiceints, some even mentioning Peter''s name directly. This made Peter both angry and panicked, and he immediately gave the guards a look. Without a word, the guards opened the cell doors and entered with batons in hand, quickly followed by screams of pain echoing from inside. Meanwhile, Peter awkwardly exined, "These criminals always have a hard time keeping quiet, always thinking of ways to get back at usw enforcement officers. A lesson needs to be taught..." What he implied by those words was that these prisoners were talking nonsense, hinting to David not to take their words at face value. David obviously understood, but he wasn''t ready to make a scene just yet, so he dismissed it. Next, Peter took David to inspect various areas of Zone A. However, David noticed that Peter purposely avoided a certain area on the west side. Eventually, David stopped and pointed in that direction, saying, "Prison Chief Peter, I would like to take a look over there." Peter''s face stiffened, but in order not to reveal any ws, he nodded and said, "Of course, you can, Director David. You can check wherever you''d like." David didn''t pursue the conversation and went straight to the west, passing through the recreation area, the cafeteria, and the library until he reached a metal gate. "Prison Chief Peter, what is this ce?" "This... This is where we keep the more, the unruly and violent prisoners. For your safety, Director David, I think it''s best not to go in." "No, I would like to see for myself." Peter''s expression showed difficulty: "Don''t put me in a tough position, Director David. You''re an important figure at the IRS, and if something happens to you in our prison, I wouldn''t be able to exin it!" "I said I want to go inside. Prison Chief Peter, are you going to open this door or not?" Your journey continues on mvl Peter''s face darkened, but after a half-minute mental struggle, he ultimately didn''t dare disobey David and took out his card to swipe on the reader. "Ding..." The next second, the gate slowly opened. Meanwhile, Nisen Bakesimmons and the third person all reached for their waist guns, not sure if it was as Peter said, if this area indeed held violent prisoners, but it''s always good to be careful. However, when the gate fully opened, the scene inside made them all freeze. Unlike other areas of the prison, the interior walls and floors here were bright and clean; looking ahead, there was a basketball court, a ping-pong table, a swimming pool, and even a bar for enjoying drinks. And the peoplezing around here weren''t wearing the inmates'' uniforms from outside, but various casual clothes instead. If someone unaware of the situation outside came here, they would definitely think it was a leisure center, not part of a prison. David turned to Peter: "Prison Chief Peter, is this what you call the ce where dangerous criminals are kept?" Peter showed a face full of embarrassment, not knowing how to respond for a moment. But David didn''t wait for an answer and strode inside; those who were engaged in their leisure activities saw himing and all stopped. David observed with his "golden finger" and found that these casually dressed people were indeed prisoners brought in. As for why these prisoners could be so nonchnt in such a ce within the prison, it must be a kind of operational mode of the prison. The profits generated by this mode of operation would definitely not be reported urately in the prison''s finances, which exins why Peter was so reluctant to let him in. Because if they came in for a look andbined it with a careful examination of the prison''s reported figures, it would be easy to find discrepancies. Passing through the leisure area, they arrived in front of the prisoners'' cells, where something even more astonishing urred. The cells here were utterly different from those where the other prisoners stayed. The cells were not only richly and elegantly decorated but also equipped with televisions,puters, softrge beds, luxurious toilets, and other amenities. And even more outrageous was that they heard sounds from one of the cells that were definitely not suitable for children. David turned to Peter: "Prison Chief Peter, this GCO prison of yours is hardly a prison; it''s more like paradise on earth." Peter was embarrassed again but then exined, "ording to the regtions on private prisons, it''s clearly stated that private prisons like GOC have the right to adjust certain areas. This has been reported to the relevant departments, and it is inpliance with thews." "Whether itplies with the relevantws, I do not know, but are you sure itplies with the IRS tax codes?" "This... of course, it does. Regarding the ie generated here, we have included it in our profit reports; then we pay taxes ordingly as regted." "Okay, then let me ask you, Prison Chief Peter, how much does it cost a prisoner to stay in a cell like this per day?" "100 US dors." David chuckled. Such facilities, along with the many services provided, would cost at least 200, 300 US dors on the outside. And that''s before considering the extortionate nature of prisons. 100 US dors? They must think he''s a fool! David gave Nisen a sign, and understanding the cue, Nisen immediately went over and knocked loudly on the cell where the inappropriate sounds had beening from. Chapter 276: Chapter 187: Huge Interest Tax Revenue in Prison_4 "Fake Yau, didn''t you hear me working here? What''s all the fuss about, haven''t I paid you bastards?" At the angry shout from inside, Nisen lost his temper too, and kicked the doorknob forcefully. The outer cells were equipped with specially made iron doors to prevent prisoners from escaping, but the inmates here already had the freedom within the area, naturally, they didn''t use such iron doors, just wooden ones. So when Nisen''s powerful kicknded, the door burst open, and along with the swearing from inside, a woman''s scream could also be heard. "Director David, what the hell do you mean by this?" "Nothing much, just wanted to check on the situation. Oh, and regarding the destruction of your prison door, put it on my tab." "There''s no need for that, Director David. It''s something you could have let me take care of, no need to be so violent..." David didn''t speak further but stepped through into the cell that had been kicked open, where he saw a man and woman huddled together on therge bed. And when the man saw Peter enter, he questioned discontentedly, "Prison Chief Peter, what is this about?" Peter wore a dark expression and showed no intention of answering. David walked over to him and asked, "What''s your name?" Looking at David''s face, the man seemed to recognize him, but couldn''t quite ce where he had seen him, and ended up asking uncertainly, "What do you want?" "The Chief Tax Officer is asking you a question. You just need to answer, no need for so much bullshit!" "The Chief Tax Officer...!" Triggered by Nisen''s reminder, the man''s face changed drastically¡ªhe finally remembered that this man was the same Chief Tax Officer David he''d seen on television! This was the ruthless man who had stormed the Indian Tribe with armed forces and had dealt with two city halls. He obviously didn''t dare neglect him anymore and quickly answered truthfully, "I''m Boon." "Alright, Mr. Boon, what are you in for?" "Manipting the stock market illegally..." David nodded and continued, "What I want to know is, how much do you pay each month for living in such a cell?" Boon was about to answer but suddenly caught the warning look from Peter; hesitating for a moment, he eventually said, "Not much, just 100 US dors." David might have a notorious reputation. But now that he was in prison, Peter could mess with him whenever he wanted, so of course he didn''t dare offend Peter. "100 US dors? Are you sure about that?" Boon couldn''t meet David''s gaze, and replied with a quivering voice, "I''m sure..." "Mr. Boon, do you know what kind of person I dislike the most?" "Ah?" Boon was both shocked and terrified. "Dishonest people!" Boon went silent. But David turned to Simmons and instructed, "Go check Mr. Boon''s ounts, see if there''s been any unreported ie since he''s been in prison, oh, and... to facilitate the investigation, let''s go ahead and freeze them!" On hearing that, Boon immediately panicked. The reason he could still enjoy life after being incarcerated was mainly due to a continuous influx of money from outside. If the IRS froze his ounts and he no longer had moneying in, where would he be able to live asfortably as he did? Find adventures at mvl If he were to be thrown out into thosemon cells out there, wouldn''t those vicious criminals y him alive? With that thought, he quickly called out, "Wait, wait!" David turned to look at Boon and asked, "What''s the matter, Mr. Boon? Is there something you want to add?" Boon nced at Peter and noticed an even more threatening look in his eyes, causing him to shrink back involuntarily. But the thought of his ounts being frozen for three to five years, or even longer, by the IRS if he didn''t cooperate with David made him realize he wouldn''t survive that. Offending Peter now would at worst result in minor harassment, and with money in hand, he could livefortably either here or outside. With that decision made in his mind, he said, "I got it wrong before, staying here for a day costs 1000 US dors." David had suspected that it wouldn''t be as simple as 100 US dors, but upon hearing that it cost 1000 US dors to stay a day here, he still couldn''t help but be impressed. Although he hadn''t counted them yet, at a rough nce there were definitely at least 50 cells. If one cell was 1000 a day, that would be 30,000 a month and 360,000 a year. Totaled for 50 cells, it would be 18 million a year. ording to the records, GCO''s prison had been built for three years now, which added up to 54 million dors. Considering possible vacancies and some initial periods of adjustment, there would definitely be at least 30 million dors. And this was just Zone A of the prison, with four other blocks¡ªBCDE¡ªleft; David was certain that, like Zone A, these other blocks definitely had simr special cell areas. If calcted with just these special cells in mind, the involved funds were already over a hundred million dors. And keep in mind, this was just the ie from the prison cells; the money made from exploiting prisonerbor hadn''t even been calcted yet. What would the total figure be if it were all added up? Calming his excitement, David stood up and said to Peter, "Prison Chief Peter, didn''t you just say that a cell only costs 100 US dors?" "Yes, a regr cell is indeed 100 US dors, but his is slightly more luxurious, so the price is a bit higher..." Chapter 277: Chapter 187: Huge Interest Tax Revenue in Prison_5 Peter came up with ame excuse. Yet David didn''t press on with more questions, as he left the cell to continue his inspection. Shortly thereafter, their tally confirmed that Zone A had a total of 55 such cells. Tasting sess, David then requested that Peter take him to also stroll through Zone B, and although Peter was reluctant, in the end, he stiffened his resolve andplied. Prison Staff Office Area. Upon receiving news that David had finished inspecting the special section of Zone A and was currently on his way to Zone B, Andrew wore a look of worry and ultimately had no choice but to pick up the phone and ry the news to Marz in Carson City. Carson City. After receiving the message, Marz immediately said to Justin and the others, "Just got word from the prison¡ªhe''s inspected our special cells." "What''s going on, Marz, how could you let him into the special cells!" "Exactly, rumor has it that David''s eyes are like a hawk''s, able to spot any trace of tax evasion. Letting him in there might just cause us trouble." "Although the special cells are theoretically legal, David is no ordinary person, and even if it''s legal, he''s not easy to deal with." After all, if David uncovers any tax evasion at Rio City Prison, other prisons in Nevada State would surely be implicated. Discover exclusive content at mvl That''s why the wardens were so anxious upon hearing David had inspected the special cells. "Do you think we wanted to let him in to inspect, to see? He insisted on it, forcefully; do you think my people would actually dare to stop him?" Marz''s words silenced the wardens at the scene, but they also came to understand the actions of Rio City Prison. After all, when the Indian Tribe refused to cooperate with David''s investigation, he led an armed raid right into it. Now who would dare obstruct his case? If this is mishandled, tomorrow''s headlines might feature GCO Prison. "There''s no need to worry too much, let him inspect if he wants, as long as the special prison doesn''t get exposed to the media, there shouldn''t be any issue," one said. "And the IRS isn''t so idle as to go telling the media about this." "Besides, we''ve ounted for these prisons'' taxes as profits and paid them to the IRS. I believe even if David is very capable, it will be hard for him to find anything." Justin''s words slightly eased the tension among the wardens present. Yes. Although these special cells might have tax issues, GCO is arge corporation after all, with every prison having its ounts professionally managed. It''s not certain that David will be able to uncover anything, so there is no need to borrow trouble before it arrives. Rio City, GCO Prison. Just as David had guessed, Zone B also contained special cells, just like in Zone A. After inspecting the special cell area of Zone B, Peter directly said, "All right, Director David, let me be straight with you, the other zones all have special cells too, all the same situation, so... there''s no need to inspect each one." David turned to look at him, "Why, Prison Chief Peter, do you not want me to continue looking?" "It''s not that..." "Then take us to Block C to have a look!" David had to inspect all the areas to ensure a rough estimate; otherwise, even if he had the warden and other higher-ups in his gripter, they could still present him with a fabricated number. Zone B was not far from Block C, and quickly the group arrived there. However, upon arriving, David noticed that while the prisoners were out for exercise, they all appeared to be listlessly lethargic, with vacant stares, and some eveny sleeping in various areas¡ªobviously, there was a stark difference in spirit among the inmates herepared to the previous two zones. "Our prison''s specialbor is divided by zones, and currently, it''s the turn of Block C and D Zone, so they are more wearied," Peter hurried to exin. David replied, "Earlier you mentioned, how many hours does this specialborst in the prison?" "ording to regtions, it won''t exceed six hours a day." "If it is six hours, they wouldn''t be this exhausted, would they?" David''s face showed his skepticism. He felt that these prisoners might just have been hustled off the sewing machines the second before he arrived, due to his visit. Chapter 278: Chapter 188: You want evidence, right? Stay connected via mvl "It''s quite normal, because there''s a lot of physicalbor in our prison," Peter exined reasonably. "Even if it''s not 6 hours, just working for two or three hours can be exhausting. But they''re prisoners, after all, so they have to ept the punishment thates with their crimes!" Peter''s exnation seemed reasonable enough, and any regr tax agency personnel would have been easily fooled by it. However, David had already learned the ins and outs of the prison through the three guards he met earlier and a thorough scrutiny with his ''golden finger'' upon entering the prison, so he naturally didn''t believe such statements. "Continue," David urged. In the time that followed, David''s ''tour'' of Block C continued, and he subsequently visited Zones D and E. After spending over two hours, although somewhat physically and mentally fatigued, the trip was generally very worthwhile. Based on his scrutiny of the guards and inmates in each zone using his ''golden finger,'' David roughly calcted an amount. The prison had a total of 5 zones, each with 50-60 special cells. Since the establishment of the prison three years ago, a zone''s special cells made about 18 million a year, totaling 54 million over three years. The earnings from the special cells in all five zonesbined amounted to 240 million. And this was just the ie from the special cells. ording to his understanding, the prison had coborations with manypanies. They took on arge number of orders for buttons, screws, and handmade crafts, then transported them back to the prison, where they exploited thebor of these prisoners day and night to earn huge profits. David conservatively estimated that this must have added up to more than 300 million US dors. Therefore, the total business from these two sources amounted to over 500 million US dors. Although a part of the tax was imed through the books, about 200 million of it must have bypassed their tax system. It seemed that Saxton''s mention of the involved amount reaching up to a hundred million was, in fact, too conservative. Of course, it wasn''t his fault. After all, he didn''t have a ''golden finger'' like David''s BUG. But regardless, the tax that had to be paid on that 200 million was nearly 80 million, and even if he only took 60%, that would be 48 million. Based on the current state of the tax performance leaderboard, after this tax was collected, not only would he immediately rise to the top of the list, but he would also leave Bemy Hattie and Brown Soros far behind! The trip to Rio City was really worth it! "How is it, Director David, we''ve shown you all around our prison, inside and out. Do you have any more questions?" Peter asked after showing David around the facility that covered about 15,000 acres, obviously tired from the tour. "Your warden is in Carson City, right?" David asked. "That''s right." "Okay, get me your deputy warden and all other administrative staff, remember, all of them!" David demanded. Hearing such a request, Peter''s brow furrowed instantly, but thinking of how tough David was, he didn''t dare to object and turned to leave to pass on the message. About 20 minutester. A group of administrative personnel, led by Deputy Warden Andrew, hurried over through the corridor. [Name: Andrew Herl.] [upation: Deputy Warden of Nevada GCO Prison.] [Ie: Legal monthly ie 9,800 US dors, illegal ie 2.6 million US dors.] [Ie details: Gained by exploiting prisoners, receiving kickbacks frompanies...] [More details:...] [Tax due: 1,029,600 US dors.] ... [Name: Abbott Hunter.] [upation: Manager of Nevada GCO Prison Zone A.] [Ie: Legal monthly ie 8,000 US dors, illegal ie 1.6 million US dors.] [Ie details: Gained by exploiting prisoners, abuse of power for personal gain...] [Tax due: 633,600 US dors.] ... [Name: Nichs Maltese.] [upation: Manager of Nevada GCO Prison Zone B.] [Ie: Legal monthly ie 8,000 US dors, illegal ie 1.5 million US dors.] [Ie details: Gained by exploiting prisoners, abuse of power for personal gain...] [Tax due: 594,000 US dors.] ... [...] While scrutinizing the information of the people arriving, David also took out a notebook and pen, beginning to jot down some key information about these individuals. "Director David, I am Andrew, the deputy warden of this ce. Our prison''s ounts are all documented, and there are no issues regarding taxes. I''m not sure what the aim of your visit today is?" At this moment, Andrew had approached David, feigning innocence and confusion. David didn''t immediately respond to him but continued writing in his notebook until three minutester. He then put away his pen and paper and replied, "Deputy Warden Andrew, I''ve received reports from some released prisoners alleging severe cash-for-power transactions within your prison. As you know, our tax bureau has introduced the ck Tax Bill, which requires us to investigate transactions such as these." "Cash-for-power transactions? That''s nonsense, surely the spiteful nder of some prisoners. As you know, Director David, friction between our staff and the prisoners ismon, and thesewbreakers, bearing grudges, thus nder us. It''s only to be expected," Andrew argued. "Is that so?" David smiled slightly and said, "But they came with evidence, which I''ve already verified. There are indeed such problems in your prison, and this is not nder!" Upon hearing there was evidence, Andrew and the prison''s administrative staff felt a jolt of anxiety. Chapter 279: Chapter 188: You want evidence, right?_2 ``` But soon, Deputy Warden Andrew, having regained hisposure, replied, "What evidence? I wonder if Director David would allow me to have a look?" He wasn''t a fool; of course, he wouldn''t take Director David at his word without seeing proof. What if David was bluffing him? "Deputy Warden Andrew, our IRSes with sincerity in seeking your cooperation. If you insist on seeing the evidence... it''s not impossible, but then things might turn unfriendly," David said. David''s words were essentially telling the other party, "I''m being nice now, but if you insist on seeing the evidence, then I won''t be polite." Andrew clearly understood. To be honest, he knew how dirty his own hands were, and David was known as the leading executioner of the IRS in Nevada, so it would be a lie to say he wasn''t afraid. But if it were just about him personally, he could simply pay his way out of trouble by settling his taxes under the dark tax bill. The fear was that if he cleared his own dues and David found a gap to investigate the prison''s ounts, he couldn''t bear the full brunt of it. Thinking of this, he could only reply with a stiff resolve, "I''m sorry, Director David, but in our America, everything must be substantiated with evidence; otherwise, it''s all nder against our prison!" "If that''s how it is, then it will be as you wish. Oh, and when does the warden get back?" David asked. "He should be back tomorrow." "Alright, I apologize for the disturbance today." With that, David turned and left with Bucky and the rest. Watching his departing figure, the manager of Zone A said with some worry, "He doesn''t really have evidence against us, does he?" "It''s hard to say. Some of the inmates who leave here might well turn out to be ''ck sheep,''" "Deputy Warden, this David is not someone to mess with. If we really anger him, we... we won''t end up like those officials from Sparks, Henderson, will we?" The managers from the other zones couldn''t help but worry. "What''s there to panic about? We haven''t had any conflict with him yet. Even if hees knocking with evidence, it''s not like we''re going straight to court, so calm down!" Although Andrew urged everyone to be calm, in reality, his own heart was pounding. But he had no choice; as the Deputy Warden, he had to stabilize morale at this moment. ... Meanwhile, David had just returned to his office at the Sand Bay Branch. He immediately took out the notebook in which he had recorded key information about the prison staff, intending to organize it in detail. But before he could settle in, a knock at the office door forced him to halt his thoughts and say, "Come in." The next second, Saxton walked in with a smile and, sitting down opposite David, asked, "How did it go with GCO Prison, Director David? Did you find anything?" "Your investigation was correct¡ªthe prison is indeed involved in a vast amount of power and money dealings. Moreover, there are significant discrepancies in the financial reports they submit. However, the discrepancy isn''t as your investigation suggests; their involvement is not just over a hundred million but over two hundred million." "What did you say?" Saxton suddenly looked up, his face a picture of shock as he stared at David. That prison in GCO had been a major case his branch had focused on since the passing of the dark tax bill. After months of effort and countless inspectors'' hard work, they had concluded the figure was over a hundred million. But now David was telling him it was not just over a hundred million, but over two hundred million? Stay connected through mvl If it weren''t for the fact that David was known across Nevada for his work, Saxton would have outright dismissed such a im as nonsense! "I said the amount involved could be over two hundred million!" "Two hundred million... Might I ask how you arrived at that figure, Director David?" Having confirmed it again, Saxton still found it hard to believe. David had only visited GCO Prison once; could that one visit invalidate several months of their investigation? "The figures are from the investigation, of course." "But... but..." Saxton was still puzzled, yet faced with David''s apparent reluctance to borate further, he refrained from asking more questions. "Just trust me, Director Saxton. When I say two hundred million, there''s definitely two hundred million, and there''s no mistake about that!" While he remained somewhat confused, Saxton''s curiosity gradually turned to anticipation upon hearing David''s confident tone. If the involved amount was indeed as high as two hundred million, then the potential tax recovery could be close to eighty million. Even if their Sand Bay Branch took only forty percent, it would still be a massive revenue of around thirty-two million. If such a huge amount of tax revenue were to be recorded, then the name of his Sand Bay Branch¡ªand Saxton himself¡ªwould be hard to keep out of the limelight at Washington D.C. Headquarters! The more Saxton thought about it, the more excited he became. He then nodded and said, "How about this, Director David, you need tax achievements to hit the Divine Creation Project, so if the involved amount is indeed two hundred million and you sessfully crack the case, I''ll give you an extra ten percent. You''ll take seventy percent of this case!" ording to his original expectations, if the amount was over a hundred million, they would around forty million, with the Sand Bay Branch taking fourty percent, that would be roughly sixteen million. But now that the amount is as high as two hundred million, even if he gave David an additional ten percent, they would still get close to twenty-four million, which far exceeded their initial projections. Although giving away an extra ten percent would mean eight million less for the branch, first and foremost, this was an unexpected windfall. ``` Chapter 280: Chapter 188: You want evidence, right?_3 Secondly, if David truly secures the God-making project and rises to the Los Angeles Branch, given the advantages of this tform, it''s highly probable that he wouldter ascend to the headquarters as well. What he''s giving away now might be a favor from a future high-ranking official at the national bureau, which seems to be a very cost-effective deal no matter how you look at it. "Since it''s like this, then I''ll thank Director Saxton in advance." David didn''t expect Saxton to be so good at interpersonal rtions, but he indeed needed the tax achievements now, so he didn''t refuse. "There''s nothing to thank me for, our branch should thank you, Director David. Oh right, since you''ve uncovered their scale of involvement, I suppose you must be nning to take action next, right?" "Correct, could you please arrange a few efficient Chief Inspectors toe to meter, Saxton? I have some tasks for them." "OK, just let me know when you need them, and I''ll send them over to you." Your journey continues on §Þ?? After Saxton left, David began to seriously organize the key information of the management personnel at GCO Prison. An hourter, after organizing everything, he notified Saxton, and the four Chief Inspectors Saxton had arranged quickly made their way to his office. "Director David, do you have any instructions?" The few of them had previously participated in the ceremony to wee David, so they skipped the small talk and got straight to the point upon entering. "Chief Inspector Syemon, this is some information I''ve organized. Please bring these people in quickly to get their statements, and check these financial details and ounts thoroughly for me, Chief Inspector Spencer..." David pushed the four organized files out one by one. And the four men immediately stepped up to the desk, each picking up their respective documents to review. As the contents of the files became clearer, astonishment gradually appeared on their faces, until finally Chief Inspector Syemon directly asked, "Director David, how did youe to know so much about Deputy Warden Andrew? Have you investigated these people before?" "It''s a long story, but now is not the time to investigate these matters. Let''s focus onpleting the tasks at hand!" Hearing this, Syemon didn''t dare to ask further. Following his lead, all four of them said they wouldplete the tasks assigned by David as quickly as possible before turning to leave. ... The following afternoon. "Director David, as per your instructions, here are the relevant materials and documents." "Director David, these are mine." "..." After operating around the clock for a day and a night, Syemon''s four audit teams had nearlypleted the tasks assigned by David, and they had now alle together to his office, handing over all the rted files and materials. David checked each item and, finding that they met his requirements without error, nodded in satisfaction, "Good work, I appreciate the hard work of all the Chief Inspectors, you may go rest now." He could tell that toplete the tasks he had assigned, the four had not slept all night. "All right, Chief Director, if there''s anything else you need, just let me know anytime!" "Will do." At the same time, over at the GCO Prison. A Toyota Land Cruiser slowly drove in, stopping at one of the special parking spots, and the person who got out was Marz, returning from Carson City. "Warden." "Warden." The guards and some prison workers greeted him one after another. Marz merely nodded slightly and then turned to his secretary with instructions, "Notify Andrew and the others toe to my office." "Yes." Ten minutester, in the Warden''s office, Andrew and the managers from various districts entered one after the other, all of them greeting Marz. With a serious expression, Marz inquired, "How is it going, any moves from the national tax bureau?" From the news that had spread through the prison yesterday, he already knew about the ''harsh words'' David had dropped, which was why he had hurried back today. "From our surveince and other sources of information, it seems the national tax bureau isn''t making any significant movements, but it''s hard to say... after all, we''re not the CIA or FBI..." Andrew''s meaning was clear: although the national tax bureau didn''t seem to be making big moves, if they were conducting secret operations without their knowledge, that was also a possibility. Marz''s expression darkened, and he questioned further, "Andrew, do you think that after his tour here yesterday, he might have discovered something?" "He has visited the special cells in the prison, and he even threatened many prisoners to reveal the prices of the cells and other expenditures. With his ability, he will definitely see the anomalies in the ounts. He may see them, but our ounts are very professionally done. He definitely... I reckon he won''t find anything out." Andrew initially intended to use ''definitely,'' but remembering this was David, he quickly switched to ''reckon.'' "Reckon..." Marz was clearly dissatisfied with this uncertain term, but just as he was about to say something, the conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. He braced himself and said, "Come in." The next second, Peter walked in with a very grave expression, "Warden, that Director David from the national tax bureau is here with people again." At this news, everyone''s expressions turned to shock, and a sense of foreboding filled their hearts. David had just made a threatening statement yesterday, and now he was back today¡ªit definitely wasn''t just another prison tour. Were they really about to be dealt with? Chapter 281: Chapter 188: You want evidence, right?_4 "Since you''re here, Andrew, you go meet him and see what he wants to do now!" Marz was unwilling to confront David personally and had no choice but to instruct Andrew to do so. Andrew nodded and immediately went out, walking all the way to the lobby of the office area. As expected, David had already arrived. He immediately greeted him and said, "Director David, what brings you to our prison today?" "Deputy Warden Andrew, do you remember what I said yesterday?" Seeing David''s confident demeanor, Andrew felt increasingly uneasy and replied, "What do you mean, Director David?" "Yesterday, I mentioned that the National Tax Bureau came with sincerity to speak with you. You said everything needs evidence. Well, since you want evidence, I''ll satisfy you today!" With those words, Nisen stepped forward and handed over a file folder to Andrew. Andrew''s mood became heavier, for David''s appearance didn''t seem like a bluff. Could the contents of this bag actually be evidence? "What''s the matter, now that I''ve brought the evidence, are you afraid to look?" Andrew snapped back to reality, and, despite the unease in his heart, he took the file folder, opened it, and began to examine the documents inside. Experience exclusive tales on §Þ?? But as the contents unfolded before his eyes, his hands and legs began to tremble. After having read everything, he asked in a tone filled with fear and exasperation, "Where did you get these from?" "Deputy Warden Andrew, do you think I need to tell you?" "You..." Andrew''s eyes turned red, but this time, he couldn''t muster any words of retort. "How about it, Deputy Warden Andrew, are you satisfied with this evidence?" Andrew clenched his fists so tightly that his nails were almost piercing into his palms. Because the documents explicitly recorded who he had exploited among the prisoners over the past few months, whichpanies had given him kickbacks, and how the money wasundered into various ounts. All his illicit activities, all the financial details, were crystal clear; he couldn''t possibly argue with ten mouths. Finally, he sighed resignedly and said, "Sigh, I can pay the taxes for you..." "That''s a given, but... I also need a little help from you. I observed yesterday that the special prison meals and the prisoners''bor are definitely worth more than what you''ve reported to the National Tax Bureau. I need a real ledger from you!" "No, our ounts are correct, I will only pay my own due in taxes. The rest has nothing to do with me." "Do you think you still have a choice?" "You..." Andrew ground his teeth in anger once again, but remembering that someone else now had the upper hand over him, and considering David had personally seen to it that higher-ups like Sparks and Henderson were put behind bars, sending him would be a matter of minutes, forcing him to suppress his anger and exin, "If I hand the ledger over to you, then I can''t stay here any longer. Besides, this isn''t something a Deputy Warden can decide!" "It''s not for you to decide, you say? Then go notify someone who can." "Do you think I''m that important to them, to the GCO? Let me tell you, even if I do notify them, they won''tply!" What Andrew was really saying was that although David had caught him this time, the others, in hopes of preserving their careers, would definitely choose to abandon him over handing over the ledgers, given the choice. Chapter 282: Chapter 189: No One Wants to Be the Scapegoat for the Company "Don''t worry, their bones aren''t any tougher than yours; they will do as told!" Hearing these meaningful words, Andrew first froze, then suddenly realized what was implied and looked toward Bucky and Simmons who were standing behind David. Indeed, they were also holding several document folders in their hands. Could it be... These were the handles of his other colleagues? It must be! If David had collected his dirt, he could naturally have collected that of his other colleagues as well. With this thought, Andrew sighed helplessly, then turned his head and returned in the direction of the Warden''s office. Inside the Warden''s office, Marz and the managers of various zones were still anxiously waiting. Upon seeing Andrew walk in, the person in charge of Zone A immediately asked, "What happened, Deputy Warden Andrew?" As soon as he finished speaking, seeing Andrew''s dejected face, everyone sensed that something was wrong. Your next chapter is on §Þ?? And the next words from him confirmed their suspicion. "Warden, I''m screwed..." As soon as Andrew uttered these words, the atmosphere at the scene immediately grew tense. After a long while, Marz asked in a deep voice, "Speak clearly, what do you mean by screwed?" "He''s been investigating me without my knowing, using who knows what means. In any case, my various infractions, along with the details of my illegal ie, have all been dug up... "What the fuck are you saying!" Marz was utterly shocked, and the others weren''t any better, all wearing disbelieving expressions. Now they realized that the harsh words David had left them with yesterday were not just empty threats! The scene fell silent again for a long time before Marz came to his senses and asked with a grim face, "So you''re saying, he only dug up your infractions and the details of your illegal ie, but he didn''t get to the prison''s ounts?" "It seems that he didn''t..." Hearing this, Marz and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. That was a small piece of good luck amid misfortune. "However... he''s demanding that we hand over the ounts, or else..." These hesitant words from Andrew caused everyone''s faces to fall. After some contemtion, Marz said in a heavy voice, "Andrew, you know what kind ofpany GCO is. If the real ounts get into the hands of the Tax Bureau, it will be a disaster, and those executives will definitely be furious. It might get very ugly... How about this, just take the fall yourself. This way, you''ll preserve the wealth and honor of your family, and we''ll remember your sacrifice." "Yes, Deputy Warden Andrew, if we hand over the ounts, it won''t just be a blow to GCO Prison in Nevada State; it''ll be a severe blow to the entire nation''s prison system. The consequences are not something you or we can bear." "I think Warden Marz is right, Deputy Warden Andrew. Even if you don''t think about us, you should consider your family..." "..." When it came to their own careers and fates, these people didn''t care much for collegial loyalty anymore. To get Andrew to capitte, several of them even tantly or covertly threatened his family. At this moment, Andrew, upon hearing these words that seemed to be for his benefit but were actually selfish, felt an extreme sense of destion in his heart. He sneered and slowly said, "I could take the fall, but I just don''t know if you could withstand it." Hearing the first half of his sentence, people were somewhat pleased, but the second half confused them again. Marz couldn''t help but ask, "Deputy Warden Andrew, what do you mean by that?" "You think David only has dirt on me?" "What do you mean by that?" "Heh, he has your dirt just the same!" "What!" The crowd was even more shocked than when they heard Andrew say that he was screwed. David had not only collected Andrew''s dirt but theirs as well? How could this be... "No Andrew, that''s absolutely impossible... it can''t be true..." Andrew looked at him and replied with a sarcastic tone, "If David could collect my dirt, what''s so hard about collecting yours? Do you think you''re cleaner than me or something?" Everyone being colleagues at the same prison, the cleanliness of their hands was an unspoken known. "This..." Now, whether it was the zone managers or Warden Marz himself, all of them fell silent with a grave expression. And watching them in such a state, Andrew felt a wave of schadenfreude, exhaling a long sigh of relief. These people, just moments ago, had told him to take the me, hadn''t they? Now, upon hearing that David also had something on them, they were all shrinking back like scared turtles? Just then, Marz suddenly stood up and walked out the door. Seeing his departure, nobody dared to dawdle, and they all quickly followed. In the office lobby. "Director David, Marz is here." David, who was waiting in the lounge area, turned his head upon hearing Nisen''s reminder and, sure enough, saw a group of people emerging from the corridor. Leading them was none other than Warden Marz, as shown in the photographs of the file. Before long, they met face to face, and Marz, with a cheery demeanor, said, "Sorry for the inconvenience, Director David. I was tied up with something and only now could Ie see you." "It''s no trouble, Warden Marz. You''ve got a lot on your te every day. I suppose this ''trifle'' hardly requires your personal attention." Chapter 283: Chapter 189: No One Wants to Be the Scapegoat for the Company_2 Marz was rendered speechless for a moment; this was damn near flipping the entire prison upside down, and yet it could be described as a minor issue? Although that was what he was thinking, his expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Director David, I''ve heard about a little misunderstanding between you and our Deputy Warden Andrew. I believe we can settle this matter ''peacefully.''" David shook his finger and said, "This is not a minor misunderstanding, let me be direct with you, Warden Marz. I don''t want to make things difficult for you. Just pay the taxes you owe and give me a copy of your prison''s true ledger, and I will turn around and walk away!" Marz, who had maintainedposure until now, instantly turned grim upon hearing this. He hade to David personally with the intention of downscaling the issue. But now David was even demanding the ledger; wasn''t that sending him to his death? With this in mind, he suppressed the rage in his heart and replied, "Director David, then let me be direct as well. Adding up all the management staff in our prison, the unreported tax amount is no small sum. We are willing to hand it over truthfully. I hope you can be magnanimous just this once!" "Magnanimous? Who do you think you are!" Before David could respond, Nisen stepped forward, not mincing his words as he briskly chastised him. Even the high officials from the city halls of Sparks and Henderson, as well as a supreme authority like Stevenson had been dealt with by them. Now, a mere warden had the audacity to ask them for clemency? It was nothing short of a joke within a joke! "I''m sorry, Warden Marz. My brothers are used to rough work, and might have a bit of a temper. I will have them apologize to you..." On the surface, David was apologizing, but his expressioncked any sign of remorse. In fact, what Nisen had said was exactly what he had in mind. It''s just that with his current status, such words weren''t quite fitting for him to utter. As the warden of Nevada GCO''srgest prison, Marz was, after all, a figure of some status. Being berated by a mere Inspector like Nisen was nearly enough to set him off. But as the saying goes, "Before you beat a dog, you must look at its master." Since it was one of David''s men, and David had mentioned an apology, he had no choice but to forcefully subdue his anger and respond, "My stance is unchanged, Director David. You can ask us to pay taxes, but asking for the ledger is like asking for our lives, so I hope you can give us a way out." "Sorry, Warden Marz, I can''t do that. However, you also have the option of not paying. But I must remind you, the ledger belongs to GCO Corporation, and you guys are... well, you guys!" With that, David gave a signal to Nisen Bakesimmons and the others, who immediately stepped forward, passing folders to the prison zone managers. These managers didn''t hesitate and began looking through the contents immediately, but soon enough, their expressions turned ugly. Discover stories with §Þ?? Just as Andrew had told them, David had indeed collected the same leverage against them. "I understand this matter is of great importance to you, so I''m not without sympathy. I''ll give you half a day to think it over, and I want an answer by 5 p.m. today!" Having dropped this ultimatum, David left with Nisen Bakesimmons and the others in a clean sweep. And at this moment, Marz had the look of a man with no spirit, his face ashen. Although he didn''t receive a folder like the others, he was well aware that if David was able to obtain leverage against Andrew and his other subordinates, collecting dirt on him, the warden, would be a piece of cake. The reason David didn''t do so was probably to leave him some dignity, giving him the chance to make the ''right'' choice. "Warden, what should we do?" "Warden, David''s methods are notoriously ruthless. If we don''tply with his demands, none of us will get away with it!" "Warden..." The prison staff began to panic. The high officials of Henderson and Sparks cities had ended up with millennium sentences simply because they crossed David. Naturally, they did not want to follow in their footsteps. Marz ignored the frantic chatter of the crowd and quickly returned to his office, picking up the phone to dial a number: "Mr. Justin, there''s been a bit of trouble..." In Carson City, GCO Corporation''s branch, a grim-faced Justin hung up the phone. He had known about David''s visit to their Rio City prison when Marz was having a meeting here just yesterday. But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that in just one day''s time, the entire GCO Prison would face such a catastrophe. And with GCO''srgest prison in Nevada State suffering such a disaster, he, as the man in charge here, could hardly shirk responsibility. With this in mind, he quickly called over his assistant and instructed, "Prepare the car; we''re going to the FBI Office." Half an hourter, at the FBI Office. "Mr. Gavin, the person in charge of GCO''s Nevada operations, Mr. Justin, says he wants to meet with you." In his office, Gavin was taken aback when he heard the visitor''s message, and then replied, "Let hime in then." A few minutester, Justin entered pushing the door open and said, "How are things, Mr. Gavin? Doing welltely?" "Can''t say it''s been good or bad, just so-so. Oh, by the way, Justin, what brings you here today?" "Well, Mr. Gavin, you''ve probably heard of the IRS''s David, right?" Chapter 284: Chapter 189: No One Wants to Be the Scapegoat for the Company_3 Due to theck of resources in public prisons, many criminals arrested by the FBI end up being sent to private prisons like GCO Corporation to be dealt with, so there''s a partnership between the two. Justin thought they definitely couldn''t handle this issue on their own, so he wanted to ask the FBI to intervene and see if they could mediate. After all, both the FBI and the National Tax Bureau arew enforcement agencies in America, and he figured they would give each other some face. Hearing the name David, Gavin, who had been somewhat rxed, suddenly tensed up, but then asked as if nothing was the matter, "Of course I''ve heard of him, what about it?" "It''s like this..." Justin told him about David targeting their prison, but he didn''t explicitly mention that David hadpromising information on their prison''s administrative staff. After hearing everything, Gavin finally understood the situation and why Justin hade to him today. So he was meant to act as a mediator! But it wasn''t just GCO Prison, even the FBI was now under David''s control, so how could he dare to act as a mediator or go-between? And Gavin knew very well what kind of person, what kind of character, David was. Impeding his tax work was like asking for death. With this in mind, Gavin could only decline, "Sorry Justin, I don''t think I can help you with this." Upon hearing this, Justin was stunned on the spot. Their GCO Prison and the FBI were partners, and to maintain prisoner capacity in the prisons, he regrly gave Gavin money and gifts. Originally, he thought that although it involved the National Tax Bureau and might be troublesome, Gavin wouldn''t refuse this favor, but to his surprise, not only did Gavin refuse, but he did so emphatically! Justin was somewhat angry, and with a tone of dissatisfaction, said, "Gavin, let me be straight with you, David wants our internal ount books, and if he gets his hands on them, we''ll be in big trouble. You have to help us with this no matter what, and if you get this sorted for me, I can double your share in the future." Gavin shook his head and replied, "Sorry Justin, it''s not that I don''t want to help, it''s just that I really can''t help." Seeing that Gavin still refused toply, Justin waspletely infuriated and said, "Gavin, you should know that if he gets the ount books, ourpany''s senior management will definitely be furious, and you''ll be in trouble too!" "Stop fucking pressuring me with your high-ups, I can''t manage it and that''s that, let whoever cares take care of it!" Gavin had decided to stand his ground. Upsetting the higher-ups at GCO would cause him some trouble, true, but angering David would mean losing his job immediately, and worse, potentially ending up ruined and in prison. It was obvious to him which was the lesser of two evils. "Fine, fine, fine Gavin, I will remember this!" Justin, with a fierce expression, repeated the word "fine" three times and then stood up, intending to leave. But just as he was opening the door, another voice came from behind him: "Justin, I''m advising you, you''d better do as he says, or else you''re not going to end up well." The reason Gavin warned him was mainly out of fear that if things really got out of hand, it could affect the FBI. After all, the FBI catches so many criminals every day that it would be impossible to amodate them without these private prisons. Justin, previously with a ferocious look, softened his expression slightly upon hearing this, because he sensed there might be some implication in Gavin''s words. Recently, there had been some friction between the FBI and the National Tax Bureau. Could Gavin''s reluctance to help be due to that? He couldn''t understand even after thinking it over, but he didn''t have more time to ponder because, ording to the news from the prison, David had only given them until five o''clock that afternoon. He quickly went downstairs, got into his car, and said to his assistant, Driver Jian, "Go to the state government." Upon arriving at the state government, Justin went straight to the office of the state''s chief prosecutor. Just like with the FBI, their GCO Corporation also had partnerships with state prosecutors and the judicial department, so after failing to agree with Gavin, he had no choice but to seek these officials to see if they could mediate with the National Tax Bureau. But half an hourter, he left the chief prosecutor''s office looking dejected, even punching the wall three times in frustration and cursing continuously. Like with Gavin, the state''s chief prosecutor, despite being promised all sorts of benefits and a good talk, tly refused to mediate the matter. This left him not only angry but also somewhat baffled. Yes, the National Tax Bureau wielded considerable power, and David was indeed a frightening figure, but that shouldn''t make both the head of the state''s FBI and the chief prosecutor so timid, right? Of course, this was because Justin didn''t know the inside story of the new Governor Laurie''s appointment or the events that had happened at the FBI before; otherwise, he wouldn''t have been puzzled. Time kept passing by, and it was four o''clock in the afternoon. Rio City GCO Prison, in the Warden''s office, Marz, Deputy Warden Andrew, and the heads of various zones, were all waiting for news. But as the five o''clock deadline drew closer, their anxiety and restlessness grew. Eventually, the person in charge of Zone B could no longer contain his impatience, and he said, "It''s already thiste, and there''s still no word from Justin. It looks like we can''t smooth this over. I... I think we should start making ns early..." As these words were spoken, the others, including Andrew, became agitated. Now they had two choices before them. 1. Hand over the internal prison ledger. But this would certainly enrage the corporate headquarters'' higher-ups, and they would not only be unable to continue as prison administrators, but they might also face retaliation from thepany. 2. Do not hand over the ledger, and fight it out with David and the tax bureau. But if they chose this, they would surely be arrested by the tax bureau and perhaps even be brought to trial the next day, have their assets frozen, and receive the death penalty, thrown into prison¡ªa total loss of both money and freedom. If they really had to make a choice, nearly everyone present would prefer the first option over the second. The reason was simple: they had skimmed enough money over the years, and even if they no longer managed the prison, and after paying the illegal ie tax to the tax bureau, they would still have enough for the rest of their lives. Even if they faced retaliation from GCO Corporation, they couldn''t possibly take all their money and kill them all, could they? But if they chose option 2, not only would the money they had skimmed be subject to several times more fines by the tax bureau, but it could also be confiscatedpletely, and they would have to spend their lives in prison. Faced with these two choices, the people there weren''t fools; how could they not weigh the pros and cons? "Warden, it''s not the end of the world for us... After all, it''s not worth it to fight to the death with the tax bureau and with David." "Yeah, Warden, thepany belongs to those higher-ups, but the money and freedom are our own, it''s not worth taking the fall for them..." "..." Faced with the verbal onught of the people, it was impossible for Marz not to waver. But at that moment, the phone rang, so he could only pick it up: "This is Marz." "Marz, don''t act rashly. I''m trying to find a solution. Just try to stall for now, don''t actuallypromise..." The voiceing through the phone was indeed Justin''s. "Mr. Justin, the deadline he gave is five o''clock, and it''s almost five now, I don''t know how else to stall..." "Figure something out, Marz, if you hand it over, we''re finished..." "Mr. Marz, if I don''t hand it over, we''re even more finished!" "But..." "No more, Mr. Justin. A wise man submits to circumstances. Whether it''s you or us, there''s no need to be martyrs for thepany!" "This... Sigh..." At the end of the line, Justin sighed helplessly and then hung up the phone. "Go, tally up the ounts from all your zones!" On this side, Marz had steeled himself to make a decision. And hearing his words, Andrew and the leaders of the various zones also heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly went their separate ways. Sand Bay Branch. "You think, they wouldn''t really dare not to deliver, would they?" "I don''t believe they are that loyal to GCO Corporation, even willing to be scapegoats for them." "I don''t believe it either. GCO is not their family business. Any normal person would choose to save themselves." As time was inexorably approaching five o''clock, Simmons Bakinison and two others in the temporary office were also constantly discussing. And just then, the desk phone rang, and David picked it up, saying, "This is David." "Director David, Deputy Warden Andrew from GCO Prison would like to speak to you." "Then bring him to my office!" David''s face showed a hint of a smile. They finallypromised, huh? But this was also expected. Chapter 285: Chapter 190: Coming to Bellamy Hardys Territory A few minutester, the door was knocked, and then Andrew entered, cing a briefcase on the desk and said, "This is what you asked for." "That''s more like it, Deputy Warden Andrew." David was very pleased with the other''s astuteness and then gave a look to the three Nisenbakis sitting aside. Nisen immediately came forward, opened the briefcase, and took out a stack of ount books, after which the three of them began to seriously tally up the numbers. Since these were the ounts of GCO Prison for the past three years, with numerous and substantial amounts involved, it took a full one and a half hours before the trio finallypleted their calctions. "My totales to 67.65 million." "Mine is 73.36 million." "Mine is..." Afterparing their amounts, they added them up together, and only then did Nisen report to David, "Chief Tax Officer, the totales to 211.22 million." David nodded; the figure was about what he had estimated internally, which also proved that the people at GCO Prison had not dared to underreport their figures. Then he looked at Andrew, saying, "You may go, Deputy Warden Andrew, but the undered tax amounts must be paid to me within four days." Four dayster would be the deadline for the assessment period. Andrew did not reply, but his expression was one of tacit agreement, and then he turned and left the office. "Check what time the earliest flight to Los Angeles is tomorrow morning." GCO Corporation''s headquarters is located in Los Angeles, and to receive this amount of money, David had to go there in person. The next day at seven in the morning. David first notified Saxton, then went to the airport in the neighboring Elko City and boarded a flight bound for Los Angeles. Los Angeles is located in California State, which borders Nevada, so it took just about an hour for their flight to reach the skies above Los Angeles. Gazing out the ne''s window, the magnificent view of Los Angelesid out before him; sunlight piercing through thin clouds, casting a golden glow over the City of Angels, with the contour of the city faintly visible in the distance. Skyscrapers and low-rise buildings intermingled to form a staggered picture. The Streets of Los Angeles, like slender veins, twisted and turned through every corner of the city; vehicles on this vastwork moving slowly, like busy ants. As the ne began to descend, the details of the city became clearer; on the beaches, tourists were enjoying the gifts of the sun and the waves, and within the city, parks and green spaces added vitality and liveliness to this bustling city. "So this is the ''City of Angels''¡­" The City of Angels referred to Los Angeles, with the nickname originating in 1781 when a Spanish expedition arrived and it was the eve of the Feast of the Assumption, prompting the naming of the town as "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels," eventually shortened to "City of Angels." At this moment, Nisen, looking down through the ne window, couldn''t help but express his emotion. As for Simmons, Bucky, and David, although they did not express their thoughts as Nisen did, they were also full of expectation inside. If their n to ascend to godhood seeded, then this City of Angels would be their territory. And here, whether it be tax revenue or beaches and waves, these were all things they longed for and desired. "Ladies and gentlemen passengers, we are about tond at Long Beach Airport¡­" With the announcement from the ne''s speaker, David and hispanions were brought back from their reveries. Wishing for too much was of no use at the moment; getting their hands on the tax money from GCO Prison was what mattered most. A few minutester, the ne officiallynded at Long Beach Airport. At the moment the door opened, they even felt the air was sweeter than in Nevada, although, of course, that might well be just the sweetness of anticipation and longing in their hearts. Stepping out of the airport, David nced at his watch; it was 9:10 AM, exactly the office hours for GCO Corporation. Now was the perfect time to go there. "Chief Tax Officer, are we just going to go like this, without cooperating with the local IRS?" GCO is argepany, closely coborating with various U.S. agencies such as the Department of Justice, FBI, and CIA. Thus, Simmons feared that if only a few of them went, they would not be able to handle thepany. Nisen gave him a look and said, "What are you thinking, Simmons? Have you gone muddled in your head? Don''t you see where we are? This is Long Beach Branch territory!" Hearing this, Simmons pped his forehead, realizing he had indeed been confused. The Long Beach Branch wasn''t really the issue; it was that Bemy Hattie was part of it. That guy was now their rival in the god-making n, and here they were on his turf, trying to collect a hefty tax; far from expecting cooperation, they might actually encounter obstruction hindering their tax collection effort. "No need to find them, we''ll go on our own." David was well aware that he was in a fierce battle with Bemy Hattie, who surely would not help him. And he hadn''t nned on involving the Long Beach Branch to begin with. GCO might have aplicatedwork of rtionships, and indeed, David might not be able to contend with thepany in Los Angeles, but let''s not forget, Nevada was his domain. Chapter 286: Chapter 190: Coming to Bellamy Hardys Territory_2 If the GCO Corporation dared not pay this tax, then once he returned, he would simply seize all of GCO Corporation''s operations in Nevada State. He really did not believe that GCO Corporation would dare to give up their entire business in Nevada State over a mere tens of millions of dors. With David''s deration, the others ceased their idle chatter and subsequently hailed a taxi to head towards the GCO Headquarters. Meanwhile, in the Intelligence Department of the Los Angeles Long Beach Division of the National Tax Bureau Branch, "Fuck!!!" Dozens of intelligence officers were facing a mass of monitors, observing intently, when suddenly, one of them seemed to have discovered something and cursed out of shock. His curse drew the side-nces of all the intelligence officers onsite, one of which directly asked, "What''s the situation, Luke?" "Come over and take a look at this." At his words, a crowd of intelligence officers gathered around, and the one named Luke began tapping incessantly on the keyboard. Soon, the footage on the monitor was rewound, stopping at the moment David and his entourage appeared on screen at the Long Beach International Airport. "Is that... is that David from Las Vegas?" "Seems like it..." "Impossible, isn''t his jurisdiction Nevada State? What''s he suddenly doing in our Los Angeles?" The others in Los Angeles might not be too familiar with David, but being part of the National Tax Bureau, they were naturally very familiar with him. This was the biggestpetitor to their own Chief Tax Officer, Bemy Hattie, besides Brown Soros from New York! Furthermore, the armed operation at the Indian Reservation had also propelled David to the front page of the national headlines. If they still didn''t recognize David''s face by now, that would be really strange. As they discussed, the intelligence officer named Luke started another operation, and soon the big screen disyed a facial recognition system function. About ten secondster, theparison result came out. ording to the system disy, the face that appeared on the screen had a 98 percent simrity with the David from the Las Vegas Lake District Sub-bureau Branch. A 98 percent simrity rate, this almost certainly wasn''t just someone who looked like David, but in fact, it was David himself! This made the intelligence officers even more puzzled. However, some of them were also starting to feel angry. The reason was simple. This was their jurisdiction, and they were currently in the midst of the "Creating Gods" project, whose selected candidate would be directly promoted to head a division in Los Angeles. Now David had arrived here ahead of time, which, from a certain perspective, could be interpreted as him inspecting his future territory in advance? Was he really not taking their Chief Tax Officer, Bemy Hattie, seriously? "I think we should inform Chief Tax Officer Bemy about this." "Right, I''ll go notify her!" Luke, who had just discovered David''s whereabouts, volunteered, and then quickly stood up and left the Intelligence Department. At the same time, in an office at the Long Beach Branch, "Chief Tax Officer, the funds from yesterday have been ounted for. You have now widened the gap by 4 million dors from that David. Next..." "Giggle..." Bemy''s former partner, Trollope, was reporting on their work, but a sudden knock on the door interrupted him. "Come in." The next second, Luke entered and said, "Chief Tax Officer Bemy, we just caught a piece of information in our Intelligence Department and came to report to you." Bemy took a drag on his cigarette and then asked, "What information?" "Ten minutes ago, David from the Lake District of Las Vegas arrived in our jurisdiction by ne." Bemy''s somewhat lethargic demeanor shifted at hearing the news, but he quickly asked, "Are you sure?" "Our facial recognition system has confirmed it; it''s him without a doubt." Bemy''s expression turned grave. Now there were only four days left until the end of the assessment period, and David''s tax performance not onlygged significantly behind Brown Soros'', but also behind his. Arriving in Los Angeles at this critical juncture, he certainly wasn''t here for a leisure trip; he must be here to work on tax collection. But this was Long Beach District, his Bemy Hattie''s turf. David could bully his way around in Nevada State all he wanted, but now he dared to extend his reach into his territory? Was he treating him as if he were dead? "Go, tell the intelligence department that they can drop other tasks, keep a close eye on him, see who he contacts, and what he intends to do, and report back at any time!" Hearing Trollope''s instructions, Luke nodded and turned to leave. "Chief Tax Officer, that guy''s reach is too long, but don''t worry, no matter what he finds, this is our jurisdiction, I guarantee he won''t take away a single dor of tax performance!" Trollope was clearly displeased with David extending his reach to their Long Beach District. They were in the midst ofpetition after all. You, David, should stay in your Nevada State. Yet you''vee to Long Beach District. Isn''t this snatching food from the tiger''s mouth? He''d made up his mind, no matter what person or case David uncovered, he nned to ''take over''. He didn''t believe that in their territory, David could do anything substantial! Bemy did not respond, but his facial expression seemed to agree with Trollope''s words. Another twenty minutes passed. Chapter 287: Chapter 190: Coming to Bellamy Hardys Territory_3 Luke, who had left earlier, returned and reported, "Chief Tax Officer Bemy, ording to our surveince, David has gone to the headquarters of the GCO Corporation." "The GCO Corporation?" Upon hearing this, both Bemy and Trollope seemed quite surprised. They had previously spected that David must have been tracking some criminal gang, and that''s why he ended up in the Long Beach District, Los Angeles. But the GCO Corporation is a legal publicly-tradedpany, not some criminal gang, right? "Wait a minute..." Trollope seemed to have remembered something and suddenly said, "Chief Tax Officer, this GCO Corporation operates private prison businesses, and ording to the information we''ve gathered, there seem to be some illegal activities amongst their management personnel, and there also seem to be some issues with their ounting. Could it be that David is here to investigate this?" "Oh? Is that so? Why didn''t you tell me about this earlier?" Bemy was somewhat astonished, clearly having not looked into GCO Corporation in detail. "Chief, what you may not know is that GCO Corporation is not just anypany. It is one of thergest three private prisonpanies in the country, and they also have cooperative rtionships with the Department of Justice, state judiciary, prosecutorial departments, the FBI, the CIA, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the DEA, and various other departments. It''s not that easy to deal with, which is why I didn''t borate earlier," Trollope exined. Upon hearing this, the reproachful look on Bemy''s face immediately disappeared. If GCO had the backing of so many departments, then it indeed wouldn''t be easy to tackle. But then again, given GCO Corporation''s seemingly intricate connections, what made David think he could take them on? Wasn''t that a bit too bold? Thinking this, Bemy grew somewhat angry again and said in a cold voice, "If that''s the case, I want to see how he intends to bite off more than he can chew. Keep a close watch on his every move!" "Yes." ... At the center of Long Beach District, in front of the GCO Corporation headquarters building. David and his team had already arrived and quickly stepped inside. They found a front desk receptionist, shed their tax badges and said, "We are from the State Tax Bureau and have important matters to discuss with your executives." Upon hearing that the visitors were from the State Tax Bureau, the receptionist did not dare to neglect and immediately picked up the phone to notify. One minuteter, after hanging up the phone, the receptionist said to David and hispanions, "Gentlemen from the State Tax Bureau, please follow me." The receptionist led David and the others onto the elevator and all the way up to the tenth floor. A man who had already been waiting there immediately approached them and introduced himself, "Gentlemen from the State Tax Bureau, my name is Hugo, the tax supervisor of thispany. How can I assist you?" "I said I wanted to see yourpany''s executives, not a tax supervisor." David knew that the vast amount of funds was not something a minor tax supervisor could handle, and he didn''t want to waste too much time with him. Hugo frowned, for being in Los Angeles, he didn''t recognize David like people from Nevada would and thus failed to recognize him. At this moment, he felt that the agents from the State Tax Bureau were a bit too arrogant. Firstly, demanding to see the executives, they were acting a bit too presumptuous, weren''t they? After all, theirpany was no small fry. Though he was upset internally, Hugo did not act confrontationally. Instead, he patiently replied, "As the Tax Bureau, you''re here for a tax audit, right? And as thepany''s tax supervisor, just discuss it directly with me." David didn''t want to waste any more words with him and simply waved his hand to Nisen, who opened the briefcase, took out the ledger from Rio City GCO Prison, and handed it over. Hugo epted the ledger and began to peruse it, but as the content revealed itself, his expression turned from surprised to shocked to downright ugly. As a tax supervisor, it was clear at a nce what the contents were and whether they were authentic. Without exaggeration, if this ledger were made public, it would not only embroil GCO Corporation in a scandal but also mire them in a massive tax evasion crisis. Now he finally understood why the State Tax Bureau officials hade to him, and why they insisted on seeing their executives right from the start. "May I ask where you got this ledger from?" "I don''t need to exin it to you!" Hugo''s face darkened a shade further before he finally asked, "This is the ledger for the Rio City GCO Prison from Nevada, so you are from the Nevada State Tax Bureau?" "That''s correct." "May I know your name?" "David." "All right, please wait here." Hugo immediately turned and left, walking down the corridor to a door marked ''CEO Office.'' After knocking, he entered, his face grave as he said to a silver-haireddy inside, "Miss Caroline, we have a problem..." The woman referred to as Miss Caroline with the silver hair raised her head upon hearing this and asked, "What problem?" "Please take a look at this." Hugo handed over the ledger, which Caroline promptly opened to examine. Soon enough, just like Hugo had upon reviewing the ledger, her expression became very grim, and she said with a stern face, "Where did this ledgere from?" "It was brought here by someone from the Nevada State Tax Bureau named David." "David?" Although the name seemed somewhat familiar to Caroline, she didn''t dwell on it and immediately instructed, "Call Pearson, Matteo, Gry... get them here immediately!" Chapter 288: Chapter 190: Coming to Bellamy Hardys Territory_4 "Yes." Seven or eight minutester, a stream of GCO Corporation''s senior executives filed in, all of them looking perplexed at Caroline, obviously not understanding why they had been so urgently summoned. "Everyone take a look at this." Caroline threw the ledger to them, and the executives, not daring to neglect it, all gathered around to flip through it for inspection. Soon after, theirplexions also turned sour, with the executive named Pearson, in particr, angrily scolding, "This is our internal ledger, the Tax Bureau couldn''t possibly have gotten hold of it, it must be those bastards from Rio City Prison who leaked it, damn it, I''m going to call them right now!" "The Tax Bureau actually got their hands on this ledger of ours, we''re in a bit of trouble now..." "What are those idiots in Rio City doing, how could they leak our secrets, they deserve to die!" "..." The rest of the executives also started to curse and rant. Five or six minutester, the executive named Pearson hung up the phone and burst out cursing, "Yes, indeed, it was those damned fools who leaked the ledger!" Caroline turned and asked, "Why would they do such a thing?" "ording to them, they were coerced by a Chief Tax Officer named David, the bastards!" "David?" This was the second time Caroline had heard this name following Hugo earlier, and it made her realize that this person from the Tax Bureau named David was not simple; she immediately picked up the phone, "Find me information on a Chief Tax Officer named David from the Tax Bureau, and send the details to my office as soon as possible." GCO, as one of the top three private prison corporations in America, had quite influential channels. Quickly, a report on David was delivered to Caroline''s office. But when they checked David''s information, everyone was stunned. On January 28th, apanied by armed Tax Bureau agents, he entered the Las Vegas Indian Tribe to enforce thew, collecting over 15 million in taxes. On February 10th, he went to Sparks to enforce thew, sent the local Deputy Mayor and Police Chief to prison, sentencing them to a millennium in prison, the ultimate penalty. On February 12th, he went to Henderson City to enforce thew, sending the City Manager and Deputy Mayor there into prison, again sentencing them to a millennium, the ultimate penalty. Beyond that, David was also currently the most likely candidate in the Tax Bureau''s god-making project; if elected, his future would be limitless. When the hell did the Tax Bureaue out with such an aggressive person? Even Bemy Hattie, who is currently revered in the Long Beach District as the ''Tax Evasion Nemesis,'' doesn''t have such impressive aplishments! Now everyone had some sympathy for the management at Rio City Prison; no wonder they imed to have handed over the ledger under duress! "I was wondering why his name sounded so familiar, turns out he''s the Tax Bureau Chief Tax Officer who led armed forces into the Indian Tribe and made the headlines a while back." By now, many of the GCO senior executives present finally remembered such an incident and began to recall the person, David. "If it''s him, then this guy is not easy to deal with, this might be tricky..." "No matter how difficult he is, we definitely can''t hand over the ledger, the money is a small matter, but if we set this precedent, and Tax Bureaus in each state follow suit, we''ll definitely go bankrupt!" "Matteo is right, it''s like opening Pandora''s Box, once opened, it will bring endless trouble to our GCO Corporation..." "..." Caroline had no patience to listen to the executives'' remarks anymore and directly interrupted, "If he publishes this ledger, ourpany will also be plunged into a huge turmoil, so what do you suggest we do?" "Miss Caroline, why don''t we meet with him and talk first, see his stance before making decisions, it''s not toote." Caroline thought about it and finally nodded in agreement, "Then have hime over for a talk." Ten minutester, David and his group were brought in. Pearson, pretending to be nonchnt, said, "Good to meet you, Director David, I am Pearson, the vice president of GCO, this is our CEO Caroline, this is..." After the introductions were over, he spoke again, "Director David, I''ll get straight to the point. The ledger in your hands is very important to us, can you ''return'' it to us? Of course, we won''t let youe for nothing, as long as you''re willing to ''return'' it, you can name your price!" David sat down, emotionless, and responded, "I could return it to you, just pay the taxes ording to the funds on the ledger, and I will turn around and leave right away." Upon hearing this, Pearson and the others immediately looked dismayed. They had asked David toe and talk precisely because they wanted to retrieve the ledger without having to file taxes. How could David not seem to understand? "Director David, to put it frankly, if we really ounted for this money as you said and paid the taxes on it, it would greatly impact ourpany, and we''re afraid we can''t do that!" "I didn''te here to negotiate with you. Whether you can do it or not, you have to do it!" David''s domineering words instantly ignited fury among the present GCO executives. GCO Corporation, after all, was an industry giant and had close cooperation with the FBI and DEA, as well as variousw enforcement agencies, whose high-ranking officers treated them with respect. When had anyone dared to be so rude to them? If it had been a high-ranking officer of the Tax Bureau, that might have been one thing, but even with all his impressive feats, David was still just a lowly Chief Tax Officer. Chapter 289: Chapter 190: Coming to Bellamy Hardys Territory_5 If it weren''t for holding onto their ledger, with their status, they wouldn''t even deign to meet. Upon thinking this, an executive named Gry could no longer endure it and heshed back, "Don''t assume holding this ledger will allow you to do as you please with us!" "Whether I can do as I please, I''m not sure, but if you don''t pay up, I can make sure your GCO prison business can''t operate in Nevada State." "Ha, what a bold im!" Gry sneered and retorted, "Do you have any idea how many prisoners would be left homeless if our GCO prison business were to stop?" "And how many criminals from the FBI, DEA, Immigration, state police, and district attorney''s offices would be unrestricted because they are not in prison?" "When that leads to chaos in the entire state''s system, can you, a Chief Tax Officer, afford the consequences?" Having said this, Gry began to look smug, and the other executives shared his sentiment. David indeed held the ledger that could plunge them into a media whirlwind, but as Gry had pointed out, if such a situation were to truly arise, David, as well as the Nevada State Tax Authority, could not afford the consequences! David''s lips curled into a smirk as he looked at these men as if watching clowns, then he replied, "Yes, terminating your GCO operations in Nevada State might cause some chaos, but I reckon CCA and MTC would be quite interested in taking over!" Upon hearing this, Gry and the others, who had been somewhat pleased with themselves, suddenly had their expressions change dramatically. In America, there are three major private prison enterprises; their GCO is one of them, with the other two being CCA and MTC. ording to the policies of the America Department of Justice, to avoid viciouspetition among private prisons, each state can only have one enterprise operating private prisons. Nevada State was the jurisdiction that their GCO had won. And now David''s intention was clear: eliminate GCO''s prison business and bring in CCA or MTC as recements. In this way, their n to use the termination of their prison business and the resulting instability caused by the discement of prisoners to threaten David naturally fell t. Moreover, not only did their scheme fail, but if Nevada State was indeed taken over by CCA and MTC, their GCO would suffer a huge loss. "Director David, don''t try to scare us, you are formidable indeed, but I don''t believe you have the capability!" Finally, Caroline spoke up. Firstly, all David had was the ledger from their GCO''s Rio City Prison, at most he could target this single prison. The Tax Authority''s power was significant, but there was no such thing as ''guilt by association'' ording to federalw. Additionally, their GCO had coborations with majorw enforcement and police departments in Nevada State, and to rece them with CCA or MTC, it would require consent from the Nevada government and allw enforcement departments within the state to be feasible. She didn''t believe David had such capability. "Ha, thinking you can rece us with CCA, MTC, do you even know what you''re talking about?" "Naive, Nevada State is not something your Tax Authority can just control." "..." After Caroline''s reminder, the GCO executives began to recover their senses, barraging him with mockery. But David didn''t bother with idle talk and directly pulled out his phone to dial Governor Laurie''s number, simultaneously switching on speakerphone: "Do you have a moment to chat, Governor Laurie?" Upon hearing the words ''Governor Laurie'', the previously mocking Pearson and others suddenly froze in expression. However, the words that followed from the other side of the phone left them utterly stunned. "What can I do for you, Director David?" The call was on speaker, and Governor Laurie spoke with such respect? This was the supreme authority of a state, how could she show such deference to a Tax Authority director, even using words like ''What can I do for you''? No, this couldn''t be right! The person on the other end surely couldn''t be the actual Governor Laurie; perhaps David was putting on a show to bluff them! That was the only exnation that came to everyone''s mind. But as the conversation between the two continued, the executives at GCO felt numb again. "When Director David calls me, I must make time even if I don''t have any. What''s the matter?" "It''s about this, have you heard about our Nevada State''s private prisons?" "Private prisons? That''s under the responsibility of District Attorney Masfield and his department, I''m not too familiar with it. Do you need me to call him over to discuss it with you?" "That would be appreciated." While the GCO executives weren''t too familiar with the newly appointed Governor Laurie, they knew District Attorney Masfield very well. After all, it was with this district attorney that their GCO Corporation signed the agreement for the rights to operate in Nevada State and they often coordinated on prison-rted matters. Now, hearing that Governor Laurie on the phone was about to call the district attorney to talk to David made them realize, David might not just be bluffing them. Under the uneasy gaze of the GCO executives, the voice finally came from the other end of the line: "Hello Director David, this is District Attorney Masfield. I heard from Governor that you wanted to inquire about private prisons, is that right?" Chapter 290: Chapter 191: Brown and Bellamy Start to Panic "Yes, as far as I know, your state government should have signed a contract with apany named GCO Corporation, correct?" "That''s right, it''s thatpany." "Then what I want to know is, is it possible to rece thispany, say with CCA or MTC, these other private prison firms?" "This... recing it with another privatepany isn''t an issue; mainly we have signed a contract..." "I think your contract terms should include uses such as if GCO were to be embroiled in a tax evasion scandal, the contract would be invalid, right?" "That''s correct, there are such uses. If GCO were to be caught up in a tax evasion scandal in our Nevada State, then recing them withpanies like CCA or MTC would be justifiable." Having said that, David no longer indulged in further discussion and turned to look at the senior executives of GCO Corporation. At this moment, the executives were already swept by a storm inside their hearts. Many of them could recognize the voice of District Attorney Masfield; it was unmistakably him. And this District Attorney, not only was he so polite to David but also seemed obedient, which was shocking for them. More importantly, if it were only the District Attorney, that would be one thing, but Governor Laurie earlier had shown the same demeanor. That was the leader of a whole state. If she truly sided with David, then GCO''s operations in Nevada wouldn''t just have difficulty proceeding, but they''d also face significant obstacles. After all, the states of America are very independent, almost like mini-countries. And now, with Governor Laurie of Nevada, if you were to think of her as the President, you could imagine how great her power was. "All right, District Attorney Masfield, I''m just inquiring for now. I''ll contact you again if there''s a need!" After hanging up the phone. Under the doubting gazes of everyone, David dialed another number, "Special Agent Gavin?" The already anxious GCO executives, upon hearing the words "Special Agent Gavin," felt their minds hit hard again. This name was also not unfamiliar to them. As said before, their GCO Corporation had coborations with variousw enforcement agencies, and the FBI was also within the scope of their partnerships. And this so-called Special Agent Gavin was the highest official in Nevada; how could they not recognize him? While the executives hadn''t yet recovered, a voice began toe through from the other side of the phone: "It''s me, what is it, Director David?" "I have a question for you. Does the FBI also coborate with private prisons?" "Yes, the criminals we catch can''t all fit into public prisons, so many have to be transferred to private prisons for detention." "And does the FBI have a partnership with a prison named GCO?" "Yes, is there a problem?" "I want to know if there''s a chance to switch thispany out for another, like with CCA or MTC, these other private prison enterprises?" "We''re under agreement; this could be somewhat difficult... But if you, Director David, truly have the need, it''s not impossible for us to make the change." Compared to earlier with Masfield, Gavin was even shrewder. Because he had already discerned that there seemed to be a conflict between David and GCO Corporation, so he immediately chose the correct stance. Moreover, one point worth mentioning is that he didn''t express concern about the contract as Masfield did before. Because for the FBI, there were plenty of ways to find loopholes in contracts, or other means to deal with legal responsibilities. At this moment, the GCO executives were shocked once more. They could also tell that the most powerful FBI boss in Nevada was even more eager to please than District Attorney Masfield just now. What does "As long as you, Director David, truly have the need, it''s not impossible for us to change" really imply? This indirectly indicated that if David asked, then Gavin would be sure toply! "Okay, I''m just asking for now, I''ll contact you if there''s a need." After hanging up the phone, David''s gaze turned to Caroline. It was evident that even as the CEO of GCO, her expression was now quite distressed. But he didn''t pay her any heed and spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "Miss Caroline, do you think I have the capability now? Or perhaps, is there no need for me to make a few calls to the city halls and police chiefs across Nevada State and have them reconsider their cooperation with yourpany?" Caroline was at a loss for words, and the other executives couldn''t utter a single word either. It was a joke. If even the state government and the FBI boss were obedient to David, how could those other departments, the city halls of various cities, dare to defy? Their confidence stemmed from the belief that David couldn''t possibly deal with all the departments throughout Nevada. But now, they had no choice but to believe it. "I understand the business model of your GCO Corporation. First, a significant portion of your profitses from exploiting prisoners, but that is of no concern to us." "What is relevant to us is that a considerable portion of your benefitses from government financial subsidies." "Where do you think the money for these subsidieses from? It''s taken from our taxes." Chapter 291: Chapter 191: Brown and Bellamy Start to Panic_2 "In other words, you''ve been eating our food and drinking our drinks; now we''re just asking you to spit out some of the taxes owed. That''s not too much to ask, is it?" Hearing David''s words, Caroline and the rest found themselves even less able to rebut. Because ording to the agreement signed between the government and the private prison, the private prison would receive a daily subsidy of 58 US dors for every prisoner it took in. Although this amount might not seem like much, it adds up whenbined. Take the Rio City GCO Prison for example, which housed over 5,000 inmates. For these inmates, the government paid almost 290 thousand US dors daily in subsidies. That amounts to 8.7 million US dors a month. And if you start counting from the establishment of this prison, within three years, the figure nearly reached 300 million. This money wasn''t conjured out of thin air by the government; it was from the treasury funds collected through the taxation revenue by the IRS. So David''s statement that their GCO Prison was eating and drinking off the IRS, was true to a certain extent. After a pause, Caroline spoke, "Fine, Director David, since you''ve put it that way, let us discuss amongst ourselves and then get back to you with a decision, how about that?" David didn''t waste words and stood up and walked out. After he left, Pearson immediately cursed, "Damn, how on earth did he manage to get Nevada State under his control?" In fact, not just him, but also Caroline and all the senior officials present couldn''t figure it out, no matter how hard they tried. Even though David had stormed into the Indian Tribe with armed men, even though David had swept through the city halls of Henderson and Sparks, that still wouldn''t justify such a high regard for him by a powerful Governor of a state. And it wasn''t just the Governor; what about Gavin at the FBI? The FBI was one of the most formidablew enforcement agencies in America, and being the highest official in Nevada, how could Gavin be so submissive to David? "Recently, the former Governor Stevenson resigned due to a scandal. Could this affair... have something to do with him?" When Gry spoke, the senior officials suddenly felt as though a fog had lifted. At the time of the incident, it seemed like David wasn''t involved, but looking at the current events with their GCO Corporation, it was quite possible that David was the mastermind behind the scenes. This could also exin why the new Governor Laurie was so respectful towards David now. He was the major benefactor who helped Laurie assume the position of Governor. And since David was capable of bringing down Stevenson, he could undoubtedly do the same to Laurie, so how could Laurie not be respectful? "All right, let''s not discuss this matter anymore. It''s irrelevant to us. What we need to focus on now is what we should do," Caroline''s words dispersed the spections swirling in everyone''s minds. Gry was the first to express his opinion, "Miss Caroline, should we make a move by getting in touch with the officials in Washington D.C.?" No matter what, they really couldn''t outfight David in Nevada State now. The only possible solution might be to exert pressure through Washington D.C. Pearson shook his head, "Looking for those high-ranking officials could possibly put some pressure on Gavin, but won''t be able to influence Laurie. And as long as Laurie wants to obstruct our GCO, coupled with David watching over us constantly, we will still be in a passive position." Many senior officials present agreed with this statement. Even though Gavin was the highest FBI official in Nevada, he was still subject to the FBI headquarters in Washington D.C. Yet Laurie, as the Governor, could not bemanded even by the President. And as long as they couldn''t get past the state government, there would be endless ways for the state government to trip them up concerning their prison''s intake rate, financial subsidies, and so on. After a while, Pearson proposed again, "Miss Caroline, I believe that under the current circumstances, it''s best to pay this tax. However, before we do, we need to negotiate terms with him. What happens in Nevada should stay in Nevada. He must keep this strictly confidential and not leak it to other states!" "Yes, I agree with Pearson''s approach. A few tens of millions is not arge sum for us. As long as he keeps quiet after being paid, it doesn''t matter to us." "Rather than giving up the management rights in Nevada, indeed it would be more cost-effective to pay some money. But the prerequisite, as Pearson said, is that it should not involve other states." "I agree as well..." The people present had reached high-level positions by being able to make the right judgments based on the situation. And the current situation was either to abandon the management rights in Nevada or to spend some money to avoid trouble. They naturally made their choice in weighing the lighter and the heavier. Of course, they had never really been concerned about the money itself. What they had cared about from the start was that if the Nevada issue leaked out, it would cause a chain reaction with the other states. Caroline fell silent for a while and then, with resolution in her voice, said, "Since we all agree, then let hime in." A few minutester, David walked back into the office, asking with a neutral expression, "So, folks, can you tell me your decision now?" Caroline replied, "We''ll pay this sum to the IRS, but, we need to set some ground rules with you!" "Let''s hear them." "First of all, this matter will only involve Rio City Prison in Nevada State and must not leak out or affect our prisons in other states. If the dayes when it does leak, we will deny this tax payment, and your IRS must also stand out to support us!" Chapter 292: Chapter 191: Brown and Bellamy Start to Panic_3 David thought for a moment and replied, "Only involving Rio City, Nevada, and not any other state, I can agree to your terms. As the IRS, we have an obligation to maintain confidentiality of client information, and we would be responsible if it leaked out. You can rest assured on this matter!" Although he knew GCO''s business spanned the entire United States, and he could at any time extort money from GCO Prisons in any state if he wished. But now was a critical time for the ck Tax Bill, and with only a few days left, he didn''t want to press the other party too hard and cause them to act rashly out of desperation. In any case, securing this tax revenue and ensuring his election to the Deity Project was of utmost importance. "Wait... what I mean is that it only involves the prison in Rio City, Nevada, you can''t touch other locations at all." Caroline, as the astute CEO of GCO Corporation, certainly knew what she was doing. Her purpose was actual to limit David''s taxation outreach exclusively to her prison in Nevada, barring him from tampering with her institutions elsewhere. This too was a way for GCO Corporation to retain its maximum benefits. David was no fool, either; he had deduced her intent the moment she spoke, and he replied, "This I can''t promise for the moment. As some of you might know, our IRS has recentlyunched a Deity Project, and I need to win it. Of course, if this tax payment is enough for my election, then I can give your other prisons a break." Though this tax revenue would allow him to immediately leapfrog Bemy Hardy and Brown Soros by arge margin, those two were holding their ground in major tforms like Los Angeles and New York, and their connections were not ordinary, so he couldn''t guarantee a sure win. Therefore, he needed GCO Corporation''s endorsement in terms of tax achievements. Caroline didn''t quite understand the matter of the Deity Project and looked towards the other executives present. Quickly, an executive who knew the inside scoop whispered into her ear. A few minutester, with the full picture grasped, Caroline, chin in hand, thought for a moment and then said, "Director David, you''re treating us like a consortium backing your campaign now. What benefits do we get in return?" "Haven''t I already agreed not to mess with your prisons in other states? Isn''t that benefit enough for you?" Caroline eyed David carefully for a while and finally said, "Nearly 80 million, that''s not a small sum. We need a bit of time to prepare." "Of course..." In the subsequent time, David and the people from GCO Corporation discussed the specifics of the funds transfer and which branch it would go to, and then he left thepany''s premises with Nisen and several others. With nearly 80 million in tax revenue about toe into his hands, both David and the trio of Nisen Bakesimmons were in high spirits. Nisen asked, "Chief Tax Officer, are we heading back now or...?" "No rush. Let''s find a restaurant for a full meal first, then take our time to visit this ''City of Angels''!" Although there were only four days left until the cut-off date for the assessment, not only was David about to receive tens of millions, but he also had the ''vigorous support'' of thergepany GCO, so the Deity Project seemed like a sure thing. There was no longer the same urgency as before; it was time for a bit of rxation. Upon hearing they would take their time in the city, Nisen and the others became excited on the spot. Due to the Deity Project, they had been under tremendous pressure recently, toiling daily like dogs, and now they finally had a chance to catch their breath. Before long, at the Long Beach Branch. Trollope rushed into Bemy''s office in a panic and said, "There''s bad news, Chief Tax Officer." "What is it?" Bemy''s attention was immediately piqued as he knew all too well the nature of his subordinate; Trollope would not be this flustered unless something serious had urred. "Our intelligence officers and systems have just detected GCO Corporation is moving a significant amount of funds." "Is that so?!" If it were any other time, GCO Corporation moving arge amount of funds wouldn''t be a concern, but David was at GCO, and now they were suddenly gathering a substantial sum¡ªsomething quite suspicious. Bemy quickly asked again, "Could it be a routine fund transfer?" "I checked. The funds GCO suddenly mobilized are not for regr business, and as for what it is for, thepany is being very secretive, only citing ''corporate confidentiality.'' But this has absolutely something to do with David!" Upon hearing Trollope''s words, Bemy became anxious and promptly asked, "How much are they gathering?" "Specific figures are still unclear, but at least fifty million for sure!" "What did you say?!" This time, Bemy could not sit still. Throughout this period, his tax performance had consistently been tightly chased by David, and only after much exertion did he finally manage to create a gap of a few million dors. If the fifty million GCO Corporation was raising was indeed meant to be handed over to David as tax performance, then as far as the Deity Project was concerned, he might as well concede defeat! "Wait a minute..." Bemy seemed to recall something and furiously said, "Didn''t you tell me GCO Corporation had intricate rtions with FBI, CIA, and the Justice Department that made it tough to tackle? How did he pull it off?" "This..." Trollope was at a loss for words. Chapter Read: Chapter 293: Chapter 191: Brown and Bellamy Start to Panic_4 In fact, he also found it iprehensible. Although GCO Corporation wasn''t considered a strong capital yer in America, it was still one of the top three entities in the industry. It also had close cooperation with various departments like the Justice Department, FBI, CIA, and DEA, so it wouldn''t be easy for anyone to get them toply so readily. But David had only been in Los Angeles for a few hours, had only entered the headquarters of GCO Corporation for a short while, and they were already yielding and mobilizing funds for him. Chapter Experience: This seemed somewhat baffling. "Bastard!" Bemy cursed and then got up to pace back and forth in his office, with his mind racing to find a solution. About five minutester, he stopped pacing and turned to Trollope, saying, "I don''t care by what means, but find a reason to freeze his funds first, we can''t let GCO''s funds really be transferred to David''s side!" The "Project God-making" was too important¡ªif the funds went to David''s side, then he would definitely have no chance. Therefore, it was essential to lock that money down. "Finding a reason to freeze the funds is easy, but... if Davidins to the headquarters, we might be in a bit of trouble." You don''t need to worry about that, just make sure the funds don''t get transferred out first, I''ll take care of the rest!" "Alright then," Trollope conceded and turned to leave. After he left, Bemy took out his phone, found a number, hesitated for a while, and finally decided to make the call. New York, Manhattan Branch. "Chief Tax Officer, our current total tax performance is $84.46 million, $11 million over Bemy Hattie of the Long Beach Branch and more than $15 million over David of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. After we handle Tn and his group, we expect an additional $3 million in revenue." "Chief Tax Officer, on our side, after handling the Harrington case, we anticipate approximately $2.6 million in revenue." "On our side..." In his chair, Brown Soros listened to the reports from his subordinates, a hint of satisfaction on his face. Based on the remaining four days, if these taxes were all collected sessfully, breaking the hundred-million mark wouldn''t be a problem for him. And looking at the current tax performances of thest twopetitors, it seemed unlikely they could overtake him. His win in the "Project God-making" was almost a certainty. "Heh, trying topete against me? You two are still too green!" Brown internally scoffed at his twopetitors, but just then, his phone on the desk rang. He picked it up, immediately waved to interrupt a subordinate who was reporting, and answered, "This is Brown." "This is Bemy Hattie from the Los Angeles Long Beach Branch. Good day to you, Chief Tax Officer Brown!" Hearing that it was Bemy calling, Brown was taken aback, as he had just been mocking the man. He didn''t expect a call from him so soon. Though he was still in the dark about the other man''s purpose, since he had called, it presented a good opportunity to dampen Bemy''s spirit! Thus, he replied with an elevated tone, "Ah, it''s Chief Tax Officer Bemy. What''s the matter, with only a few days left in the ''Project God-making'', do you still have the leisure to call me up for a chat?" Of course, Bemy picked up on Brown''s smugness over the line, and he thought to himself, hoping you can still be this smug after hearing about David''s situation! Gathering his thoughts, he replied, "I''m not calling you just to chat. We''ve encountered a situation here, and I think it''s necessary to notify Chief Tax Officer Brown." "A situation? I''m sorry, but I''m afraid I can''t be of much help right now, I''m very busy." Bemy scoffed, "Heh, you''re going to help whether you''re busy or not!" "What do you mean?" "As far as I know, your current tax performance, Chief Tax Officer Brown, is just over 84 million, right?" "So what if it is?" "There are only four days left in the assessment period, and I suppose you can barely achieve over 100 million in tax revenue, right?" "What are you trying to say!" Brown was getting impatient. "What I''m trying to say is, what if David has a pending tax performance of 50 million about to be recorded? Do you still have the confidence you can catch up to him?" Upon hearing this, Brown felt like he had been struck by lightning, then sharply retorted, "Impossible, you think it''s 50 million sperm, and they just get recorded whenever he says?" "Heh." Bemy scoffed again and then replied, "Let me tell you the truth: he hase to my jurisdiction. I don''t know how he did it, but he managed to get 50 million from apany. Oh right, ording to my people, the 50 million is just the minimum guarantee, the exact amount is still unknown." "But it''s also good that it''s within my turf because only then could I detect thispany''s funds. Otherwise, you and I might be ''dead before we know it''!" After listening to all this, Brown felt as though all the energy had been drained from his body, a sudden wave of weakness overtaking him. Because he knew, with things said to this extent, Bemy would not specially make this call just to deceive him. This matter must be true! His current tax performance was just over 84 million, and by the end of the assessment period, it would be roughly one billion or a bit more. But David''s current tax performance was already around 70 million, and once this 50 million in funds was recorded, that would make it 1.2 billion. And as Bemy had said earlier, 50 million was just a guaranteed minimum¡ªit could end up being even more. He had originally thought that as long as his tax performance exceeded one billion, the n to make him "a god" was secure. Now, it seemed he had celebrated too early. At the Long Beach Branch, Bemy let out a sigh of relief, having not heard any response on the phone for quite some time. Of course, a sigh of relief was one thing, but the issue still needed to be resolved. Then he spoke again, "Chief Tax Officer Brown, although I don''t know how he managed to secure such arge fund, fortunately, it''s on my turf. I''ve already had someone freeze his funds. There might still be a chance to turn things around..." At the Manhattan Branch, Brown suddenly snapped back to reality on hearing this. He excitedly responded, "Chief Tax Officer Bemy, you did the right thing freezing those funds first!" He also realized that as long as these funds didn''t flow into David''s ount, there was still room for maneuvering! "But even though it''s on my turf and I can freeze the funds, he will undoubtedly bring legal challenges to the headquarters, so you need to think of a way to counter this in advance!" Brown was silent for a good while before replying, "Deputy Director Donald and Director Obadiah at headquarters, they think highly of him, whichplicates things... Plus, if he brings this issue to their attention, we certainly won''t be in the right, unless we can find a solid point of attack on these funds..." "A point of attack... I might have the chance to find one, but..." Brown''s expression brightened. After all, it was Bemy''s turf, and there might indeed be a way. He then said, "Then I''ll be troubling you, Chief Tax Officer Bemy. If this really works out, consider me in your debt!" Chapter 294: Chapter 192: Want to Learn? Ill Teach You! Bemy had been waiting for these very words, and then he replied, "Alright, let''s leave it at that for now. I''ll get back to you." Shortly after ending the call, he immediately summoned Trollope and asked, "How''s the investigation into the scale of the funds going?" "ording to the current statistics, it''s nearly 80 million," Trollope responded. "80 million!" Although Bemy had mentally braced himself, he still took a sharp breath upon hearing that figure. With Director David nearly securing 70 million in tax performance, this tax revenue, once ounted for, would amount to 1.5 billion. Not just him, even Brown Soros from New York would have to ''surrender without a fight'' in the face of such tax performance. Gathering his thoughts, Bemy then asked, "How''s the freezing of the assets going?" "The application for enforcement has been made; it will bepleted very soon." Bemy nodded and stroked his chin, pondering for a good while before saying, "What''s your take on such arge sum of money from GCO Corporation?" "GCO Corporation''s prisons are involved in illicit trades, but it''s unlikely they could umte as much as 80 million. I think it''s highly probable that this involves tax evasion from before their ''ck Tax'' bill, leading to such an immense amount of tax revenue," Trollope analyzed. "Oh?" Bemy''s expression suddenly brightened as if struck by a thought. The ''Deification Project'' could also be called the ''Spokesperson for the ck Tax Bill'' project. ording to the headquarters'' announcement, whoever generated the most tax performance for this bill during the assessment period would be the one elected. If GCO''s immense tax revenue didn''t arise through the ck Tax Bill but through recouping tax evasions from GCO Corporation in the past. Then, from a certain perspective, that could be considered a form of misconduct in the contest for the Deification Project. This could be a valid point of attack! With this in mind, Bemy immediately instructed, "Look into this carefully, see if you can secure more substantial evidence!" ... Santa Monica Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Los Angeles. After dining, David and his group came here, lying on beach chairs, basking in the sun, and admiring the seascape. "Los Angeles is the ce to enjoy life." "Even though I''ve only been here for a day, I feel like I''ve fallen in love with this city already!" "This city is like a great beauty; who could not love it?" As Nisen and his friends were extolling the beauty of the ce, David''s phone rang, and he answered immediately: "This is David." "Director David, this is Caroline. Just now, your National Tax Agency froze the funds ourpany was about to transfer to the Sand Bay Branch under the pretense of a financial investigation. What should we do?" Upon hearing this, David, who had been enjoying himself, suddenly tightened his expression, then hurriedly asked, "Was it the Long Beach Branch who froze it?" Chapter Your: "Yes." "I see, I''ll handle it." No sooner had they just sorted things out with GCO Corporation, than the Long Beach Branch immediately froze the funds. It seemed that the Long Beach Branch, or perhaps Bemy Hattie, might have been watching them since they set foot in Los Angeles, which would exin their swift response. But what David hadn''t anticipated was that their opponent would dare to freeze his funds so brazenly. Was he not afraid of David making aint to the headquarters? Or could it be that Bemy Hattie was confident he could deal with the high-level officials at the headquarters? Nisen and his friends also noticed the change in David''s expression and immediately asked after he hung up the phone, "What''s wrong, Director David? Did the Long Beach Branch freeze something?" "The tax revenue GCO Corporation was preparing to transfer to us." "What!" At that deration, Nisen and hispanions could no longer stay seated and all sat up from their lounging positions. "Damn it, it must be that bastard Bemy Hadith''s doing." "He must be worried that we would immediately surpass him if this tax revenue was credited to our ounts, which is why he''s resorted to such a lowly trick!" The thought of Bemy''s despicable tactics enraged Nisen and his friends beyond measure. They had legitimately collected that tax revenue, so what right did the Long Beach Branch have to freeze it? "Let''s go to the Long Beach Branch." David, knowing the Long Beach Branch was Bemy Hattie''s territory, hadn''t nned to have any dealings or intersections with them before arriving. But now that his tax revenue had been so rudely frozen, he had to personally go there to demand an exnation. In the office of the Long Beach Branch director. "What did you say? That David hase to our jurisdiction and has secured nearly 80 million in tax revenue from GCO? How did he manage that?" Upon hearing Bemy Hattie''s report, Long Beach Branch Director Ducray could hardly believe his ears. Setting aside the money. As far as he knew, GCO was one of the top three private prisons in America, with cooperative rtions with the Department of Justice, FBI, CIA, and various other departments, making it quite a strong background. Exactly how had David managed to willingly secure a contribution of 80 million from such a corporate giant? "We don''t know that yet, but since GCO Corporation is in our jurisdiction, it''s necessary to investigate such arge sum of money transferring to another branch. So, I''ve had the funds temporarily frozen," Bemy exined. "You froze it?" Ducray''s gaze shifted to Bemy. He knew that the so-called financial investigation was just a pretext, and the actual reason was probably that Bemy feared his chance of being elected in the Deification Project would be lost once the funds entered David''s ount. Chapter 295: Chapter 192: Want to Learn? Ill Teach You!_2 Of course, Ducray didn''t hope David could get elected; he preferred his own Branch''s Bemy to win, as it would be counted as one of his achievements. But to freeze someone''s funds like this was clearly unreasonable, so he said with a grim face, "Bemy, David isn''t someone to be trifled with. By freezing his tax achievements, he''s likely to make a fuss. If this gets to the head office, it will be difficult for me to handle..." "Director, ording to the investigation results from my side, these funds are not collected through the ck Tax Act. They should be funds rted to previous tax evasions by GCO Corporation. Therefore, I believe what David did can actually be considered a vition, and even if this goes to the head office, we have solid grounds," Bemy said. "Not collected through the ck Tax Act..." "Giggle giggle giggle..." Before Ducray could finish his sentence, someone knocked on the door, and he had to stop his train of thought and call out, "Come in." The next second, his assistant pushed the door open and said, "Director, David from the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch hase to our office and wishes to see you." Ducray raised his eyebrows, then gave Bemy a reproachful look as if to say: See, now he hase knocking, demanding an exnation! "Director, as I said earlier, David''s tax collection can be categorized as a vition, and Chief Tax Officer Brown Soros from New York sees it the same way. So, you don''t have to worry about any fuss being made at the head office," Bemy continued. Ducray looked back at Bemy; he hadn''t expected his subordinate to have teamed up with Brown Soros from New York. And to his knowledge, Brown Soros from New York had the support of none other than Welton Heng, the National Tax Bureau''s Chief Advisor. Adding to what Bemy had said about the vition, this matter did indeed have a solid footing. With this in mind, he nodded and said, "Alright, I know what to do now. Let hime up and see me!" A few minutester. David was brought into the office, but he didn''t hurry to reveal his objective and instead extended his hand, saying, "Director Ducray, d to meet you." "Director David, I''m well aware of your reputation; it''s an honor to finally meet you in person," replied Ducray. "No, if we''re talking reputation, Chief Tax Officer Bemy from your Branch is certainly more acimed," said David. "You tter me, Director David," Ducray replied, waving his hand with a gesture of modesty. Then he changed the subject, saying, "Alright, Director David, let''s discuss the matter at hand." "This is the situation. Not long ago, I reached an agreement with GCO Corporation. They would pay nearly eighty million in taxes, but your Long Beach Branch froze it. Director Ducray, you must be aware of this, right?" David inquired. "Yes, I am aware of the situation. GCO is a legitimatepany, and their sudden transfer of such a significant sum to Nevada State does give us the right to freeze the funds for investigation by territorial jurisdiction. If there are no issues, we will unfreeze them so they can proceed with the transfer," Ducray exined. "May I know how long the investigation and freeze are going to take?" David asked. Ducray pretended to think before replying, "It''s hard to say. But rest assured, Director David, we''re all part of the National Tax Bureau system; I''ll ensure a ''fast track'' for you!" "Is one day enough time?" David pushed. In an instant, Ducray''s eyebrows furrowed, noting the tone in David''s voice as if setting an ultimatum. He responded coolly, "I''m sorry, but I can''t give you an answer right now." Seeing that the other party was not acknowledging the issue, David didn''t bother being polite anymore, stating directly, "Director Ducray, let''s not beat around the bush. I feel like some people in your office are biased against this tax collection of mine and may have intentionally frozen it. I hope you''ll seriously consider this, as I wouldn''t want this to end unpleasantly for everyone." "What do you mean by that? Why would anyone here be biased against your tax collection? This is just a standard procedure," Ducray rebutted. "Director Ducray, aren''t you worried this issue might escte to the head office?" David countered. As Ducray continued to feign ignorance, David explicitly brought up the head office. Chapter Experience: Unexpectedly, Ducray remained confident, replying, "We have solid justifications. Even the senior management at the head office won''t me us." Without responding further, David fixed a dead stare on Ducray. [Name: Ducray Lierldo.] [upation: Los Angeles Long Beach Division Director of the National Tax Bureau Branch.] [Ie: Legal monthly ie of eighteen thousand US dors, illegal ie of one hundred and sixty thousand US dors.] [Ie Details: On February 11th, provided tax conveniences for Los Angeles Long Beach District Sea Wheel International Trading Company, profiting eighty thousand US dors; on February 19th, provided tax conveniences for YA Company, profiting eighty thousand US dors...] [More Details:...] As the information kept appearing before his eyes, the corners of David''s mouth gradually began to rise. He then asked, "Director Ducray, are you sure you want to go through with this?" He had never taken action against anyone within the National Tax Bureau system before, but if Ducray was going to be uncooperative, he didn''t mind teaching him a lesson. "There''s nothing to be sure or unsure of; I''ve told you, it''s just standard procedure," Ducray insisted. "Well then, Director Ducray, if that is the case, I will take my leave now," David concluded. As he walked out of the office and approached the elevator, David suddenly thought of something. He found a staff member and said, "Could you please convey a message to Chief Tax Officer Bemy for me? Tell him I would like to meet him." Chapter 296: Chapter 192: Want to Learn? Ill Teach You! _3 "Alright, please wait a moment..." In the office, Bemy was discussing with Trollope the response n to be enacted after the matter reached headquarters. A knock on the door interrupted their train of thought, and Bemy had no choice but to shout, "Come in." "Director Bemy, Director David wants to see you!" "To see me?" After pondering for a while, Bemy eventually replied, "Tell him I''m very busy and don''t have time." He knew why the other party wanted to see him; it was nothing more than having been rebuffed by Director Ducray and now looking to make a move on him instead. But he had already made up his mind to freeze that sum of money indefinitely, naturally leaving no need to meet with the other party. "Alright..." "Wait a second." Just as the person who hade in was about to leave with the message, Trollope stopped him, contemted briefly, and said, "Go out for a moment and give me five minutes." After the visitor left and closed the door, Trollope turned to Bemy and said, "Director, I think we should meet with him." "Is there a need?" "I think there is because I''ve just thought of something... we could, perhaps, strike a deal with him!" "What do you mean?" "Director, you''re curious about how he managed to hit GCO Corporation with a fine, right? If we could learn his secret from him, perhaps we could do the same..." Trollope''s words brightened the previously doubtful Bemy. GCO Corporation''s business was widespread across America, and they owned several prisons in Los Angeles as well. If they could also learn the method David used to coerce GCO Corporation into paying that sum of money, then they might be able to use GCO''s prisons in Los Angeles to likewise demand taxes from thepany. Moreover, GCO''s scale in the Los Angeles prisons was muchrger than that in Nevada State. If they seeded, it wouldn''t just be 80 million; even over a hundred million wouldn''t be out of the question! "Director, as long as he''s willing to share with us how he operates, there''s no harm in us unfreezing the funds for him!" "But if we do that... that''s tantamount to backstabbing Brown, and it would be hard to exin to his side." Bemy''s concerns were indeed sensible. Both were sharpening their swords, preparing for a decisive battle against David, and if he suddenly turned his guns around, wouldn''t that make them hate him to death? "Director, this is an opportunity for us. Otherwise, even if we deal with David, how easy would it be to overtake Brown''s ''Operation Deification''?" Bemy fell silent, his face bing tangled in thought. Undoubtedly, Trollope was right. Even if they managed to settle David now, Brown''s revenue figures had already pulled ahead by more than 10 million, and with only a few days left, overtaking or even surpassing him seemed very unlikely. However, if David were willing to divulge his method of pressuring GCO Corporation, and Bemy could replicate it, then there might indeed be a chance for aeback and win the ''Operation Deification''. Of course, this was predicated on David actually sharing his method of putting pressure on GCO Corporation; otherwise, it was all just empty talk. But anyway, they had to initiate talks first. Thinking this, he said to Trollope, "Alright, let''s do as you say and talk to him." "Good, I''ll personally bring him over." Seven or eight minutester, David was brought into the office. Since both parties were currently star figures in the tax bureau, this meeting could bepared to a collision of stars. Having already seen each other''s photographs through files and news channels, they were not too unfamiliar to one another. After a brief handshake, David went straight to the point, "Director Bemy, I know that the freezing of GCO Corporation''s tax funds is rted to you. In one word, unfreeze the money and give it back to me, and I''ll turn around and walk away without troubling you!" Bemy seemed amused by the remark, replying, "Unfreezing isn''t impossible, but there''s something I''m very interested in. I wonder if you could satisfy my curiosity." "Let''s hear it." "I want to know how exactly you got GCO Corporation to willingly give you that sum of money." "Director Bemy, as a member of our federal tax bureau, I believe you should know that we have the right to keep tax affairs confidential. That''s something I cannot tell you." Hearing this, Bemy''s expression turned icy as he responded, "Director David, it seems you haven''t realized the situation yet." David didn''t waste further words and activated his ''golden finger'' viewing feature, beginning to scrutinize Bemy''s information. But soon his eyes revealed a hint of disappointment. He had nned to see if there were any vulnerabilities in Bemy''s record, hoping to take advantage of the fund-freezing incident to bring him down and thus remove apetitor. However, to his surprise, this man''s track record seemed much cleanerpared to Director Ducray''s. For the moment, David couldn''t find any leverage to use against him. Bemy continued, "In a word, if you exin to me how you managed to leverage GCO, then the funds will be immediately returned to you!" Davidughed, now understanding that this man wanted to ''steal his trade.'' With a hint of mockery, he replied, "Want to learn, huh? Why don''t you apply to transfer to my audit team, and I''ll teach you bit by bit!" "What did you say!" The remark infuriated Bemy, his face flushing with anger. He was a star figure at the federal tax bureau and the Chief Tax Officer of a major branch like the Los Angeles Long Beach Branch. And yet, David had the audacity to suggest he transfer to his audit team, which was nothing short of a tant insult. Chapter 297: Chapter 193: Can Only Rely on Oneself Now David shrugged, a look of "I''ve already made myself clear" on his face. But this gesture infuriated Bemy, who was already on the verge of blowing his top. He said viciously, "Fine, there are only a few days left in the evaluation period, and I really want to see how you''re going to get your hands on GCO''s funds!" At this point, there was no use in beating around the bush. "Well, you will see," David replied. Without wasting more words, David stood up, pushed the door open, and left. Once outside the Long Beach Branch building, he immediately dialed a number. Meanwhile, at Washington D.C. Headquarters. With the evaluation period approaching, Deputy Director Donald was swamped with an endless list of tasks, running himself ragged. While he was intently reviewing data from branches across the country, the vibrating phone on his desk interrupted his focus. He picked it up and, upon seeing the iing call was from David, answered immediately, "What''s the matter, David?" "Deputy Director Donald, there''s been aplication here, and I believe it''s necessary to report it to you and the higher-ups at headquarters. Here''s what''s happened..." David detailed the situation with the GCO Corporation funds being frozen. And after hearing his report, even Deputy Director Donald was taken aback. GCO Corporation? Almost 80 million in taxes in a single transaction? How on earth did David manage that? "Deputy Director Donald, the fact of the matter is, the Long Beach Branch is tantly trying to prevent my taxes from being recorded. I must file aint about this!" The thoughtsing through the phone snapped Donald out of his daze, darkening his expression as he responded gravely, "If your taxes are recorded, then Bemy Hattie of their branch is finished. Of course, they don''t want the transaction to go through. Don''t worry, leave this to us. We will ensure justice is served!" "Thank you, Deputy Director Donald." After ending the call with David, Donald immediately picked up the desk phone, "Liano, you have 10 minutes to bring me the files on GCO Corporation. Also, inform the Director, the Chief Advisor... all of them, to meet in the conference room in 20 minutes!" Setting aside the issue of the frozen funds for now, Donald was incredibly curious about the 80 million and GCO Corporation. It was only because he was on the phone earlier that he refrained from delving into the details. Ten minutester, Donald''s secretary brought in the GCO Corporation files, which he began to peruse immediately. But as he absorbed the information, Donald''s expression gradually turned to one of bewilderment. The files indicated that GCO was one of the top three private prison operators in the United States and even had contracts with majorw enforcement agencies like the Department of Justice, FBI, DEA, among others. Itswork was indeed extraordinary. The question then arose: by what means did David manage to get thepany to willingly surrender the 80 million? After much thought, Donald still could not understand the specifics, but he felt increasingly certain about one decision he had made. That was to assign the selected candidate from the "Making a Deity" project to the Los Angeles West Suburb Branch. If David truly won the election, once he officially began his tenure at the Western Suburbs Branch, not even the eight major filmpanies might be a match for him. After all, if GCO Corporation, with itsplexworks, waspelled to cough up 80 million, how much better could those filmpanies fare? "Knock, knock, knock..." The sound of knocking roused Donald from his thoughts. He had no choice but to call out, "Come in." "Mr. Donald, the Director and Chief Advisor have already gone to the conference room," someone said. "Understood." Donald immediately stood up and headed toward the conference room. Upon arriving, he saw that, apart from Obadiah and Welton Heng, all the other top officials from the IRS were present. It was evident that many of the upper-level officials were perplexed by Donald''s sudden call for an emergency meeting. However, some individuals, like Welton Heng and Rohan, appeared as usual as if they had some prior knowledge. "Deputy Director Donald, what''s so urgent that you had to gather us here?" Obadiah was the first to speak up, knowing well that unless it was a major issue, his deputy director would never call a full meeting of higher-ups so urgently. "Yes, Director," Donald affirmed. After taking his seat and scanning the room, Donald began, "Our ''Making a Deity'' project encourages fairpetition among us, but just now, I received aint from David of the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. He ims that his tax funds were maliciously frozen by the Los Angeles Long Beach Branch. I believe this matter is of a very severe nature!" "What, the Long Beach Branch froze David''s tax funds?" "Hold on... Isn''t David''s jurisdiction in Las Vegas? How could the Long Beach Branch freeze his funds?" "The Long Beach Branch maliciously froze David''s funds, really?" Upon hearing Donald''s words, the room immediately erupted in astonishment, and many uninformed high-level officials were baffled. Logically speaking, David''s jurisdiction was in Las Vegas, or at the broadest, the state of Nevada. And Los Angeles is in California State, which is utterly unrted. How could there have been any conflict or malicious freezing of funds? Obadiah was just as confounded and asked, "What''s going on, Deputy Director Donald? Exin clearly!" Chapter 298: Chapter 193: Can Only Rely on Oneself Now_2 ``` "The situation is like this, we have three top private prison corporations in America, one of which is named GCO Corporation. Their operations are in Nevada State, and David has found that thispany evaded nearly 80 million in taxes..." "Hold on, hold on..." Before Donald could finish speaking, Obadiah interrupted, "Deputy Director Donald, you just said how much in taxes was evaded?" "Nearly 80 million!" Upon confirmation, not only Donald but many of the uninformed senior executives at the scene were also shocked. It had been two or three months since the introduction of the ck Tax Act, yet there had never been a single case of nearly 80 million in tax revenue. How could they not be greatly surprised. "Continue!" Discover exclusive content at M-V-L "Since the headquarters of thepany is located in the Long Beach District, Los Angeles, David had already reached an agreement with the senior management of thepany. Thepany was going to transfer the nearly 80 million in taxes to a designated ount, but the Long Beach Branch suddenly stepped in and froze it; that''s what happened!" With these words, both Obadiah and many senior executives again showed shock on their faces. Based on what Donald had said before, the GCO Corporation, as one of America''s three major private prisons, certainly had a strong background. Moreover, such arge and legitimatepany must have top-tier legal, financial, and tax personnel; how easy could it be to coerce them into willingly parting with such arge sum of taxes? Yet David had managed to do it, which seemed almost unthinkable. "I know you all are very curious about how David did it, but that''s not our focus right now. What we need to focus on now is who gave the Long Beach Branch such authority to maliciously freeze the campaign funds of the God Making n candidate?" Donald''s words brought many people back to their senses; a senior executive who supported David immediately echoed, "That''s right, the Long Beach Branch is maliciously freezing David''s funds, which is a vition of regtions." "Bemy Hattie is right there in the Long Beach Branch. There''s no doubt that this is a vition," another added. "Who says this is a vition? I don''t think so!" As some senior executives who supported David began to reproach, a voice expressing theplete opposite sentiment quieted the atmosphere on the spot. Everyone immediately turned to look, and the speaker was none other than Rohan. "Vice Director Rohan, what do you mean by that?" Rohan calmly replied, "First of all, this sum is as high as 80 million, not a trivial amount. ording to the principle of territoriality, the local branch has the right to scrutinize this sum to determine whether it''s criminal proceeds, and whether there is any moneyundering or tax evasion involved. How does this amount to malicious freezing?" "Hehe, there are only a few days left until the assessment period, and with Bemy Hattie present in the Long Beach Branch, are you telling me this isn''t malicious freezing? Do you even believe that yourself?" "Vice Director Rohan, you are a senior official of our Internal Revenue Service. You should know very well whether the reasons you mentioned hold water." "..." Despite the fact that Rohan''s exnation seemed usible, in light of Bemy Hattie''s position as a candidate in the Long Beach Branch, it was clear to any discerning person that it didn''t hold up. "To be honest, I''ve just contacted the Long Beach Branch and they''ve told me that the funds can be immediately unfrozen. The precondition is that David must exin the details and cooperate with the Long Beach Branch''s investigation. However, David is unwilling to disclose, so naturally, the Long Beach Branch needs some time to review the matter. That''s why I said this is not a case of malicious freezing!" Upon hearing Rohan''s words, many executives who supported David were at a loss. But Donald''s mind was still sharp. He retorted immediately, "Deputy Director Rohan, our Internal Revenue Service has the right to maintain confidentiality for taxpayers. This is in ordance with the regtions, and Director David ispliant with thew. Doesn''t the Long Beach Branch know that?" "Indeed, the case is on David''s side. Why should he have to exin the details to the Long Beach Branch? If he were to do so, he should be reporting to the leadership of his own local branch!" "Hehe, the Long Beach Branch asks David to exin the details, I''m afraid it''s not just for investigation purposes, right?" After Donald''s rebuttal, the other senior executives supporting David also quickly caught on. "Alright." As the two sides were on the verge of a heated argument, Welton Heng finally spoke up, and with his words, everyone consciously shut their mouths. "In fact, I''ve also just looked into the matter. ording to the information I received, this 80 million in taxes did not arise from the ck Tax Act but was recouped from previous tax evasions by GCO Corporation." "And for this God Making n, we chose the spokesperson for the ck Tax Act. Therefore, I believe that even if the funds were unfrozen, it cannot be added to David''s original tax achievements. What do you think?" Welton Heng''s words hit like a thunderbolt, instantly stopping David''s supporting party, led by Donald, in their tracks. The 80 million in taxes had not been collected through the ck Tax Act? But on further consideration, it seemed likely... GCO isn''t a gang or a drug trafficking organization but a regrpany. How could they possibly have so much illicit profit? And since David had collected 80 million, it meant that GCO had definitely been evading taxes before, and it was just that their IRS hadn''t caught it. ``` Chapter 299: Chapter 193: Can Only Rely on Oneself Now_3 "Consultant Welton Heng is right; I have some intelligence from several branch bureaus," one said. "They''ve evaluated the ck tax on GCO Prison, and it''s only an estimated 1 to 2 million US dors per prison; it''s impossible for it to be as high as 80 million." "So even if these taxes are unfrozen by the Long Beach Branch, they can''t be used as capital for the divine ascension campaign," another pointed out. Rohan ced the document he had brought onto the table. The high-level supporters of David''s faction each took turns to examine it. Soon, their expressions soured. Because ording to the document, even if you pooled all the GCO prisons in a state, you couldn''te up with such a significant amount of ck tax revenue. Thereby, one could almost certainly conclude that the nearly 80 million dors in taxes that David had received did note through the ck taxw. Since it was not collected through the ck taxw, it seemed that Welton Heng and his ilk believed that this tax money couldn''t serve as campaign capital for the divinity n; there was some logic to this after all. Watching David''s supporters fall into silence, Rohan, Welton Heng, and others disyed a trace of smugness. However, before they could rejoice for long, what Director Obadiah said next caused their smirks to fade. "I want you all to understand, when the divinity n was initially determined, although it was said that the one who creates the highest tax achievement with thisw would be elected, it was never stated that other types of tax revenue didn''t count!" At Director Obadiah''s words, Donald and the others suddenly came to their senses. That''s right. At the time, they had only agreed that whoever generated the highest tax revenue with thisw would be elected, but it was never stipted that other types of tax achievements didn''t count. "Director Obadiah, although it wasn''t explicitly stated in the beginning, we are electing a spokesperson for the ck taxw after all," Rohan objected. "Everyone assumed that only the tax revenue generated by the ck taxw would count. How could David''s taxes possibly be counted... Rohan was the one who questioned this. And Obadiah looked at him, responding, "Vice Director Rohan, I think you''ve got it backward." "Huh?" Rohan looked puzzled. "Tell me, what was the original intention behind drafting the ck taxw?" "Of course, it''s for tax revenue." "Exactly, the essence of the ck taxw is about increasing tax revenue," Obadiah continued. "As long as the revenue is increasing, that''s the skill that matters most. Do you think it''s important to differentiate whether the tax is ck or not? If Bemy Hardy and Brown Soros had this capability, I would definitely support them as well!" Rohan was at a loss for words, and so were the supporters of Brown Soros and Bemy Hardy. Firstly, the divinity n did not explicitly state it had to be a ck or white tax. Therefore, their previous attacks on David for the 80 million not being ck tax were on thin ground, and now Obadiah''s rebuttal also stood on solid ground. Simply put, this matter was a case of ''six of one, half a dozen of the other.'' Read new adventures at M-V-L And more importantly, Obadiah led the national tax agency, so his words naturally carried weight. Having said this much, others, even if they wished to object, would have to seriously consider their stance. "Fine, since Director Obadiah says the divinity n does not differentiate between ck and white tax, then that''s no issue," Welton Heng eventually stated. "However... I believe that since this matter urred on the Long Beach Branch''s turf, and they consider there to be issues with this sum and have thus frozen it, then I think we should not interfere with their decision. After all, we do not understand the local situation, and we cannot hinder them from making the right judgment!" This was Welton Heng speaking. And his message was clear. It meant to tell Donald, Obadiah, and others that since you''ve said the distinction between ck and white tax money doesn''t matter, we will step back on this issue. But the local tax agency''s decision to freeze these funds ¡ª this step, I cannot withdraw! Obadiah Donald and the others were not fools, they clearly understood, and they all began to frown. "Consultant Welton Heng is right; since the Long Beach Branch has frozen these funds, their director, and other high-level personnel surely have their considerations. We, not understanding the situation, should not meddle recklessly!" "As long as Director Obadiah says we do not differentiate between ck and white tax, I have no issues. As long as this fund is approved by the Long Beach Branch, then it can be counted towards David''s total," they finally agreed. "..." With Consultant Welton Heng backing them, the supporters of Bemy and Brown also found their footing and began to target the issue of the funds being frozen. The logic was simple. Even if this tax revenue could serve as capital for the divinity n, as long as the Long Beach Branch frozen it for a few days. Once the divinity n was over, their goals would naturally be achieved. By then, it would be toote to return the funds to David, and even if they gave David another 80 million, what use would it be? Seeing Rohan and the others stoking the mes, Donald, and David''s other supporters grew more anxious. They could only look to Obadiah, hoping he would stand up and speak again. But to their dismay, Obadiah remained contemtive, showing no sign of speaking up again. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 300: Chapter 193: Can Only Rely on Oneself Now_4 ``` "Director Obadiah, what do you think?" asked Consultant Welton Heng from across the table. Obadiah remained silent for about ten seconds before replying, "Since you, Consultant Welton Heng believe so, let''s go ahead with it..." At those words, the faces of David''s supporters, including Donald, suddenly turned pale, while the supporters of Brown and Bemy looked visibly shaken, almost ready to high-five in celebration. After the meeting dispersed, Donald immediately went to Obadiah''s office to question him, "Director, why give the decision-making power to the Long Beach Branch? Before the assessment period is over, they will definitely not release these taxes!" "Do you think that''s what I wanted, Donald?" Obadiah nced at him and exined, "You saw it yourself, Consultant Welton Heng has already stepped forward, and this whitewash tax could serve as campaign capital for the godmaking project. This is already a step back for him. We can''t just veto the freeze on funds and not give him any face, right?" "This... Sigh." Donald wanted to say more, but thinking of Welton Heng''s position as the Chief Consultant of the main bureau and his allegiances, rumored to be even closer to the president than Obadiah''s, it made sense that Obadiah was cautious. Consequently, Donald could only sigh in resignation. "David has even got a handle on a toughpany like GCO, and there''s still four days left. Even without this tax money, it''s not certain he can''t win, Donald." "Let''s hope so. I''ll inform him first to let him prepare." Donald pushed the door and left, and upon returning to his own office, immediately called David''s number: "Director David, I fear I have disappointing news." "What is it?" "Your 80 million-dor funds, they are supposed to be whitewash rather than ck tax, right?" "Indeed, that''s the tax GCO Corporation evaded before the ck tax legition." "Well, the supporters of Bemy and Brown at headquarters are attacking this point, iming that as a spokesperson for the ck tax legition, whitewash cannot be used as campaign funds for the godmaking project. The Director and I fought tooth and nail to reject this notion, but as apromise, we can''t help with the Long Beach Branch freezing your funds." "Fine, I''ll handle it myself." Donald had expected David to sound dejected on the other end of the phone, but to his surprise, David showed no signs of it, which caught him off guard. He then said, "Okay then, contact me again if you need anything." "Alright, goodbye Deputy Director Donald." In the center of the Long Beach District, in a coffee shop across from Helun International Trading Company, David hung up the phone with a cold smirk on his face. He knew that if Bemy dared to freeze his funds, they must have some confidence. However, he had not expected them toe up with such a far-fetched excuse that his funds didn''t qualify as ck tax and thus could not be used as capital for the godmaking project. That was a bitughable! But the silver lining was that Donald had confirmed that whitewash could also serve as capital for thepetition for the godmaking project. Now, if only he could sort out the frozen funds, then Bemy and Brown''s supporters would have nothing left to say! "What did the headquarters say, Director?" Noticing something was amiss, Nisen immediately asked. "Getting the headquarters to help unfreeze the funds is impossible now, we can only rely on ourselves." "What, what is going on with those higher-ups at headquarters? This is obviously Bemy from the Long Beach Branch making trouble; how can they tolerate such behavior?" Nisen, Simmons, and Bucky were all dumbfounded. Although they had known that Bemy had backers at headquarters, the higher-ups there couldn''t be so brazen as to seize their tax money outright, could they? ``` What about the other senior officials, isn''t there anyone to speak up for them? "Alright, it doesn''t matter if they don''t care." David had a backup n in ce; since the headquarters didn''t care about the matter, all he needed to do was to get the Long Beach Branch on his side, and the funds would naturally be released. Even though Nisen and the two others were still full of doubts, seeing David unwilling to borate, they dared not ask further. As time ticked by, it soon reached 5:30 PM. At this moment, arge number of employees began to leave the Helun International Trading Company across the street. Soon, the appearance of a tall, thin man with sses caught his attention. [Name: Trevicon Martin.] [upation: Tax Director of Helun International Trading Company.] [Ie: Monthly legal ie of $56,000, illegal ie of $2.3 million US Dors.] [Ie Details: On December 23, port cargo arrived, reporting false tax figures to profit $500,000 US Dors, on December 31, thepany managed port goods, profiting $500,000 US Dors after cooking the books, on January 11 ...] [Tax Due: $910,800 US Dors.] "Bring him over to me, discreetly!" David knew that the Long Beach Branch might be watching him, and although he had tried to keep a low profile on this trip, he couldn''t be sure he hadn''t been detected, so everything had to be done with a level of discretion. Following David''s orders, Nisen and Bucky both donned hats and headed in the direction of the tall, thin man with sses. Before long, the man with sses was brought over. On seeing David, he asked with some confusion, "You are...?" As the tax director of apany, he was very familiar with the IRS staff of the Long Beach Branch, but he had never seen the faces of David and Nisen''s party. And if Nisen hadn''t shown his tax badge just now, he would not havee along so easily. "No need to guess, we are not from the Long Beach Branch, I am from the Las Vegas branch, my name is David." "David... wait a minute...!" The man named Trevicon seemed to have remembered something, he began to stare at David, sizing him up. After a long while, he confirmed, "Are you the Director David who led an armed raid into the Indian Tribe?" "It seems you do recognize me." "After all, my job is rted to taxation, how could I have not heard of you..." Trevicon began to feel uneasy inside because he didn''t understand what this infamous Chief Tax Officer wanted with him in Los Angeles. "Alright, let''s not talk about that. I ask you, you and Director Ducray of the Long Beach Branch, you are ssmates, right?" On hearing this, Trevicon gasped, but still tried to respond calmly, "Yes, that''s no secret. What''s the problem, is there an issue?" "On the 11th ofst month, you asked him to greenlight a tax issue for you, and in the end, you slipped him $80,000 US Dors, am I wrong?" "No, that''s not the case!" Trevicon''s face changed color, immediately followed by a rebuttal. Chapter 301: Chapter 194: Unfreeze My Funds! "On December 23, 2021, yourpany transported a batch of soybeans, which ording to thetest consumption tax rate at that time, required about 5.63% in value-added tax, totaling 11.5 million dors. However, in the end, you dered the previous month''s fluctuating tax rate, and reported a total tax of 12 million dors, pocketing the extra 500,000 dors. Dare you say that didn''t happen?" Upon hearing such detailed financial data, Trevicon couldn''t help but panic now. But before he could say anything, David spoke again, "And on December 31, yourpany brought in a batch of beef. ording to the consumption tax rate for that month, the value-added tax should have been about 6.63%, totaling 21.66 million dors. But in the end, you still reported the previous month''s fluctuating tax rate, and paid a total of 22.16 million dors in taxes, pocketing another 500,000 dors." "And on January 11, yourpany imported a batch of corn..." "Until February 11, when yourpany''s finance department needed to reconcile with the tax department, you had to make those falsified tax reports look legitimate through Ducray, because you were afraid the ounts wouldn''t match up. I''m right, aren''t I?" "I..." If it were just the soybeans David had mentioned earlier, Trevicon might be able to quibble, but with every underreported tax transaction over the past few monthsid out before him, where could he possibly find room to refute? "Although Ducray is your ssmate, and he helped you handle these fake tax reports, if yourpany found out about this, given the harm to their interests, they wouldn''t let it go easily..." "What do you want..." Trevicon was truly flustered. Because, as David had said, if this matter were toe to light, it wouldn''t be just a simple matter of tax underreporting for him. And if thepany pursued it, the fact that he was suspected of economic crime was definitely unavoidable. Moreover, an economic crime was definitely something the police or the FBI would investigate. Even Ducray would likely be unable to help him. "I don''t want much, actually. I''m not really interested in exposing this incident. Of course, I need a little favor. If you help me with this, I''ll turn around and leave. As for your evasion of taxes... I won''t pursue it!" ording to the statutes of the tax evasionw, Trevicon should pay more than 900,000 dors in taxes. But first, this wasn''t David''s jurisdiction, and second, he hadn''t made any profit-sharing agreements with the local branch, so he didn''t want to do the dirty work for the people at the Long Beach Branch. "What favor?" David said, "Didn''t you give Ducray 80,000 dors? I need the source of that money, as well as the information regarding into which ount it was transferred." Trevicon was stunned; he now understood that David was not after him but after Ducray. But what a joke. Ducray is the head of the Long Beach Branch, and in the entire IRS system, that branch is quite influential. A Chief Tax Officer like him, how could he dare to offend such a high-ranking branch head? Ducray immediately shook his head and refused, "I can''t do that. If Ducray finds out, I''ll definitely be finished." David''s expression turned cold as he said, "So what you mean is, you''re not afraid that thepany and FBI will find out about your tax underreporting?" "This..." Trevicon was caught in a dilemma again. Indeed, offending Ducray meant tough times in Long Beach District, but if the matter really reached thepany''s upper echelons and the FBI, it would be more than difficult for him. "Just give me the information, and at most, you''ll only have to deal with Ducray holding a grudge against you in the future. But if you don''t, I guarantee your oue will be far worse. You''re someone who knows how to calcte, you should understand this!" David''s words were precisely what Trevicon was wrestling with in his mind. After a long pause, he finally replied, "I need some time to think about this matter..." "That''s fine, but I must warn you, after our talk, you can go confess to Ducray if you want, but I advise you, you better think it through carefully!" Although David had a formidable reputation in Nevada, his clout might not be as effective as Ducray''s in Long Beach District. Therefore, he couldn''t be sure whether Trevicon would go and confess to Ducray afterward, and then the two of them might collude and n a strategy. Now, he could only hope that the other party would be sensible. Trevicon''s eyes narrowed. To be honest, he had really considered confessing to Ducray after finishing the conversation with David. After all, the saying went, the strong dragon cannot suppress the local snake. Regardless of how famous David might be, the boss of the IRS in Long Beach District was definitely Ducray alone. But now, after David''s warning, he somewhat dismissed the idea. "We''re staying at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. I hope to receive your answer by tomorrow morning," David said. After dropping that line, David no longer lingered and stood up to leave. "Chief Tax Officer, where are we heading now?" "YA Company." One of thepany''s deputy tax officers had also conducted a financial transaction with Ducray, and David needed to get that piece of evidence as well. ... Long Beach Branch. "You don''t need to worry about that. Since the tax money has been frozen by our branch, and the higher-ups are not interfering, he definitely won''t be able to take it. Rather, Brown, you should have your people exert more effort to ensure that clean tax cannot be used for election funds; that would actually be even better." Chapter 302: Chapter 194: Unfreeze My Funds!_2 ``` "Do you think I don''t want that? Director Obadiah is dead set on protecting him. It''s already quite a feat that he allowed you guys at the branch office to make a decision about this tax case," "Fine, let it be so, let''s keep in touch!" After ending the call with Brown in New York, Bemy''s mouth curled upwards in a sneer, coldly saying, "Hmph, this is the price of arrogance!" Without a doubt, he was quite satisfied with the decision made by the senior officials at the head office. If David isn''t willing to disclose the method to get a hold on GCO Corporation, then this is what happens to him¡ªdon''t even think about getting a penny from our Long Beach District! Putting aside his thoughts, Bemy immediately called Trollope in and asked, "How is it going, what is David''s gang up to now?" "These guys have a strong sense of counter-surveince. They vanished for a good while after leaving our office, but just now, our system caught him leaving a coffee shop on Puth Avenue." Bemy frowned in dissatisfaction, "Keep a close eye on him for me, don''t let him y any tricks in our Long Beach area." "Don''t worry, Chief Tax Officer, he''s on our turf now. With no people, no system, and no channels, he won''t be able to stir up any trouble." Trollope didn''t seem to think there was anything to worry about. "Anyway, that guy has some stuff, it''s better to be careful with everything." Let''s not talk about David barging into the Indian Tribe armed. But being able to bring down the high officials of Sparks and Henderson, he must possess some exceptional skills. Bemy felt that it would still be good to take precautions. At 10 PM, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Room 1011. David waszily lying on the sofa, watching the news on TV when suddenly the doorbell rang. He immediately stood up and opened the door. "Good evening, sir. This is something someone wanted to deliver to you." A hotel staff member had arrived, passing a document envelope to David. David thanked him, closed the door, and started checking the contents. A few minutester, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. The envelope was precisely what Trevicon had sent over, and inside were the details of the origin of the $80,000 and the ount information into which it had been deposited. It seemed that Trevicon had, after all, made a wise choice! With this information, David might not be able to bring down Ducray, but at least he now held some leverage over him. Next, it would be seen if the guy from YA Company would also make a wise choice! Time moved on to 11 PM. David''s doorbell rang again, he opened the door to see another hotel staff member, just like before, handing him another document envelope. After checking the contents, David finally showed a smile. Indeed. This envelope was from the deputy tax director of YA Company. It looked like this guy, like Trevicon, had made the correct choice after weighing the pros and cons! With these two documents in hand, David would head to the Long Beach Branch tomorrow with confidence! The next morning at nine o''clock. After getting up, David brushed his teeth and washed his face, then he and Nisen Simmons Bucky went to the hotel''s dining hall for breakfast before heading to the Long Beach Branch. Long Beach Branch. "Chief Tax Officer, after leaving the coffee shop yesterday, David went to the Long Beach International Center and then returned to the hotel..." Inside the office, Bemy had just arrived and was listening to Trollope''s report. But at that moment, there was a knock on the door. An Inspector came in and reported, "Chief Tax Officer Bemy, David has arrived, currently seeking a meeting with the Director." Bemy was taken aback, then a contemtive look appeared on his face. Trollope, on the other hand, waved his hand to dismiss the Inspector and then wondered, "What do you think David is meeting the Director early in the morning for?" "Don''t know. Keep an eye on this and let me know immediately if there is any news." For some reason, Bemy suddenly felt an ominous premonition. Logically, now that the tax case with GCO had been frozen by them, the clearest course of action for David would be to hurry back to Nevada State and focus on collecting more tax achievements. Yet not only did the other party not return immediately, but he also lingered here for the night and this early in the morning he was at their office. It just didn''t seem quite right... While Bemy was still guessing, David, after waiting half an hour, was finally taken to Ducray''s office. "Director David, do you know howrge the economy is in the Long Beach District? I have to deal with endless matters every day, so let''s get to the point!" Actually, he hadn''t nned on seeing David at all, but David sent a message that if he didn''t meet, the head office would immediately convene a meeting about him, which made him resentfully agree while also being quite annoyed. He wanted to hear what kind of meeting the head office could convene about him! David didn''t indulge him and directly mmed the two documents he had brought onto the desk, then took a seat confidently. Such an impolite gesture made Ducray want to erupt, but as soon as he nced at the two documents, he had to suppress his anger and pick them up to look at. Yet, as he started reading the contents of the first document, surprise began to spread across his face, and he immediately grabbed the second document. ``` Chapter 303: Chapter 194: Unfreeze My Funds!_3 By the time he had finished reviewing the second document, David''s face gradually twisted. He red at David viciously, "Where did you get these things?" David shrugged and replied, "That''s not something Director Ducray needs to worry about." "You dare to investigate me?!" "It''s you, Director Ducray, who I am investigating!" David was also livid, and although the other party''s rank was much higher than his, he now held leverage over him and was therefore brimming with confidence. At this moment, Director Ducray was fuming with rage. After all, he could be considered one of the most powerful subdivision directors within the National Tax Bureau, while David was just a minor Chief Tax Officer. Yet now, this minor Chief Tax Officer not only dared to investigate him but also had the audacity to threaten him with his findings to his face. How could he not be infuriated? "Don''t forget, Director Ducray, you were the one who started this, not me!" Director Ducray gritted his teeth and responded, "Do you think that with just these two documents, a mere $180,000, you can take me down with the top brass at headquarters?" "Of course not. In fact, let alone someone like you, Director Ducray, even a Chief Tax Officer from the lower-ranked subdivisions could easily make a sum of $100,000 or more each month. But while making money is one thing, getting caught is another!" This statement rendered Director Ducray momentarily speechless. Because what David said was true. Not to mention him, even many at the top of the headquarters had simr issues with bribery. After all, where in the world are all crows white? But while everyone might take bribes, if you get caught and someone wanted to take you down, that''s a problem. "Director Ducray, this amount of money and these two documents may not be enough to shake your position. But if they are used to stain your record, it won''t be so easy for you to move up to the headquarters in the future." David certainly knew that bing the director of a super division like Long Beach required a strong background and a solidwork within the headquarters. And to tell the truth, Director Ducray was not entirely corrupt. The two sums he took were primarily because of his old school rtions with Trevicon and a bit of nepotism with the Vice Director of YA Company. Afterwards, in gratitude, they bypassed Director Ducray, went straight to his wife, and forcefully handed her these sums of money. Therefore, the higher-ups at headquarters would definitely not easily take down a director of such arge division once they found out. But as David said, it''s definitely a stain. And since there''s a seat for every high-level position at headquarters, with such a stain, hispetitors would certainly use it against him, making his ascent to the headquarters much harder. Unless, of course, he had no intention of moving up to headquarters. But David knew that was almost impossible. As the saying goes, a soldier who doesn''t want to be a general isn''t a good soldier, and Director Ducray, after years of hard work, had finally be the director of a super division like Long Beach. Now that he was halfway to headquarters, how could he willingly give up everything he had achieved? At that moment, Director Ducray was gradually calming his anger and thinking. David was right. While this matter wouldn''t bring him down, it would be a stain that his opponents could use against him in the future, and he certainly cared about that. His many years in the service, now pushing Bemy for the "God-Making" election campaign, weren''t all to gather more achievements in preparation for his move to the headquarters? If David took these two documents to the headquarters, not to mention hispetitors, just Donald, Obajoa and their group would give him enough trouble. After all, Director Obadiah, the head of the headquarters, and Deputy Director Donald, who oversaw the ck tax legition, were supporters of David. And since he had already annoyed these two giants by freezing David''s GCO funds, with this leverage, wouldn''t the two giants make a big deal out of it? "Director Ducray, order the tax return for GCO to me, and I''ll turn around and leave. I will also keep these two documents to myself. What do you think?" David, seeing the other party''s psychological defenses crumbling, didn''t waste any more words. Director Ducray stared at David with a gloomy gaze, and after nearly a minute, he spoke with a threatening tone, "If you dare leak these two documents, David, I swear I''ll spend the rest of my life ''catering'' to you!" David showed a smile. He certainly heard that the other party had made a decision, and without further ado, he got up cleanly and left. After his departure, Director Ducray picked up the phone, "Bring Bemy to me." ... On the other end, Trollope, having received the message, burst into Bemy''s office and said, "Chief Tax Officer, David has left, but the Director wants to see you now." "He wants to see me?" Bemy felt a little surprised, but the bad feeling in his heart intensified. He immediately got up and pushed through the door towards the Director''s office. A few minutester, he entered, saw Director Ducray''s somewhat gloomy face, and while his mind was racing, he also asked softly, "Director, you wanted to see me?" "Bemy, what on earth are you even doing?" Right upon entering, Bemy was taken aback by such an outburst. At the same time, he was startled and asked, "Is something the matter, Director?" Chapter 304: Chapter 194: Unfreeze My Funds!_4 "Your team has been keeping an eye on David, how could..." Ducray had intended to ask how David could have still gotten his hands on his weaknesses, but realizing that this matter shouldn''t be leaked, he had to change his words and said, "Forget it, let''s just end it here, unfreeze that fund for GCO right away!" "What?!" Bemy''s face changed drastically, utterly in disbelief of what he had just heard. "I said, unfreeze the fund for GCO, are you deaf or what?" Mainly because Bemy had told him that David was already being watched, so he hadn''t paid much attention to it. But what he hadn''t expected was that David, who was supposed to be under surveince, had silently obtained two pieces of damaging evidence against him. Strictly speaking, this was a serious dereliction of duty on Bemy''s part, which was why Ducray was so infuriated now. Having his concerns confirmed, Bemy was nearly out of his wits at this point. What the hell was going on? Wasn''t their Chief Tax Officer a staunch supporter of him? And once this tax money entered David''s ount, what was the point of his grand ''Deification Project''? Their Chief, didn''t he want the dazzling political achievements that came with the Deification Project anymore? "I''m speaking, did you hear me?" Bemy snapped back to reality and immediately asked, "What exactly happened, Chief? We can''t unfreeze this fund. Otherwise, the Deification Project... we''ll lose all hope." "Put the Deification Project aside for now, just unfreeze the fund," Ducray ordered. While the Deification Project was indeed a dazzling political achievement, if those two documents reached the main office, his path to promotion would be nearly blocked. Ducray naturally knew what to choose when weighing his options. "Chief, think it over. If we unfreeze this fund, not only will I remember it, but so will Brown Soros from New York, and as you know, Brown is backed by Chief Advisor Welton Heng, and he will be angered by this too..." Bemy, in trying to change Ducray''s mind, brought up Brown and Welton Heng without reservation. However, his words only made Ducray, who was already threatened by David, even more infuriated. He yelled, "Who the hell is the Chief here, you or me?" "I..." Bemy was both angry and helpless, but seeing Ducray''s rage, he didn''t dare to retort any longer and left dejectedly, returning to his own office. And there stood Trollope, who upon seeing his Chief Tax Officer in such a dispirited state, felt an ominous feeling and asked, "What happened, Chief Tax Officer?" "The Chief told me to unfreeze GCO''s funds." "What! How could..." Just like Bemy before, Trollope couldn''t believe his own ears upon hearing this. But then, recalling David who had just left the Chief''s office, it suddenly dawned on him, and he murmured, "The Chief wouldn''t do this unless David... has something on him, forcing his hand." "That''s what I think too... Damn it!" Bemy looked up at Trollope and demanded, "Weren''t you keeping a close watch on David and his crew? What the hell did he do yesterday?" Bemy couldn''t understand how David, who had only been in Los Angeles for a day, managed to deal with GCO Corporation and even threaten their Chief. And this was on their turf! Now Bemy suddenly realized why their Chief Ducray was so angry. Being threatened like this on one''s own turf, and having to reluctantlyply in the end, who wouldn''t fly into a rage? Chapter 305: Chapter 195: Finally Topping the List Trollope scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "He didn''t really do anything, just disappeared for two or three hours right under our noses. What could he possibly have done..." "If he couldn''t do much, then how could..." "Bang!" Just as Bemy was about to say something else, the door was pushed open with a bang, and an inspector rushed in, saying, "Director David, the GCO funds¡ªthe director has ordered Lance, the Tax Investigator, to personally take over. Right now, it''s going through the unfreezing process..." Hearing this, Bemy turned ashen, slumping into his chair weakly and lifelessly. It seemed that their director, was so afraid that he would try to stall for time or mess things up that he had personally decided to take over the unfreezing work. That meant the evidence David held in his hand must have had an even greater impact on their director than he had imagined. Just thinking about the funds entering David''s ount, and the tax performance that would reach 150 million after, plunged him into darkness about his own life... ... In the waiting room at Long Beach International Airport. "All right, since it''s unfrozen, you guys make the transfer," said David. "Okay, I''ll transfer it immediately." David hung up the phone; it was Caroline from GCO who had informed him that the funds had been cleared by the Long Beach Branch. Next, David went through his contacts, found Director Saxton''s number, and dialed: "Director Saxton, the funds are about to be deposited. Be on the lookout, and once it''s received, please transfer it over to me." In the Sand Bay Branch, Saxton was also overjoyed at the news, replying continuously, "Don''t worry, Director David, I will transfer it to you at top speed." "That''s good..." About twenty minutes after ending the call, a tax payment of 79,636,000 US dors was deposited into the ount of the Sand Bay Branch. Instead of immediately celebrating upon receiving the funds, the Sand Bay Branch gathered the receiving personnel and swiftly transferred sixty percent of it¡ªexactly 56 million US dors¡ªto the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. This sudden influx of a huge sum shocked everyone at the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch, and it wasn''t until William called David that they understood it was actually a tax payment. After that, the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch also deposited the 56 million tax dors into David''s ount with the utmost speed. This deposit raised David''s tax performance from 69.11 million US dors to 1.25 billion, leapfrogging over Los Angeles''s Bemy Hattie and New York''s Brown Soros. Such an unusual movement on the tax performance leaderboard naturally caused shock among many tax inspectors nationwide. "My God, what''s going on with David? How did his tax performance suddenly increase by 56 million?" "Heavens, what did he do to receive such a huge sum from those criminals? How can there be such a staggering tax performance?" "We always thought that the chosen one for this ''Deification Project'' would be Bemy or Brown, but who could have imagined that David, who had been trailing those two, would leap ahead just like that? Maybe he is the final boss!" Most tax inspectors across the nation were unaware of the GCO matter or the freezing of the funds. They only knew that David had suddenly logged 56 million in tax performance, not only creating thergest instance of ck tax since the inception of the ck taxw but also potentially delivering a knockout blow to Bemy and Brown. In Manhattan, New York, at the Manhattan Branch. Brown was assigning tasks to his subordinates, nning to widen the tax performance gap further by taking advantage of David''s setback from his frozen funds. But just then, someone pushed open the door to his office. A Deputy Tax Inspector came in and said, "Not good, Brown, David has surpassed you on the tax performance leaderboard." "Huh?" Upon hearing this, Brown felt his brain short-circuit. Weren''t David''s funds frozen by the Long Beach Branch? How could he have surpassed him? "Damn it, it really is!" Kelly had already taken out her phone and opened the tax performance list. When she saw that David was currently ranked first, she almost couldn''t believe her eyes. Brown then came to his senses, stepped next to Kelly, and looked at the screen. Seeing his own name squeezed down to second ce, he became infuriated and cursed loudly, "What the hell is going on, can someone fucking tell me?" "It''s impossible for him to have obtained such a sum of tax money in such a short period. The only possibility is that the Long Beach Branch unfroze the funds for him!" Kelly''s words made Brown realize that it might indeed be the case. He immediately picked up his phone and called Bemy, demanding, "Tell me, Bemy, has your Long Beach Branch unfrozen David''s funds?" "If you already guessed it, why ask me?" "You fucking... bastard, didn''t we agree beforehand, why would you do this?" "You think I wanted this? You should probably ask our Director Ducray about this, beep, beep, beep..." "Damn it!" Listening to the beeping sound from the phone, Brown swore again, furiously smashing his phone on the ground. Even though, for now, David''s tax performance was only 30 million ahead of him. It must be noted, he had been pulling out all the stops this evaluation period, and only then had he managed to collect just over 90 million in tax performance. Chapter 306: Chapter 195: Finally Topping the List_2 And now, with just three days left in the assessment period, getting a tax achievement of twenty or thirty million wouldn''t be an issue for him, but to surpass David, he would need to pull in an additional 30-40 million. Where could he possibly find such a massive amount of tax achievement? Even if he could find it, there hardly seemed to be enough time. The more Brown thought about it, the angrier he got¡ªnot just at Bemy, but he also cursed every ancestor of everyone at the Long Beach Branch. Washington D.C. Headquarters. Donald was in his office processing documents when the sound of knocking caused him to pause before he called out, "Come in." "Deputy Director Donald, there''s been a change. David from the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch suddenly ounted for 56 million, now topping the leaderboard with a total tax achievement of 125 million." "What did you say!?" Donald put down his pen used for signing documents and looked incredulously at the person who had entered. "David ounted for 56 million and is now at the top of the leaderboard." Hearing the report again, Donald confirmed that he hadn''t misheard, but he still couldn''t believe it and immediately operated hisputer to check. Soon enough, the taxation achievement leaderboard from the IRS popped up, and when he saw David''s name at the top, with Brown and Bemy slipping to second and third ce, Donald truly believed it. Belief aside, his face still showed shock and disbelief as he demanded, "What on earth happened? Where did this 56 million in tax revenuee from?" "ording to the data, it came from GCO''s nearly 80 million in tax revenue. This amount was first transferred to the Sand Bay Branch in Rio City, which retained over 20 million, and the remaining 56 million was then directly transferred to the Lake District Sub-Bureau, ending up in David''s name." "From GCO Corporation? So, you mean to say that the Long Beach Branch unfroze these funds?" "That seems to be the case." "How could this be..." Hearing that the Long Beach Branch had unfrozen the funds, Donald was both incredulous and unable to understand. If the Long Beach Branch were that easy to persuade, they wouldn''t have found reasons to freeze the funds earlier. And more importantly, the Long Beach Branch was home to one of the biggest candidates of the "Making Gods" project, Bemy Hattie. How could he have possibly let these funds be unfrozen so easily and fall into David''s hands? Could it be... David had caught the Long Beach Branch in a bind, a vulnerability of sorts, forcing them to hold their noses and unfreeze the funds? This seemed to be the only exnation... But then again, David had only been in Los Angeles for one day, and Long Beach was Bemy''s turf. How could David possibly dominate in someone else''s territory? Apart from Donald, at this moment within the headquarters, all the higher-ups who had received the news were sufficiently shocked. But as shocked as they were, those who supported David along with Donald quickly became joyful once they regained theirposure. Those who supported Bemy and Brown, like Rohan and Consultant Welton Heng, now had their faces ashen. Chief Advisor''s Office. "Damn it, what the hell is Ducray up to?" Welton Heng had learned that it wasn''t Bemy but rather Ducray, the head of the Long Beach Branch, who had ordered the funds to be unfrozen, and this naturally infuriated him. Initiating the freeze on GCO''s funds was a decision he had fought for at the executive meeting for the Long Beach Branch. And now by doing this, wasn''t the Long Beach Branch essentially pping him publicly? "Ducray couldn''t possibly do this. After all, if Bemy wins, it''d be a shining achievement for him, and if David wins, there''s no benefit for him. The only exnation is that David has got something critical on him." On the other side, his confidant Bankroft pondered aloud. "Being the head of the Long Beach Branch, on his own turf, how could he let David get the better of him? Don''t you think this is preposterous?" "Preposterous as it may be... But David, having taken down the senior officials of Sparks and Henderson, as well as Governor Stevenson, must possess some skill that others don''t." Hearing this, Welton Heng became silent. Indeed. David couldn''t be regarded as an ordinary person; someone who had taken down top officials of two city halls and even a governor. If Ducray was dirty, maybe David really did catch something on him. But as this thought urred to Welton Heng, a wave of concern suddenly surged in him. When he heard that Stevenson was taken down by David, he was only briefly shocked, without much worry deep down. But now, David''s de had unexpectedly struck someone within his own IRS. What if one day David was manipted by other scheming individuals and turned the heat on him? This couldn''t happen; he had to take precautions. Welton Heng was a person with a strong sense of danger, preferring the IRS to have less prestige and revenue rather than allowing uncontroble people or factors in front of him! "Dudu dudu..." As Welton Heng was still deep in thought, the vibration of his smartphone on the desk brought him back to reality. Picking it up and seeing that it was Brown calling, he immediately answered, "Speak." "Consultant Welton Heng, I assume you''ve seen that GCO''s funds have been unfrozen. I want to consult with you on what I should do... What should I do?" "You''re asking me?" Suddenly filled with ire, Welton Heng couldn''t help thinking, is it mepeting for the "Making Gods" project, or is it you? Chapter 307: Chapter 195: Finally Topping the List_3 "He''s already surpassed me by 30 million, and there are only a few days left. I''m afraid... I''m afraid..." "Brown, you possess the resources of the best district within our national tax agency. If you can''tpete with that, I think you might as well abandon any hope of moving up to the headquarters!" To be honest, Welton Heng was somewhat disappointed in Brown. Just as he said, Brown controlled the Manhattan District, while David only managed the garbage district of Lake District. If Brown can''t win against that, then there''s really nothing left to say. At this moment, Brown''s heart was filled with extreme frustration, but naturally, he wasn''t going to give up so easily and continued to exin, "If he was relying solely on the modest resources of Lake District, of course it wouldn''t be like this, but what he''s backed by now is the entire resource pool of Nevada State..." "You have the nerve to bring that up!" Welton Heng interrupted directly, "He only has the resources of the entire Nevada State because he has the ability to control the state. That''s his merit. Why can''t you take control of the entire New York State?" At this, Brownpletely ran out of rebuttals. Indeed, the resources of Nevada State weren''t originally David''s. It was only through David''s iron-fist policies that he managed to win them over. While Brown could also have tried to woo them, he didn''t have the same tactics, so whom could he me? "Enough, there''s no point in discussing these meaningless words anymore. I''ll give you a clear path now. Our senior management has already confirmed that off-book tax achievements can also be used as capital for the election. You should know what to do, right?" Don''t look at the tax agency as a solid block in the eyes of outsiders, ready to take joint revenge on anyone who dares to interfere with their people. But in reality, there are many factions within the tax agency itself. And the winner of this deification project, once elected, almost certainly secures a spot in the high ranks of the headquarters in the future. Even with the right operation and packaging, bing the head of the headquarters in the future is not impossible. So as much as he scolded, Welton Heng wasn''t going to give up Brown at this critical juncture, especially since he had invested a lot of effort in Brown over this period. Upon hearing that off-book taxes could also be used as campaign capital, Brown instantly awakened and replied, "Consultant Welton Heng, you''ve really reminded me. I''ll handle it." After ending the call, Welton Heng fell into deep thought. He had picked up on something¡ªalthough Welton Heng was reminding him that off-book taxes could be used as campaign capital, he was also implying a deeper meaning. That was to hint to him that when necessary, he could resort to some ''cheating'' tactics, and Welton Heng would cover for him at the headquarters! With this in mind, he immediately called Kelly in and said, "Go to Wall Street and summon Bright, Osmond, and those fund investors for me. Tell them I want to talk to them." ... A few hourster. In Nevada State, Las Vegas''s McCarran International Airport, David and his party walked out and then directly returned to the Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. Upon his return, William, having received the news, immediately invited David into his office and asked, "Tell me, the specific details of this 56 million..." "It''s like this..." David went on to roughly exin the series of events that had taken ce at GCO Prison and in Los Angeles. "I didn''t expect you to collect this tax from apany like GCO..." William, although not fully aware of the details of GCO as apany, could tell just from the title of "one of America''s top three private prisons" that this wasn''t apany to be messed with. Yet unexpectedly, it was David who had brought them to heel. After he finished marvelling, William seemed to recall something and his expression darkened as he cursed, "That Long Beach Branch is really shameless, using such disgusting tactics as freezing funds. If it were someone else, they would surely have had no choice but to ept defeat." "Their actions are quite disgusting, but fortunately, I''ve still managed to retrieve the money," said David. William''s expression softened a bit, and the corners of his mouth slowly rose, "You''re now 30 million ahead of New York''s Brown Soros, and with only three days left, it looks like you''re almost certain for the deification project." "I hope so..." "But that''s Los Angeles we''re talking about. Honestly, I''m incredibly envious..." William couldn''t help but express his feelings. Although the Los Angeles Branch chief''s rank is equal to his own as the chief of the Lake District Branch, the actual status between them is worlds apart. It''s like the difference between China''s big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen and other cities. Moreover, historically, the chiefs of the Los Angeles Branch often moved up to be part of the headquarters'' management. So naturally, at this moment, William was very envious. "Oh right, chief, there''s something I''d like to consult with you about..." "What is it?" "Well, if I do seed in getting elected, I''d like to bring Nisen, Bucky, Simmons... these few guys along with me." "No problem, I''ll handle the procedures when the timees," William replied without a second thought, instantly agreeing to David''s request. For the Lake District Branch, David was the most important asset, but there was no way to keep him if he was set to rise higher. As for Nisen, Bucky, Simmons, while they were somewhat capable inspectors, to be brutally honest, they weren''t exactly indispensable to the Lake District. Chapter 308: Chapter 195: Finally Topping the List_4 And now that David had taken the initiative to speak up, he might as well do him a favor in return. "Then I''ll thank the Director in advance...," In the following time, the two had a lengthy and enjoyable conversation, during which William also shared some of his management experience as Director with David. It wasn''t until three in the afternoon that David left and returned to his own office. Because if he were really elected, he would have to go to Los Angeles to take up his new post, so he needed to sort out and hand over some of his cases and other work to his sessor. Just as he was deeply engrossed in his work, Nisen burst through the door and said, "Chief Tax Officer, Brown Soros''s ount just received 10 million, reducing the gap with us to 20 million." David was taken aback, then asked, "Was it a single transaction?" "Yes." Hearing it was a single transaction, David frowned. It was clear to any discerning eye that in the scramble for this round''s myth-making project, both Bemy and Brown had gone all out at the start of the assessment period. As the end drew nearer, most of the major cases had been essentially dealt with, leaving only small fry behind, which was evident from their single transactions typically being around 2 to 3 million in recent days. But now, a sudden single transaction of 10 million in tax achievements, especially shortly after he had taken the lead, was definitely not normal. "Chief Tax Officer, I suspect that Brown Soros may be resorting to cheating," Nisen obviously noticed the abnormality of a single 10 million transaction at this critical moment, which was also the reason for his hasty reporting. And now, this 10 million may just be the beginning; it was possible that in the remaining days, otherrge sums coulde in. If so, their seemingly secure myth-making project throne might be precarious again. "Quite likely..." "What should we do?" "I''ll give Deputy Director Donald a call." David couldn''t afford to take this lightly; after all, Brown had connections within the Headquarters, and even if he cheated, they could probably cover it up for him, leaving him in dire straits. The call was quickly connected and Donald''s voice came through, "You''re asking about Brown''s 10 million transaction, aren''t you?" David wasn''t surprised that Donald guessed his concern and replied, "That''s right, Deputy Director Donald." "Don''t worry about that, our Headquarters will definitely investigate thoroughly, and if we find any vitions or cheating, we absolutely won''t tolerate it!" Reassured by these words, David felt much more at ease and responded, "Then I''ll have to trouble Deputy Director Donald..." "Oh right, David, there''s something I''m quite interested in; would you mind telling me?" "What is it?" "As I know, GCO''s funds were personally authorized for release by Director Ducray of the Long Beach Branch. How did you... persuade him?" "It wasn''t much, Director Ducray just made a small mistake, which I happened to discover." "I see, we''ll leave it at that then." At the Headquarters, Deputy Director Donald hung up the phone with a somewhat amused expression. Indeed, he had already guessed that David must have caught Ducray in a vulnerable position, which is why Ducray had no choice but to unfreeze the taxes. Now, David''s answer also served to confirm his spection. Lake District Sub-Bureau Branch. David said to Nisen, "Rest for tonight, and tomorrow we go to Elko City." Regardless of whether Brown was cheating or not, as long as he could keep suppressing the rivals on the tax performance leaderboard, the seat of the Los Angeles Branch Director would be his. Now, because of the rival''s 10 million in revenue, David felt it was no longer safe. He had to increase the tax performance again. In Elko City, there was the secondrgest prison of the Nevada GCO. When he was at GCO Headquarters, he had told Caroline and her group that if he thought the 80 million funds were enough to support his election, he wouldn''t target the other GCO prisons. But if it wasn''t enough... well, that was a different story! GCO Corporation, I can only say sorry to you! ... Ever since David topped the tax performance leaderboard, the heated discussion it sparked throughout the nation''s sub-bureaus hadn''t died down all day. And after that, Brown Soros''s additional 10 million in revenue stretched the major topic of conversation even further. With only 3 days left in the evaluation period, all 140,000 inspectors, Chief Tax Officers, and Tax Investigators across the country were waiting to see what upheavals thest few days'' fiercepetition might bring. At 9 o''clock in the evening, in an apartment building in the Lake District. "It is quite interesting, Father, these 56 million are squeezed from GCO Corporation, and what''s more interesting is that, as far as I know, Bemy from the Long Beach Branch actually froze his funds," she said. "Oh? Isn''t Bemy his biggestpetitor in his deification project? How did he end up releasing the funds?" "ording to the information we have so far, it was Director Ducray of the Long Beach Branch who ordered the release. I think that David must have something on Ducray," she said. On the balcony, wearing ace robe as usual, Selina sat with a ss of red wine in hand, talking on the phone. There was silence on the other end of the phone for about half a minute before a voice came through, "Only a few days are left, what''s your take, Selina?" "Bemy can probably be ruled out now, he''s definitely no match for David. Next, we''ll see how things go with Brown. Their family has close ties with Wall Street, and those people will certainly boost him up." "Wall Street... do you think we should intervene?" "I don''t think so, Wall Street folks do want to boost him, but since Director Obadiah and the Deputy Director in charge of the ck tax bill hold David in high regard, they wouldn''t dare go too far." "You make a good point. Being elected and then directly assigned as the Branch Director of Los Angeles was beyond my expectations." "I was equally surprised..." When Selina first received the news, she was also taken aback because, in her original estimates, a winner of the deification project would maybe transfer to cities like Chicago or Phdelphia, never expecting Washington D.C. Headquarters to make such a big move, directly announcing a transfer to Los Angeles. "Being transferred to Los Angeles and appointed as Branch Director, one step away from entering the Washington D.C. Headquarters, Selina, we must ''take down'' David, do you understand?" "Understood, Father. It''s cold over there, take good care of your health and get some rest early." "Good." After the call ended, a spark of determination shed through Selina''s beautiful eyes, as she had something on her mind. Chapter 309: Chapter 196: A Historic Moment is Coming The next morning, David and his group set off on their journey to Elko City. Elko City is thergest city between Salt Lake City and Reno. The city''s economy primarily relies on gold mining, livestock, and tourism, epassing an area of approximately 14.5 square miles and housing a poption of 60,732. "What''s going on, how did he just bring in another 10 million?" An hour and a halfter, as David''s party was nearing the local sub-bureau, Bucky''s voice from the back seat suddenly interrupted everyone''s thoughts. Aside from Nisen, who was driving, Simmons and David both turned to look, only to see Bucky''s phone disying the tax achievement rankings, with Brown Soros ranked second and showing a new ie of 10 million, bringing his total tax achievements to 115 million, only 10 million behind frontrunner David. "Fuck, he''s definitely cheating!" "He hasn''t had such arge sume in for several days, and now he has brought in 10 million yesterday and another 10 million today, this is undoubtedly foul y!" Bucky and Simmons both spoke out in usation. However, David remainedrgely expressionless. Donald had already promised him yesterday that if Brown Soros were indeed cheating, there would definitely be a thorough investigation. So, even if the other party was cheating, they probably wouldn''t dare to overdo it. Now, the other party has brought in an ie of 20 million from yesterday to today. Even if they bring in another 20 million, it will only be 135 million in total. As long as he deals with this case involving the GCO Prison in Elko City, he''s certain of at least 30-40 million. If that''s not enough, then he could focus on the third and fourth GCO Prisons in Nevada State. He doesn''t believe that if Brown Soros really relied on some fraudulent means, he could outy him! Amid these thoughts, the vehicle had entered Elko City, and it wasn''t long before they arrived at the entrance of the Gold Mine District Sub-bureau Branch. Beforeing, David had already called the director of this branch, so at this moment, the director, deputy director, and a group of Tax Investigators were all awaiting him at the entrance. Upon seeing his arrival, Director Emma greeted him with a smile more cordial than one would bestow upon their own mother and extended her right hand, "Director David, wee to Elko City." "Hello Director Emma." David also reached out and shook her hand. "Oh right, this is our deputy director..." In the following time, Emma introduced David to the higher-ups of the bureau one by one. After the higher-ups briefly shook hands with David, they examined him with a range ofplex looks¡ªrespect, curiosity, envy, and even jealousy. With only two days left in the assessment period, David, with a total tax achievement of 125 million, is firmly upying the top rank and is highly likely to be the chosen one in the "Make a God" project. Being selected would mean a transfer to Los Angeles to serve as the branch director, an improvement that could truly be described as a skyward leap. And to think that just over two months ago, David was still an ordinary Inspector in the tax bureau, and now, in a little over two months, he would be taking up the position of director in Los Angeles. How could this not fill the hearts of those in the Gold Mine District Sub-bureau Branch with mixed feelings, inspiring a sense thatparisons really could be odious. "Director David, let''s go in and talk." Emma led David inside the bureau, and they headed to her office. Once seated, she began, "Director David, what''s this case you mentioned?" Before arriving, David had already informed her over the phone that he wasn''t here to work on a case in coboration with their branch, but on a different case altogether, so she was somewhat puzzled now. "The GCO Prison case, has your branch investigated it?" "GCO Prison?" Emma pondered carefully¡ªthey did indeed have such a prison within their jurisdiction, but prisons are not like criminal organizations, and he hadn''t looked into it closely. Then he shook his head and said, "What''s up with the prison?" "ording to my investigation, there are arge number of illegal transactions taking ce within the prison, so that''s why I''vee to your city today." "Oh? Is that so?" Emma looked rather surprised. He wasn''t shocked that there were illegal activities in the prison; what surprised him was that since David had personallye all the way here, the involved sums must not be trivial, so why hadn''t anyone in their bureau taken it seriously? What the hell are these bastards doing! "It looks like this case has not been previously investigated by your branch, Director Emma, but that''s okay, I''ve already investigated it thoroughly. However, regarding the revenue sharing... I can only offer your branch twenty percent." The situation with the Gold Mine District Sub-bureau Branch was different from the Sand Bay Branch. The Sand Bay Branch had earnestly investigated GCO Prison, and they had invited David to look into the case, so it was proper that they previously received forty percent ording to the agreement; the additional ten percent was simply Director Saxton being amodating. Now, since the Gold Mine District Sub-bureau Branch hadn''t thoroughly investigated the GCO Prison in their jurisdiction, offering them twenty percent as jurisdiction fees was quite reasonable. "Twenty percent..." Emma''s face showed a bitter smile, clearly not very satisfied with the amount. "Don''t consider it too little, Director Emma. Do you know where my ie of 56 million yesterday came from?" At those words, Emma''s expression changed, and she asked tentatively, "It wouldn''t havee from the GCO Prison, would it?" Chapter 310: Chapter 196: A Historic Moment is Coming_2 Being in Elko City, he wasn''t too familiar with the situation in Rio City, nor aware of what had been happening in Los Angeles and at the headquarters. Therefore, when David''s ount suddenly received 56 million yesterday, he was merely shocked but had little rity about the origin of the tax money. "That''s right." Upon confirmation, Emma''s eyes zed with heat in an instant. If David''s 56 million came from GCO Prison, then the prison under their jurisdiction was sure to involve no small sum. Forget about getting 20%, even 10% would likely bring in a windfall! With this thought, he didn''t hesitate any longer and immediately nodded, saying, "If Director David says 20%, then it''s 20%." "Alright, then I''ll get to it." As David stood up, Emma immediately asked with concern, "Director David, don''t you need our assistance here?" "No need, I''ve almost finished my investigation. I just need to go there and check the ounts." "Alright then..." The GCO Prison in Elko City was located in the southeast, near the edge of Interstate 80. By the time David and others arrived, it had been an hour. In the office area inside the prison, the Warden was processing documents in the office when suddenly a prison guard stormed in and disrupted his thoughts. He asked displeasedly, "What is it, Lackey?" "There''s trouble, Warden Adan. That David from the National Tax Bureau is here. He wants to take a look inside our prison." "What did you say!" Upon hearing this, Warden Adan''s buttocks seemed to spring up from his seat. As the Warden of a prison under the jurisdiction of GCO Corporation, he was well aware of the situation at Rio City Prison. He knew that after David''s visit to that prison, it was in chaos, causing nearly 80 million in losses to thepany headquarters, and the management was furious. And if his prison were to face the same situation as Rio City Prison, wouldn''t his tenure as Warden be over? But now that David had arrived, it was unrealistic to not let him in. After all, didn''t the Indian Tribe initially refuse to let David in? In the end, David had stormed in with armed forces. He couldn''t be the second Indian Tribe. With that, he could only reply through gritted teeth: "Then let him in." "Yes." At the prison gate. The informed prison guard walked up to David and said, "Director David, you may enter now." David and his party didn''t dawdle and stepped right into the prison. Like the GCO Prison in Rio City, theyout of this prison was simr, with zones A, B, C, and D. And in these zones, there were also special cells and consumption for profit. Three hourster. David, who had finished his examination, said to the guard who had escorted him on the tour, "Notify your Warden. Tell him I want to talk to him." The guard didn''t dare say much and immediately turned to convey the message. About ten minutester, he returned and said, "Please follow me, Director David." David followed his lead, moving through zones A and B to the central office area and entered an office. [Name: Emma Dielma.] [upation: Warden of Nevada GCO Prison.] [Ie: Monthly legal ie of 14,000 US dors, illegal ie of 2.8 million US dors.] [Ie Details: Generated through exploitation of prisoners, eptance of corporate kickbacks...] [More Details:...] [Owed Tax Amount: 1,108,800 US dors.] "Director David, hello." "Warden Emma, hello." After handshakes, David sat down and said, "Warden Emma, you must have heard about the situation at Rio City Prison, haven''t you?" "I know a little..." "Well then, I''ll cut to the chase. I''ve done my investigation, and many people in your prison have a considerable amount of illegal ie, including you, Warden Emma. Since the enactment of the ck Tax Act, you''ve rued about 2.8 million US dors through exploiting prisoners and epting kickbacks from corporations. ording to the tax rate, you would need to pay us around 1.1 million dors..." Hearing this, Emma''s heart sank. Although he hadn''t calcted the exact amount of illegal ie over the past few months, the 2.8 million figure reported by David was about right. It seemed that they had been investigating him for a while. "Of course, my primary purpose foring here isn''t to have you pay for the illegal ie. Based on my investigation and your operating model, you''ve likely underreported around 140 million in taxes over these years, isn''t that right, Warden Adan?" "No, our prison hasn''t falsified the tax amounts, all the ledgers match, and this is also on record with the National Tax Bureau." Adan was frantic. David could demand he pay for the illegal gains, and he could oblige. But if his prison were exposed for a massive amount of unreported taxes like Rio City''s, he would likely face the wrath of thepany''s senior executives. David didn''t bother to argue. He took out his phone, located Caroline''s number, and dialed it. "Director David?" The call was quickly answered, and Caroline''s voice came through the other end. "It''s me, Miss Caroline. I''m currently in Elko City, Nevada, inside one of your GCO prisons. From what I''ve gathered, this prison seems to have underreported around 140 million in taxes over the years. What do you think?" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!