New Gods of North America.

Chapter 602 Plan
Wayne's plan to freeload a meal went very smoothly.

Modern methods for data verification are quite diverse. In addition to Benford's Law, there are also methods for assessing whether the correlation of relevant data deviates from the normal range, whether the fluctuation range is abnormal, and so on.
Wayne didn't fully understand some of the more obscure concepts, but that didn't stop him from simplifying them and talking fluently, and he also skillfully ended the conversation just as Quinn, the tax officer, was about to leave work.

Then he pretended that he would be quite busy for the next few days, but that he happened to be free tonight.

Quinn, still intrigued, seized the opportunity to extend an invitation, which Quinn readily accepted. Wayne's carriage then accompanied them, carrying the packaged workshop specialties.

The residence of Tax Commissioner Quinn was a small, brick-and-stone mansion, certainly not comparable to those of the wealthy, but it still had a few servants and a small courtyard, and the neighborhood looked quite nice.
Unfortunately, houses in this area are usually not available on the market. Going to real estate agents is not helpful. It's hard to say whether the prices are high or low, but people outside the area basically can't buy them.

The system in the United States is similar to that in the Kingdom of Windsor. Although senior civil servants only have executive power in the political arena, their income is often higher and more stable than that of parliamentary members of the same rank.

Even disregarding the social resources they can influence, in terms of personal income alone, they are generally at the top of the local middle class, comparable to renowned local doctors or lawyers, and are nominally benchmarks who "make a living based on their professional abilities."

Once inside, the usual social routine unfolds: greeting family members, exchanging pleasantries, presenting gifts, chatting for a while, and then having a meal together.
Wayne was mainly talking to Tax Officer Quinn. The head of the household was now adopting a thirst for knowledge, and Mrs. Quinn seemed to have a good impression of Wayne. Therefore, after the meal, he didn't spend much time taking advantage of the time when the Quinn couple were talking about family matters and the servants temporarily left to find an opportunity to have a brief private chat with Miss Quinn.

There might really be some strange conservation law in the world. Wayne originally thought that dealing with Tax Officer Quinn would be the most difficult part, but the plan has actually gone very smoothly.

Miss Quinn seemed to admire Wayne quite a bit at the ball, so it seemed like she would be easier to talk to. But it was actually her side that surprised Wayne in various ways.

Wayne: Miss Harley, we have investigated what you did to the gangsters, and we hope you will not act on your own again.

Miss Harley: (Surprised) Mr. Wayne is really amazing... Don't worry about my safety, those gang members shouldn't be able to find me.

Wayne: You probably don't realize the current situation. Continuing to use your extraordinary abilities will not only attract the attention of the church and exorcists, but may also cause irreversible damage to your health.

Miss Harley: It's okay, as long as those bad guys are punished, I don't mind. (Serious face)

Wayne: In fact, our detective agency already has plans for the gangs in the dock area. What you're doing is adding unnecessary variables to the situation.

Miss Harley: I understand. I will think it over carefully and then act cautiously so as not to cause you any trouble.

Hey, why are you so stubborn?
The Quinns were speaking in hushed tones in the outer hallway, their conversation seemingly about to end at any moment. Quinn, the tax officer, would likely call Wayne to a meeting room or some other place to continue the discussion. It seemed unlikely that Wayne would have any more private time with Miss Harley until he took his leave.

Time was limited, and Miss Harley seemed quite satisfied with the success of her "haunting operation," and was about to leave happily when Wayne's hand simply passed by her ear, pressed against the wall, and blocked her way:

“Listen, I’ve chosen a relatively mild way of putting it out of courtesy and respect for your goodwill in fighting crime. Now I’m telling you, whatever your reasons, I want you to cease all unnecessary personal actions against the dock area gangs. Do you understand?”

Their faces were now inches apart, and Miss Harley instinctively covered her chest with her hands, adopting a defensive stance.
However, her thoughts had still wandered off somewhere: "But..."

Wayne looked directly into her eyes, just in case, even widening his gaze slightly closer. "I don't want to hear 'but' right now. I want you to say 'yes.'" Miss Harley's face seemed to flush from the closeness, and finally, her gaze darted away and she lowered her head. "Yes."

Well……

The atmosphere feels a bit strange...

Feeling that Miss Harley seemed to be able to communicate again, Wayne withdrew his hand, stepped back a little, and added:
"If you really want to help, you can try to contact Inessa at the restaurant owned by our detective agency. She will let you know what's going on, and that kind of interaction seems more polite. Our detective agency welcomes extraordinary individuals with a sense of justice like you to help or join us, but we don't want you to disrupt our rhythm."

Miss Harley seems to have a stubborn streak, "But I still think those people should be punished..."

Wayne looked over: "A mere 'scare' doesn't count as punishment, and simply targeting gangsters often doesn't eliminate them. What our detective agency does is much more thorough. If you're interested, you can ask Inessa or Lina first. You should have seen them at the ball."

The tax collector, Quinn, had already started walking back. The servants who had been avoiding the couple's private conversation would probably be coming over soon to pack up. The conversation between the two in the dining room was quickly interrupted. Wayne returned to his seat, while Miss Harley composed herself, regained her elegant demeanor, and left with her head bowed.

In fact, according to his original plan, even if Miss Harley was willing to be recruited, she would probably be placed in Lina's intelligence group.
But after a brief conversation, Wayne felt it was better to let her get to know Inessa for a while first. Otherwise, if he just dumped Miss Harley on Lena, that brat, he felt she would end up with an even bigger brat than Emma…

Afterwards, Wayne followed Tax Officer Quinn to his study, where Wayne quickly figured out how Miss Harley, a wealthy heiress, had found the whereabouts of those gang members.
Numerous reports and documents piled up on the desk, along with some tax returns awaiting review. As long as the person's name is known, the tax officer has more detailed information than the police station, and it is also more timely—after all, these days the police may not update people's addresses in a timely manner when there are no cases, but some taxes need to be declared regularly.

Therefore, Wayne quickly came up with two new ideas: "Mr. Quinn, I happen to know the person who submitted this tax return. He is a leader in the dockside sailors' gang, and his actual income should be higher than the amount stated on the form."

“So?” asked the tax officer, Quinn.

“Illegal income is often higher than legal income. Since the city hall is levying taxes, shouldn’t we also tax illegal activities that generate profits?”

Tax Officer Quinn was clearly taken aback. "Wayne, your idea is truly...unique. While I wish it could be like that, the current city's tax laws and police force are probably far from sufficient."

Well, this approach is indeed too ahead of its time.
Wayne didn't continue the conversation, and then began to have another idea:
"I was just saying that casually. Let's get back to our previous topic. Actually, a lot of real-world data is interconnected, and it's not just applicable to tax audits. For example, if we study the arrival times of steam trains, we might discover some specific patterns."

"Perhaps the city hall can provide guidance on this, such as optimizing the train schedules of the train operating company and proposing the construction of some ancillary facilities. If transportation efficiency can be improved, the city's tax revenue should also increase accordingly."

Tax Officer Quinn was clearly interested. "That's a good idea. If the suggestion works, we might even be able to come up with a commendable proposal."

Wayne was still curious about that secret train station, and it was clearly easier for the tax officer to access internal intelligence and data than for the detective agency.
If we can guide Tax Officer Quinn to discover that secret station, then having him investigate would probably make it easier to figure out what it was used for.

It's not that I'm looking for trouble, but that place isn't too far from the workshop, so I'd rather confirm it first to be on the safe side, lest trouble come knocking on my door later.
At least find out which side the other party is on, so you'll have some direction when you want to ask for help.

(End of this chapter)