My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

Chapter 80 Kondo's Needle Eyes: Tax Evasion

"So, General Manager Gao, what advice do you have?"

Editor Gao smiled and said, "Ms. Ye, please sit down and let's talk. It's a long story."

After they sat down, Editor Gao got straight to the point: "Ms. Ye, our boss, Mr. Snail Zhao Wen, would like to invite you to work in Japan. For the position of president of a corporation."

Ye Meili was truly stunned this time.

Mr. Snail...you want me to be the president of a company in Japan? What merit do I, Ye Meili, possess?

'

""

"Mr. Snail is currently in Tokyo, producing an animated film, and he can't leave, so he asked me to come."

Ye Meili, whose mind was usually sharp, still couldn't grasp the idea.

Mr. Snail is looking for her? Is he looking for a stock trader?

She composed herself: "General Manager Gao, I don't quite understand... Mr. Snail? I'm just an ordinary sales clerk at a securities company, what kind of company president could I possibly become in Japan?"

"The investment company mainly deals in stocks and real estate. Mr. Snail said he needs someone knowledgeable to help him manage his financial layout in Japan."

Ye Meili frowned. Why her?

"General Manager Gao, Mr. Snail, how did you know me?"

"A friend from Japan introduced us. That Japanese person used to be your client and was very impressed with you."

Ye Meili was starting to believe it, even though she couldn't remember which client it was.

However, Ye Meili is still very capable in the securities firm!

"Mr. Snail said, what you lack is not ability, but a big enough stage."

Ye Meili's usually steady heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat.

These words struck a nerve with her.

Last year, she left Yingguanghao and worked at First Securities for only one year, where she perfectly achieved the rookie task of being the top performer in the entire company.

But she'll never get a spot at the top!

Being from another province, being a woman, and having no connections—three mountains weighed down on him.

But how could Mr. Snail know all this?

While she was still in a daze, Editor Gao added, "Oh, by the way, Mr. Snail also said that your Japanese is very good, and you'll thrive in Japan."

Ye Meili suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open.

Few people at First Securities knew that she could speak Japanese; she only used Japanese when communicating with Japanese clients.

Even her direct supervisor might not know her actual level of Japanese proficiency.

It seems that the Japanese customer happened to be acquainted with Mr. Snail and told him this...

She looked at Editor Gao, and something within her began to ignite.

Neon lights.

Tokyo.

President of the company.

Working for Mr. Snail.

She took a deep breath: "Mr. Gao, I need to think about it."

6

Editor Gao nodded: "Of course. I'll be staying in Taipei for three days at the Grand Hotel. Once you've made up your mind, come to the front desk anytime and give me your name; a staff member will contact you."

Editor Gao is gone.

Ye Meili sat alone in the coffee shop. Her coffee had long since gone cold, but she drank it all in one gulp.

The opportunity is here.

This time, I won't miss it again.

Haha, your ceiling is just my starting point...

"Akina's image has been completely redesigned, leaning towards an intellectual yet free-spirited, elegant yet playful, and scholarly style. The perfume brand has also been changed to Issey Miyake. Don't ask about the scent; they only have one: sandalwood, which was brought over from China for repackaging."

"Hi! Also, President Hanami, the dance instructor and the language instructor have arrived. Should we ask them to come over now?"

"No, please take them to the training room. Akina will be here soon. After she finishes her strawberry daifuku, she will go over for training."

In Hanami Tsuru's office, a lot of strawberry daifuku, which Nakamori Akina loves to eat, have been prepared. Akina finally has a day off and is not going to Tokuma Bookstore to "study". Instead, she is going to the office to chat with her father for a while.

Strawberry daifuku isn't cheap this month, and it's a brand new product that was invented less than a year ago. It costs 1000 yen a serving, and Akina can easily eat three or four servings by herself.

.

But so what? Are a few thousand yen really money?

In 80s Japan, idols did indeed undergo this kind of "special training" before and after their debut. The physical education teacher trained not only their walking posture, but also their sitting posture, standing posture, the angle of their smile, the gesture of holding a cup, the manner of getting in and out of a car, and might even teach tea ceremony and flower arrangement.

Language etiquette teachers teach various honorifics and also teach pronunciation and intonation—you can no longer speak as casually as before. How to deal with reporters, how to face seniors, and so on are all included in the curriculum.

Hanami-san's logic is simple: Mr. Snail is a literary master, so the woman he admires must be worthy of the title "literary master".

Akina's previous "pure and innocent" image was too ordinary; she needed to upgrade to a top-tier version that was "intellectual, elegant, and literary."

President Hanami is a very clever person. Since Akina and Mr. Snail are already deeply intertwined, with rumors, the female lead in "Love Letter," and participation in the creation of "Spirited Away," it's better to take the initiative and make this a bigger game than to passively accept it.

The more popular the Meiji, the more money Kenon makes.

The more satisfied Mr. Snail is, the more secure Akina's position becomes.

As expected, Akina Nakamori devoured three strawberry daifuku in one go, and even prepared to eat a fourth one with a embarrassed expression.

Hanami Tsuru smiled indulgently, "Akina, you have no idea how lucky you are! Thank goodness you didn't go and work with Kondo Masahiko this time!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"That kid got arrested. The tax bureau came to his door, saying it was a precise tip-off," and the tax evasion amounted to more than 100 million yen.

Furthermore, during the search of his desk, they found numerous nude photos of him playing "Three Dragons Straight"!

Akina's lips bulged, and her eyes widened: "How can there be so many? And nude photos too... Can he really earn that much money?"

"It's not unusual for the heir of Johnny's Entertainment to earn two or three hundred million a year."

Hanami Tsuru chuckled and continued, "But he was clearly betrayed, with information about overseas accounts, fabricated funds, and..."

Companies registered under relatives' names were all thoroughly investigated. Unless it was a precise whistleblower, the tax bureau couldn't have uncovered such details.

"That should be a criminal case, right? Even if the tax bureau doesn't handle nude photos, there are still so many cases of tax evasion..." Yuanzi interjected.

"We in Japan are ruthless in this regard, even more so than the United States. Section 238 of the Income Tax Act stipulates a maximum sentence of five years for tax evasion. If the amount of tax evaded exceeds five million, the fine is calculated directly based on the amount evaded. If he evaded one hundred million, the fine would start at least one hundred million, plus a 35% recalculation tax, bringing the fine alone to one hundred and thirty-five million..."

Akina gasped, "So much... how come I earn so little?"

Hanami-san was a little embarrassed by her daughter's association: "You're different from him, Akina. I've had your taxes withheld, so you'll never get arrested for tax evasion!"

"Oh~"

"In his case, being a first-time offender and with a relatively small amount involved, he would usually get a suspended sentence. But think about it, for the tax bureau to be able to arrest someone so precisely, he must have offended a big shot. Someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes, so I doubt he'll get a suspended sentence."

"How long will the sentence be?"

"Three to five years, at least three years. If it's a real prison sentence, his idol career will be completely over. No matter how much power Johnny's has, they can't protect a tax evader."

Meanwhile, at the Tokuma Bookstore headquarters, the Tokyo Three Musketeers were once again facing off, head to head. Every now and then, the kind-hearted Konoe Kazuma would give a sinister smile, while the simple-minded Saionji Muneaki would clench his fists and wave them fiercely in the air.

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