American tax officials

Chapter 319 concludes the story; preparations begin for entering headquarters.

"Alright, in that case, this court hearing is now adjourned!"

With Nicola's decisive statement, the trial came to a close, and the invited guests gradually rose and left.

"As you, our viewers, have seen, the court hearing has concluded, but the details were truly eye-opening, especially the hidden taxes involved with Amazon. I believe the relevant departments will continue to investigate this matter..."

Although the court hearing has ended, media coverage continues, and online interest in the matter remains high.

Meanwhile, David had returned to the office lobby. Looking at the group of inspectors who were still in a state of excitement, he said, "You've all worked hard these past few days. Come on, pop the champagne!"

In recent times, it has become common practice for the Los Angeles IRS to open champagne after major cases are concluded.

After all, the conclusion of a major case brings not only great prestige to the bureau, but more importantly, the bureau's inspectors, tax chiefs, and tax inspectors will receive substantial bonuses, and many will even have the opportunity to be promoted. So it is naturally something worth celebrating.

Soon, a tax chief from the bureau arrived carrying a bucket of chilled champagne and said to David, "Chief, would you like to have a go?"

David picked up a bottle, grabbed it with both hands, and started shaking it.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

"Waaaaah..."

"..."

Seeing that David had gotten the hang of it, Nixon, Bucky, Simmons, and the others jumped up and down excitedly.

Seeing how lively their atmosphere was, David also got into the groove, jumping and shaking his champagne along with them.

But this scene struck many people present as quite unusual.

While the case in the case of Dumbasson is something to celebrate.

But in the past, whether it was cracking down on the Sackler family or cases in the cryptocurrency field, David and Nixon Bucky had never been this excited, so this is somewhat abnormal.

Of course, what they didn't know was that David, Nixon Bucky, and the others were so excited not because they had solved the case of Dumbasson.

The most important reason is that they had received advance notice from the General Administration that as long as they solved this case, they would be able to be promoted to the General Administration.

This is the heart of the IRS's power; no wonder they're excited!

"Pfft!!!"

"Alas!"

Lost in thought, David had already uncorked the champagne, spraying the champagne into the entire hall and eliciting cheers from countless inspectors.

"Alright, now I have something to announce to everyone!"

As soon as he said this, the excited atmosphere instantly quieted down. Everyone sensed that what David was about to say was definitely not simple, given that he was announcing something at this moment.

"Speaking of which, I've been working at the Los Angeles IRS for a few months now. During this time, thanks to everyone's support and help, my work has progressed smoothly, and I've cracked several major cases, including those involving the Sackler family, cryptocurrency, and now the Amazon case..."

Hearing David thank them and summarize the work done over the past period, everyone's mood immediately became somber.

From his tone, they guessed that their director was probably going to be transferred elsewhere or promoted to the headquarters.

Sure enough, David's next words confirmed their guess.

"I recently received a notification from headquarters that I will be transferred to headquarters after the Madison case concludes. So, this is also a way of saying goodbye to you all in advance..."

After David confirmed it himself, the atmosphere at the scene immediately plummeted, and everyone's face was filled with reluctance and somber expressions.

During this period, under David's leadership, the Los Angeles IRS has been making headlines, and each of its members has received the most bonuses and the most achievements in history.

Of course, they knew even better that everything they had achieved was thanks to David, and that once David was transferred, they would inevitably return to their previous state.

Once people have tasted the sweetness, it's hard for them to give up that feeling.

And that's how they are now.

The thought of David being transferred, and the Los Angeles IRS and each of them having to return to their previous routine, filled them with an indescribable sadness.

David naturally noticed the awkward atmosphere, but there was nothing he could do. After all, he couldn't just give up such a promising future, could he?

He could only pick up his glass, pour himself a glass of champagne, and raise it high, saying, "Come on, everyone, today is a day to celebrate! Let's drink to this victory!"

Although everyone was heartbroken, given the atmosphere, they could only suppress their grief, pour themselves a glass of wine, wish David a promotion and entry into headquarters, and then drink it all in one gulp.

Back in his office, David said to Nixon, Bucky, and Simmons, "Get ready for the handover. I'll request to bring you all in with me."

He currently holds absolute power in the Los Angeles IRS, but while he's been promoted to headquarters, there are too many high-ranking officials there, and as a newcomer, he certainly won't have much say.

He didn't have much of a foothold at headquarters, so it was necessary to bring Nissen and his confidants along.

"Understood!"

Although they had already expected this outcome, the three of them were still incredibly excited to hear David say these words himself.

That's the headquarters of the IRS, a place that so many people dream of working for, and they'll soon be able to secure a place there!

This really proves the saying, "It's good to take shelter under a big tree!"

At this moment, all three of them were extremely grateful that they had managed to latch onto David's coattails so early on; otherwise, even if they worked their butts off until the very end, they might never have had the chance to enter headquarters.

……

Silicon Valley, Google Inc.

In a conference room, the company's CEO Ryan Frazier, CFO Harwood Peters, and all the board members were present, their faces grim.

After a long pause, CEO Ryan said in a deep voice, "Let's all share our opinions."

"The first thing we need to figure out is whether the IRS is targeting Amazon specifically, or whether it's targeting all the major internet companies like ours!"

"The Amazon incident should serve as a wake-up call for us. If we can't ensure there won't be any problems with our taxes, we must communicate in advance to avoid ending up like them!"

"This incident is indeed a wake-up call for us. If we were also found to have tax problems, the losses would certainly be enormous."

"..."

The fact that Dumbasson ended up in such a state naturally caused panic among the senior management of GuGe, which is why they immediately convened a high-level meeting after the trial.

One problem they now face is...

They didn't know whether David was targeting Amazon or, like with cryptocurrencies, intended to conduct a thorough investigation of the entire sector.

If it's the former, then of course it's good, but if it's the latter...

They would likely become the next or the next batch of targets, which would be like being aimed at by a hunter's arrow, a situation that is extremely dangerous.

"Unlike Amazon, we at GOOGE haven't engaged in any hidden charges for our customers, nor have we illegally used VAT reductions or received government tax subsidies. They shouldn't be targeting us, right?"

The head of the tax department spoke up.

"Heh, Amazon hasn't had a tax scandal exposed in all these years, but David found their weaknesses as soon as he started investigating. Can you guarantee that your department doesn't have any incriminating evidence he can find?"

"That's right, David's methods are too shrewd. Not to mention the current Amazon, how many companies have fallen into his hands before? If he really intends to conduct a tax audit of the entire region, I'm afraid our Guge will have a hard time escaping unscathed."

"..."

The tax official's words immediately drew rebuttals from many people present, and after hesitating for a moment, he ultimately kept quiet.

No company that makes it into the Fortune Global 500 dares to say that it has absolutely no tax issues.

In the past, they wouldn't have been too afraid of being investigated, but the problem was that David had suddenly appeared in the IRS. His investigative abilities were outrageous, and countless people and companies had fallen victim to him. So who could guarantee that they would escape unscathed if he investigated them?

While Gu Ge was discussing the matter, major companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, Nvidia, and Apple were also holding emergency meetings.

Their meetings all revolved around the same question: what if the IRS and David decided to conduct a tax investigation on them, just like they did with James Adams?

However, these large companies are alright, after all, they have the background and connections they have. Even if they are investigated, it will take a long time to investigate and they will have time to deal with it.

Smaller companies, on the other hand, couldn't hold back any longer.

Fearing investigation and repercussions, after some discussion, they sent representatives directly to the Los Angeles IRS, intending to pay a small fee to avoid trouble.

Of course, this was an unexpected surprise for David and the Los Angeles IRS.

Because he currently has no intention of targeting these companies at all; his only thought is to take up his post at the General Administration. As for the direction of the subsequent investigation, that will have to wait until he has taken up his post and consolidated his position!

Two days passed as everyone pondered their thoughts.

"Viewers, this is CBS. Amazon's market value has evaporated by hundreds of billions in the past two days, a devastating loss. Based on our observations, the Los Angeles IRS doesn't seem to be targeting any other internet companies after Amazon. And according to our sources, Chief Inspector David is reportedly about to be transferred to IRS headquarters. His specific position is currently unclear, and the veracity of this news is also unconfirmed. Please stay tuned for further reports..."

In the past two days, Amazon's market value has evaporated dramatically, leaving major companies feeling quite alarmed.

However, there were no indications from the Los Angeles IRS that they would investigate other companies, which gave companies like Google, Microsoft, Oracle, and Apple a slight sense of relief.

However, when the media reported that David might be transferred to the General Administration, many people became nervous again.

The reason is simple: David, as the chief of the Los Angeles area, is already investigating both the cryptocurrency sector and the Amazon Group.

If he were transferred to the National Tax Service and became a high-ranking official with immense power, wouldn't he become even more unscrupulous?

As a result, some companies and forces, fearing that David's immense power would lead to an investigation, began to secretly manipulate the media to attack the matter.

The Wall Street Journal went so far as to publish an article titled "Backroom Dealings" to launch a fierce critique.

The content of the accusation was that although David had made numerous contributions to the IRS, his promotion from an auditor to the IRS headquarters decision-making circle in less than 10 months was procedurally unreasonable and there must have been behind-the-scenes manipulation.

"Who does the Wall Street Journal think it is? What gives it the right to criticize the IRS's practices?"

"Yeah, the IRS promotes staff internally, it's not like they elect a director, so why would they need the approval of both the House and the Senate?"

"The Wall Street Journal is disgusting; it always publishes this kind of bad news to smear people."

"Heh, everyone knows the Wall Street Journal is a mouthpiece and lackey of the Jews. They're probably terrified that once Chief Secretary David gets into the IRS decision-making circle, he'll continue to attack them!"

After seeing the headline and content published in the Wall Street Journal, David's supporters on various social media platforms were outraged and launched a barrage of attacks.

However, for some unknown reason, the initial fervor of their criticism quickly subsided, while discussions criticizing David's rapid promotion and alleged manipulation grew stronger.

Los Angeles IRS.

Nissen walked into the director's office with a copy of the Wall Street Journal and said to David, who was organizing documents, "Director, look at this Wall Street Journal. It's disgusting. It's saying that our promotions were rigged and it's attacking us in all sorts of ways. And now, those Jews are clearly controlling online opinion and suppressing the voices supporting us."

David glanced at the contents briefly, and his expression darkened slightly.

When he last announced his investigation into Amazon, the Wall Street Journal was the first to jump out and accuse him of undermining the American economy.

But just as he was about to be promoted, they jumped out to attack him for being promoted too quickly and for inducing the public to suspect that his promotion was rigged. This is truly despicable.

No, the power of public opinion is terrifying. Even President Nicholas Nehçon couldn't withstand it, let alone him.

It seems that to deal with the Freemasons, we must first cut off their mouthpieces and the various channels through which they guide public opinion.

(End of this chapter)