American tax officials

Chapter 321 The Three Media Tycoons

Los Angeles IRS, Commissioner's Office.

"Murdoch, News Corporation..."

After reading the information about the Wall Street Journal, David fell into deep thought.

The Wall Street Journal is owned by News Corporation, a global media giant owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

He had heard of Murdoch, but not because of his status as a media mogul, but because of his much-talked-about gossip.

This man married several times in his life, among which his marriage to the Chinese socialite surnamed Deng was particularly noteworthy, but it ultimately ended in divorce.

Now, at the age of 90, he remains as vigorous as ever, maintaining his manly nature and engaging in various ambiguous relationships with female celebrities and models in the entertainment industry, truly deserving to be called a role model among men.

In addition to these, he also had another identity: a Jewish man and a Freemason.

It seems that he was definitely behind both of the Wall Street Journal's attacks on him.

"Giggle giggle..."

While David was still lost in thought, there was a knock on the door, and he could only pull himself together and say, "Come in."

Nissen walked in, his expression serious, and said, "Chief, just now, the Daily Mirror, FX Network, EXC TV... suddenly voiced their support for the Wall Street Journal, launching a fierce attack on us based on its content. They've also exploited the tendency of peers to compare themselves to others, using this to incite resentment among young people regarding our promotion. The online criticism against us is escalating rapidly, and we must take action."

David frowned upon hearing this.

Inducing young people to feel resentful about his promotion is indeed a vicious tactic.

Imagine this: we're all in our twenties, and you, David, have already risen to a high-ranking position in the IRS, wielding such power and influence, while we're the same age but just nobody. Anyone would feel resentful about that.

If these people feel unbalanced, they will naturally be swayed by public opinion and will not want to see David enter the IRS headquarters.

It's so troublesome!

"The Daily Mirror, CX Network... these are all media outlets owned by News Corporation."

"That's right. News Corporation has launched a 'siege' against us across so many media channels. This order couldn't have been given by just anyone. It must have been instructed by their boss, Murdoch. And I've already reviewed this person's information. He's a Jewish Freemason, and he definitely has a reason to do this!"

Upon hearing this, David's expression shifted dramatically.

It seems that dealing with just the Wall Street Journal is no longer enough, because News Corp. owns more than 170 media outlets. Therefore, News Corp. must be dealt with in order to control the media's influence on public opinion.

"Chief, I have a few thoughts on this matter..."

David looked at Nissen and asked, "Tell me about it."

"Regarding the issue of public opinion, I think we must deal with it. However, simply targeting News Corporation or Murdoch is meaningless. Even if we implicate Murdoch, I believe the Yutai Group will simply appoint someone else to replace him and continue their propaganda war against us. Therefore, I think if we want to deal with him, we need to prepare another solution beforehand, such as supporting our own spokesperson. This is the only way to solve the problem once and for all!"

After listening to Nissen's words, David thought about it and realized it was true.

There is no doubt that using public opinion as a weapon to attack him is currently effective, so the Freemasons will certainly not give up so easily.

To eliminate future troubles, the best way is to support your own spokesperson in the media. This not only protects you from public criticism but also provides an opportunity to promote and package yourself.

As is well known, in the United States, especially in politics, self-promotion and self-image are essential.

But look at those who want to run for president; their primary task before the election is to find reliable media channels to package and promote themselves extensively, which is how they accumulate the capital for the election.

"you're right……"

David thought for a moment, then said, "Okay, inform Sally Redstone, John, Malone, and Ted Turner to come see me tomorrow. Arrange a time so I can meet with them all at once!"

……

In a 300-square-meter villa on the west side of Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, a round-faced old man dressed in casual clothes is reading a newspaper.

At that moment, a man in a black suit approached, bowed, and said, "Sir, the IRS staff just came by. They want you to come to the IRS office in Los Angeles at 2 PM tomorrow. Their chief, David, wants to see you!"

"What?!"

The round-faced old man's expression changed. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the muscles below his lips were twitching uncontrollably.

His name is John Malone, the godfather of American cable television and media, an absolute business genius.

He once instilled fear in media moguls like Murdoch and Redstone, and he also made U.S. Vice President Gore admit defeat.

He is hailed as the "Genghis Khan" of the American media industry. He shaped an industry and influenced an era. He is one of the greatest business giants of the information age who has not been celebrated, and is also known as a hidden tycoon in the media world.

Despite his many impressive titles, he couldn't help but feel flustered when he heard that David had come to his door and specifically asked to see him.

The reason is simple: he has witnessed Hollywood's tax audits firsthand.

He has witnessed all of these subsequent events, including those involving the Sackler family, Swiss banks, cryptocurrency companies, and, more recently, the Amazon Group.

Despite his numerous titles and reputation as the godfather of the media industry, it's no exaggeration to say that the media industry is nothing compared to true capital giants like UBS, cryptocurrency companies, and Amazon.

David has managed to subdue these real financial giants, so if they wanted to mess with him, he'd probably just have to go back and wash his neck and wait to die.

"Wait... why is he targeting me? I didn't do anything!"

John Malone, who had been in a panic for quite some time, finally came to his senses.

I didn't do anything to you, David. Besides, my net worth is nothing compared to those giants like cryptocurrency and Amazon. Why are you eyeing my paltry fortune?

"I'm also puzzled, sir. But I've been thinking about it. You're a godfather of the media industry, and now the Wall Street Journal, the Daily Mirror, and many other media outlets are launching an attack on David, accusing him of rapid promotion and behind-the-scenes manipulation. Could this be related?"

"The Wall Street Journal and the Daily Mirror, those aren't my media companies, he should go to Murdoch, why is he coming to me?!"

John sounded somewhat exasperated.

This was clearly the work of that old bastard Murdoch. Are they going to use him as an example to scare others?

If I take the blame for this, then I'll truly be unlucky, like bad luck has come crashing down on me.

"this……"

The man in the suit was momentarily speechless.

Being approached by David at this critical juncture is definitely not a good thing; there's a high possibility that he's being used as a scapegoat to scare others.

Although the propaganda war was orchestrated by Murdoch's media group, the group was too powerful and had the Freemasons backing it up. It's understandable that David, at this critical juncture of change, wouldn't dare to directly target them.

It seems reasonable to single out John, the chicken, and kill him to intimidate Murdoch and keep him quiet.

"Mr. John, how about I arrange a plane for you to go abroad and lay low for a while?"

"Fool, have you forgotten about the Camorra family?!"

Hearing John's cursing, the man in the suit suddenly remembered.

When the Camorra family in Los Angeles was investigated by David, they tried to escape, but David was ruthless enough to send fighter jets to intercept them.

This incident shocked the entire nation at the time.

If they dared to do that now, they might be the ones making headlines tomorrow, which wouldn't be fun.

"Please cancel my schedule for tomorrow!"

Since David has come knocking on his door and specifically asked to see him, there's no way to avoid him now. He has no choice but to cooperate and go see if there's an opportunity to negotiate.

……

CNN headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

CNN stands for Cable News Network.

Founded by Ted Turner in 1980, it has grown into a significant media company in the United States and ranks 476th in the world's 500 most valuable brands.

Meanwhile, in an office on the top floor, the company's founder, Ted Turner, looked deeply troubled.

Just now, he also received a message from the Los Angeles IRS asking him to come over tomorrow morning.

The thought of Director David's various methods, and now that he specifically asked to see him by name, would send chills down anyone's spine.

But since they've come knocking on his door, refusing to see them would be disrespectful and likely result in even worse treatment. So he had no choice but to instruct his secretary, "Cancel my schedule tomorrow morning and book a flight to Los Angeles."

……

New York, Queens, CBS Headquarters.

CBS, short for Columbia Broadcasting System, is one of the three major national commercial broadcasting networks in the United States.

Founded in 1927, it officially began television broadcasting in 1941, and started broadcasting color television in 1954.

In 1987, the company directly operated five television stations, six medium-wave radio stations, and seven FM radio stations in cities such as New York.

More than 200 television stations have joined the broadcasting network through contracts, forming a nationwide broadcasting network.

In December 2018, the World Brand Lab released the "2018 World's 500 Most Valuable Brands" list, with CBS ranking 371st, making it an undisputed giant in the American media industry.

Meanwhile, in the CEO's office, a woman in her early thirties with long, wavy hair was frowning.

She is Sally Redstone, the current CEO of CBS.

Five minutes later, she said to the woman standing opposite her, "Book a plane ticket to Los Angeles."

The following day, the Los Angeles IRS welcomed its first media mogul, John Malone, who was conveniently located in Los Angeles.

Since it wasn't time yet, he was asked by IRS staff to wait in the rest area.

But soon, when he saw a group of people walking over from not far away, his gaze sharpened instantly, because the people coming were none other than Sally Redstone and her group.

When Sally saw John sitting there, her expression froze for a moment.

The media industry is only so big, and since the two are both big names in the industry, they naturally know each other.

"Ms. Sally, what brings you here?"

Today, David not only called him over, but also invited the CEO of CBC. So things must be quite complicated. John immediately came forward to exchange opinions.

"Yes, Mr. John, you were also invited here by Chief David, weren't you?"

John gave a wry smile and nodded.

"Mr. John, Ms. Sally, what are you doing here!"

As the two were talking, a surprised voice suddenly came from behind them. When they turned around, Sally and John were stunned for a moment.

The person who arrived was none other than Ted Turner, the head of CNN!

In other words, David didn't just meet with one of them today; he invited all three giants of the American media industry!

and many more……

Now that we've invited the three of them, there won't be anyone else coming next, right?

Or perhaps... Murdoch was also invited?

While the three of them were still lost in thought, Keppel walked over and said to them, "Mr. Ted, Mr. John, Ms. Sally, our director may see you now."

Upon hearing this, the three of them snapped back to their senses and involuntarily exchanged glances.

Since David is allowed to see them, it means that there are only the three of them today, and no one else.

But this is not the most important.

Most importantly, the media industry in the United States is now largely controlled by Murdoch's News Corporation.

The other companies either have to rely on them, be controlled by them, or become subsidiaries. Basically, only these three parties are still struggling to survive.

The reason they were able to hold on and avoid being swallowed up or controlled by News Corporation was not because of their strength, but because antitrust laws protected them.

If it weren't for this protection law, News Corporation and the Freemasons, with their combined power, would have been swallowed up long ago.

And now, with Murdoch's News Corporation launching a media attack on David, the fact that they specifically targeted the three of them at this critical juncture... could it be...?

The three seemed to have guessed something, but in order to verify whether it was true or not, they could only quickly follow Kepper's footsteps and arrive at the door of the director's office.

"Come in."

Hearing the sounds coming from inside, Keppel pushed the door open and went in. After John and the other two went in, she went out and closed the door behind her.

"Mr. John, Mr. Ted, Ms. Sally, thank you for coming to see me today."

"Director David, what are you saying? Cooperating with tax investigations is simply the duty of every American citizen..."

"John is right. Since you've invited us, Director David, we have to come, no matter how busy we are."

"That's right, that's right."

Since receiving David's notification, the three of them hadn't slept well all night, but since they were already here, they still had to put on a show.

(End of this chapter)