American tax officials

Chapter 340 'Storm' Retaliation Begins

In the remaining days, the hearing remained a hot topic, and the defeated members of Congress were repeatedly ridiculed by netizens, becoming a laughing stock in American politics.

The Freemasons were furious that their carefully planned counterattack had ended up being a laughing stock.

Henrietta summoned all the members and gave those involved a thorough dressing-down, while also making them reflect on how the group should respond next.

The date has arrived: November 23th.

At 10 a.m. that day, Keppert knocked on the door and came in, saying, "Sir, White House Chief of Staff Wilder is here and wants to see you."

"Wild?"

David put down the file, a strange glint in his eyes, and then replied, "Alright, bring him in."

Soon after, Wilder was brought in, and upon seeing David, he exclaimed in admiration, "Inspector David, you've certainly been making quite a splash these past few days!"

"It's nothing, you'll get used to it."

David knew he was referring to the hearing and replied calmly.

"You have single-handedly created the most embarrassing hearing in the history of the United States Congress. For decades or even centuries to come, no one will forget your name when hearings are mentioned."

"Who knows what the future holds? Well then, Chief of Staff Wilder, you're the White House Chief of Staff, overseeing national affairs. You're not here today just to chat with me, are you?"

Wilder sat down, crossed his legs, and said with a slightly amused expression, "Inspector General David, do you remember what I told you at the last dinner party?"

"You mean...the welfare bill?"

Wilder pulled a document from his inside pocket, pushed it in front of David, and said, "Yes, we have a rough draft of this bill. What do you think?"

David picked it up, opened it, and examined it carefully.

Seven or eight minutes later, he roughly looked through the contents.

This bill, known as the "Childcare Act," is, as the name suggests, a law in which the government will provide financial assistance to American citizens during pregnancy, childbirth, and the subsequent growth of their children.

It's important to understand that the birth rate in the United States is not as low as in Russia or South Korea, so naturally, unlike those two countries, the government doesn't offer significant incentives or subsidies for having children.

Therefore, it is conceivable that the White House would welcome and support this bill if it were to be introduced.

However, the United States has the third largest population in the world. To pass this bill, it's not something that can be done with just a few hundred or even hundreds of billions of dollars. If the citizens are subsequently provoked by this bill, the required funds could be a bottomless pit...

"What's wrong, Chief Inspector David? Is there a problem?"

"Excuse my bluntness, Chief of Staff Wilder, but the financial expenditure for this bill is no small amount, and I'm afraid I'll have a hard time completing it."

"If you can't finish it, then nobody in all of America will be able to!"

"Chief of Staff Wilder, is this supposed to be an order?"

Wilder paused, realizing he might have offended David, and hurriedly explained, "Of course not, it's just a small vision from our White House. If Inspector General David can help make it happen, the President will be very grateful."

"I did my best to help the White House complete the W aid bill, but afterwards, I didn't seem to receive any positive feedback from the White House."

To be honest, David hasn't had much goodwill towards the White House since the hearing incident.

Logically speaking, he put in the most effort on the W aid bill, and the White House also used the funds he obtained to achieve its own policy and strategic goals.

However, after the hearing, the White House, facing repeated questioning from reporters, did not speak up for the IRS, but instead kept dodging the issue.

Of course, he also knew that the White House certainly didn't want to get involved in this kind of incident.

But then again, the White House doesn't want to take sides but now wants him to help raise money. Their calculations are a bit too clever. Do they really think he's a fool who can be used?

Wilder was also somewhat embarrassed.

He certainly understood the implication in David's words; it was nothing more than a veiled criticism of the White House for not expressing support after the hearing incident.

But he couldn't do anything about it, because the relationship between the Onsa Group and David had broken down, and the Freemasons were clearly going all out against David, so the White House naturally couldn't openly support David.

However, if the White House wants to win back public support in the election year two years later, it must do so.

To gain public support, the only option is to introduce a pro-people bill. Since a bill is needed, money is required, but the current economic situation in the United States is very bad, so only David can raise this amount of funds.

This is why, as the White House Chief of Staff, a figure second only to the President, he had to explain things politely when he saw David's dissatisfaction.

If it were anyone else who dared to act so arrogantly in front of him, he would have already stormed off and gone back to the White House to figure out how to make things difficult for them!

"Cough cough..."

Gathering his thoughts, Wilder coughed to ease the awkward atmosphere and continued, "Actually, the White House has its own difficulties, but since you've put it that way, and our President sent me here with sincerity, then I'll be frank: Inspector General David, would you like to be the Commissioner of the IRS?"

"As the saying goes, a soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier. Do you think anyone in the IRS system wouldn't want to be the IRS chief?"

Wilder smiled and said, "If you can get this funding for us, the president guarantees to nominate you as the IRS commissioner during his term. How about it, Inspector General David?"

David showed no delight, but replied calmly, "Excuse my bluntness, Chief of Staff Wilder, even if the President doesn't nominate me, this position will probably be mine in the future, so the conditions you've promised don't seem to have much value to me."

Wilder's expression changed for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "That's true, but given the current situation, it's unknown how many years it will take you to reach this position. However, if you're willing to do this for us, you can take office in six years at most. Then you'll be the youngest director in the history of the IRS, and one of the few people in American history to hold such a high position at such a young age!"

"Our current director has treated me very well; he promoted me himself, so I'm certainly not an ungrateful person. As for the promotion you promised... I think it's unnecessary. I'd rather things happen naturally. However... helping you raise funds isn't out of the question!"

Wilder's expression changed upon hearing the first part of the sentence, but the following words relieved him. He asked, "Alright, what do you want?"

"Next, I will be launching a nationwide tax audit codenamed 'Storm,' and I hope the White House will come out and express its support. That's all!"

He has now essentially broken ties with the Freemasons and his relationship with the Unsa Group has also broken down. Under these circumstances, if the White House could express its support for him, it would naturally relieve a great deal of pressure on him.

After all, no matter how powerful the Freemasons or the Unsah Group are, they operate in the shadows, while the White House is the central authority of the country on the surface.

With such a central authority backing him, he would have a righteous cause at his disposal. Coupled with the power of the IRS, he would naturally be able to launch a wanton retaliation against the Freemasons for repealing the black tax bill.

"this……"

A hint of hesitation appeared on Wilder's face.

Since the Freemasons jumped out to advocate for the repeal of the Black Tax Act and even held a hearing, they have already touched the IRS's sore spot. Although this matter has passed, it is safe to say that the IRS will not let it go so easily.

This tax investigation, dubbed "Storm," is undoubtedly a form of retaliation against the Freemasons.

If the White House were to publicly express its support, it would be tantamount to directly opposing the Freemasons, which would contradict their initial intention to avoid involvement in conflict.

After thinking for a while, Wilder still couldn't agree immediately, and instead asked, "Inspector General David, what if we don't want to agree to this condition?"

In his view, since David had already prepared for the investigation, he was already planning to retaliate against the Freemasons, and the funds would be recovered as well, so why should they rush to agree to the conditions?

Does this mean that if the White House doesn't agree to these conditions, the IRS won't retaliate against the Freemasons?

That's obviously impossible!

However, he had oversimplified things. David's next words made his face flush red.

"If you don't agree to this condition, then I'll talk to Mikatadze and Hanoru to see what bills or policies they want to push forward, and I'll help them get them done!"

"David, you can't do this!"

Wilder felt as if he had been pricked by a needle, and he stood up abruptly, glaring angrily at David.

Mikatadze and Hanoru are highly respected politicians in American politics, and both have publicly stated their intention to run in the 24 presidential election.

In other words, these two will be rivals for the White House.

If David can raise funds for the bills that these two men support, their prestige will surely soar, and when the election year comes, it will be hard to say who will win.

"Chief of Staff Wilder, adults are all about self-interest. If you want to achieve your goals, you have to offer some benefits; otherwise, no one will willingly risk their life for you!"

If the White House doesn't show him what's what, they'll probably only ever see him as a tool to be used.

Now, he's no longer just a small-time bureau chief; he's risen to the decision-making circle of the behemoth, the National Tax Service. His position is secure, and with a comprehensive list of dirt on Lolita Island in his hands, he naturally doesn't need to fear his opponent too much.

Wilder's face was so dark it seemed to drip ink, and he was racking his brains for countless plans to target David. But when he thought of David's current prestige and position in the IRS, he finally gave up and said instead, "Alright, I'll pass that message back to the President. As for what decision the President will make, I'll let you know then."

After the other party left, David immediately picked up the phone on the table and announced: "Gather all department managers and come to the conference room in ten minutes. Also, inform the media that the IRS will be holding a press conference in one hour, and I will be attending in person."

The meeting room was not far from the management's offices, and upon receiving the notification, all the managers naturally dared not delay and came to the room.

After David arrived and sat down, he didn't waste any time and went straight to the point: "I had a meeting with the top officials at headquarters a few days ago, so our department will be conducting a tax audit of all Jewish businesses nationwide. The operation is codenamed 'Storm'!"

Hearing this, the people present were not very surprised.

Since the Freemasons dared to propose the repeal of the black tax bill, although they ultimately failed, the two sides have completely broken off relations. If the IRS doesn't retaliate as a warning to others, then it shouldn't be called America's premier law enforcement agency.

"Bakkinson Simmons... Inform all your regional offices, especially those in Wall Street and Silicon Valley, to find all the previously sealed cases involving Jewish companies, send them to us for review, and then, based on the relevant issues, have each office send people to investigate again and submit a new investigation report to us. Anyone who is negligent or lazy in their duties will be dismissed or disciplined as appropriate..."

"yes!"

"clear!"

"..."

David began assigning tasks to the tax supervisors of the seven regions, and upon hearing these menacing words, the supervisors of the seven regions dared not be negligent and all solemnly agreed.

"Go and get ready!"

While David was making arrangements, the media outside also received news that the IRS was going to hold a press conference and that David would be attending, causing an uproar across the internet.

"After the hearing, Inspector General David remained silent, so this sudden press conference must mean he has some earth-shattering news to announce!"

"I heard... the last hearing wasn't just about Congress, but also about a power struggle between the IRS and certain forces. I wonder if that's true. If it is, I'm afraid the IRS might retaliate this time..."

"In any case, this will be one of Inspector General David's first actions since taking office. Let's see what it's all about!"

(End of this chapter)