American Tax Officer

Chapter 795: Chapter 398: The Angsa People’s Plea for Peace_2
 

But what he hadn’t expected was that Freemasonry’s solution would be so brutal, effectively blowing his mind.

After seeing what became of President Kennedy, the director at that time naturally dared not harbor such thoughts.

Thus, for so many years afterwards, though the Federal Reserve’s tax evasion disgusted numerous people at the Internal Revenue Service, the Service could only hold its nose and accept it.

Until the emergence of the strong and capable Inspector David, which gave the Service new hope to finally complete that plan from years past!

“Mr. Reze, as far as I know, you’re currently allies with Freemasonry. Aren’t you afraid that openly discussing their sensitive issue, the Federal Reserve, with me will affect your relationship?”

David looked at him with a profound gaze.

“Heh.”

Reze smiled disdainfully and said, “Actually, there’s really nothing to our relationship.”

Even though Ansa Group and Freemasonry were currently allies, that was only because they had been forced together by that piece of legislation.

And once the legislation was resolved, it was likely that both sides would revert to their previous confrontational state without even bothering to disguise it!

David was of course well aware that these two major groups were only forced together to oppose him, so he didn’t delve further into this matter and changed the subject, “Alright, since you’ve brought up the Federal Reserve, what else would you like to say?”

“If I’m not mistaken, you will definitely make a move against the Federal Reserve next, right?”

“Mr. Reze, the tax issues of the Federal Reserve are the concern of our Internal Revenue Service; it doesn’t seem to be your business.”

“Yes, tax matters indeed aren’t our concern, but the Federal Reserve, as the financial emperor of America, won’t be easy for you to deal with. What I want to say is, if you’re willing, we are ready to lend you a helping hand!”

“What’s the condition?”

“Hehe…”

Reze revealed a sly grin and replied, “The offshore tax evasion legislation is too damaging to our group, and we hope you can be gracious and abandon it.”

Hearing this, David was not surprised and responded with a disdainful expression, “Mr. Reze, your group certainly knows how to calculate.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Federal Reserve is the lifeline of Freemasonry. If we really succeed, it would be equivalent to helping you weaken Freemasonry. Plus, you want me to give up this legislation, so all the benefits would go to you.”

“This…”

Reze was choked up, but on second thought, what David said made perfect sense.

First, the cancellation of the offshore tax evasion legislation would naturally spare Ansa Group from a significant loss.

Moreover, if the Federal Reserve were to be struck another blow, the main beneficiary wouldn’t just be the Internal Revenue Service. As a direct competitor, Ansa Group would also gain a lot.

“Ahem…”

Reze showed a sheepish grin and said, “You can’t really say that. The offshore tax evasion legislation may seem to bring much revenue to your Service, but compared to what’s coming from the Federal Reserve, that’s just a drop in the bucket. With our help, your actions against the Federal Reserve will go much smoother; it’s not a bad deal.”

“I will handle the Federal Reserve matter. It’s not up to you to call the shots. As for the offshore tax evasion legislation, no need to discuss it further, this law is definitely going to be enacted!”

After investing so much effort in this legislation, and now being on the verge of success, how could David possibly give up?

“Alright, Chief Inspector David, since you are unwilling to abandon this legislation, we can ask for the next best thing. I hope the law can be modified to grant exemption rights to the companies under our group, that should be acceptable, right?”

“Sorry, but the legislation has already undergone all revisions, proposals, and the coverage of clauses; it’s definitely impossible to make any changes at this point!”

“How could it not be possible to make changes? The bill has not yet been passed, and with your influence, making some changes should be a breeze. Who would dare to refuse?”

Reze’s tone grew urgent. As a joke, most members of the Senate and House of Representatives, even the President, had to be mindful of David’s mood.

Just a piece of legislation. To say nothing of amending some clauses, what if you directly ask to send it back to the House of Representatives for improvement? How many people would dare to object?

“The stipulations of the bill have been set in stone. To make changes now would be a direct denial of the bill. Besides, it wouldn’t be in keeping with the process, so all I can say is sorry.”

With David’s current control over both chambers, of course he had the capacity to make some adjustments to the bill.

But if he altered the clauses to grant the Ansa Group’s subsidiaries exemptions, how would others view it?

Others might think the Internal Revenue Service is playing favorites or has accepted some benefit from the Ansa Group to grant their subsidiaries exemptions.

Moreover, he hadn’t forgotten the previous assassination attempt, with the Ansa Group as one of the participants. How could he not avenge such a life-or-death enmity?

As for the Federal Reserve matter, although having the Ansa Group’s help would make things easier, considering David’s current reputation in America and control over Congress, it wasn’t strictly necessary to involve the Ansa Group.

“David, that’s our bottom line already. Won’t you even agree to that?”

Reze was genuinely anxious, dispensing with the formalities of calling him Chief Inspector and directly addressing him by his first name.

“I think there’s no need to continue this discussion.”

“Fine, fine, fine! David, I hope you won’t regret this!”

After repeating the word ‘fine’ three times, Reze stood up in anger and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

…

Over the next two days, the issue of the offshore tax evasion bill remained the focus of the entire United States.

Given that the White House had sent the bill back to the Senate and that a scandal had erupted, many citizens naturally took out their frustrations on Payden, continuously berating him on various social media platforms.

Finally, on the third day, the White House seemed unable to bear the pressure and announced that a press conference would be convened to make a new statement about the bill.

At ten o’clock in the morning, David Obadiah Ville Tonghen and a group of senior officials from the Internal Revenue Service collectively entered the conference room, their eyes fixed on the large screen.

At that moment, the screen was displaying the White House press conference hall, which was already filled with a throng of media outlets.

After a few minutes, the White House Press Secretary walked out from the corridor and into the spotlight, saying, “Good morning everyone. Regarding the offshore tax evasion bill, which has become the focus of the nation these past few days, today I will represent the White House and make the latest stance on this bill!”

“Firstly, the reason why the President sent this bill back to the Senate is that the bill is of great significance, and the President also has concerns about some of its stipulations. Hence, it was sent back to the Senate to request a report for clarification, and not, as some have speculated, to directly refuse to sign!”

As the speech ended, a buzz of surprise echoed through the venue.

“So the President didn’t actually refuse to sign, but just wanted to learn more about the bill?”

“If that’s the case, then that’s great. As long as the President is willing to sign after understanding it, we still support him!”

“What are we waiting for then? Hurry up and get the bill signed!”

…

Since the President sent the bill back to the Senate, everyone subconsciously thought it was an indication of refusal to sign.

And indeed, they had overlooked a point, neither the White House nor Payden personally had made a statement of outright refusal to sign.

Now that the White House’s spokesperson had clarified, it seemed there was still a chance, naturally causing a collective sigh of relief.