American Tax Officer

It's worth mentioning that these five military-industrial enterprises also have a more widely known label.

'The military-industrial complex'!

This group is comprised of the military, military-industrial enterprises, and some Congressmen, forming a colossal interest group whose strength and standing are extraordinary, to say the least. Even when compared with the powers of Wall Street, they are by no means inferior.

Now, David had blatantly singled out Saint Perod Shipyard in front of the entire world,, which, broadly speaking, might just lead to trouble involving behemoths like General Dynamics Corporation, and the ensuing problems would not be minor!

But upon reflection, they couldn't blame David for this.

After all, David had withstood the pressure from Senator Phipps's public attack on the black tax bill in front of the whole world, and now he had turned the tables, leaving Phipps unable to step down gracefully, which was already the best possible outcome.

Otherwise, if Senator Phipps continued to attack the black tax bill undeterred, he might indeed persuade the majority of Congress to start calling for reforms or even a reduction of the bill's authority.

At the very least, David had now maintained the dignity of the black tax bill in front of most of the nation's citizens. As long as these citizens held no doubts about the bill, even if Congress wanted to take action against it, they would need to plan carefully and proceed slowly.

...

"What's the matter, Senator Phipps, the temperature in here is 19 degrees, you're not that overheated, are you?"

In the KTLA-TV Station studio, David couldn't help but make a sarcastic comment towards Phipps, who was silent and sweating profusely from his forehead.

That guy had just annoyingly suggested that everyone in the country should pay their taxes to the America Tax Bureau at the rate they tip, so now David considered it even.

Only then did Phipps snap back to reality, realizing that he might have embarrassed himself before the entire nation. He was feeling incredibly frustrated inside. He tactically took a sip of water to mask his emotions, then explained, "I've been under a lot of stress at work recently, and my nervous system is a bit disordered, so I'm prone to sweating. Now, where were we?"

David didn't expose him but responded, "We were just talking about Mr. Pence Godfrey, Mr. Stuart Avery, and Mr. Defoe Ernest. Would you like to invite them here to the studio for a chat?"

"No need, today's debate is between you and me, there's no reason to involve unrelated parties, and besides, it's getting late. I think it's about time to wrap up."

Phipps didn't know whether, aside from Ingalls Shipyard, David had dug up any other dirt on him. If they delved deeper, it might make Phipps lose face even more. Now it would be best to end this topic.

David glanced at his watch and said teasingly, "It's only 8:02 now, we have plenty of time left. The Saint Perod Shipyard isn't too far from Los Angeles..."

"The matter with the shipyard has been settled for half a year now, and it's been audited by a congressional committee, there's nothing of the sort you're suggesting. Let's put an end to that topic. I think we should focus on the black tax bill; this is a matter that affects thousands, if not millions of people..."

"The black tax bill affects thousands, if not millions, but shouldn't we also care about those 3000 plus workers at Engalls Shipyard..."

"I'm not saying we shouldn't care about the shipyard workers, but this matter has been reviewed by a congressional committee..."

"The committee review is one thing, but as a Congressman elected by the people of that district, not fighting for their welfare and standing up for them before the committee, that's dereliction of duty..."

"Enough!"

Their dialogue, reminiscent of the scenes from the movie Cold War where Li Wenbin and Liu Jiehui each berated the other, left everyone in the TV studio, as well as the viewers at home, dumbfounded.

Finally, Phipps seemed to be hit where it hurt and barked furiously with a fierce expression, which brought a sudden silence to the scene.

At that moment, David's lips curled into a smug smile. He knew all too well that Phipps had invited him to the TV station for a debate today solely to leverage an attack on the black tax bill to boost his own votes and approval ratings.

But after David had brought up the Ingalls Shipyard issue and considering Phipps's current state of embarrassment, not to mention voting, his approval ratings were bound to plunge.

"Since we all stick to our own arguments, there's no way to continue this discussion today. However, I want to declare to my supporters, I still uphold my previous stance. That is, the Black Tax Bill has significant flaws, and I will definitely push for its reform or even its abolition!"

Senator Phipps knew that as long as David kept harping on the Engels Shipyard issue, there was no way he could continue his assault on the Black Tax Bill here.

And ever since the shipyard's affairs came to light, he was also aware that he had lost his footing. To continue would be meaningless.

However, before leaving, his final words served as a way to salvage the situation, essentially telling all the criminals nationwide, "Just support me, and I will keep fighting the Black Tax Bill relentlessly!"

Watching Senator Phipps leave in a huff, David didn't try to stop him. After all, he had achieved the impact he wanted today and then he too stood up and left.

Meanwhile, the TV host, still enthusiastic, went on stage to tell the viewers that today's debate had come to an end and then announced its conclusion.

"Today's debate was indeed unexpected. One would have thought the fierce Senator Phipps was certain to prevail, yet it was him who broke down. It's so dramatic."

"Yes, Phipps, a politician who has served three terms in the House of Congressman, has hardly ever been at a disadvantage in such televised debates over the years, let alone lose his composure as he did today. It's quite surprising how he met his match in David."

"But what concerns me more is still the matter of the Engels Shipyard. I hope Congress will restart the investigation to see whether it's as Senator Phipps claimed, that there's no inside story, and give an explanation to those 3,000 laid-off workers."

"..."

Before the debate started, nearly 70 percent of the public thought David was surely going to lose, since it's well-known that David's strength is only in taxation, whereas Phipps is a veteran in this field who has cultivated it for many years.

But David not only withstood the pressure but also caused such a seasoned politician as Phipps to break down and lose face, which was indeed unexpected.

Outside the KTLA-TV Station.

Senator Phipps, with a dark face, and Peristedan left the building at a swift pace. Sitting in his car, Phipps suddenly punched the co-passenger seat and cursed, "Fuck, I shouldn't have come to this debate in the first place!"

He had been a dominant figure on America's political scene for years, and this debate was arguably the most embarrassing moment for him. But what was more crucial was that the American public places high importance on the public conduct of politicians.

And there he was, in the broadcasting room, thrown under the bus with rumors of a scandal by David, and completely falling apart, which would surely make his approval rating take a hit.

Moreover, after David exposed the issue, the workers from the shipyard, whom he had managed to settle down with difficulty, were likely to cause trouble again. If they stirred up, his approval ratings would be even more precarious.

Now, let alone the thought of becoming a Senator before the midterm elections, it would be good enough if he could just hold onto his seat as a Congressman!

Of course, he still had one last-ditch option left, which was to push for the Black Tax Bill to undergo curtailment reform or succeed in abolishing it at all costs.
Find adventures on empire

By doing so, he could win over most of the officials, as well as criminals nationwide, which might be his only chance of advancing his career further.

However, making this happen at the present moment was summed up in one word—difficult!

After all, David, the obstacle, was right there. To deal with this bill, he would need to deal with David first.

...

...

PS: This book doesn't attract much attention. I'm thinking of changing the title to [Armor Vehicle Taxation, Starting with the America Tax Bureau]. No objections, right?