American Tax Officer

The conversation ended, and Tchenko's expression became tense.

The technology innovation tax incentives, as the name suggests, were a policy introduced by the Internal Revenue Service to encourage Silicon Valley companies to constantly innovate at a technological level.

The original intention of this policy was good, aimed at encouraging these tech companies in Silicon Valley to develop their technologies in line with the evolution of the era.

But technology always encounters barriers, and there are times when innovations fail to materialize.

And once they could not produce new technology, but these companies were not willing to give up the tax incentives, what were they to do?

Soon, some Silicon Valley companies came up with a cunning plan.

For example, if they created a new technology called '12345,' after enjoying a round of technology innovation tax incentives, they could reconfigure this technology into '54321,' '12354,' '53124'—numerous combinations.

The Internal Revenue Service, being focused on tax matters and not technology, could easily be fooled by some tricks, turning this tax incentive policy into an asset for these companies.

Tchenko was so nervous because, over the years, Alliance Company had indeed avoided a considerable amount of taxes through exploiting this policy.

"We at Alliance have indeed gained significant tax benefits from this policy, but that's because our technological innovations are numerous, we deserve them, Inspector David," said Mr. Ryan after some internal struggle.

After all, he was still reluctant to lose the tax incentives the policy brought to his company, and if he admitted that his company was exploiting the policy, they might not enjoy it in the future.

So he decided to take a gamble, betting that David wasn't knowledgeable about technical issues and didn't have solid evidence yet.

"Ha, Mr. Tchenko, although I'm not familiar with your technology, it does not mean that America lacks others who do understand the technical aspects. Well, since you claim that your company has enjoyed this policy for years due to its numerous technologies, the Internal Revenue Service has several friends at the Academy of Engineering who understand the technology involved. I will have someone invite them over now to analyze and study this; your company will cooperate, right?"

"This..."

Tchenko's face instantly turned the color of liver.

After all, the Academy of Engineering was the highest technological institution in America, and if these experts were invited over, they could easily see through the so-called technology of Alliance Company.

"What's the matter? Is it that you're not confident in your company's technology or, perhaps, that your so-called technological innovation doesn't meet our policy standards?"

"Let's forget it, Inspector David, I take back what I said just now. After I return, I will conduct a thorough check of our company's tax situation and give you an explanation in two days."

With that, Tchenko knew continuing to argue would only make things worse, so he could only compromise.

"Make sure you check thoroughly, not a penny less, do you hear me?"

"Understood..."

Seeing David's stern demeanor, Tchenko now regretted trying to argue; he had provoked the other party and didn't know what trouble might follow.

Over the next period, David questioned each of the other attendees in turn.

With Tchenko as an example, naturally no one dared to provoke David further; each one promised to thoroughly review their own company's tax situation and provide an explanation in two days.

...

At the entrance of the Bay Area Branch.

It had been more than an hour since the heads of the major companies had arrived, but none had been seen leaving, which naturally sparked various speculations among the reporters onsite and the online public.

"They're coming out, they're coming out!"

Just then, a shout from a sharp-eyed reporter attracted everyone's attention. Looking up, they saw that the company directors who had gone in were now coming out one by one.

"Look at their faces... they seem rather solemn..."

"It's more than just silence, look at the man on the right with blond hair, he's the CEO of a company in Silicon Valley called Alliance Company, look closely at his expression, he's about to cry, he must have really been lectured by Inspector David inside!"

"The collective gloomy faces of these mid-level company managers indicate that there are likely issues with their company taxes, caught by the Internal Revenue Service..."

Through the expressions of these individuals as they came out, the public following online also made various analyses.

Guge Headquarters Building, in a conference room.

Delegates from various major companies invited by Ryan were still present, but their expressions were no better at this moment.

From the live broadcast by the media, they had already figured out that those mid-level companies were likely caught by the Internal Revenue Service.

Otherwise, they wouldn't look so ugly, as if they were grieving over a dead mother, when coming out.

"Rihanna, contact Tchenko, Kristan for me... see if they can come over."

Ryan instructed his assistant beside him; although he had guessed the general situation from the expressions on TV, he still wanted to hear firsthand what exactly happened.

Soon, the assistant named Rihanna returned and said, "Mr. Ryan, Mr. Tchenko said they have an emergency and can't make it, but Mr. Kristan said he can come over, it will take him about 15 minutes to get here." Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

Ryan nodded, and patiently waited with the representatives from various companies.

Fifteen minutes quickly passed.

The door to the conference room was pushed open, and Kristan, who had just returned from the Bay Area Branch, walked in and looked around the gathered Silicon Valley executives, saying, "It's rare to see all the tycoons of Silicon Valley gathered here..."

"Sit down, Kristan, I believe you guessed the reason why we called you here, we want to know what happened after you were summoned?"

"What else could happen, that David from the Internal Revenue Service asked us to cooperate with their storm tax investigation."

Kristan sat down, but seeing the worried and anxious tycoons before him, he felt somewhat relieved internally.

He now felt like a prisoner who had been sentenced, somewhat resigned.

But these people in front of him were definitely not going to surrender as easily as they did, and the outcome they faced was naturally hard to predict.

"So you agreed to cooperate?"

Ryan asked, a tad nervously, while everyone else held their breath and listened.

While these mid-level companies might not mean much to these tycoons, if these companies collectively surrendered, the pressure on them would be immense.

"We small companies don't have the powerful backing like you tycoons, we had to amputate to survive..."

"Damn it, knowing we are all Silicon Valley companies, which means we share prosperity and downfall; how could you do this!"

Before Kristan could finish, a representative from Microsoft, filled with anger, interrupted.

Kristan looked at him with dissatisfaction and retorted, "Mr. Schwartz, do you think Cisco wants to do this? We had no choice!"

"So you're saying that Cisco was taken advantage of?"

This time it was Ryan who asked.

"Actually, not just Cisco, the tax conditions of all of our companies that were summoned have probably been thoroughly investigated by that David!"

"What!"

Although everyone was somewhat prepared, hearing that David had indeed unearthed the leverage on all these companies still made them gasp in shock.