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Chapter 35: A Mouse Digs a Hole on the Embankment
Meanwhile, Michael in Kurland City was still busy at work. This time, Kurland City invited their assistance in investigating the financial criminal case involving the EverBright Group (恒辉集团). As the head of the Federal Tax Bureau's investigation team, Michael quickly discovered some irregularities.
It wasn't that he found specific clues about the EverBright Group; rather, he noticed some issues within the evidence already collected by Kurland City.
In simpler terms, certain evidence had procedural errors in its collection, and some data sources within the evidence were questionable.
Whether it was a tax case or a regular criminal case, essentially, it was a process of accumulation, a process from quantity to quality.
Investigators needed to slowly gather clues, form evidence, then string this evidence together into a complete chain to ultimately bring the accused to the trial bench.
The entire process was interdependent, yet the clues and evidence he observed had some minor flaws.
However, he didn't mention it. Such occurrences were normal. Until the issue of the legality of evidence collection became a public concern, when higher-ups were determined to make certain individuals pay a price, no one would pay attention to whether the evidence gathering was lawful or not.
Michael himself thought that this might be related to the EverBright Group itself, being a multinational corporation involving foreign investments. The wealthy capitalists associated with the Baylor Federation were never straightforward businesspeople. Their abilities in other aspects far exceeded their actual business management skills.
Suddenly, the phone on his desk rang, startling him. Given the gravity of the case, the investigation team had to adhere to confidentiality principles, meaning no external communication was allowed, and individuals couldn't leave their workstations or be out of sight of the team.
Michael hadn't even considered that the phone on his desk would ring.
He hesitated for a moment, then answered it. He noticed several locals immediately staring at him, the kind of gaze that didn't care whether he noticed it or not.
It was his wife on the line. He tiptoed the floor, rotating his office chair to have his back facing away from the others. “Honey, is there anything that can't wait for me to come back to discuss?"
His wife, unable to withstand the pressure of the past few days, burst into tears, speaking of what had happened to their son, Michael Junior.
Shocked, Michael abruptly stood up. "How could this happen? What has been happening while I've been away these past few days?"
After a moment, he slumped back into his chair. His partner approached with some concern, silently watching him without saying a word.
A minute or two later, Michael glanced at his partner and said, "I have to go back; something has happened at home."
His partner didn't stop him. They were colleagues of over a decade, knowing that if Michael was leaving his post, it was because something significant had occurred. Advising him otherwise would be futile.
The two found the director of the Federal Tax Bureau in Kurland City, and Michael recounted what had happened at his home. The director had already received reports from his subordinates and had originally been considering how to refuse Michael's request to leave.
In the past few days, everyone had seen Michael's exceptional work abilities. He was absolutely top-notch at the kind of work the investigation team often dealt with.
Compared to the "investigators" and "agents," two levels of tax workers, the investigation team displayed a higher level of comprehensive ability. Michael and his team significantly expedited the handling of cases.
Now, Michael had to leave. The efficiency of his team might slow down without him, as they lacked a leader who was already accustomed to their operations.
However, the incidents at Michael's home left the director no choice but to approve his departure. Almost losing his wife to an assault in the middle of the night and having his son inexplicably thrown into jail—this wasn't merely a matter of offense; it was brewing enmity.
The director of Kurland City sighed, consenting to Michael's departure, thankful that only he was leaving. His partner would stay behind to take over Michael's work, hoping they could maintain their current pace.
Michael didn't linger; he packed his things and embarked on the journey back to Sabin City overnight. The darkness of the wilderness didn't slow down his car; instead, it prompted him to press the accelerator harder.
Meanwhile, in a vastly different environment, Gap was discussing work matters with several management members of the company.
They were in a rather exclusive private club—a place that only accepted invited guests. Regardless of one's wealth or status, if uninvited, they wouldn't gain entry.
After a brief shower, a few gentlemen entered the sauna room. Once the door closed, Gap took the initiative, scooping a ladle of cold water onto the heated stones.
Instantly, bubbles surfaced on the stone's eroded surface, and a surge of steam filled the entire room, seemingly elevating the temperature by several degrees.
"That's enough..." someone in the steam instructed. Gap put down the ladle and sat on the lowest wooden step.
"Gap..."
"Yes, sir!"
Seated at the top, a board member leaned back, his face covered with a towel soaked in ice-cold water. This method allowed him to sweat from the heat without feeling suffocated.
The scalding steam posed some obstruction to breathing and could make one feel uncomfortable. However, covering the face with a towel soaked in icy water could create a sensation of entering a whole new world.
His voice was somewhat muffled through the towel, "I've discussed your situation with the board. They don't object to your promotion as a new partner in the group, but you need to demonstrate your capability."
The sauna room fell into a brief silence. Gap's breathing seemed to intensify.
After about a dozen seconds, the person at the top continued, "EverBright has recently gotten into a lot of trouble. It doesn't concern us directly, but there are some business dealings between our two entities."
“Sigh... who could have foreseen that EverBright would suddenly get into such big trouble? Some of our accounts might not be very clear. You should resolve these issues as soon as possible so I can advocate for you at the board meeting. Do you understand?"
The person removed the towel from their face, and the once icy-cool towel began to feel warm, making it less comfortable.
This man seemed to be around forty, with a decent appearance and a considerable demeanor. He glanced at Gap, who slightly lowered his head.
For large companies like the conglomerate where Gap worked, a local economic pillar in Sabin City, if there were some unresolved minor issues in the accounts, the tax system would often turn a blind eye.
As long as they dutifully paid most of their taxes each month into the Federal Tax Bureau's account, these minor errors would go unnoticed.
There was no need to hassle a major taxpayer over insignificant matters. If they were pushed to the brink, who would contribute such substantial tax revenues, achievements, and job opportunities?
However, the current situation was different. EverBright's scandal even involved legislators, and being a multinational company made it sensitive. Sometimes, the federal government would directly assign high-level task forces to handle the final cleanup.
For those investigators entrenched in higher echelons, the life or death of individuals at the lower levels had no direct relevance to them. They wouldn't gain anything significant by being lenient, nor would they lose anything by being severe.
Instead, if they could poke more holes, it was not only an achievement for them but also provided substantial fines to the federal government.
As for local issues... those didn't concern them.
As long as Gap could manage these matters, the board of directors could consider promoting him to become a new partner in the conglomerate.
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