American Tax Officer

In the towering factory, machines like giant steel titans roared deeply, operating nonstop, transforming various raw materials into thin sheets of paper.

On the production line, workers bustled about, wearing safety helmets, clad in work uniforms, holding tools, meticulously operating each step.

During the papermaking process, raw materials were fed into machines, undergoing a series of complex chemical reactions and physical treatments, eventually resulting in smooth, white sheets of paper.

At the other end of the factory, the storage area was piled with large quantities of paper, neatly stacked, waiting for transportation and distribution.

After a careful look, the group realized that this was indeed just an ordinary paper mill, showing no apparent connection to counterfeit money.

But David was different, he did not pay much attention to the interior of the paper mill; instead, his focus was mainly on the workers at the scene.

However, after scrutinizing them for a while, he also did not find anything unusual.

That changed the next second when he saw a middle-aged man coming down the left-hand corridor, and his eyes suddenly shone with a sharp light.

[Name: Faulkner Ban.]

[Occupation: Paper mill owner.]

[Income: Monthly legal income two thousand US dollars, illegal income, one million three hundred fifty thousand US dollars.]

[Income Details: Share obtained from providing instruments, equipment, and facility space for the Counterfeit Banknote Group...]

[More Details:...]

[Tax Owed: five hundred thirty-four thousand six hundred US dollars.]

"Isn't that Inspector Keanu? What, is the IRS going to check us out how many times, eh? We'll have to complain about you soon, you're always disrupting our business!"

This owner of the paper mill named Faulkner obviously knew Keanu, and started complaining as soon as they met.

While Keanu was a bit embarrassed, thinking that it was David who wanted to investigate, he felt somewhat more confident and replied, "The IRS has its reasons for inspecting you, Mr. Faulkner, what's the rush? Got a guilty conscience?"

"Me, guilty conscience?"

Faulkner became angry and retorted, "Alright, alright, you just go ahead and search. Search all you want. If you can't find anything today, we've been paying our taxes as a paper mill for nothing. The IRS must give us an explanation!"

Keanu did not say another word and simply looked at David.

David stepped in front of Faulkner and, looking him in the eye, asked, "Mr. Faulkner, we are investigating a Counterfeit Banknote Group. Have you heard anything about it by any chance?"

"What Counterfeit Banknote Group? We make paper here, not counterfeit notes. You've got the wrong place!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. If you don't believe me, ask Inspector Keanu; he knows how many times he's searched here!"

David turned to look at Keanu, who nodded, indicating that he indeed hadn't found anything unusual here.

Then, David turned to Simmons and ordered, "Bring me two large excavators!"

At this statement, everyone on scene was dumbfounded.

Faulkner was the first to react, his eyes betraying a faint, hard-to-detect panic as he asked, "What are you trying to do?"

"You're sure your paper mill has no problems, but I'm sure it does; what do we do then? Even if it means digging three feet into the ground, I have to prove that my suspicions are correct!"

David's bullish words left Faulkner not knowing what to say, and in the end, all he could do was pretend to be tough and retort, "You... you can't do that. This is deliberately damaging a citizen's property, I can sue you for this!"

"Sue all you want, but if I dig something up, then who's suing whom becomes a different story!"

"No, you can't do this!"

David, not willing to waste more words with him, gave Simmons a look, and Simmons instantly understood, taking out his phone and starting to make arrangements.

Meanwhile, Faulkner seemed calm on the surface, but inside, he was as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

If the excavators truly arrived, unless he had some sort of supernatural space like in the novels, no matter how well hidden, it would definitely be exposed.

And the noise from the excavator was so loud; it might even attract the attention of the people around, and then he would really be finished!

After weighing the pros and cons in his mind for a long time, he finally bit the bullet and said to David, "What exactly do you want?"

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Seeing Faulkner's anxious demeanor, the inspectors from the district, including Keanu, were also visibly moved.

Could it be... just as David said, that the Counterfeit Banknote Group was hiding in this very paper mill?

"What else could the IRS want but to collect taxes? As long as the taxes are paid to us, then naturally we will turn around and leave, no longer bothering your continued 'papermaking'!"

Faulkner fell silent.

Meanwhile, about 200 meters away from where everyone was, in an unattended area of machinery underground.

"Things are looking a bit dicey, IRS folks must have discovered something, or Faulkner wouldn't be acting like this."

"Damn, hasn't the IRS already been here several times without discovering us? Why did they suddenly find out now?"

"Didn't you see who's leading the team this time? It's David who led the armed operations and caused major earthquakes in both Sparks and Henderson. This man is no simpleton."

This was an underground room of about 100 square meters.

Inside there were ten people, among them a young man and a young woman looking to be in their early thirties, who kept conversing while watching the surveillance screens.

Around them were arrayed ink, paper, counterfeit money molds, various instruments, equipment, and stacks of printed fake banknotes.