American Tax Officer

Chapter 236: Chapter 166: If I Tell You to be a Dog, You Must Act Like a Dog

"Second, in addition to the five people we've now brought back here, you need to bring all the agents in your bureau with ill-gotten gains to our National Tax Bureau to pay taxes and file a record!"

"That's impossible!"

Gavin's face turned dark instantly.

Paying taxes and filing with the National Tax Bureau would confirm their tax evasion, and any day the Bureau wanted to target them, they could pull up the filed records to do so.

If that really happened, wouldn't the Nevada FBI Office be completely at the mercy of the National Tax Bureau?

Gavin wasn't a fool; how could he willingly put himself under someone's control?

"Impossible? Then there's nothing to talk about!"

David didn't get angry at the opponent's words, rather, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, relaxed, and calmly uttered this sentence.

Gavin glared at David with fiery eyes and, after turning the thought over in his mind for a good while, he clenched his teeth and said, "We can pay taxes to the National Tax Bureau, but I can't agree to filing our records!"

David remained unmoved. After all, the initiative was now in his hands; he had enough capital to slowly play with Gavin in front of him.

Watching David still look so in control, Gavin wanted to rush up and bite him to death at this moment, but remembering what Assistant Director Hosein had said, he still managed to force himself to calm down and, clenching his fists, said, "Only the records of these five people can be filed, that's my biggest concession!"

"I just said, all agents of your entire FBI Office... Oh yes, including you personally. Besides that, there's no room for negotiation!"

"What the fuck are you talking about!"

Gavin suddenly stood up from his seat, his face unable to contain his expressions anymore, twisted in rage as he glared at David.

It's no wonder he was so beside himself.

Not only did David want all FBI agents to file taxes with the National Tax Bureau, but he even included Gavin himself in the demand.

This was simply unbearable!

One could say, he had never been so humiliated in his life!

It was an utter disgrace!

"What the fuck am I talking about?"

David responded with a curse too, pointing at the five files and saying, "I'm talking precisely about this. You may refuse, no problem there; I won't force you. But if there are any consequences... don't blame me!"

Gavin caught David's drift, and retorted, "Fine, you can disclose these documents to the media and bring our people to court, but don't forget that we can also take your subordinate Poppy to court. An inspector from the National Tax Bureau committing corruption and tax evasion is far more explosive than anything we at the FBI could do!"

David, however, was not afraid in the slightest, sneering, "Sure, you can take Poppy to court, but whether you can secure a conviction is another matter!"

He dared to confront Gavin because he was certain.

Firstly, regarding Poppy's investigation report, its contents were indeed very professional and could be considered solid evidence.

However, the amount of money involved in Poppy's case was quite small, and FBI didn't have the means to investigate the detailed financial transactions linked to Poppy's bribes.

Secondly, David's side had already secured witnesses for Poppy's case, and he could flip them at any time.

With the witnesses flipping, and the FBI's investigation report lacking in financial details, plus the fact that the National Tax Bureau had access to top-notch legal teams and trials taking place under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice.

The probability of Gavin securing a conviction was at best 40%.

This was the reason behind his bold stance.

At this point, Gavin was both angry and helplessly mixed with frustration.

The reason he had said all this was, of course, to intimidate David into offering concessions, but David simply wasn't having any of it.

It seemed that David was rock-solid in the belief that even if faces were ripped off, the FBI was very unlikely to convict Bowen.

If they couldn't convict Bowen, then all the media pressure would naturally converge on the FBI.

And if the guilt of those five was proven in court or even if they were sentenced, the FBI's reputation would be completely ruined.

This was the worst-case scenario!

Gavin recalibrated his thoughts and looked at David, questioning, "These five, you can have them pay taxes or even file a record, but you demand the rest of our agents, including myself, pay taxes and file; what makes you think we are also suspected of corruption and tax evasion?"

The logic was simple, he and his agents might be corrupt, but David only had evidence against the five men they had brought back, not against them.

Why should they admit guilt and file taxes?

"On what grounds?"

David smiled slightly and said slowly, "Based on December 15, 2021, when the son of Carson City's Deputy Mayor Evans was arrested by your agents for drug possession. Eventually, Evans came to you, and you took $50,000 to do him a favor..."

When this incident was brought up, Gavin was utterly stunned.

David had only been in Carson City for one day, and while it was one thing to control the evidence against his five subordinates, how did he even know about something that happened over two months ago?

Before he could recover from his shock.

David continued, "And on December 28th, remember when Congressman Warner from our state was involved in a prostitution scandal? It was you who he sought out, and you sold him a favor for a hundred thousand dollars to quietly take care of the matter."

"And then on January 7th..."

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"All these transactions together, you have received over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in illegal funds in one month alone. Now you ask me by what right?"

After listening to this speech, Gavin deflated like a punctured ball, slumping into the chair, a picture of despondency and distraught.

Since David knew about these transactions, it seemed likely that plenty of evidence had already been gathered. Even if he did not want to be at someone's mercy, now he had no room to resist.

At that thought, a wave of regret suddenly welled up in Gavin's heart.

He deeply regretted having listened to Stevenson's "slander", which led him to provoke David.

Otherwise, he would not have ended up with today's downfall.

"Is there anything else?"

Gavin realized that the game was up and now he just had to accept it.

"Third, from now on if I say you're a dog, you better lie down and bark for me, do you understand?"

"You..."

Such humiliating words almost made Gavin lose his composure and lash out again, but the thought that David not only controlled the fate of his five subordinates but also his own, he could only forcefully accept it.

"Go back, get your agents in line to come over here. Those five agents of yours will be released once their taxes are filed, and if I need anything else, I will contact you!"

Seeing the other guy had no choice, David lost interest in any further conversation.

Gavin did not rise immediately but instead, his brain was racing, searching for any other way out.

However, after several minutes of fruitless thought, he found no solution and had to stand up and leave resentfully.

"How did it go, Mr. Gavin?"

In the waiting hall, Ou En was surprised and perplexed as he approached Gavin, who looked utterly despondent while walking out.

Gavin ignored him and continued walking downstairs.

Ou En didn't dare to press him further and followed him downstairs, then opened the car door. After Gavin got in, he took the driver's seat and started the car, heading back to the FBI Office.

Back at the FBI Office, Gavin sat alone in his office, lost in thought. Several times he had picked up the landline, wanting to confess to the higher-ups in Washington D.C. and then seek advice on what should be done.

But when the phone was really in his hand, the fear deep in his heart stopped him from dialing the number.

The reason was simple.

Nevada was his state to manage, and it was one thing for so many of his agents to be in the grasp of the IRS, but it was quite another for him, the boss, to be caught as well.

This was truly inexcusable and too embarrassing.

If the higher-ups in Washington D.C. found out, he would probably be dismissed immediately.

After agonizing for a long time with no way out, Gavin had no choice but to call Ou En into the office and, in a venting manner, relayed everything that had happened in David's office.

"What, David even has control over your transactions, Mr. Gavin?"

After hearing everything, Ou En couldn't quite believe his ears.

Could it be that David had already conducted a thorough investigation and was now just waiting for the right time to come to Carson City?

It had to be so!

Otherwise, how could it be that just one day after arriving, not only did he have the incriminating evidence against their five agents, but he also had a grasp on the biggest FBI boss in Nevada?

If that was the case, then David was terrifying indeed.

He managed to avoid all their high-tech surveillance, channels, and the watchful eyes of their many agents, silently gaining leverage over their fate!

"I don't want to believe it either, but he provided such detailed information, even the precise amounts of money involved. This shows he must have evidence in his hands. So, Ou En, tell me, what should I choose to do?"

After much thought, Ou En finally said, "In that case, Mr. Gavin, I think all we can do is follow his instructions."

"After all, the IRS only wants to collect taxes, they don't really want to finish us off completely, that wouldn't benefit them much."

"And if we do as he asks, although we may be under his control in the future, as long as this doesn't reach the ears of the higher-ups in Washington D.C., our prospects still remain!"

Ou En was certainly no fool.

If Gavin truly confessed to the Washington D.C. Headquarters and ended up being dismissed, not only would Ou En lose his powerful backer, but he could also likely be implicated.