The director of the Saibin Federation Tax Bureau had a very ordinary name: Johnson.
Johnson did not have a prominent background. In the past, people still believed that as long as they worked hard, as long as they had the courage, and a little bit of luck, it would not be difficult to stand out from the crowd.
But today, if he did not have any other help, being the director of a second-tier city's tax bureau was the best he could do.
Now, what he had to think about was how to protect his highest pension and make his last few years less painful.
Many people would think that the director of the Federation Tax Bureau, even though he was only the director of a small city, should be a hidden rich man with a lot of savings and real estate. In fact, he was not.
Most of the Federation officials who were neither high nor low led a life that was much poorer than people imagined. On the other hand, the real grassroots workers and frontline workers had a more complicated income.
How could a grassroots administrative worker who sat in the office all day and had already been included in the inspection list of the Ministry of Supervision get any illegal income?
However, they still received all kinds of donations and social benefits. These were all legal income.
The Federation government gave them high salaries and top social insurance to prevent them from being negatively affected in their work and becoming the pawns of some people.
Of course, this did not mean that Johnson was a poor person. Sometimes, poverty was not only a description of wealth, but also a description of power.
In short, he was a person who was worse than the top, but better than the bottom. If he could keep his pension, that would be even better.
At this moment, he was very troubled. The joint operation of the Federation Investigation Bureau and the Federation Tax Bureau had ended in failure, which meant that he could not quickly resolve the current situation. If the higher-ups were really angry, his life would not be easy.
Now, he was a little regretful that he had indulged Michael. It was because he was about to retire and did not want to offend people anymore that he had gradually cultivated the shortcomings of the people under him.
Just as he was scratching his head, the phone rang. He frowned. From the signal light, he could see that it was an outside line. Since it could go through his secretary, there was definitely a need to answer it.
He took a few deep breaths to calm the fluctuations in his heart, and then he picked up the phone …
Later in the evening, Director Johnson informed his wife that he would not be having dinner at home because he had a social engagement.
He lived with the children in a neighborhood next to Michael's. The environment was slightly worse than Michael's neighborhood, mainly referring to the greenery and the overall coordination of the neighborhood. However, the house was bigger and could accommodate more people.
While thinking about these annoying things, he drove to the warehouse area far away from the city center and stopped at the roadside not far from the warehouse area.
Ten meters away from him, there was a barbecue shop. The barbecue shop only served three things: minced beef patties, wholemeal meal buns, and some fresh vegetables.
There were no whole slices of beef here, as the people in the warehouse area couldn't afford them. Most of them were minced beef patties that Lynch had when he lived with Catherine.
Some other things were added to the meat pie, such as whole wheat kernels, some nuts that were about to mature, and some worthless things.
It was just past dinner time, and the barbecue shop was still full of people. 98 pieces of barbecue patties, plus a portion of vegetables. The meal buns were free, and there was an unlimited supply. This solved the nutritional needs of the blue straps after heavy work.
Almost all the blue straps in the warehouse area had dinner here, which made this barbecue shop very famous in the neighborhood.
Johnson was not used to the environment here. There was a sour smell of sweat everywhere, as well as some other smells that he couldn't describe. After all, the weather was getting hotter and hotter, and after a day of hard work, his body was definitely not fragrant.
He looked around, and the blue suspenders also deliberately kept a distance from him. Everyone could see that the clothes he was wearing were not cheap, and they did not want to lose ten days, half a month, or even more of their salary because of their carelessness.
Soon, he saw Lynch. Lynch waved at him and asked the owner for another meat patty and a meal bundle.
"This is the dinner you were talking about?"
When Johnson sat down, he still didn't look very good. Lynch had called him to talk about what had happened recently, and he vaguely realized something.
Initially, he didn't want to compromise with Lynch. Michael had been messed up so badly, and the tax bureau didn't look good either. However, the pressure now was really too great, and he could only choose the option that he didn't want to choose the most. Perhaps this was a sign of maturity.
Although he chose to be mature, he could still maintain his attitude toward Lynch. There was no conflict between the two.
Lynch shrugged and tore the meal bundle in his hand. He used it to wipe some of the meat sauce on the plate, then stuffed it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed.
He rubbed his fingers, and some bread crumbs fell on the table. He picked up a knife and fork and ate a piece of minced meat patty. He smiled and said, "It's not as bad as you think. You can try it."
At this moment, the proprietress, a woman in her forties, put a plate and a small basket of meal buns on the table a little rudely.
Director Johnson was speechless. He glanced at the landlady and then at Lin Qi. In the end, he clenched his teeth and tore a piece of the meal bag into pieces like Lin Qi did.
When the meal bundle with meat sauce and meat sauce entered his mouth, it wasn't as bad as he had imagined. The taste and texture of the whole wheat meal bundle gave the food another unexpected taste.
He raised his eyebrows, picked up the knife and fork, and put a piece of meat patty in his mouth. It might not be as good as the good steaks that cost 9 yuan or 39 yuan, but it was quite fresh and juicy. It was even more delicious, and it wasn't difficult to eat.
The two of them chatted as they ate. There was a lot of noise around them. If it wasn't for someone walking past them, it would be hard for others to hear them even if they spoke louder.
"I'm calling you with sincerity. From the beginning, I was just a victim, if you know what happened."
Lynch's words made Johnson nod in agreement. He did know that Michael wanted to get Fox as a promotion, so he got Lynch involved. Whether Lynch had done anything illegal or not, at least he was innocent so far. However, Michael was still pestering him.
Johnson nodded, and there was a basis for continuing the conversation. Lynch continued to eat and said, "You know, I'm timid and afraid of trouble. A reporter suggested that I sue you, but I gave up. It's not the best choice to treat hatred with hatred. I chose to be tolerant …"
Johnson looked at the shameless guy who was still waiting for his response and forced a smile. "Yes, you're very generous."
A satisfied smile appeared on Lynch's face. "Yes, I'm a generous person. I used to be, and I still am. I don't want to care about some of the problems between us because of Michael, and I'm actively trying to solve it. I have a suggestion, but I don't know if you're interested."
Johnson quickly finished the meat pie and ended the terrible dinner. He glanced at the stained napkin on the table and finally took out his handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth. "What do you think …"
"As far as I know, there are other people in Saibin who are laundering money. Their methods might be …" A helpless smile flashed across Lynch's face. "Be a little stupid. Maybe you should target them instead."
Johnson frowned slightly. "Even if I catch all of them, I won't be able to solve the current situation."
Lynch was almost done with his dinner. He picked up the last meal bag, wiped the gravy and sauce on the plate, and stuffed it into his mouth. His poor life made him grateful for every meal.
He puffed up his cheeks and said, "This is just between Michael and me. It's a personal grudge, and it shouldn't be raised to the level of the public's concern.
You have excellent results in your hands, and with such a foundation, the public will patiently listen to your explanation. All of this has nothing to do with the tax bureau. Plus, with Michael Jr.'s case, maybe Michael is just using his position to avenge his personal grudge … "He smiled and crossed his fingers naturally. He rested his thumb on his chin and looked at Johnson. He believed that the old man knew what he was talking about.
For the first ten seconds, Johnson still had a thoughtful look on his face, and there was even a hint of impatience. Soon, his face began to change. He understood what Lynch meant.
He knew that Michael's son was arrested for a burglary case, and it was said that Michael had pleaded guilty and started to serve his sentence in advance. If the cause and effect and time of the matter were reversed, and what Michael did to Lynch was an act of him trying to save Michael Jr.'s life would be different.
To put it simply, Michael Jr. first broke into the house and stole Lynch's ring, and Lynch also called the police. Michael knew about this and wanted to cover it up, so there was a personal conflict and conflict between him and Lynch. What he did later had nothing to do with his identity, and whether the tax bureau or even other Federation departments had too much law enforcement power. This was an isolated incident. His purpose did not need to be explained. Everyone could guess that he must have wanted Lynch to withdraw the lawsuit.
A government official knowingly broke the law, and in order to cover up his son's crime, he did not hesitate to use violence to force the plaintiff to shut up.
Seeing the gradual change in Johnson's face, Lynch knew that Johnson had figured it out. He reminded him softly, "This is murder!"
Johnson's mind was in a mess. Yes, he hated Michael to the core. This bastard made him lose face and threatened his life in his later years, but did he have to be so cruel?
He knew that everything was fake, but sometimes the public did not know. Plus, there were people who added fuel to the fire. As the victim, Lynch's words were the most acceptable to the public. Since he stood up, and the Federation government was determined to calm the public's opinion, Michael was bound to become the target of public criticism.
But … wasn't this a little too cruel? Using the future of a person or even a family as a bargaining chip?
Looking at the hesitant Johnson, Lynch whispered, "You're a good man, sir, but you should also know the seriousness of this matter. On one side, there's the investigation team leader who caused you and the people of Saibin a lot of headaches. On the other side, there's the entire Federation law enforcement department and the criminals who are celebrating.
Sometimes it's hard for us to make a decision, but we have to make a decision … "
"One, or all, it's not difficult!"