Empire of Shadows

Golden Diamond Law Firm was one of the top firms in Jingang City. Whether it was the best in the Federation was unclear, but they certainly claimed to be.  

Johnny had put on a more decent outfit today, though sitting in a wheelchair gave him a slightly awkward appearance. Still, at least he didn’t look out of place.  

His daughter pushed him into the opulent offices of the Golden Diamond Law Firm, where a blonde woman greeted them.  

Dressed in a professional yet striking suit, her crisp white blouse and open neckline created an impression of both competence and allure. Her sweet face had a calming effect, especially on the gentlemen who walked through the doors.  

”Welcome to Golden Diamond Law Firm, sir. How may we assist you today?”  

”If you have an appointment, I can check for you,” she added with a polite smile.  

Johnny, overwhelmed by the luxurious decor and rich materials, felt uneasy. ”I... I’m looking for a lawyer to consult about a tax issue. I don’t have an appointment.”  

The receptionist flipped through the appointment book. ”Mr. Gus is available right now. He’s one of the top tax attorneys in Jingang City, with a win rate of over 95%.  

”I highly recommend him. If you’d prefer someone else, I can arrange that, but they’re all currently unavailable.”  Impressed by her description, Johnny didn’t deliberate further. ”Let’s go with Mr. Gus. Can I ask how much he charges for consultations?”  

”Sixty dollars an hour, sir.”  

The receptionist maintained her professional demeanor, showing no sign of judgment despite their modest attire. To her, even if they didn’t look wealthy, anyone who walked into the firm was likely worth at least an hour of consultation fees.  

”Sixty dollars! That’s outrageous—it’s so much cheaper over there!” Johnny’s overweight daughter whispered in his ear.  

Over there?  

The mention stung Johnny. That other lawyer had advised him not to hire legal counsel, causing him to embarrass himself in court and lose out on additional compensation he might have deserved.  

Johnny shot her a glare before forcing a smile at the receptionist. ”Mr. Gus it is. Can I see him now?”  

After noting his appointment, the receptionist picked up the phone. ”Mr. Gus, I have a client here with some tax-related inquiries... Yes, I’ll bring them over.”  

Hanging up, she gestured for them to follow. ”Right this way.”  

Mr. Gus’s office was situated farther into the building. Tax cases, while important, weren’t the most glamorous or lucrative for law firms, compared to divorce or business litigation.  

After a short walk, they arrived at his door. The receptionist knocked, and a voice inside invited them in. She opened the door with a smile and ushered them in.  

”Bring me and my clients three coffees, please,” said Mr. Gus.  

He was the picture of a Federation middle-class professional: slicked-back hair, a clean-shaven jawline with a faint five o’clock shadow, and razor-sharp sideburns. He wore a light-colored suit paired with a striped blue-and-purple tie and the firm’s emblem pinned to his chest.   ʀἁꞐ𝙤ʙĚ𝙨

”Please...” he began, then paused, noticing Johnny already seated. With a small, apologetic smile, he added, ”I didn’t realize. My apologies.”  

Johnny waved it off impatiently. He wanted to get straight to business.  

Once seated, with coffee on the table, Mr. Gus picked up a pen and a pad of stapled paper. ”Mr. Johnny, what would you like to discuss?”  

Johnny hesitated before saying, ”They’re telling me the tax office has filed a case against me for tax evasion.”  

Mr. Gus raised an eyebrow, his initial note-taking posture shifting as he leaned back in surprise. Setting the pen aside, he asked, ”Tax evasion is a serious charge. First, let me assure you that I am both professional and discreet. Nothing discussed here will leave this room.  

”Now, I have to ask—did you evade taxes?”  

Johnny shook his head vigorously, his voice rising slightly. ”I never evaded taxes!”  

Mr. Gus raised a calming hand. ”You don’t need to shout; I can hear you just fine. Let me ask this instead: have you been filing taxes?”  

”Yes, I’ve been filing my business taxes.”  

”May I ask if you’re an operator or a shareholder?”  

”I’m the operator. I run a bakery.”  

”Well,” Mr. Gus said with a faint smile, ”your business must be doing well to have caught the tax office’s attention. At least you’re not running at a loss.”  

Johnny didn’t deny it. ”It’s true.”  

”Can you walk me through how you calculate your monthly income and file your taxes?”  

Johnny glanced at his daughter before explaining, ”Both my daughter and I work at the bakery. We each take a salary of fifty dollars a month. The bakery’s profits are usually around a hundred dollars monthly.”  

Mr. Gus immediately honed in on the issue. ”So, your tax filings only report your operational profits, ignoring the salaries paid to yourself and your daughter?”  

For decades, the Federation’s tax laws had been a convoluted mess, with policies fluctuating depending on which president was in office. Some even promised ”no personal income tax” as a campaign pledge.  

While recent amendments to the tax code had clarified that individuals earning less than $100 a month didn’t need to file taxes, businesses were required to report all revenue and expenses, regardless of profit.  

Johnny’s omission of personal salaries from his filings, while not intentional, constituted tax evasion under current law.  

”I’m not an accountant,” Johnny admitted defensively. ”I didn’t know I was supposed to do that. I just paid taxes on what I thought was right!”  

”Did you and your daughter sign employment contracts specifying her salary?” Mr. Gus asked.  

”No, who does that?” Johnny replied indignantly. ”But I swear, I pay her fifty dollars every month!”  

His daughter chimed in hastily, ”It’s true! My father gives me fifty dollars every month!”  

Mr. Gus didn’t bother taking notes. ”Unfortunately, the tax office, the court, and the judge won’t believe you without documentation. They could argue that the money you gave your daughter was a gift.  

”Have you even registered your business? For example, something like ‘Johnny’s Bakery’?”  

”No, I haven’t.”  

Mr. Gus sighed. ”By state law, individual operators are required to file taxes combining their operational income and personal income. By only reporting your business income and ignoring your salaries, you’ve effectively underreported your earnings.”  

He paused before delivering the grim news. ”The outcome of this case seems clear-cut to me.”  

Johnny’s face turned red. ”No one ever told me any of this!”  

Mr. Gus wasn’t interested in whether Johnny had been informed. ”If the tax office is taking you to court, they likely already have strong evidence.  

”If you want to hire a lawyer, do it quickly,” he advised, cutting off Johnny’s hopeful look with a firm shake of his head. ”I won’t take this case.  

”First, I primarily handle corporate cases, not individual ones. Second, I don’t take on losing cases. However, I can recommend someone.”  

Johnny felt crushed. Seeing his despair, Mr. Gus added, ”The lawyer I’m recommending is an intern here.  

”He can help you argue that your actions were unintentional and try to reduce your charges from tax evasion to tax oversight. That will result in lighter penalties.”  

”He’s affordable too—his fee won’t exceed two hundred dollars.”  

For the intern, this would be a valuable learning opportunity, providing hands-on experience with the tax office’s legal team—a rare chance for growth.  

Johnny, however, was nearing financial ruin. His bank accounts had been frozen at the tax office’s request, citing that the funds might belong to the Federation.  

Lately, his life had been a downward spiral of misfortune, and today was no different. Everything was falling apart.