[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-85":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Shadow Empire",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2267705,4428,"Chapter 85: Bad Things Keep Coming","the-shadow-empire-chapter-85",85,"\u003Cp>Jin Zuan Law Firm is one of the best law firms in Jincheng City; whether it is the best in the entire Federation is unclear, but they claim it is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny changed into a slightly more respectable outfit today; though his appearance in the wheelchair was somewhat…, at least he didn’t look odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His daughter wheeled him into the Jin Zuan Law Firm, where a beautiful blonde woman greeted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wore a professional women’s suit, with a wide collar and white shirt that made her look sharp; the slightly lowered neckline revealed two rounded bulges, full and inviting, sparking endless imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sweet face instantly calmed people, especially gentlemen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome to Jin Zuan Law Firm, sir. How may I assist you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you have an appointment, I can check for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny stared at the luxurious decor and expensive materials, suddenly feeling awkward. “I… I’d like to consult a lawyer about some tax matters. I don’t have an appointment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beautiful receptionist flipped through the appointment book. “Mr. Gus is available now. He is one of Jincheng City’s top tax lawyers, with a success rate over ninety-five percent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I highly recommend him. If you’d prefer another lawyer, I can suggest others, but they’re all unavailable right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sounded impressive. Johnny made no further choice. “I’ll take Mr. Gus. May I ask how much his consultation fee is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sixty credits per hour, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beautiful receptionist didn’t look down on them because of their plain clothes; even a sponge that’s loose and sagging still holds water—if you squeeze it, water comes out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two didn’t look wealthy, but the fact they came to a law firm meant they could at least afford one hour of consultation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sixty credits? My god, that’s way more expensive than over there!” whispered Johnny’s fat daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That bastard over there told him not to hire a lawyer, making him look foolish in court. He heard people say he could’ve gotten more compensation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny turned and glared at her, then smiled warmly at the receptionist. “Him, then. Can I see him now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The receptionist noted it down, then picked up the phone. “Mr. Gus, someone has questions they’d like to consult you on… Good, I’ll bring them right over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hung up. “Please follow me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Gus’s office was some distance from the entrance; tax cases weren’t the firm’s favorite, nor their most “popular.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They preferred economic disputes and divorce cases, so they placed tax lawyers farther away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking about two or three minutes, they reached Mr. Gus’s office door. The receptionist knocked; when a voice answered inside, she smiled and opened the door, inviting them in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bring three coffees for me and my clients,” said Mr. Gus, who had the classic look and attire of a Federal middle-class elite: oiled hair meticulously combed, a faint blue shadow on his chin, sideburns as if measured with a ruler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore a light-colored suit with a tie of blue and purple stripes, and the Jin Zuan Law Firm emblem pinned to his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please…” he started to say “sit down,” but Johnny was already seated. He moved the chair around the desk, apologetically saying, “Sorry, I didn’t realize.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny didn’t care about such things—he just wanted to begin his consultation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Mr. Gus returned to his seat and the receptionist brought the coffee, he pulled out a pen and several stapled pages, and began his work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Johnny, what would you like to consult us about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny fell silent for a few seconds. “They told me the tax bureau sued me, accusing me of tax evasion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Gus’s expression turned sharply surprised. His earlier forward-leaning posture, meant for note-taking, shifted backward; he set his pen down on the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Johnny, tax evasion is a serious charge. First, let me assure you I am professional, and I will not disclose any details of our conversation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before anything else, I must ask you: Did you evade taxes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny shook his head, raising his voice slightly. “I did not evade taxes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Gus raised a hand to calm him. “You don’t need to shout—I can hear you. Did you file your taxes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I filed business taxes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lawyer frowned. “May I ask— are you the owner or a shareholder?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m the owner. I run a bakery.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lawyer: “Then your business must be doing well—after all, you caught the tax bureau’s attention. You’re clearly not losing money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny didn’t deny it. “That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lawyer: “Can you explain how you determined your monthly income and how you filed your taxes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny glanced at his daughter. “My daughter and I are both employees at the bakery. We each earn fifty credits per month, and the bakery’s monthly profit is about a hundred credits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Gus immediately caught the key point. “So in your tax filing, you only reported the business income, but ignored the wages you paid yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past decades, Federal tax law kept changing. Some presidents won elections by promising “individuals don’t need to pay taxes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Federal government’s fiscal health was one concern, but this also tied to the Federation’s founding principles—taxation had long been a sensitive issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For that reason, tax law remained chaotic until recently, when the Tax Amendment Act introduced new rules: anyone earning less than one hundred credits per month no longer needed to file.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why many people have employee cards but only hire two workers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a third person worked, their combined income might exceed one hundred credits—and then they’d have to pay taxes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But businesses, regardless of income, must always file.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Congress is actively debating a new Tax Amendment, proposed by a senator who believes anyone earning over thirty-five credits should be taxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this proposal faces strong public resistance and won’t pass anytime soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, from Mr. Gus’s perspective, Johnny clearly evaded taxes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not an accountant—I don’t know exactly how much tax you should’ve paid. But if you didn’t register a company and only reported business revenue and profit, ignoring your own wages and your daughter’s, frankly, Johnny, you’re in trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused. “Did you and your daughter sign an employment contract?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For example, promising her a certain monthly wage?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny shook his head. “No. Who does that? But I swear—I pay her every month!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fat daughter quickly added, “Yes, sir. My father gives me fifty credits every month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Gus still didn’t write anything down. “But the tax bureau won’t believe you. The court won’t believe you. The judge won’t believe you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They can claim the money you gave your daughter was a voluntary gift. And you never registered a company—like ‘Johnny’s Bakery’ or anything similar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny shook his head. “I never registered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“State law clearly states that individual entrepreneurs must combine business tax and personal income tax in one filing. But you only reported your business income, ignoring your additional monthly income of over a hundred credits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter how you argue to the court that your daughter worked for you or other circumstances, you have no solid evidence to prove it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In my view, the outcome of this case is certain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny’s head felt like it would explode. “No one ever told me this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Gus didn’t care whether Johnny knew or not. “If the tax bureau is suing you, they’ve almost certainly gathered solid evidence. So…” he shook his head, “if you plan to hire a lawyer, do it quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Johnny’s hopeful expression, Mr. Gus firmly shook his head. “I won’t take this case. First, I primarily handle corporate cases, not personal ones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second, I don’t take cases I know I’ll lose. But I can recommend a lawyer for you, if you’d like.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Johnny. Such cases were common in the Federation—Federal tax law, state tax law, local tax law—no one knew how many different tax codes existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>State and local tax laws varied by region. Other laws were the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One state might encourage an industry with tax exemptions, while another state treated the same industry as discouraged—with no benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So in the Federation, there were virtually no lawyers who could handle cases nationwide. Almost all lawyers specialized in just one state’s laws. To cross state lines, you needed to contact a higher-level firm or find a colleague.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny’s case didn’t require a colleague—he clearly evaded taxes, no dispute. The only thing lawyers could do was try to minimize his losses. That was all they could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tax cases were hard to take because once they reached trial, the tax bureau already had solid proof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny looked desperate. Mr. Gus, thinking of the forty-five credits (the firm took a 25% cut), softly said, “The lawyer I recommend has been interning right here with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He can help you turn your intentional tax evasion into accidental underreporting, so the court’s punishment will be lighter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And his fee is cheap—no more than two hundred credits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For an intern, that wasn’t low—it gave him a chance to face off against the tax bureau in court. Such opportunities didn’t come every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Analyzing a hundred cases was less effective than one real courtroom battle against the tax bureau’s lawyers—that was the fastest way to grow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny had little money left. His bank account had been frozen by the tax bureau, which claimed the funds were stolen from the tax bureau and the Federation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his whole life had turned to chaos. Bad things kept happening every day this past month—he felt utterly ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>",1587,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cbb276a8ca0054c13a30143281b4ee2d6475228761ee260ab4944d9bfb5bd6a5","the-shadow-empire-chapter-86","the-shadow-empire-chapter-84",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]