34: Chapter 34 Self-written, self-directed, and self-acted
As the old saying goes, cross the river by feeling the Eagle.
When it comes to taxation, no one understands it better than the Eagle.
After all, they can count the illicit gains of robbers into the GDP, and allow drug dealers to check 'sole proprietorship' when filling out tax forms.
Fu Haoran simply copied their homework.
The policy was issued that same day.
【Notice of the Establishment of the Hive City National Tax Bureau】
【Effective immediately, all income must be taxed in accordance with the law】
【Tax Rates: Legal income 20%, gray income 40%, illegal income 50%】
【After taxes are paid, income is protected by Imperial law, and no one may pursue it】
【Tax evaders will be treated as traitors and punished severely】
The news spread like wildfire throughout the Hive City.
It was mainly in the Underhive.
Because a certain Planetary Governor requested that the notice only be circulated in the Underhive.
Naturally, the Underhive was in an uproar.
"What the f***? Can you pay taxes on robbery now?"
"If you pay taxes, it's legal? So, does the Adeptus Arbites still care?"
"Care my ass! They have a tax receipt, what are you going to use to sue them?"
"You believe that? It's probably a case of killing the donkey after the grinding is done—tricking us into being cannon fodder. Once we turn in our stolen money, they'll turn around and arrest us! I've seen this kind of double-crossing since I was ten!"
The people of the Underhive generally didn't believe it.
The noble children of the Mid-Hive gathered in a tavern, looking at the notice passed around, snickering incessantly:
"Has our Planetary Governor gone crazy? Trying to raise money with such a stupid method? Only those brainless drifters in the Underhive would believe such nonsense."
Another rich kid chimed in: "Exactly, would anyone really dare to rob something and pay taxes on it? They'd probably be arrested as soon as they pay, and they wouldn't even know how they died."
No one in the Upper Nest believed it either.
In short, three days after the decree was issued, no one came to pay taxes.
Fu Haoran had been prepared for this.
That night, it was dark and windy, perfect for causing trouble.
Wade reported: "My lord, the men have assembled."
Fu Haoran nodded with satisfaction.
He had Wade gather all the soldiers and officers who had recently distinguished themselves in battle, saying he was going to distribute rewards.
When everyone arrived, Fu Haoran brought out a pile of boxes and opened them. They were full of black tactical training uniforms, goods from the 2K World, with no special features other than being black.
"Come on, everyone take a set and put it on."
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
"My lord, what is... what is this for?" Wade asked tentatively.
"Tonight, I'm taking you all to do something big." Fu Haoran was eager to try.
Mechanicus Priest Kalen was also dragged into the team.
Seeing the black robe Fu Haoran had specially prepared for him, his mechanical bionic eye flashed wildly:
"I will never take off my robe, even if I die!"
"My robe is the sacred testament of my advancement, embroidered with three hundred years of glory from the Adeptus Mechanicus! You want me to take it off and wear this... this black rag?!"
Fu Haoran rubbed his forehead: "...Fine, fine, fine, you can wear your sacred rag, just hide at the very back and don't let anyone see you, is that okay?"
Kalen snorted coldly, clutched his red robe, and retreated to the corner.
Fu Haoran turned to Lucifer and asked tentatively: "How about... you change into one too?"
He thought she would refuse.
To his surprise, Lucifer took the tactical uniform, glanced down at it, and put it directly on.
Replacing the black robe with the black uniform, she was still outrageously tall, and her curves were outlined very clearly by the fabric. Fu Haoran quickly looked away.
"No, I was just being polite, how did you actually agree?!"
Lucifer glanced at him without saying a word.
The team set off in the dark.
Wade followed beside Fu Haoran, lowering his voice to persuade him: "My lord, are you really going? It's too risky, what if something goes wrong..."
"It's fine." Fu Haoran waved his hand. "This is a small matter, it's a sure thing."
What Fu Haoran didn't say was: "You rookies have never done this kind of work, if I don't go, who will command?"
"The key is that Lucifer only listens to me. If I don't go, who can move this ancestor?"
"In case a subordinate accidentally pisses her off and gets killed on the spot, that would be a huge loss."
"Besides, it's too boring not to go and mess around with a job like this that has no danger."
As a Planetary Governor, there is one benefit: if you want a map of the Hive City's underground tunnels, it's just a matter of saying one sentence.
Fu Haoran pulled up the data pad, which contained information from Victor's letter of allegiance: "Abandoned underground transport tunnels in the Hive City, used by nobles three thousand years ago to secretly transport private property and munitions, later abandoned."
"The biggest advantage is that it's much more decent than crawling through sewers."
The group sneaked to the entrance of the tunnel and encountered the first hurdle—an encrypted metal manhole cover.
Twenty centimeters thick, with a triple electronic lock.
Fu Haoran originally intended to have Kalen crack it, which was the reason he brought the Tech-Priest along.
As it turned out, Kalen was hiding at the very back, refusing to take off his "sacred rag" no matter what.
Fu Haoran had to turn to look at Lucifer.
Lucifer looked down at the manhole cover, her eyes filled with undisguised disdain.
"Move."
She raised her hand, and a pale green halo condensed at her fingertips.
Dozens of Canoptek Scarabs the size of fingernails flew out from her sleeves and landed on the manhole cover.
Their mouthparts chewed rapidly, and the metal was decomposed into fine powder, falling down with a rustle.
In a moment, the manhole cover disappeared, revealing the pitch-black tunnel entrance.
Fu Haoran opened his mouth but stopped, not knowing whether to praise or complain.
Such a brutal method would easily attract attention!
Lucifer ignored him.
The group filed in one after another.
The tunnel was spacious, wide enough for three people to walk side by side.
The walls had remnants of ancient transport rails, covered in rust.
After walking for twenty minutes, they arrived at their destination, Noble Warehouse No. 3.
This was carefully selected by Fu Haoran.
It was filled with hard currency that was small in size, high in value, and easy to transport: adamantium ingots, Promethium crystals, military-grade Servo-skull parts, several crates of unregistered energy weapons, and some rare ores.
According to Victor's valuation, it was worth at least a million throne coins.
Wade led his men to pry open the warehouse door.
The moment the door opened, everyone gasped.
The neatly stacked metal ingots shimmered with a cold light in the dim environment, and the piles of parts boxes were stacked up to the ceiling.
Fu Haoran waved his hand: "Move it. One hour. Take as much as you can."
Ronan was the first to rush in, shouldering a crate of adamantium ingots and running out.
Wade directed the soldiers to form a conveyor belt, moving the crates out one by one.
In the corner, Kalen stared at the mountain of high-grade parts and instruments, unable to restrain himself any longer. He stepped forward quickly, muttering to himself:
"What a desecration of the machine spirit... these parts must be properly stored, not piled up haphazardly."
Some couldn't carry the crates, so they opened them and shoved the contents into their backpacks.
A clever soldier noticed a sealed Chimera armored vehicle parked in the corner, his eyes widening: "Boss, can we take this thing?"
Fu Haoran took a look: "Leave the vehicle for now, take it apart for parts. Wheels, engine, weapon systems, take whatever you can disassemble."
The soldiers pulled out their tools and swarmed it.
Lucifer really couldn't understand why this group of "primitive monkeys" would do such inefficient and meaningless things.
Inefficient, clumsy, and completely without order.
No different from monkeys.
However, she didn't mind participating in such an activity.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was her first real breath in sixty million years.
Air rushed into her lungs, carrying the astringent taste of dust and the cold, metallic smell of blood.
"The taste of being alive," she murmured to herself, "It stinks."
While complaining, she didn't leave. Instead, she started helping to pick and choose, taking away some small ornaments that caught her eye.
In her blurry memories, it seemed that lovers were supposed to do things like this.
Then, Fu Haoran's eye twitched, and he froze on the spot.
He saw Lucifer holding several beautiful stones and saying: "How about using these to decorate the room?"
Fu Haoran looked at the stones and felt more and more that something was wrong: "Um, my dear, what are these stones?"
"Eldar spirit stones, nice little trinkets."
Fu Haoran's first thought was, you dare to keep these? Aren't you afraid of them coming to find you?
The importance of spirit stones to the Eldar goes without saying. Once people find out, there won't be a second outcome other than them coming to take your life.
However, after thinking for a few seconds about how to refuse the kindness of a Necron Overlord "girlfriend", Fu Haoran decided to give up.
"No problem, my dear, this thing is perfect for you. I think it would be best to put it in your room."
Yes, he would rather die than put it in his own place.
Lucifer nodded, her gaze falling on the spirit stones, the corners of her mouth curling up: "Fine, I'll put them in the most conspicuous place when we get back."
Fu Haoran: ...
"Sigh, why did I have to be so stupid and ask that extra question?!"
"Also, just how much do these nobles love to court death? Aren't they afraid of the Eldar coming to skin them alive?!"