35: Chapter 35 Tax Evasion is Shameful

In less than an hour, the warehouse was half empty.

It wasn't that they couldn't finish moving it, but that they couldn't move any more.

Fu Haoran looked at the supplies piled up like a small mountain and waved his hand in satisfaction: "Withdraw."

On the way back, Wade asked: "My Lord, how should we handle these things?"

Fu Haoran smiled: "Distribute them, and let everyone take them to pay taxes."

"My Lord, this... isn't this what we looted ourselves? Who are we paying taxes to?"

"To me, and also to yourselves." Fu Haoran said matter-of-factly, "Once the taxes are paid, these items become your legal income. If anyone asks in the future, you will have proof of tax payment."

Wade still didn't quite understand this superfluous operation, but an order was an order.

Early the next morning, Ronan took a dozen brothers, carrying crates, to the tax bureau.

Because they were their own people, the process went very quickly.

Filling out forms, valuation, paying 50%.

The money went from the left pocket to the right pocket, but the tax payment certificate was real.

Ronan clutched that thin piece of paper, walked out of the tax bureau, and stood at the entrance, stunned for a long time.

"This... this is legal now?"

A soldier next to him leaned over: "Boss, look at this."

He handed over a Mid-Hive residence permit.

Ronan took it, his name and serial number printed on it.

The tax collector's voice was still in his ears: "The new residential area is being renovated. After it's completed, you can bring your family to move in. Just present this permit to register then."

Ronan turned the residence permit over and over, looking at it three times.

Born and raised in the Underhive, Ronan had never dared to imagine in his life that he could obtain a Mid-Hive residence permit.

He turned to look at the dozen brothers, each of them clutching the same permit in their hands.

"Boss, this... is this real or fake?"

Ronan tucked the permit into his chest and nodded affirmatively: "Given by the Governor, how could it be fake?!"

Not far away, several Underhive drifters squatted in the corner, witnessing the whole process.

Their eyes shifted from confusion to shock, whispering:

"Isn't that Ronan, that Underhive guy? What do they have in their hands?"

"It looks like... a Mid-Hive residence permit? I heard you can only get it after paying taxes!"

"Really? They just carried crates into the tax bureau earlier, could it be... they really paid taxes?"

Amidst the discussion, someone couldn't help but stand up and hurry back.

A single spark started a prairie fire.

The news spread quickly.

It didn't spread from the Underhive, but from within the Planetary Defense Force.

"Have you heard? That group who earned military merit last time all got Mid-Hive residence permits, and I heard they were even allocated housing?"

"Yes, I saw the residence permit. I heard they can move to the Mid-Hive next month."

"How did they do it? That's the Mid-Hive! A place where only the wealthy and nobles can live!"

"I heard they paid a sum of stolen money and bought a Mid-Hive residence permit!"

"There's such a thing? Are you sure?" an old soldier asked eagerly.

"How could this be fake? You remember Ronan, right? The one who earned a first-class merit in the Promethium Factory battle last month; he has already moved to the Mid-Hive now."

"I got news that a map was released in the Underhive. As long as you go loot the things inside and then pay taxes, it can become legal income. Aside from having half the loot taken away, there are no downsides."

The old soldier took a deep drag of his cigarette and said: "I've seen that map. A few of my childhood friends are on duty there; perhaps we have a chance too."

"Really? You plan to do a job?" The other old soldiers immediately became interested.

"Yeah, our Governor has high credibility. Even for traitors to gangs, he keeps his promises. Would he scam us?"

The few people looked at each other and made a decision on the spot.

"Alright, as long as you can find an inside contact, we'll do a job. But let's test the waters first, safety first."

"Right, as long as it's confirmed to be real, we'll have plenty of opportunities."

Those who can join the Planetary Defense Force are the elite among civilians; who doesn't have a few acquaintances?

Soon, small gangs were formed, and they started using various methods to begin their zero-dollar shopping.

Finally, the people in the Underhive couldn't sit still anymore.

Three days later, the first Underhive person walked into the tax bureau. He had a scar on his face and was the leader of a small Underhive gang. No one knew his name; they all called him Scarface.

He was carrying two crates of adamantium ingots, his eyes filled with probing and vigilance.

"Can... can this stuff be used to pay taxes?"

The tax collector glanced at the adamantium ingots and handed over a form: "Fill out the form, valuation, pay 50%."

Scarface filled out the form, paid the money, and received a tax payment certificate.

He clutched the paper, stunned for a long time: "This... this is legal now?"

"It's legal." The tax collector stamped it, "You are still two thousand throne coins in points away from obtaining a Mid-Hive residence permit."

A notice had long been posted at the entrance of the tax bureau: once cumulative tax payments reach 5000 throne coins, one can apply for a Mid-Hive residence permit and qualify to purchase housing.

Scarface walked out the door and stood at the entrance for five minutes, repeatedly rubbing the tax payment certificate.

He couldn't understand how stolen money could be openly carried in his pocket.

The next day, a line formed at the entrance of the tax bureau.

Those carrying adamantium ingots, those carrying weapons, those carrying food.

Someone bold even came to pay taxes carrying the core parts of a Chimera armored vehicle.

In three days, the tax bureau collected over three million throne coins.

Yuri stared at the ledger, his hands shaking: "This is actually allowed?"

Fu Haoran glanced at him: "Why wouldn't it work?"

"But..." Yuri pointed at the ledger, "This money is all stolen goods!"

"Now they are tax payments." Fu Haoran smiled, "And have you noticed? In order to pay taxes, these people have to liquidate or value their goods first."

"Those stolen goods hidden in the nooks and crannies of the Underhive have all been dug out."

Wade nodded: "It's equivalent to getting an asset list for free."

"Correct." Fu Haoran said, "However, we can't just wait. We also need to catch a few troublemakers to make an example of them."

...

"Iron Skull" Capone, a former small leader of the Iron Hand Gang. After Jack died, he reorganized the remnants and rose again in the Underhive.

He led people to rob a secret warehouse of the Silver Thorn Family, emptying out the ammunition and Promethium inside.

And didn't pay a single cent of tax.

His subordinate asked: "Boss, about the tax bureau..."

"Pay my ass!" Capone slammed the table, "I'm barely in time to avenge Jack, and you want me to pay taxes to that dog Governor?"

He sneered: "If Fu Haoran has the ability, let him come suppress me. I'll hide in the Underhive; let's see how he finds us!"

What Capone didn't know was that he had long been targeted.

In the corner, an inconspicuous scarab beetle transmitted all conversations and images back without missing a word.

Thus, at three in the morning.

Capone's lair was completely surrounded by the Planetary Defense Force.

He led over two hundred people trying to break out. Just as they rushed out the door, they ran head-on into the gun barrels of three Leman Russ Tanks.

"Drop your weapons!" Wade's voice came from the loudspeaker, "You are suspected of tax evasion and are now being arrested in accordance with the law!"

Capone was stunned.

"Tax evasion?"

"I rob things and it's not illegal, but tax evasion is illegal?" He roared, "What kind of bullshit logic is this!"

Wade's calm voice came from the loudspeaker: "Your tax evasion is an act of defiance against the Emperor's will!"

Capone roared: "Fu Haoran! If you have guts, fight me head-on! Using tax evasion to get me, what kind of hero are you!"

No one answered him.

Heavy bolters began to pick off targets.

Suddenly, one of the gang members behind Capone dropped his weapon and raised his hands in surrender: "I'll pay taxes! I'll pay taxes! Don't kill me!"

Then the second, the third.

When Capone turned back, he was stabbed in the lower back by his own subordinate.

The man panted: "Sorry, Boss. The Governor said that paying taxes means you can live."

Capone fell, his eyes still open.

Twenty minutes later, his body was processed into that night's Corpse Starch raw material.

The next day, the whole hive was spreading this news.

"Have you heard? Capone was wiped out."

"Why? Because he robbed people?"

"No, because he evaded taxes."

"Tax evasion? Robbery is fine, but tax evasion is a problem?"

"Right. Robbery is legal if you pay taxes, but tax evasion is a dead end."

The people in the Underhive gangs looked at each other.

"Then... we'd better pay taxes."

"Yes, yes, yes, pay taxes to save our lives."

A long line formed again at the entrance of the tax bureau.

Fu Haoran watched the system pop-up window appear:

【Achievement Unlocked: Unrivaled Tax Collector】

【Reward: General Points +5000, Free Attribute Points +5, Hive City Income +50%】

【Congratulations, you have successfully turned robbers into taxpayers. Should the next step be making Chaos cultists pay taxes too?】

Fu Haoran closed the interface and turned to the holographic map.

It marked the hiding spots of the stolen goods confiscated over the past three days, with dense red dots covering almost every corner of the Underhive.

Wade hesitated for a moment and asked: "My Lord, if everyone pays taxes, then the gangs in the Underhive..."

"The gangs are still there, they've just changed how they live." Fu Haoran said, "They are now busy looting things to pay taxes and earning points to exchange for residence permits; they don't have time to be dogs for the nobles."

"Besides, we are about to start the second step of the harvesting plan."

Yuri was shocked: "What? You've already harvested half of their stolen money; how else do you plan to harvest them?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you; Underhive people have the least sense of security. Trying to make them pay extra money is harder than ascending to heaven!"

Fu Haoran revealed a confident smile: "Believe me, I will make them obediently pay up."