Chapter 86: Revenge: Trafficking in Japan
"Boss, all the donations to the New York City Government and Police Department have been transferred!"
Inside the Manor's twenty-five long constant temperature indoor swimming pool, the water temperature was set to the most comfortable twenty-seven degrees Celsius. Tang Song swam a few laps in the pool, then got out, wrapping himself in a bath towel.
Two young and beautiful maids came forward with towels. One helped him dry his body, and the other blew dry his hair.
Skye, in a white bikini swimsuit and orange sunglasses, held up her fair wrist, admiring the high-end bracelet Tang Song had given her. Judging by her radiant smile, the kidnapping incident didn't seem to have affected her much.
Lane came to the side of the swimming pool, holding some documents, and said to Tang Song.
"Boss, here are a few fund usage documents that require your review!"
"I told you, you can handle these matters yourself!"
Tang Song casually took the documents and flipped through them.
The first one was the donation to the New York City Government and the New York Police Department (NYPD). He donated twenty million US dollars to the New York City Government and ten million to the NYPD.
The purpose of spending this money was for the entire New York City Government, including the Police Department, to choose to discreetly handle the large-scale gunfight that occurred on the day of the kidnapping.
The so-called discreet handling means that if no one reports the case and it doesn't appear in the public eye, then the case file for this incident will just lie in a Corner and gather dust.
In The East, there's a saying: 'Money makes ghosts push the millstone.' In the Federation, money can make the millstone push ghosts! Money can reach the gods, this principle is universal, unchanging through the ages.
As for the news media, ten million US dollars plus a powerful identity is enough to block the news. For media outlets skilled at chasing shadows, public opinion is their weapon, and traffic is the cash in their pockets. They don't care about right and wrong, just like how the New York Times later exploited Spider-Man, smearing him however they could. As for the neighboring DC Universe, the Daily Bugle even treated Superman as a traffic password.
However, these newspaper reporters and editors might not fear Councillors or the President of the United States, daring to casually use their gossip as jokes! They also don't fear those Superheroes; justice is always weak. The public opinion in their hands is enough to crush any vigilante.
But being well-informed, they wouldn't dare to provoke New York's newly risen crime boss. They knew that Councillors might talk law with them, and Superheroes would talk justice, but they knew Tang Song wouldn't. No reporter is foolhardy enough to want to reason or talk law with a gangster boss!
It was precisely for this reason that even the car accident news of an Oscorp shareholder, a famous Jewish banker, was only briefly mentioned in the corner of many famous newspapers, out of fear of a certain person.
The second item of expenditure was the initial expenses for the Dock construction, roughly five hundred million. The abandoned Dock that was blown up when the Blood God was eliminated has now been included in the New York City Government's plan after the Governor took office, preparing to approve an Ocean Harbour.
Tang Group's newly established Subsidiary Construction Company is the builder. As the investor, Tang Group owns 70% of the shares in this Dock. As for the remaining 30%, well, different people have different views! After all, some necessary exchange of benefits is still needed. Otherwise, even with the support of the Governor of New York State, it's easier to deal with the King of Hell than with the petty devils. Some coffee money still needs to be given.
The various government offices in New York, big and small, are no less numerous than in China, plus various miscellaneous protection organizations. If you want project construction, you must first grease their palms. The payoffs for these people combined exceed two hundred million US dollars.
Building an Ocean Dock is estimated to require invested capital of at least three billion US dollars. The group allocated five hundred million US dollars to the construction company for initial procurement and recruitment costs. As for the remaining two point five billion, Lane used a portion of the Dock's shares and future revenue as collateral to borrow four billion US dollars from six banks including Wells Fargo, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs.
One point five billion of this was transferred by Lane to the group's stock market account on Wall Street. Combined with the one point five billion profit from short selling Stark Industries, the total is three billion US dollars. According to Boss Tang's idea, this money is prepared to buy Stark Industries at the bottom at any time.
After Tony Stark disappeared, someone contacted Boss Tang through Wells Fargo, wanting to sell their Stark Industries shares. However, later, because Tony Stark returned and Stark Industries' stock price soared, that person changed his mind at the last minute.
But Tang Song wasn't worried. Stark Industries' stock price hasn't reached the bottom yet. When Tony Stark officially announces his withdrawal from the arms market, that will be his good opportunity to enter.
Who would have thought that an Arms Company would transform into a giant in the energy industry? It's like a cook studying military strategy instead of a recipe, and against all expectations, actually becoming a good general.
In the eyes of outsiders, this is simply outrageous.
But leveraging his plot advantage, Tang Song is preparing to cut a large slice from this big cake that no one else knows about. After all, the energy industry is much more profitable than selling firearms. Otherwise, those Tycoons with white cloths on their heads wouldn't be throwing money around the world.
However, Stark Industries' clean energy is bound to have a huge impact on the oil industry. But given Stark Industries' status in the Federation, even without plot inertia, Tang Song has no doubt that Tony Stark can withstand the suppression from the Old Energy Interest Groups. All Boss Tang can do is count money.
After Lane's operation, the Dock hasn't even started construction yet, but they have not only completely broken even but also made a large profit. This is the benefit brought by aligning correctly and connections.
......…
The last major expenditure is the development of Raccoon City, which is the real main expenditure. The group's appraiser estimates that the initial investment will cost around three billion.
The Farm, covering an area of twenty thousand acres, has been planned as a cultural tourism town. The land costs alone cost Boss Tang sixty million US dollars. The design costs for this cultural tourism town are as high as one hundred million.
What gave the designer responsible for planning a headache was Boss Tang's requirements. The lakes and rivers around the town were subjected to human intervention on the design drawing. Not only that, Boss Tang, the demanding client, gave the design company a base plan, and all the house layouts in the town needed to be completed based on this base plan.
Horizontal and Vertical, the requirements were very detailed. Of course, if those designers had been to Boss Tang's Underground Lair, they would realize that the entire town is just an enlarged version of a huge Underground Altar, a massive spirit gathering array covering a full twenty thousand acres. And at the very center of the Altar, where construction is breaking ground, is the underground building complex personally named The Hive by Tang Song.
Building the entire cultural tourism town will likely cost at least ten billion US dollars. However, because it involves earthwork, labor costs, plus some opaque costs, this cultural tourism town project is also an excellent money laundering project. Over forty percent of the cash flow in Tang Song's hands can be laundered through the construction of this town.
Of course, it's worth mentioning that although it's money laundering, a large amount of tax payment is conspicuously listed in the project expenditures in documents. Voluntarily pay taxes while money laundering, this would look like a joke in any other country. However, in the Federation, this is perfectly legal. The IRS will not inquire about the origin of your money, as long as you can pay sufficient taxes. Rest assured, they will absolutely not report you to the FBI or CIA. Of course, the premise is that you don't evade taxes.
The Federation's tax authority and law are the most ruthless in the world. To illustrate their degree of severity, it can be said that even Tang Song would get a headache if they targeted him. The power that the IRS possesses in the Federation even exceeds that of the FBI; no one dares to easily offend them. As long as someone dares to evade taxes, they can investigate them. If suspicion exists, they can implement arrest and freeze suspicious assets without going through a Court of Law.
You should know that the Federation, as a capitalism, proclaims private property to be sacred and inviolable! In the 1930s, Boss Tang's predecessor, Al Capone, the underground gang boss of Chicago at the time, was famous. He not only controlled a large number of businesses in the area but also had the ability to interfere with government management. Even some Councillors would specifically seek Capone's support. His prestige in the Underworld once disdained the former crime boss and the current Boss Tang.
Although Capone's annual income in the 1930s could reach over 100 million, he was still reluctant to part with his money. After all, if he honestly paid taxes, half of his income would go into the federal treasury. The Hoover administration at the time also turned a blind eye to this. After all, Capone was no pushover; he would ruthlessly kill anyone who dared to obstruct him, and many people in high positions with great power could hardly escape assassination.
But as Capone became increasingly lawless, not only equipping his Subordinates with powerful firepower but also committing multiple bloody attacks, many High-level Staff felt that Capone couldn't be allowed to develop further, or the entire society would panic. So Hoover immediately ordered the FBI to secretly investigate, obtain Capone's criminal evidence and arrest him. But as the boss of a large force, Capone also greatly valued handling loose ends.
Therefore, after much effort, the FBI couldn't find any criminal evidence at all, and the only few clues were not enough to convict.
In the end, this Chicago boss was dramatically sent to prison for tax evasion and never got out until he died.
Unlike tax authorities in other countries, the IRS can conduct armed tax collection. The tax personnel of the IRS carry guns for law enforcement. If tax personnel come to collect taxes from you, and you try every possible way to escape and don't hand it over, they might not say much to you and just put a gun to your head.
The IRS has over 110,000 employees across the entire Federation. Moreover, their weapon level is very high. Among the Federation's agencies, if ranked by weapon equipment level, the highest is the army, followed by the Navy, and third is the IRS's weapons. Their weapon equipment is similar to the army's, basically having all kinds of weapons, including but not limited to planes, tanks, and armored vehicles. Not only are they fully equipped with weapon equipment, but they also have very great law enforcement power.
The IRS has forty thousand personnel who are dedicated tax inspectors. These personnel have very great rights and can freeze anyone's account or property at any time, whether you are a civilian or a high-ranking official with rights! This is also the reason Tang Song doesn't want to provoke the IRS.
"Boss, Willie Gambino requests a video call with you!"
After Tang Song signed the Chinese character 'Reviewed' on the document with his fountain pen, Lane finished organizing them and put them into a document bag. He took out his notebook and, after getting Tang Song's nod, connected Willie Gambino's video.
The video footage was taken by the outdoor swimming pool of a European style villa. The scene was a mess, and a group of people were busy cleaning up the corpses in the villa. On the floor tiles by the pool, there were bloodstains everywhere left by dragging corpses. Six or seven elegantly dressed Mexicans were tied up and kneeling by the swimming pool. Behind each person stood a Hitman aiming a gun.
"Boss, these are core members of the Cartel Group!" Willie Gambino bowed slightly towards Tang Song in the video call, pointing at the kneeling Mexicans by the swimming pool as he explained. "Ferdinand, who participated in the kidnapping, is the younger brother of the Cartel Group's leader!"
"The Butcher just interrogated them. The reason they participated in kidnapping Miss Skye was that they wanted the two secret drug trafficking channels from Mexico to the Federation!"
In the video, The Butcher, passing by with a corpse under one arm, stopped when he heard Willie Gambino mention his name. He happened to see Tang Song's figure on the computer screen and quickly put down the corpse in his hand, bowing towards Tang Song. Tang Song raised his hand to signal him to continue, and only then did he pick up the corpse and continue throwing it into the swimming pool.
Seeing this scene, Willie Gambino's pupils contracted, but his face was still full of respect.
"These two drug trafficking channels were created by Kingpin in partnership with a drug lord in Mexico. They dug out two four-kilometer-long underground tunnels from Mexicali in Mexico to Calexico in the Federation!"
"The drugs transported to the Federation through these two tunnels every year are calculated in tons. It had always been an important source of income for Kingpin!"
"Later, the Cartel Group caught an important Subordinate of the seller during a shootout and learned about these two tunnels!"
"Before, because they feared Kingpin, they didn't take action against these two tunnels, until recently…"
While saying this, Willie was carefully observing Tang Song's look. If Boss Tang showed even a hint of being interested in these two drug tunnels, Willie would definitely offer them with both hands. There was no other way. The strength displayed by the Assassin from the Brotherhood of Assassins sent by Boss Tang to help was truly too formidable. Although Willie Gambino had been a manager at the Continental Hotel for a few years, precisely because he had seen so many Hitmen, as an expert, he understood how formidable the group of Assassin sent by Boss Tang were.
"Boss, how should these people be dealt with?" Seeing that Boss Tang was clearly not interested in these two tunnels, Willie asked cautiously.
Tang Song looked at the kneeling people in the video, slightly raised his hand, and said lightly: "Kill them all."
Gunfire rang out one after another. The Mexican drug dealers in the video, after being hooded, were executed by firing squad. One by one, they fell headfirst into the swimming pool, instantly dyeing the clear pool water red.
......…
After dealing with the core members of the Cartel Group, Willie ended the call with Boss Tang. He picked up a bottle of beautifully packaged tequila from the table by the swimming pool and pulled out the sapphire stopper. Willie casually picked up a crystal glass from the side, about to pour himself a drink.
"If I were you, I wouldn't drink this poisoned tequila!"
A voice interrupted Willie's action. He put down the wine glass in his hand and looked behind him. By the swimming pool, the second batch of people were being executed by firing squad. A thin black man with glasses struggled with his upper body and shouted towards Willie.
Poisoned tequila. Looking at the beautifully packaged tequila in his hand, Willie signaled his Subordinate to bring the thin black man with glasses over.
"You say this is poisoned tequila?"
Facing Willie's question, the thin black man with glasses forcefully broke free from the hands holding him and straightened his suit and tie. He very elegantly extended his hand towards Willie.
"Allow me to introduce myself, Gustavo Fring, Eladio's enemy. This bottle of highly poisoned tequila is the gift I gave Eladio. Unfortunately, you did what I wanted to do one step ahead!"
"Enemy?" Willie played with the wine bottle in his hand, sizing up the black man in front of him. Strangely enough, as an Italian, looking at the black man in front of him, he actually found his behavior and demeanor quite elegant.
Gustavo ignored the dark muzzles of the Gunmen behind him, took out a white handkerchief from the outer pocket of his suit, and wiped his slightly foggy glasses.
"Ten years ago, right here, Eladio killed my brother. This time I originally planned to come for revenge. You eliminated my enemy for me. We can cooperate!"
Cooperate?! Willie scoffed, "Now that you are in my hands, what capital do you have to cooperate with me?"
"You are not from the Federation?" Gustavo looked at Willie, the expression under his glasses full of certainty: "If you want to take over Eladio's business, you will need a partner in the Federation!"
"I have a stable distribution channel in seven states in the Federation. I can help you!"
"Not enough!" Willie raised his index finger and shook it. "The conditions you offer are not enough to buy your life!"
Gustavo was silent for a moment, glancing at the White Punk kneeling on the ground not far away. "I have two professional chemists. They can purify the drugs to over 95% purity. You should know their value!"
Over 95% purity. Willie became interested. This purity was much higher than the goods he imported from France. That batch of goods was said to be made in a village in Southeast Asia, sold to France, and by the time it reached him, it was already third-hand, costing almost a third more than Italian local goods. But its high purity made it superior, so it had a large market in Italy. If there really were cheap goods with over 95% purity.
Willie looked at the calm-faced Gustavo, frowned, picked up a wine glass from a nearby table, poured a glass of Sapphire Tequila, and handed the glass to Gustavo. "I need to see your sincerity!"
Gustavo didn't hesitate at all. After taking the glass, he gave Willie an address. "After I drink this, please take me here. I have arranged for a doctor there to have my stomach pumped!" Without waiting for Willie's response, Gustavo drained the tequila in the glass in one gulp.
......
At a Motel, Gustavo woke up groggily from the operating table, leaning over the side of the bed and dry-heaving.
"They left. This is the business card the Italian left!"
Gustavo's capable Subordinate, a sturdy white old man over sixty, stood guard nearby with a double-barreled hunting rifle. Seeing Gustavo recover from the vomiting, he walked forward and handed Gustavo a business card.
"Willie Gambino, Gambino family, Italian Mafia!"
Gustavo pondered for a moment, then tucked the business card into his pocket.
"They took Jesse," the old white man said to Gustavo.
Gustavo wasn't surprised at all. He walked to a nearby coat rack, took down a new suit, and put it on.
"What about Walter?"
"Same as usual, not very well-behaved," the old white man pursed his lips.
Gustavo straightened his tie in the mirror: "Go teach him a lesson, but be careful not to go too far. We still need him now!"
The old white man nodded understandingly, pushed open the garage door, and walked out.
"Gambino family, Tang Song, the new crime boss?" Thinking of that face he secretly saw in the video, a trace of gloom flashed across Gustavo's face.
......…
In the Manor's entertainment room, Lane was playing billiards with Boss Tang. Lane reported on the work while playing.
Hearing Lane's report about Willie, Tang Song wiped his billiard cue and smiled.
"Drugs, we don't do that. Let Willie deal with the two tunnels himself, but have him hand over twenty percent of the profit every month! How are The Painter's counterfeit euros? Once they are counterfeited, have Willie sell them through his drug channel!"
"The plates have been completed. In a few more days, the first batch of finished products will be around fifty million euro! I will connect with Willie immediately!"
"Okay, right. Around this time, Frank should have arrived in Japan by now, right?"
The flight from San Francisco to Tokyo last night should have already arrived. Lane replied, pocketing the last black ball and putting away his cue.
"Thirty people, Lane, guess if Frank can give The Hand a surprise?"
Looking at the billiards Lane had just set up, Tang Song raised his billiard cue, poised to attack.
......
Shizuoka Airport, the closest international Airport to Mount Fuji in Japan, is only eighty kilometers northeast of Mount Fuji. This Airport is very small, so small that even luggage has to be left outside the Airport, and you can only take your luggage inside until it's time for check-in. However, because it is the closest international Airport to Mount Fuji, the traffic it handles every year is not small. Foreigners are also very common here.
When Frank walked out of the Airport carrying his luggage, he didn't attract much attention. At most, a few enthusiastic private guides approached Frank, promoting their hot springs and beautiful girls.
"I've arrived in Japan. When will the things I ordered arrive?"
In Africa, Yuri, who was in a hotel in a small country in South Africa, enjoying the pole dance of two black pearls, walked to the window with his mobile phone.
"Immediately, I've already found someone to pick you up. He will take you to the warehouse. The things you need are there!"
Frank held his mobile phone, carrying his suitcase with one hand, and walked on the Highway outside the Airport. After declining several taxi drivers, a black Honda car stopped in front of him. A Japanese youth with a buzz cut got out of the car.
"Are you Mr. Frank? I am Ken Sato. Mr. Yuri asked me to pick you up!"
(end of chapter)