Lin BaoCheng's stay in Japan ended up lasting a few days longer than planned. He had tasted the sweetness and couldn't help but linger.
During those days, he visited Zhiyin Manga Publishing several times and finalized the serialization of Transformers.
Mobile Suit Gundam and Macross had already begun serialization, but since they had only just started, it was too early to tell if they would become hits. For now, the only certainty was that they had attracted some readership and hadn't flopped. Whether they would truly explode in popularity would be clear after a few volumes.
On the management side, Oyama Yuta was doing well, so Lin BaoCheng didn't interfere much.
Meanwhile, all funds for the gold futures had been fully invested during those days. Since this was done with his personal capital, he would bring the futures contracts and proof back to Hong Kong.
On February 26th, Lin BaoCheng returned to Hong Kong.
After spending a few days handling affairs there, he flew to Los Angeles, arriving on March 1st.
At the airport, Isabella Kent and Eric Davis came to pick him up.
"Boss, you must be tired from the journey!"
"Mm. Let's head to the villa first," Lin BaoCheng nodded. After such a long flight, he was indeed exhausted.
Isabella and Eric had brought two cars, just enough for his entourage.
The convoy drove to Beverly Hills, stopping before a luxurious villa surrounded by greenery.
"Welcome back, sir!"
A man in his fifties opened the car door and bowed. Behind him stood two men and a woman, all in their thirties or forties.
One of the men caught Lin BaoCheng's attention — slightly overweight and Asian. He guessed the man was likely Chinese.
"Boss, this is the villa's butler, Mr. Dolci Hall," Isabella introduced. "As for the other three, they are the gardener, the maid, and a chef I hired from Chinatown. I knew you wouldn't be used to Western food, so I specially brought in Master Yang."
"Good work," Lin BaoCheng nodded approvingly. He truly wasn't accustomed to Western cuisine, and Isabella's foresight deserved praise.
"Just one gardener and one maid for this villa — is that enough?"
This villa was a true mansion, unlike the so‑called luxury home he had in Repulse Bay, Hong Kong. The difference in scale was enormous.
According to the documents he had seen, the villa itself covered nearly 2,000 square meters. Including lawns and greenery, the total area exceeded 4,000 square meters. Even in Beverly Hills, this was only considered medium‑large, not the biggest.
"It's tiring, but manageable, sir," Dolci replied.
"Arrange it as you see fit. If more staff are needed, hire them," Lin BaoCheng said as he walked inside. Money was no obstacle.
Everyone followed him into the villa.
"Isabella, Eric, sit down," Lin BaoCheng gestured toward the sofas.
They sat nearby, while Dolci instructed the maid to prepare coffee.
"Isabella, tell me how much this villa cost, and how much tax I need to pay," Lin BaoCheng asked.
Although last year he hadn't sold products directly in the U.S. — arcade machines were handled by agents — he had attended the Los Angeles trade fair. Orders signed there counted as company revenue, totaling nearly 110 million USD.
For deals closed in Los Angeles, avoiding U.S. taxes was impossible.
Because of that, subsequent orders were signed directly between agents and Galaxy Games in Hong Kong, avoiding further U.S. tax obligations.
At the time, U.S. corporate income tax ranged from a minimum of 15% to a maximum of 46%, split between state and federal levels. It was complex, so Lin BaoCheng had entrusted professional accountants to audit.
The result: he owed about 25% in taxes, roughly 8.5 million USD.
This wasn't 25% of revenue — otherwise no company could survive. Revenue required costs, and profits would vanish if taxes exceeded them.
Lin BaoCheng wasn't a tax expert, but since the accountants said 8.5 million USD, he accepted it.
Isabella explained: "Boss, you originally owed about 8.5 million USD. The accounting firm says through investments, consumption, and charity, you can legally reduce it. At minimum, you'd only need to pay 1 million USD. Since you're not a U.S. citizen, they don't recommend trying to eliminate taxes entirely. Some payment is necessary."
"Ask the accountants what amount is safest — I mean absolutely no trouble. I don't want the IRS targeting me. As they said, I'm a foreigner," Lin BaoCheng replied. He preferred paying more rather than risking scrutiny.
"Yes, Boss, I'll contact them again," Isabella said. "As for the villa, it cost 5.3 million USD. This expense was intended to offset taxes legally. Once I confirm with the accountants, we'll know whether you need to pay extra or if there's still room for more tax‑deductible spending."
"Good."
Back in Hong Kong the previous month, Isabella had told him consumption could be used for legal tax avoidance. So he had instructed her to buy a Beverly Hills villa as his base.
After all, he would be staying in the U.S. for quite some time. Living in hotels long‑term wasn't practical.
"That's enough for today. Isabella, Eric, you can go. I'll adjust to the time difference. Isabella, come back tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Boss," Isabella replied.
"Boss, I'll return to the company now," Eric said, standing.
Lin BaoCheng nodded, watching them leave.
Afterward, he asked Dolci to show him to his bedroom and arrange accommodations for Chen YaoXian and the other bodyguards.
As for the butler and servants, he decided to keep them for now. If unsatisfied, he could replace them later.