The Shadow Tycoon
Copyright© 2026 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 22
After Vera agreed to the hiring, she quickly gathered her things and left with William. There was not much to pack, just basic office supplies, rulers, erasers, various pens, and the tools needed for bookkeeping.
Before William hired her, she had been working here as a part-timer. It sounded modest, and in truth, it was. The firm only called her in when there was work to be done. Her monthly income had never been much.
Most firms relied on a “training new blood” approach to cut costs. Accountants like Vera, with some experience, were usually only responsible for final reviews, work that did not take long. The bulk of the ongoing labor was handed off to newcomers, allowing the firm to avoid paying higher salaries.
When William brought Vera back to the warehouse, Richard and the other two were already waiting. Each of them carried a large, heavy bag, their shoulders strained under the weight.
“You’re finally here, boss...” Richard exhaled in relief. Carrying over a thousand dollars in coins was no easy task. Leaving it on the ground was even worse.
Sabine City’s law enforcement was concentrated in the central districts. Outside those areas, patrol officers were scarce. If something went wrong, help would not come quickly.
The warehouse district was exactly that kind of place. If the three of them had not stuck together, any one of them alone might have already fled.
William nodded, unlocked the side door, and switched on all the lights. As he walked toward the office, he introduced Vera to them.
Her presence had an immediate effect. With a proper accountant in place, Richard and the others visibly relaxed. At the very least, a shell company would not bother hiring a full-time accountant.
William then explained their current business model to Vera.
“My salesmen collect coins from outside and bring them to me. Then other companies or individuals exchange for coins here at a certain rate. I take the spread. That’s the core of what we do.”
Vera listened closely. This would be her primary responsibility moving forward.
“You don’t need to worry about my tax situation,” William continued. He glanced around the bare, makeshift office and smiled faintly. “The city encourages micro-enterprises like ours. We qualify for tax exemptions. We just need to report everything properly. No need for tax avoidance.”
In truth, there was no real distinction between “legal” and “illegal” tax avoidance. At its core, it was all evasion.
The difference lay in execution.
Those who were caught lacked sophistication, hired mediocre accountants, or made careless errors. The Internal Revenue Service would eventually catch them.
Those who were not caught had spent enormous sums to ensure they weren’t. They had connections, influence, sometimes even the ability to shape local laws.
“Legal” tax avoidance came at a price William could not yet afford. Fortunately, micro-enterprise exemptions meant he did not need to worry about it for now.
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