The Shadow Tycoon
Copyright© 2026 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 40: The Visitor at Midnight
After William was hospitalized, Mr. Fox heard the news and rushed to the scene as fast as he could. From the doctor, he learned that William did not have any major problems. Aside from some malnutrition, there were only two soft-tissue contusions.
Even though there was nothing too serious, Mr. Fox was still furious. He had high hopes for William. Whether out of sincerity or because he wanted to draw William closer, he at least had to show the proper position.
“We sue him!” Mr. Fox paced back and forth in the ward. “We sue him until his family is ruined. We sue him until he can’t even afford pants!”
William watched Mr. Fox perform. Half of it was genuine, but he still could not help smiling and waving a hand. “Forget it. There’s no need.”
By the time he reached the hospital, the spasms inside him had already eased. Aside from some discomfort in his stomach, there was nothing else wrong. During that time, he had carefully thought through what he needed to do next, and he had already made his decision.
Mr. Fox raised an eyebrow. In essence, he had said those things to follow William’s lead. Although he did not know how William had sent Young Michael to prison, and allegedly even made him confess voluntarily, he had sensed William’s vindictive nature.
Would a man like that fail to use such an opportunity? This was clearly a very good opportunity.
Before coming, Mr. Fox had already consulted his lawyer. The lawyer believed that as long as they filed suit, Michael was finished.
First, he had forced his way inside without the owner’s permission. Then he had used violence to beat and coerce the occupant. On top of that, he was a public employee. Knowing perfectly well that his conduct was illegal, he still did it. Not only would he be stripped of his position, he would also face at least five years in prison.
Mr. Fox thought that since William was so smart, he would definitely destroy Michael’s reputation. What surprised him was that William had actually told him to let it go. Had he guessed wrong, or was William acting?
Seeing the curiosity written all over Mr. Fox’s face, and remembering that the man had come at once, William was still grateful, even if this little show of his had somewhat collapsed onstage. Besides, he would still need Mr. Fox’s help later, so he explained his thinking.
“Suing Michael would be treated as a challenge to the IRS. That is a very sensitive signal. It might even produce the opposite effect from what we expect.”
“The IRS will definitely do everything it can to protect Michael, to make sure the authority, sanctity, and field-enforcement power of the IRS itself are not disturbed. So they will use every method they have to nail the label of ‘criminal’ onto me.”
“When that happens, it won’t be Michael standing across the ring from me. It will be the entire Federation tax system and the interest groups behind those people. I can’t win that fight.”
He seemed to be speaking lightly, but Mr. Fox was so shaken inside that his face almost stopped responding. William continued.
“The best move now is to use the media against them. Those reporters who aren’t afraid of trouble will help us deal with Michael. The whole country will know about this scandal. To preserve its image, the IRS will punish Michael instead.”
William frowned slightly. “There’s a strong chance he’ll be suspended pending investigation, then cold-treated for a while. Once the storm passes, maybe he’ll be transferred somewhere remote to start an early retirement life. But that isn’t important. What matters is that we need the power of the media.”
“Let the media do the things we want to do, but don’t dare and can’t do ourselves. When the time comes, I’ll still be the victim. And Michael?”
William shrugged and spread his hands. “He’ll already be a stray dog.”
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