Protect Our Clan Leader

Chapter 1051: Chapter 66: Dominating the Trending Searches! Immortal Master Craftily Manipulates the Situation (Vote for Monthly Pass)_2 Chapter 1051: Chapter 66: Dominating the Trending Searches! Immortal Master Craftily Manipulates the Situation (Vote for Monthly Pass)_2 Even if the Wang family’s own properties are well-managed and the accounts are meticulously done, what about those joint ventures established with their in-law families?

From the Keep Achieving Commercial Firm, Changning United Manufacturers Department, to the Qingluo Development Company, and so on and so forth, the Wang family has no lack of ventures co-founded with their in-law families. Within each venture, many members of the in-law families hold positions, and the Wang family’s management over them is clearly not as strict as it is over their own clan members.

Such joint ventures have always been hotspots for tax evasion and underreporting. Just a cursory investigation would surely unearth issues.

When the time comes, one simply has to report it upwards, and the credit would be as good as picked up off the street.

Furthermore, when paying taxes, one is required to submit a detailed account of payments, and naturally, the Changning Wang Clan has such records. Therefore, as soon as Zheng Hongwen got the order from Director Meng, he couldn’t wait to retrieve the detailed tax records of the Changning Wang Clan from the treasury and moved them directly to the covert base in Longzuo County.

Even his colleagues from the Inspectorate and the Judicial Department, who had come to assist with the case, were pulled in by him.

The goal was to immediately freeze the Wang family’s various ventures and assets as soon as evidence of their tax evasion was confirmed.

After all, speed is of essence in warfare.

If one were too slow, the Wang family might just secretly transfer their assets away.

However, Zheng Hongwen thought of all sorts of details, even planning his response when praised by Director Meng, yet he never considered that the Wang family’s accounts might come back clean.

After almost a month of scrutiny, they were not only unable to found evidence of the Changning Wang Clan evading taxes, but time and again, they proved that the Changning Wang Clan was a model of a law-abiding, tax-paying prominent family.

Is there something wrong with the Changning Wang Clan?

Not taking advantage of benefits right in front of them?

Zheng Hongwen cursed in his heart, his hand trembling while skimming off the tea foam, nearly hating the Changning Wang Clan to death.

He was like being roasted on a fire at the moment; if no issues were found with the Changning Wang Clan, he would have lost all his face and substance. This collaborative operation of the Three Talents Section would also turn into a joke!

Luckily, it wasn’t the final moment yet.

Moreover, the tax officials who had gone on a secret visit had not returned yet.

The tax officials sent on these secret visits were all experienced hands. Even if the Changning Wang Clan’s accounting was impeccable on the surface, it would be difficult to keep everything clean in private. And even the slightest loophole, if spotted during the secret visit, could lead to a high probability of finding issues.

For now, he could only hope that they would bring some good news.

“Supervisory Bureau Master, the tax officials who went on the secret visit have returned.”

Suddenly, a figure clad in a green official robe swiftly swept up from below, came over quickly, and whispered something into Zheng Hongwen’s ear.

Zheng Hongwen’s eyes lit up, “Oh? Bring them here quickly.”

The official immediately went down.

Soon after, several figures were brought into the basement from outside.

Some of these individuals were dressed as peddlers, some as independent cultivators, and some as sons of wealthy families; their disguises were diverse, covering a range of occupations, and they were all travel-worn, obviously having rushed back overnight.

The tax officials dispatched by the Three Talents Section naturally weren’t limited to these few; these were just the first batch to return.

The two tax officials from earlier—one old and one young—were also there among them.

“Subordinates Liu Bingrui, Zhang Dehai, Zhou…greet the Supervisory Bureau Master.” Including the old and young tax officials, the group all bowed in unison, showing respect.

“No need for formalities. You’ve all worked hard.”

Zheng Hongwen first exchanged a few words of kindness and then immediately inquired about the results of their mission.

At this question, the tax officials looked at each other uncertainly.

After a long pause, an older tax official spoke with difficulty, “To report to the Supervisory Bureau Master, throughout our duty in Changning Guard, we have been diligent and did not dare to slack in the slightest. However…please forgive my limited abilities, for we have truly not found any evidence of the Changning Wang Clan evading taxes.”

“Please excuse our failure,” said the others, bowing their hands in apology, their faces filled with shame.

Seeing this, Zheng Hongwen felt a chill in his heart.

He instinctively looked towards the eldest tax official in the crowd, “Old Liu, you are known as the ‘Tax Investigation Eye,’ yet even you found no issues?”

“To report to the Supervisory Bureau Master, in the matter of the size of the Changning Wang Clan’s fields, the years of cultivation of reclaimed land, and other taxable and falsifiable issues, indeed no problems have been found,” the old tax official answered with a bow.

Zheng Hongwen’s face stiffened immediately.

However, before his heart could completely sink, he heard the old tax official continue, “But, subordinates have discovered another major issue. If it is confirmed, the Changning Wang Clan will be completely finished and beyond redemption.”

Upon hearing this, the other tax officials all looked at him with surprised expressions. Only the youngest tax official seemed calm.

Zheng Hongwen’s heart skipped a beat and he quickly asked, “What is it?”

“To report to the Supervisory Bureau Master, we have discovered that the Changning Wang Clan is suspected of smuggling prohibited items such as refined salt, iron ingots, and grain seeds to South Qin, implicating the possibility of collusion and treason!”

“What?!”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongwen almost dropped the teacup in his hand.

Meanwhile, Qiao Hongbo and Zhou Litde, two Supervisory Bureau Masters who had been pretending to be indifferent while actually eavesdropping, also changed their expressions, instantly becoming very serious.

“Tax official Liu, this is no trivial matter. Are you holding onto concrete evidence?” Inspectorate Master Qiao Hongbo put down his teacup and asked solemnly, “You must realize that accusing a Rank Six Prominent Family of such a heinous crime is a serious offense.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com