American Tax Officer

"Me? When did I ever get involved in a tax evasion case?"

McCauley was dumbfounded. You IRS guys arrested so many people at the Oscars, and now you're coming to our Fox Film Corporation to arrest people?

"I can't explain in detail right now, but once we get back to our office or go to the court, you'll find out!"

"I... Mr. Hawner..."

With a pleading look in his eyes, McCauley turned to Hawner for help.

At that moment, Hawner's brow was deeply furrowed, his face dark and brooding.

Just moments ago, he had been speculating that the Western Suburb Branch's apparent roundup of more than a dozen celebrities was very likely targeted at the eight major film companies.

And now with the Western Suburb Branch at their doorstep, this further confirmed his suspicion!

"Since the IRS has shown up, you should go with them and explain yourself well!"

Now that the IRS had come knocking, resistance was surely not an option; compliance and long-term planning were the only paths forward.

"Yes, Mr. Hawner..."

After the two had departed.

Hawner said solemnly to the others, "It seems we were right; they came for us!"

"That means those celebrities might just be the breakthrough point for the Western Suburb Branch!"

"But what kind of breakthrough could there be with those celebrities?"

"..."

The senior executives also realized the gravity of the situation and began to vigorously discuss it.

"Regardless of the breakthrough, have our legal department immediately visit the Western Suburb Branch and discuss thoroughly with McCauley and those big shots who have worked with our company. We need to make sure there are no slip-ups!"

David had been in charge of the Western Suburb Branch for over ten days already, and Hawner had already experienced his methods.

Since this director didn't hesitate to make such significant arrests regardless of the impact, it was likely more major moves were coming soon.

Therefore, they had to act quickly to avoid being completely caught off guard when something did happen!

"Yes, Mr. Hawner!"

...

While Fox Film Corporation was strategizing, at the same time, the other seven major film companies also convened emergency meetings.

And very soon, they all reached the same conclusion: the tax audit against Hollywood had officially begun at this moment.

And the confrontation between David and them had officially kicked off!

Western Suburb Branch.

"The logic is simple. If we can handle the Rodrigozki Group and those eight major criminal organizations, the rest of the crime groups in the Western Suburbs will fall in line and pay their taxes. The same applies to Hollywood. If we can take down the eight major film companies, then the rest, big and small, are likely to follow the herd effect."

"I agree with Deputy Director Keanu's perspective. If the leaders of Hollywood, the eight major film companies, fall, the rest won't continue to put up a fight!"

"Strike the snake at its vital point. If we start the investigation from the smaller companies, the eight major film companies will always be there to cheer them on or even provide support. So, I also believe we should go directly after the big hall companies; it will save us a lot of trouble."

In the director's office, the suspects had all been brought in, and the senior executives of the Western Suburb Branch were planning their next move.

David, with his chin propped in his hand, was considering the opinions offered by everyone.

Originally, his plan was to bring in these celebrities and extract a chain of evidence from them to mount an offensive against the eight major film companies.

The thoughts of those present aligned broadly with his own.

"However, when it comes back to the other seven major film companies, if we can get the evidence chain against them, it should still be manageable. But Disney's legal department... might be a tougher nut to crack..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Hakim's face showed a hint of difficulty.

Disney's legal department was reputedly the strongest in the world.

There once was a joke that if you ended up on a deserted island after a plane crash and in a situation where calls to heaven were futile and prayers to the earth went unanswered, all you had to do was draw a picture of Mickey Mouse in the sand, and Disney's legal department would find you!

This joke might sound exaggerated, but it does reflect the power of Disney's legal department—a department so powerful it could even influence American legislation.

In 1928, Mickey Mouse became famous through "Steamboat Willie" and gradually became Disney's trump card.

At that time, American law only granted intellectual property protection for 56 years, meaning the copyright for Mickey Mouse would expire in 1984.

Not wanting to lose this cash cow, Disney immediately sprang into action through their legal department to lobby Congress, and they ultimately succeeded in prompting a change in the law. In the Copyright Act of 1976, the intellectual property protection period was extended to 75 years.

However, that wasn't the end of it. According to the intellectual property protection period, Mickey Mouse was due to expire again in 2003.

So Disney, through their legal department and using various other channels, started a mad lobbying effort, which culminated in 1998 when the America Congress passed the CTEA Act, extending copyright protection for another 20 years!

This became the infamous "Mickey Mouse Protection Act."

While this move was widely scorned, it also displayed the strength of Disney's legal department. Stay connected through empire

"Disney's legal department indeed has some tough characters, and it's certainly not easy to get to them!"

"If we take down the seven major film companies, even Disney won't be able to hold out for long, right?"

"That's not certain. Those bastards can even influence legislation; if we push them into a corner and they start lobbying Congress again, we'll have big trouble on our hands..."

Hearing Hakim's reminder, Lewis Keanu and the others also showed worried expressions.