In a society with rules and order, intelligence could crush everything

"Do you have Michael's family information?"

After wandering around outside for a while and making sure no one was following him, Lin Qi went to Mr. Fox's office on the first basement level.

There was a trace of pity for the weak on his face. This was the greatest tragedy for people like Mr. Fox in this era.

They had plenty of money. They might not compare to the big Capitalists, but they were certainly far wealthier than ordinary small businessmen. Yet they could not even rent themselves a decent office.

They could not operate in the open. Neither their business nor their wealth was protected by the law; instead, it would attract the law's attention. That was why they could only work in this damp basement reeking of mildew.

The mold stains in the corners and the yellowing decorative panels made Lin Qi want to laugh. If he had that much money and those kinds of resources, he would have taken off long ago.

His "business" with Mr. Fox was still in its honeymoon phase. Lin Qi, who could provide more than ten thousand in Small Change every day, had become Mr. Fox's main focus recently.

At first, he had thought Lin Qi would not be able to do it. But as time passed, Lin Qi's pace grew faster and faster, and he could now provide Small Change three or four times a day.

The number of exchanges had clearly fallen compared to the more than ten times on the first day, but the amount of Small Change he provided kept increasing. This had also greatly helped Mr. Fox turn that money into bankable cash as quickly as possible.

Before closing every day, he would voluntarily report his income, allowing Revenue Service personnel to watch them empty the coin boxes from every washing machine. Once counted, the money was deposited directly into the bank.

Large deposits required tax documentation proving the money was legitimate before the bank would allow it into the system.

That also meant Mr. Fox's money was being laundered faster and faster. Perhaps in just a few months, he would be able to rent a street-facing storefront in Sabine City's busiest district and work in lavish surroundings.

This kept the relationship between the two of them good. Lin Qi made some money, while Mr. Fox avoided being troubled by certain issues. It was a very suitable business arrangement.

The first thing Lin Qi asked after arriving today was about Michael's family. The man had repeatedly caused him trouble and even punched him once. Lin Qi could not pretend nothing had happened. He wanted revenge.

Mr. Fox frowned, then quickly relaxed. "You shouldn't go head-to-head with him. You know, he has a 'license.' In the end, he definitely won't be the one who loses out!"

People with "licenses" did not mean people with vehicle licenses. It referred to those who worked for the Federal Government and possessed law-enforcement authority. Such people were troublesome, because they naturally regarded one another as a single whole.

When you went after one person, you might not be dealing with that person alone, but with the entire group.

There had once been an interesting case. A lawyer received a ticket from a Mounted Police officer for illegal parking. Joking with his friends, the lawyer said that not only would he not have to pay the fine, he could even make the Mounted Police officer apologize. His friends did not believe him.

Before long, the lawyer sued the local Police Station and won after a fierce court battle. Just as he had said, not only did he not have to pay any fine, the Mounted Police officer apologized to him in court and in front of the media.

But was that the end of the story?

It was not.

The lawyer won the case but lost his life. From the day he won, Police Stations across all seventeen states of the Federation began watching him.

On the highway, eleven separate highway precincts forcibly pulled him over in their respective jurisdictions, pinned him to the scorching road eleven times, searched him, and took photographs.

Was that all?

No. Even now, he lived in fear. Whenever the police had nothing better to do, they would come to his door looking for trouble, using all kinds of bizarre excuses. For example, someone had heard screams coming from his house, or someone had reported that his residence had been broken into...

Every time he had barely finished repairing his front door, it would be smashed apart by a battering ram. Then a group of tactical officers would storm into his home and drag him and his wife out of bed before throwing them into the yard...

So around here, it was best not to clash with people who had "licenses." If he angered their entire group, Lin Qi's life would become a nightmare. Especially since the person he wanted to confront was from the Revenue Service.

The Revenue Service would watch every transaction he made and encourage anyone who dealt with him to report him. As long as even one accusation was verified, they could make Lin Qi rot in prison.

But Lin Qi merely smiled. "I just want to send him a gift to smooth things over. He shouldn't think I'm trying to humiliate him, right?"

Mr. Fox hesitated. He could not tell whether Lin Qi was telling the truth or lying, but he had said everything he needed to say. Even if he did not tell Lin Qi, Lin Qi would find out elsewhere.

Then Lin Qi might develop a rift with him instead. It was better to tell him directly now.

Lin Qi carefully wrote down Michael's information, then chatted with Mr. Fox for a while longer. If nothing unexpected happened, at their current pace, all of Mr. Fox's money should be in the bank in roughly two or three months.

That was a good thing, but Mr. Fox also had a new problem. "Lin Qi, my friend, I know you're a young man with plenty of ideas. How do you think I can make my business legal?"

As he spoke, he smiled. "I finally managed to get free of these troubles. I don't want to fall into them again so easily. Maybe you have some methods I haven't considered?"

To put it plainly, Mr. Fox's business was lending money to people who needed help and charging them interest. But his interest rates were far higher than the maximum limit set by Federal Law.

Some of his agreements also involved illegal compound interest, which made his business rather awkward. Even if he could collect the money, he had no way to deposit it in a bank.

If transactions went through the bank, the other party only needed to provide the agreement and bank records to convict Mr. Fox directly—his interest rates exceeded what Federal Law allowed.

Not only would he face investigations by the Prosecutor and the Revenue Service, but he would also be unable to recover the money he had lent out. The law would not recognize those agreements as legally valid, nor would it support Mr. Fox in using any lawful means to demand repayment of the principal and interest.

This was the problem faced by most people in that line of work. If they could not solve it, even after their money was laundered, it would eventually turn gray again.

Lin Qi did not answer. He merely shrugged. In truth, he knew how to solve the problem, but he would not say it now.

After chatting with Mr. Fox for a while, Lin Qi left in satisfaction. After walking around outside for a bit, he headed to where Michael lived.

Michael lived in an upscale neighborhood in Sabine City. He had a fairly good family.

His wife was quite pretty and looked young. She was probably a full-time housewife, spending every day revolving around her husband and child, with the rest of her time devoted to television and socializing with other housewives.

His son, Little Michael, was a high school student at a nearby private school. His grades were average, and he had dated several girlfriends. He was interested in everything except studying.

Simple, ordinary, and common—a typical low-ranking Privileged Class family.