American Tax Officer

George Hotel, a suite on the top floor.

Returning here, Senator Phipps hung his suit jacket on the rack, picked up a bottle of whiskey from the counter, poured it into a glass, and downed a gulp.

But as soon as he thought about the embarrassing moment in court earlier, anger surged in his heart, and he smashed the glass onto the floor.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by Periste entering and saying, "Senator Phipps, Governor Stevenson has arrived. He says he wants to see you."

"Governor Stevenson?"

Phipps, his face showing doubt, then asked, "You mean the former governor of Nevada State?"

"Yes."

With confirmation, the doubt on Phipps's face deepened. He did not have any personal connections to Stevenson, knowing only that the man was the former governor of Nevada.

He had also heard rumors that the governor's departure was somehow linked to David, previously from Nevada State, though he didn't know whether or not this was true.

Could it be... that Stevenson had come to him because of this?

It seemed quite possible—after all, he was now the leading critic of the dark tax bill. If Stevenson really harbored a grudge against David, then following the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, it would make sense for him to seek out Phipps's help against David.

With this thought, Phipps collected his thoughts and replied, "Then please have him come over."

Five or six minutes later, Periste came in through the door, with the former Governor Stevenson of Nevada State following behind him.

Compared to the confident appearance he had while in office, Stevenson now had a touch of world-weariness around his eyes, but upon seeing Phipps, he still showed a friendly smile and said, "Senator Phipps, I'm very glad to meet you."

"Governor Stevenson, I am also glad to meet you."
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"I'm no longer the governor, just call me Stevenson. Oh, and you must be curious about why I've come to see you, right?"

Phipps nodded.

"Actually, it's nothing much. I just wanted to express my support for you, Senator. You are right in denouncing the dark tax bill. This bill allows for too much power, and if exploited by certain individuals, it will sooner or later turn into a monster that devours everyone. It should be abolished!"

Stevenson and David could be described as having a feud that could not be reconciled, and since his forced resignation, Stevenson had reflected deeply on this.

The sole reason for his unfortunate downfall was due to the excessive power granted to the IRS by the dark tax bill.

Therefore, if he wanted revenge, he had to get rid of the dark tax bill!

Just when he didn't know how to begin, the surprise came from Phipps, one of the three Congressmen who jumped out to take the first shot for him.

Unfortunately, whether during the subsequent TV debates or up to the point where the Camora Family was struck down, all these events had left Phipps and the other two Congressmen with their faces covered in dirt.

And the reason he came today was mainly because he was worried that after being dealt such a blow, these three Congressmen might opt to shrink back, thus he came to give them some encouragement.

Hearing this, a fierce glint flashed in Phipps's eyes. When it's said that the bill might be exploited by certain people, isn't that pointing directly at David?

It seems that his guess was correct—Stevenson indeed came to deal with David!

However, even though he was now at odds with David over the dark tax bill, Stevenson's attitude of wanting to use someone else to do his dirty work, coupled with a tone of condescension, still annoyed him greatly.

I am a distinguished Congressman, and you're just a governor who has been ousted. What gives you the right to come to me and tell me what to do?

Stevenson noticed Phipps's displeasure and immediately explained, "Don't misunderstand, Senator Phipps. This matter not only involves you, but it is also my bounden duty. I will help you!"

With a scornful look, Phipps asked, "And how will you help?"

Stevenson's mouth curled into a smile as he said, "The midterm election is just around the corner. I have received the party nomination and will be running for Senator in New York State."

"Senator of New York State?!"

Phipps's face changed dramatically. As a Congressman who had been re-elected for more than three terms, no one understood the difficulty of running for Senator better than he did.

If it were so easy to be elected as a Senator, he wouldn't have been confined to the House of Representatives for three consecutive years.

And now Stevenson dared to run for election, especially in a state as challenging as New York State, and most crucially, he had received the party's nomination—this was no small matter.

Just what was Stevenson's background?

In America, there are over 500 members in the Senate and House of Representatives combined, with candidates numbering in the thousands. Adding up the politicians from all over the country, they were countless. Phipps didn't know Stevenson well, so he wasn't aware of who or what forces were backing Stevenson.

Stevenson, pleased with Phipps's shock, nodded, "That's right."

With a sharp look, Phipps pressed, "You dare to run for such a difficult position as Senator, Mr. Stevenson. You must have a powerful backer, don't you?"

"To be frank, my mother-in-law comes from the Morgan Family," Stevenson revealed.

Stevenson was here to bolster Phipps's morale, so he had no qualms in revealing his network to give Phipps some reassurance.

Sure enough, upon hearing about the Morgan Family, Phipps first was taken aback, but then he realized and said, "No wonder, Mr. Stevenson, you dare to run for Senator, and had even got the party's endorsement for candidacy. There's this connection..."