Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 116 Why are so many people giving me money?

the next day.

A large crowd gathered near the police station.

Since it was a public "trial," Milton didn't hide anything from the townspeople, and the publicity was definitely thorough.

However, the courtroom setting was rather shabby.

An open-air "court" hastily erected from a few templates, with the words "Malakhan Court of First Instance" scrawled on it.

But what's most ridiculous isn't the rudimentary courtroom, but the prisoners and the judges.

This unusual trial was not only about the criminals sitting below wearing handcuffs and leg irons, dressed in prison uniforms, and appearing on the verge of death; even the judge on the stage was dressed in the same manner!
Even before the trial began, the townspeople were already buzzing with discussion.

A Mexican man asked curiously, "What's going on? Why is the judge also locked up?"

The grocery store owner grabbed her son Neo's hand and said uncertainly, "Perhaps, perhaps this judge forgot to pay Mr. 'Godfather's' taxes?"

This Mexican was one of the grocery store's suppliers, but he didn't really like this trade route because it was too dangerous and the protection fees were too high, leaving him with very thin profits.

He wouldn't have come to town today if it weren't for the surge in demand from the grocery store owner.

Neo immediately chimed in, "That must be it! He must have forgotten to pay the 'Hell Tax Collector'!"

"Judges have to pay taxes too? Well, your town is really strange."

"Hmm... However, your new station chief is not bad. He really only collected my taxes and didn't ask for protection money."

"And surprisingly, I wasn't robbed or stolen from along the way. That's strange, because I always get robbed once every time I come to town."

Neo added, "Because it's the taxpayers' right!"

The Mexicans were stunned for a moment, their minds blank: "What does 'taxpayer's rights' mean? What a new term."

“I don’t know either.” Neo paused for a moment, then suddenly realized that going to school wasn’t so bad after all. “Anyway, that’s what Mr. ‘Hell Tax Collector’ told us: as long as we pay our taxes, he’ll guarantee we won’t be robbed or robbed…”

“Sounds good.” The Mexican nodded. “Looks like I can do more business here. The old stationmaster, what was his name, Varta, right? He was raking in money like crazy. Nobody wants to do business here unless they're a poor wretch like me.”

"And the gang that was blocking this road has been wiped out... Tsk, now you know why I gave you such cheap goods this time, right? Let me tell you, not only did you get the goods at a cheaper price, but my profit this time is also higher than before."

While the group was chatting, a voice suddenly came from the "courtroom."

That was the sound of a judge, looking quite comical, striking his gavel.

The court hearing has begun!

Everyone immediately turned their curious gazes toward it.

Milton, with a serious expression, walked into the "courtroom" under Olya's filming—since there was no prosecutor, he would have to take the place himself.

As for the procedures for taking office, they are simple; you just need to write yourself a letter of appointment.

Furthermore, he notified Olya to ask the television station to delay broadcasting the footage for a few minutes to prevent the prisoners from recanting their testimonies.

Moke was a tough nut to crack; once he realized he was doomed, he started to refuse to cooperate.

However, Milton also has his own methods for dealing with these kinds of people. Don't forget, Milton has mortars at his disposal.

It's important to know that a mortar, while capable of firing shells, is also a cylinder in itself, allowing Mok to experience the "caliber."

Moke wasn't really interested in experiencing this "caliber," and his spine immediately softened, indicating his willingness to cooperate on the spot.

After being subjected to inhumane torture, these "defendants" were eager to die, but Milton, to be on the safe side, chose to postpone the live broadcast.

Milton walked to the plaintiff's seat and glanced at the people in the audience—including the judge.

Then he began to speak:

"The defendants, Moke and five others, have been brought here on charges of terrorist murder, defamation, and smuggling."

The judge's name was also among the names of the six defendants.

The audience erupted in uproar and discussion—the names of these people were all listed in their respective seats, and anyone who wasn't blind could see them.

"Next, please welcome the witness to the stage!"

Soon, actor Matteo, with a sorrowful expression, came up with a roll of tape and played the recorded content in front of everyone.

The footage clearly shows how Mok and his seven companions sneaked up to the vicinity of the mine, then opened fire and threatened the miners.

In fact, Milton even had recordings, but he didn't want the enemy to know that he had radio listening equipment, so he didn't present this piece of evidence along with the recordings.

After the video finished playing, the faces of the people who were chatting and laughing at the scene suddenly changed.

This is the mine that provides them with jobs!
We were actually attacked by these people?!

"Burn them!"

"Why did you attack our mine? What benefit do you get from it?!"

"Could it be that you want the jade inside? Are there any valuable gems inside?"

"What weapons are they carrying? Are they cannons? Or grenades? They want to bomb the mine; they don't want the gems, they just want to kill people!"

The townspeople were immediately enraged—the great "Hell Tax Collector" had seized the mine from the gangsters and generously shared the profits with them, allowing many to earn a decent wage, have enough to eat, and no longer have to sell their blood.

And yet, after only a few days, someone wants to destroy all of this?
When "justice" and "self-interest" become intertwined, their anger is understandable.

Matteo also lamented, "Did you see those two overseers who were knocked down? Those were mannequins I spent a very long time creating by hand, and they were just destroyed like that! I considered them my family, and these people murdered my family!"

The judge's lips twitched, but he still struck the gavel and asked, "Morke, do you admit to murdering the witness's family member?"

Moke said weakly, "I admit it."

Milton waved for the "victim," Matteo, to leave the stage, then pressed the play button and said, "The next charge is defamation."

The paused footage resumed playing, and the video returned to the scene where the six people were captured. Because the original video was somewhat gory, and considering that there are no age restrictions for watching television, Milton thoughtfully made some edits, removing all 18+ content.

Then the townspeople saw the man who had just tried to destroy their mine raise his head and shout with utter arrogance:
"Enough! Milton, do you know who we are? We are Senator Lopez's men. I advise you to release us now."

"..."

There was silence for a moment.

What followed was an even bigger uproar than before!

Lopez?!

Anyone who reads a newspaper or watches TV knows this name! He is a highly respected local councilor who promised that if he could become a member of parliament, he would make everyone's life better.

He has a great image and demeanor, and he often interacts with voters, giving people a very good first impression.

Even the residents of Malacan believed in his campaign promises and were willing to cast their votes for him—provided, of course, that Mr. "Hell Tax Collector" did not run for Congress.

However, these criminals are now saying that Lopez orchestrated all of this.
The beloved Congressman Lopez actually instigated a group of terrorists to destroy the mine and kill people!
why?
Did the people of Malacan offend him?
Or is it that Mr. "Hell Tax Collector's" actions harmed his interests?
But what did Milton do to harm Lopez's interests...?

During this period, Milton did only a few things.

Seeing that the atmosphere had built up enough, Matteo, who was mixed in with the crowd, immediately raised his voice and shouted, "I know, I know! No wonder the old stationmaster Varta and the old director Pedro were so arrogant!"

Milton's planted agents, hidden among the crowd, immediately began to lead the way.

"So that's it!"

“‘Hell Tax Collector’ killed the old stationmaster, which touched Lopez’s interests, so he wanted to retaliate.”

"You son of a bitch, Lopez, you're a liar! I curse you on behalf of the whole town! You'll go to hell, you'll definitely go! My child was killed because of you!"

"So you were the mastermind behind all of this..."

"Burn Lopez!"

"Don't vote for Lopez!"

"He's a traitor! He betrayed us!"

"Vote for Milton, for the 'Hell Tax Collector'!"

"Go to hell, Lopez."

"..."

This scene off the field was also captured by the cameras.

Milton certainly didn't expect this trial alone to shake Lopez's entire base, but planting a seed of doubt would be enough.

In the future, when voters watch Lopez do things, they will inevitably speculate, "Is there another possibility? Is Lopez lying to us?" That would be a huge victory.

Milton cleared his throat. "You're accusing Congressman Lopez of instigating all this, but do you have any evidence?"

Moke shook his head: "There is no evidence."

“Since there’s no evidence, it’s slander.” Milton deliberately sounded less confident and spoke with skepticism. “Slandering a congressman who is about to run for office is a serious offense. I believe that with Congressman Lopez’s ability and intelligence, he wouldn’t have planned such a foolish attack. I believe that none of this has anything to do with him.”

“Even if you are Mr. Lopez’s men, even if you work for him, it is not enough to be key evidence.”

"I suspect that this has nothing to do with Congressman Lopez; it was orchestrated by you."

The judge immediately struck the gavel and asked, "Does the defendant admit to defamation?"

Moke sighed inwardly and nodded, "Admit it." "Very good! Now for the last charge, the most serious charge, smuggling."

"Smuggling!!"

When the topic of smuggling came up, Milton, who had been quite calm and gentle, suddenly revealed a different side of himself. He walked directly to the dock, stood in front of the defendants, and his voice and expression gradually became extremely ruthless.

"Look at the weapons you have! There are rifles, shotguns, and even grenade launchers! Grenade launchers!"

"And you dare to bring these things into my territory without paying my taxes?!"

"Who gave you the audacity to evade taxes on my turf?"

"Even if Jesus came, he would have to pay me a tax for those two nails in his hand. Are you all more powerful than Jesus?!"

Those watching the live television broadcast at this moment might be surprised and in uproar by these words.

But the residents of Malacan remained calm.

They're starting to get used to it.

If you don't pay taxes, Milton is a deadly "hellish tax collector"; if you pay taxes, Milton is a "godfather" who provides jobs, protection, and a sense of security.

The judge coughed lightly: "Six defendants, do you plead guilty?"

Moke looked up at the judge, then at his former colleague, a mocking smile playing on his lips, before nodding and saying, "Plead guilty."

Milton took a step back and said, "Very well, my accusations are finished."

Upon hearing this, the judge quickly struck his gavel: "Now, the verdict is pronounced!"

He drafted the charges last night; the sentencing is just a formality.

"The court hereby renders the following judgment..."

"Mok and five others were sentenced to 30 years in prison for terrorist murder."

"They were each fined $10 for defamation."

"He was sentenced to death for smuggling!"

After the verdict was delivered, the surrounding police officers immediately swarmed forward, restrained the defendant, and prepared to escort him to the makeshift gallows located in the central church.

Seeing this, the judge breathed a sigh of relief; it was over, and he was safe.

Having already betrayed his teammates to this extent, Milton must have seen it all. He believes he can now get through this safely...

So when the police officers came to arrest him, he still had the leisure to carefully complain, "Hey... be gentle!"

The townspeople outside the stadium remained relatively calm, but those watching the spectacle on television were astonished.

First of all, they were very confused about the sentencing for this crime. Why is it that even murder is only punishable by 30 years in prison, but smuggling is punishable by death?

Is smuggling the greatest crime in a place like Malacan?

Secondly, this is the first time I've seen someone act as both judge and defendant, and then be dragged to the execution ground after the verdict was announced.

This court hearing was truly surreal.

Soon, the six men were put in a car and paraded around half of the town on camera before returning to the vicinity of the central church, where they were taken to the gallows.

Milton then left the "court" and went to the central church, choosing a spot with the best view of the execution.

The officers hurriedly put the noose around the necks of the six men.

The execution is about to begin.

The judge, standing in the very center, felt a little uneasy and looked at Milton.

Milton gave the judge a reassuring look, which put the judge at ease.

The priest next to him held a Bible and began to pray.

The priest looked very serious.

“You have already paid the fine to Mr. Godfather. Even if you are sentenced to death, you are still taxpayers and legally entitled to your last mass.”

"Lord, accept these souls with eternal mercy and forgive all their sins, just as you promised those who repent; may your love transcend judgment, dispel the shadow of death with light, and let their souls find rest in your kingdom."

"Amen."

After the reading was completed, the police officers in charge of the execution pulled down the gallows lever.

The grocery store owner quickly covered Neo's eyes, but the boy still peeked through his fingers to see the scene—he was going to be a police officer under the "Hell Tax Collector" in the future, and if he missed such an important scene, his colleagues would definitely laugh at him!
Mexican suppliers repeatedly made the sign of the cross on their chests, murmuring "Amen" and phrases like "I will definitely pay my taxes on time from now on."

The next second, the trapdoor beneath the six men's feet was opened, the noose tightened suddenly, and the sound of breaking throats was drowned out by the cheers of the townspeople.

The judge's eyes immediately showed confusion and fear. He looked sharply at Milton, wanting to shout something, but found that he couldn't say anything.

The six people's bodies gradually stiffened and they lost their vitality.

Milton stood up, dusted himself off, and said, “When you get down there and meet Satan, remember to tell him that even if he comes to my territory, he must remember to pay his taxes.”

"Alright, the trial is over. Everyone, go back to what you were doing."

His voice wasn't loud, but when he spoke, all other noises stopped at the same time.

As soon as Milton got up and got into the car, Brandon couldn't help but exclaim, "Boss, you have to watch that scene again when you get back! I think you've surpassed the movie 'The Godfather'! You're the real Godfather in my heart from now on!"

"I can't even imagine how other TV stations will report this on the news after today, and I can't imagine how the newspapers will record it!"

"Boss, can I be in the newspaper too?"

This trial is bound to cause a huge sensation, and its influence will inevitably spread throughout the country and even reach neighboring countries!

After the "arson trial," people may only know the name "Hell Tax Collector" and that he took down a corrupt bureau chief.

But after today, everyone will know exactly who the "Hell Tax Collector" is.

It might even make the small town of Malacan famous.

Such a reputation has its advantages, namely, it earns one a good reputation, and when others try to target one, they will consider the impact on their votes.

Of course, the downsides are also obvious: Lopez will definitely do everything in his power to kill Milton, otherwise even those around him will no longer dare to trust him as before.

Not only did he receive no benefits from working for Lopez, but he was also captured by the enemy and publicly tried on television.

“That’s enough…” Milton yawned. “Instead of worrying about whether we’ll make the newspapers, we should worry about how much our bounty is on Lopez’s kill list.”

"I'd love to see Lopez's expression when he watches the live stream."

Flora interjected, "That's sure to be exciting... Hmm, the methods of retaliation will probably be just as exciting. We need to quickly expand our manpower and military equipment."

"Perfect timing. Once we get back, let's take stock of our current strength and see when we can organize the next offensive."

Soon, the three returned to the police station and went to the conference room.

Milton sat down and asked, "How many combat personnel do we have now? I mean combat personnel, not people like Veronica."

Flora answered quickly: "I've gathered some usable veterans and rebels who fled from the neighboring province. Including us and our original fighting force, we can field 50 men now. They can shoot, are in high spirits, are well-equipped, can operate vehicles, and generally hate our enemies; they're not entirely here for personal gain."

Milton nodded: "The personnel are quite good... We also have to thank the foolish enemy, whose actions are constantly creating allies for us. What about combat vehicles?"

"One LVA-25 infantry fighting vehicle, three armored vehicles equipped with machine guns, and the rest are some off-road vehicles and pickup trucks. Vehicles are our weakness. Boss, why don't you think of another way to import some more armored vehicles?"

Milton pondered for a moment, glanced at his score, and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll try to get you some self-propelled mortars, self-propelled assault guns, and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, all using the LAV-25 platform, so you don't have to retrain."

Flora raised an eyebrow, gave Milton a thumbs up, and said, "Finally, there's the 'Air Force'... Well, let's just call it the Air Force. To be honest, our aircraft can only be considered Army Aviation at best."

"A total of 20 slightly modified rotorcraft and one light helicopter, that's all."

"Our air force is weak, but considering that our current enemy may not have an air force at all, we should still have the advantage in this respect."

Milton rubbed his forehead: "They might be able to bully Lyman's checkpoint, but Lopez shouldn't be afraid. He definitely has armed helicopters, anti-aircraft guns, and anti-aircraft missiles."

Flora gave a wry smile: "Yes, that's why I said we need an airport. And it has to be before Lopez completely abandons all pretense of decency and tries to eliminate us at all costs. 'Tax Collector,' I assure you you don't want to see the enemy seize air superiority; that would be truly terrifying, really."

Before Lopez completely disregards votes and is willing to do anything to get rid of Milton, his air force is unlikely to be deployed; he will only attempt assassinations and terrorist attacks.

But the situation will definitely escalate in this direction.

Therefore, before that, we must find a way to acquire an airport, and it can't be just one, to avoid being wiped out by the enemy.

“We can build a makeshift airfield ourselves,” Milton said, “but that requires funding, skilled workers, and suitable terrain. To put it bluntly, we still lack money and land. We still need to seize Lyman’s land and people; the terrain there is slightly flatter, and we can build a makeshift airfield there.”

Milton had just finished saying "I'm short of money" when a notification suddenly popped up on the panel.

[Twenty Mexicans have entered the host's territory carrying unregistered smuggled firearms. Great tax collector, get to it and collect the taxes!]

Almost simultaneously, a phone rang in the police station. Flora answered it, listened for a while, then turned around with a serious expression: "'Tax collector,' my sentries have spotted 15-25 armed men infiltrating. Just as you guessed, they're probably here to sabotage our trade routes."

Brandon tensed up: "Wait, they have quite a few of them, what do we do?"

Both of them looked at Milton.

Milton frowned, looking troubled and confused: "What's going on? I just said I needed money, and suddenly so many people are giving me money. It's making me a little embarrassed."

P.S.: Wishing you a peaceful and healthy Qingming Festival!
(End of this chapter)