America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 322 All crows are black

At midnight in San Francisco Harbor, the daytime clamor of cargo ship horns and workers' shouts has completely dissipated, leaving only the sound of waves lapping against the dock, which is exceptionally clear in the silence.

However, this tranquility did not completely envelop the entire port area. Several huge machines were still operating tirelessly, like silent steel giants, methodically moving containers. Their lights drew bright arcs in the night, illuminating a busy corner of the dock.

Craig stood in the shadows of the dock, his fingers gripping the coffee cup tightly. His mood, like the now-cold coffee, was utterly terrible.

Who would have thought that my first foray into the trade industry would lead me to such a troublesome little devil? It was incredibly unlucky.

The weather was already bad today, and it got even worse after nightfall.

The cold night wind, carrying fine rain, felt like countless tiny needles pricking the skin, bringing a chill that penetrated to the bone.

Even so, it couldn't compare to the coldness in Craig's eyes at that moment. He stared intently at the man opposite him, his gaze as if he wanted to devour him alive.

The man opposite me was dressed in a sharp suit, his hair was slicked back and looked quite respectable, but the fawning smile on his face made me feel uncomfortable no matter how I looked at him.

He respectfully handed over a file folder with both hands, his tone extremely obsequious: "Mr. Craig, with this document, your goods can clear customs smoothly, and then they can circulate freely on American soil without any obstacles."

"7

Craig took the file folder, and the moment his fingers touched it, he felt a wave of nausea.

He suppressed his anger and said through gritted teeth, "Disgusting bastards, it's unimaginable how the federal government could support a bunch of parasites like you, taking taxpayers' money and doing this kind of extortion."

However, the man's smile remained unchanged, as if Craig hadn't been talking about him at all.

He maintained his usual smirk and said slowly, "Mr. Craig, you can't say that. You have to understand that in this world, to gain privileges, you have to pay the corresponding price; that's an unchanging rule everywhere."

"If everyone could easily obtain quotas, wouldn't the order be chaotic?"

The man leaned closer, lowering his voice slightly, but still carrying that nauseating smugness. "And think about it carefully, isn't this a win-win deal for your company?"

Upon hearing this, Craig's anger intensified, but he felt even more helpless.

After more than a month of processing, production, customs clearance, and shipping, Craig Trading Company's goods finally arrived at Jagmeet Port.

To Craig's surprise, the kid in front of him was the one waiting for him.

It was because of this guy that Craig learned for the first time that the procedures for importing Chinese textiles into the United States were different from those for importing other goods.

As long as other goods are declared through normal procedures and the corresponding tariffs are paid, most products can be imported in any quantity that is desired.

However, Chinese textiles are different; they need to wait for special certification issued by relevant departments, which, simply put, requires quotas.

This was utterly ridiculous, and Craig almost laughed out of anger when he heard the news.

The United States now has virtually no factories producing textiles, and all types of textiles on the market rely on imports. Yet, for such a commodity that is completely dependent on imports, there are still controls on imports and a quota system. Isn't this just creating opportunities for some people to extort money?

Products within the quota are essentially subject to zero tariffs, but once the quota is exceeded, a considerable amount of tax will be levied.

The "win-win deal" that the man in front of me was talking about was nothing more than blatant extortion.

I can help you get a quota, which will not only solve your customs clearance problem, but also save you a lot of tax. You should reciprocate by helping me out in some small way, right?

As for what kind of busyness it was? The man's explanation was even more grand and respectable.

Many children in Africa live in great hardship, unable to even get enough to eat and struggling on the verge of starvation every day.

I couldn't bear it, so I set up a charitable foundation specifically to help those poor children.

I'm sure that a responsible and caring boss like Mr. Craig would be willing to generously donate funds to help those children.

Craig still vividly remembers the so-called donation list the man showed him, which clearly listed prices, with different quotas corresponding to different donation amounts, practically blatant extortion.

Once you pay this fee, all the formalities can be completed within three days, ensuring smooth customs clearance for your goods.

However, if we don't pay, even though it's only March now, the US has already used up 87% of its quota for Chinese textiles in 1998. The remaining quota will be distributed among many companies, and the review process will be very strict.

Of course, you can choose not to use the quota, but cargo inspection and customs declaration both take time, and manpower is tight.

If you can clear customs smoothly in three to five months, that's considered extremely lucky. If you're unlucky, let me tell you clearly, we will process it as soon as possible, so please be patient.

Craig was completely helpless. It's easier to deal with the devil than with his underlings.

These low-level officials who wield a little power at the grassroots level are the most troublesome. For the sake of profit, they can come up with any means and do anything.

Let alone his newly established trading company, according to what he has learned in the past two days, even a giant like Volvo, which holds a large number of quotas, what can it do?

They still have to obediently pay the toll; the only difference is how much they pay.

It's so easy for these little devils to trip up a company.

They can easily find any excuse to drag things out, such as saying that there are too many companies applying for quotas now and that the reviewers have to process hundreds of documents every day, which can exhaust the companies.

On someone else's turf, they hold the power to interpret the rules. No matter how powerful a company is, it can't outlast them and will eventually have to compromise.

With that thought in mind, Craig took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, took out the check he had prepared earlier from his pocket, and handed it to the man.

The man took the check, glanced at the amount, and a smug smile immediately appeared on his face. He carefully put the check away, nodded to Craig, then turned and walked away with light steps.

Unbeknownst to the man, in a hidden corner not far away, a video camera was working silently, clearly recording every detail and every word of his transaction with Craig.

Once the man was out of sight, the team responsible for secretly filming immediately split into two groups. One group quickly packed up their equipment and quietly followed the man, continuing to track and film him, hoping to obtain more valuable information.

The remaining two emerged from the shadowy corner and quickly approached Craig.

"So, what did you think of that scene just now? Did you think I had the potential to be a Best Actor? Let me tell you, my acting skills are good enough to compete for an Oscar for Best Actor!"

At this moment, Craig was no longer the serious and angry man he had been. He had a grin on his face and looked like a complete goofball.

"You didn't see the shift in my emotions just now, from anger to helplessness, and then to the final compromise. I handled every detail perfectly. Even Hollywood stars might not be able to act as well as me."

One of them shrugged at him, mercilessly pouring cold water on his enthusiasm: "His acting was alright, but forget about Best Actor. I don't believe any Oscar Best Actor winner has ever won by having their face blurred out."

"On AVN, however, I saw quite a few videos with mosaics."

AVN is the largest adult awards ceremony in the United States and is known as the adult Oscars.

Upon hearing this, Craig's smug smile vanished without a trace, and he wailed, "Oh, shit! Didn't I just waste all that great acting? All that emotional look in my eyes was for nothing."

Seeing his exaggerated appearance, the person next to him didn't bother to pay attention to him and just said indifferently, "If you really want to show off your acting skills, we can not blur them. When the video is broadcast, people all over America can see your handsome face and superb acting skills. Maybe you can even gain a lot of fans."

Upon hearing this, Craig immediately waved his hands and shook his head vigorously, "Forget it, forget it. I don't want to be chased down by those brats' gang."

This is seriously impacting the entire San Francisco financial system; he wants to live for another two years.

Three days earlier, when those brats first appeared before him and demanded kickbacks, Craig immediately called Ernst to report the situation.

However, Ernst understood very well the principle that a local official was more powerful than a current one, and that even asking someone for favors wouldn't be enough.

But this doesn't mean Ernst will obediently hand over the money. He should make good use of this opportunity to maximize his profits.

He did this not to get revenge on those brats; he wasn't that bored. It was for Paul Arlington's election.

Since July of last year, the San Francisco Treasurer has been embroiled in a bribery scandal. This matter has not only attracted the attention of the judicial authorities, who have intervened in the investigation, but also the Elephant Group has been fueling the fire behind the scenes, hoping to use this opportunity to bring down the donkey.

Judging from the current situation, the replacement of San Francisco's treasurer is a foregone conclusion, and no one can change it.

Now an opportunity has presented itself to greatly enhance Paul's reputation, which he can use to propel him to the next level.

If Paul were to successfully become the treasurer of San Francisco, his political career would undoubtedly become much broader.

On a grander scale, he could run for mayor of San Francisco or New York in the next election, and then seek the governorship.

Even if he loses the mayoral election, he can still run for California State Treasurer, which is also a very prestigious position.

Don't underestimate the position of state treasurer. Although it may not seem as prestigious as the governor's position, the power of this position is in no way inferior to that of the governor.

Everyone knows that the IRS is very powerful and has a lot of authority, but few people know that the IRS is actually subordinate to the Treasury Department.

Local finance departments also have independent judicial systems and even control a certain amount of armed forces, so their influence is considerable.

Furthermore, California's governor has term limits, just like New York's: four years per term, with a maximum of one re-election, and a maximum of eight years per person.

However, the position of state treasurer currently has no term limit. As long as they can gain public support and win the election, they may serve until retirement or even until they die.

Of course, this position is not without its advantages; the governor can further run for president and has broader career prospects.

But state treasurers are different. In the American political system, there is no precedent for state treasurers to run for Secretary of the Treasury, or even for governor.

Once you become a state treasurer, it basically means your political career has reached its peak, and it's difficult to achieve any further breakthroughs.

However, this does not prevent state treasurer from becoming a good political career path. California is one of the most economically developed states in the United States with abundant fiscal revenue. Once you can control California's financial system, the power and resources you hold will be considerable.

With this position, the Arlington family's influence in California and even throughout the United States will be greatly enhanced, making them a truly influential political family.

Ernst saw this, which is why he decided to have Craig cooperate with the surreptitious filming team to collect evidence of those kids taking bribes.

It's unrealistic to purge the entire financial system, and Ernst is unlikely to do so. There's no need to offend these people and do such thankless work.

If you don't feed them properly, why should they follow your orders?

All it takes is to present Paul Arlington to the public as an anti-corruption fighter, boosting his profile and reputation to give him an edge in the election.