America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 132 Life is Just That Hard

"Are you Juankin?"

Miguel had recently heard about Zhang Ailun's name from homeless people and learned that Sig and Dominic were his friends and members of the same team. But this was their first official meeting.

Now that Zhang Ailun has a real identity, he no longer needs to hide. He shook hands with him and said with a smile, "Hello, Officer Miguel, it's an honor to meet you."

"Just call me Miguel. It's still working hours, so we need to formally discuss the case. Are you sure that wanted black man, McDonald, and the drug gang members will be on this street? And what's your relationship with the eyewitness who provided the information?"

With body cameras on, MiG officers couldn't say too much that wasn't related to the case.

"Of course, I'm pretty sure he'll be around here," Zhang Ailun said. "The tip came from a homeless person on our team."

"Very good. As long as you can cooperate with us to help capture these criminals, the criminals are ours, and the bounty is yours."

Miguel smiled slightly: "I really liked the cookies that Sig brought me last time."

Zhang Ailun said, "If you like it, I'll have Sieg deliver another box to your house next time."

"Then it's settled." Miguel beamed.

Miguel wasn't really concerned about the bounty on the black man, McDonald, but since the man had come to him in his jurisdiction, who would turn down money?

A few days ago, they raided the hideout of those pork smugglers and seized $250 million in illicit funds. Almost all members of the branch office received a raise, and he also distributed a considerable amount of bonuses internally, so everyone, from top to bottom, had a good meal.

He, who was responsible for providing intelligence, and Sergeant Mans, who handled the matter, were both praised by the chief!

Sig was undoubtedly his benefactor, not only saving his life but also giving him such a great gift. Next year, when his old superior, Officer Mans, is promoted to superintendent, he can gain a few more months of experience, achieve good results, and directly become the Fifth District Sheriff!

Ever since meeting Sig, Miguel has felt incredibly lucky, having avoided twenty years of detours!

While they were chatting, the Black criminal McDonald arrived as promised. Several Black men also appeared at the phone booth on the street; they were wearing hooded sweatshirts, long pants, looked like athletes, and had shifty eyes.

The two sides quickly made contact, seemingly having agreed on a price beforehand, and went to a secluded place to begin the drug transaction.

"Is it him?"

Officer Miguel immediately asked his colleagues.

The second-level police officer confirmed through the photo, "He was disguised, so he probably knew he was wanted. It seems that the people he met were from a new gang on the streets nearby. They are involved in drug trafficking, violent debt collection, and threatening and persecuting women for sex work. Last month, several people involved in drug trafficking were arrested by the anti-gang division. Some were sentenced to two and a half years, and the longest was three years. They were eventually released on bail of 150,000 yuan."

"How come it's only 15?" Officer Miguel was dissatisfied upon hearing this.

"We couldn't find any more evidence. They did a very good job of laying the foundation." The colleague was also helpless.

Officer Miguel sighed, "If only Attorney Dave had joined us sooner! These damn drug dealers! They should rot in jail!!"

His words were filled with dissatisfaction towards Black people and resentment towards the persecution of Black Lives Matter and white people.

His colleague immediately gave him a look, signaling him not to bring up sensitive topics that discriminate against Black people.

Officer Miguel said, "When those black men ganged up on me at night and blew my head off with deadly weapons, I knew they had to get what they deserved! Since God gave me life and bestowed upon me a sacred mission, I must fight for justice and evil to the very end!"

"you're right."

His colleagues understood his feelings; anyone can play the victim. Even if the recording were played out, it wouldn't matter much, since no one in the Southern Precinct understands the dangers of Black people better than Officer Miguel!

He's a man who crawled out of hell.

A recent YouTube documentary that exposed the difficulties faced by lower-ranking police officers in law enforcement garnered over 300,000 views upon its release. Now, it has reached a million views.

Furthermore, a retired former Brooklyn borough police chief, who is Black, stated that he supports Officer Miguel, understands him, and sympathizes with the difficulties faced by ordinary officers in law enforcement. He added that some Black people should receive the appropriate level of regulation.

The other party's remarks aroused hatred and dissatisfaction, and he was also criticized by black people as a white traitor.

But since they're no longer in power, they don't concern themselves with politics. They've long been receiving generous pensions, living in villas, cuddling white women, drinking imported liquor, and partying with Wall Street elites and celebrities from all walks of life, caring nothing for the lives of ordinary black people.

Miguel pulled out his walkie-talkie and called for backup. "Prepare for action. Make sure the criminals and drug dealers don't escape."

"Received." Nearby police officers received the notification and drove towards the street.

Zhang Ailun and Sieg also got a good look at some juicy gossip from within the police force. Soon they noticed other people approaching the criminals, presumably the bounty hunters.

But then officers suddenly appeared from all directions, shouting, "Hands up!!!"

The black men were startled on the spot.

Upon seeing the police officers, they turned and ran without looking back, scattering banknotes and white powder all over the ground.

"Don't run! Put your hands up! Where I can see you! Fxxk you!!" The officer cursed directly.

But those black men clearly knew the tricks of the trade; they didn't resist, raised their hands, and ran away without looking back. The officers didn't dare to shoot them because of their behavior.

After all, the law stipulates that if you recklessly fire a weapon when the standard for firing has not been met and the suspect is not making any resistance or threatening moves, you bear the responsibility yourself. The line between administrative leave and being fired is very blurry.

It mainly depends on whose opinion the media is biased towards, and whether your qualifications are worth the union's efforts to bail you out.

But the new trainee and first-class officers were still in a daze. The veteran officers had already fired their weapons!

clap clap clap! !

"Shooting! Shooting!!" Officer Miguel and Constable II fired wildly at the black man. But perhaps due to bad luck, they only managed to hit one man in the buttocks.

Old Hei immediately screamed in pain, clutching his backside and sprawling on the ground, crying, "Don't hurt me! I have no weapon!"

The delay was brief, just enough time to change bullets, and the group of black men quickly disappeared.

Officer Miguel was furious; how could a black man escape from his grasp? A disgrace!!

He turned around and started cursing at the few rookies who were stunned and dared not fire.

"You should have shot! Rookie! He clearly drew his gun!! He was carrying a deadly weapon!! My eyes are my ruler!!"

Officer Miguel sternly reprimanded his subordinate officer who was dragging the team down, but he couldn't be too blunt about some things.

I immediately got into the car with my colleagues, slammed on the gas, and yelled, "Fxxk! I want to see if your legs can run faster, or my car can!"

With a whoosh, it gave chase.

The bounty hunter team on the roadside stared at each other, feeling a chill run down their spines as they watched the police officers move one after another. They quickly raised their hands and leaned against the roadside.

The officers glanced at them, noticed they were all white, and quickly ignored them completely.

Fuming with rage, the officers immediately got into their car and continued the pursuit, while also notifying their colleagues patrolling other areas to surround and intercept Lao Hei.

Zhang Ailun observed Lao Hei's escape route, which was extremely cunning, as he ran directly into someone's community. He never expected Lao Hei to escape like that; he thought Lao Hei would be riddled with bullets.

He immediately got back into the pickup truck with Sieg, started the vehicle, and gave chase.

As Zhang Ailun passed the bewildered bounty hunters, he shouted, "Welcome to the West Coast! That black man's bounty is ours! Go home and drink your milk, and stop wandering around my territory!"

"Who is this guy? So arrogant?"

The bounty hunter was a bit annoyed, but the other party seemed to be carrying a gun and was not someone to be trifled with. There were also police officers nearby involved in law enforcement, so the case had to be dropped.

If they get involved in this matter and delay the police from carrying out their duties, and accidentally get hit with a peanut, then no one will speak up for them.

Money is important, but not as important as life.

While the other officers went to arrest the drug dealers, Sieg and Zhang Ailun took a shortcut and chased after them, directly intercepting the escaped bounty hunter McDonald. It turned out that two legs were no match for a car.

Even if you were Usain Bolt, you couldn't outrun a four-wheeled car.

"Hey! Put your hands up!! Or I'll shoot!!" Sig stepped on the gas and drove straight out of the intersection, blocking Old Black's path. He pulled out a pistol from the window and threatened him.

Old Hei was panting heavily, but he just kept running without making a sound.

After repeated warnings went unheeded, under Zhang Ailun's command, he gritted his teeth and stepped on the gas to overtake him, then slammed on the brakes to block his path.

Old Hei had no time to dodge and crashed headfirst into the car, flying two meters away, scattering the banknotes and fruit knife he was carrying all over the ground.

But he was quite tough; even though the pickup truck's fenders were completely flattened, he was still lively and energetic, getting up and trying to escape again.

Zhang Ailun got out of the car, pounced on the black man, and pinned him to the ground. "You fucking can't understand human language, can you?!"

Sensing the increased resistance, Zhang Ailun showed no mercy, clenching his fist and delivering two powerful punches, instantly subduing the black man.

It felt like being hit on the head with a hammer, and I saw stars.

Sieg got out of the car to check the damage and marveled at the old black man's incredible physical condition, saying, "His bones are harder than iron."

They moved the black man aside, bound his hands and feet with nylon rope, and immediately took out their phones to notify Officer Miguel. They received a reply more than ten minutes later.

After resolving the case on the other side, the other party also chose to drive over in person to pick up the old black man.

They quickly drove to the battlefield.

After getting out of the car, looking at the unconscious black man, Miguel wondered if the guy was dead.

He immediately called his colleagues to provide humanitarian aid to him. Fortunately, the old man was very tough. He was thrown two meters away by the car and punched twice, but he only went into a short shock and his bones were not broken. He regained consciousness after treatment.

The officers immediately began questioning him, and the wanted criminal McDonald confessed to his crimes and obediently allowed himself to be put into the car.

"We won't be charged with intentional injury by this black man because of police brutality, will we?" Sig asked, watching the old black man being led around.

"He is a wanted murderer. You are assisting the police in their investigation. You are also a veteran. As long as you are a U.S. citizen with valid identification, you have an obligation to help the police in enforcing the law and arresting criminals. I have already informed the dispatch center, and they will handle your case accordingly," Officer Miguel replied immediately.

With their concerted efforts, they successfully arrested the drug dealers from those gangs. The others obediently surrendered, but one black man tried to resist during the arrest and was shot 21 times, dying while his body was still warm.

The officers expressed their condolences, and one second-class officer and one first-class officer were given administrative leave.

Miguel said with satisfaction, "Now all you need to do is come back to the police station with me to make a statement and provide your bank account details. Once we've finished investigating the case and notified the San Francisco Police Department and the Chinese community, we can start receiving the payment."

After clearing the scene, Officer Miguel returned to his patrol car, started the engine, and led the way, allowing Zhang Ailun and his colleague to follow him to the Southern Precinct.

It took some time to get to the Southern Precinct, where the vehicle was parked on the side of the road.

This was Zhang Ailun's first time visiting the local police station. Led by Officer Miguel, he toured the gym, parking lot, changing and storage rooms, restaurant, and other facilities. The fact that the precinct itself was so well-equipped showed that the officers enjoyed very good benefits.

It was still working hours, and the police officers were patrolling the streets. There weren't many people left at the police station. The two hadn't committed any crimes; it was just a formality. Officer Miguel personally accompanied them during the interrogation, and they were served hot coffee and milk.

After giving their statements and leaving Sig's bank account information, the two decided not to dine there and, accompanied by Mig, left the Southern Precinct.

Back in the pickup truck, Dave texted him. Zhang Ailun took out his phone and glanced at it.

Dave: I just finished accompanying a case at the courthouse. During my free time, I inquired about the Shower Private Bank for you. There are no traps. I've also successfully helped you apply for a bank card. You only need to deposit $10,000 to activate it. Do you have time to come and pick up the card now?

Zhang Ailun: I'm coming over now.

Following the address sent by Dave, Zhang Ailun and Sieg drove to the restaurant.

Dave had finished lunch and was sitting at the door waiting. When he saw the two of them drive over, he greeted them warmly and handed the bank card he had applied for to Zhang Ailun.

There happened to be an ATM nearby, so Zhang Ailun deposited $25000, leaving $4630 in cash on hand for later use, and activated his debit card.

I also inquired about how much tax Dave would need to pay on the $10,000 bounty.

After understanding the situation, Dave took out a pen and paper to do some calculations and said, "Taxation isn't actually that complicated. It's based on an individual's total continuous income, with taxes progressively decreasing. In California, poor families pay varying amounts depending on the region, ranging from a minimum of 10% to a maximum of 37%. There are different tax filing methods: single filer, married couple file jointly, married couple file separately, and head of household file. Property tax in Los Angeles is 1%-1.5% annually."

"If you earn an extra $12000 and are filing taxes alone, exceeding the annual income threshold of $11600, you will have to deduct 12% for federal tax, 7.65% for Social Security and Medicare, and 5% for state tax, leaving you with approximately $9042. If you earn more money later, you will have to deduct even more when you file your taxes."

"..." Aren't you... robbing me?

Zhang Ailun remained silent for a long time.

"Your current annual salary record should be the balance in your bank account. Your bank statement shows zero transactions, you have no assets, and you belong to the ordinary poor. But fortunately, your credit is not bankrupt."

Dave explained, "For poor families, there's Social Security tax, Medicare tax, and then every time you use your bank card for a purchase, you have to pay extra taxes. Since you don't have a company now, the biggest taxes you pay in life are hidden taxes; everything you buy includes tax."

"If you earn $3000 a week, you'll have to pay $1000 in taxes. This includes federal, state, Social Security, and Medicare taxes, but excludes sales and property taxes. You'll also have to pay a 7.25% sales tax on the sale of items, but the good thing is you can get a tax credit on antique collectibles; in that case, you only need to pay a 1% exchange tax."

Zhang Ailun felt his scalp tingle just listening to it, yet it made perfect sense.

If you're useless, you don't need to pay much tax; the more capable you are, the more tax you need to pay.

Would you rather be a good-for-nothing who just loafs around on the streets and waits to die, or a thriving leek to be harvested?

It's hard to choose? That's right, life is just that hard!

(End of this chapter)