These so-called Blade Fist activists were far from being upstanding citizens. The initial group of Black leaders stirring up trouble were, at best, idle troublemakers from the bottom rungs of society or "political stray dogs" pursuing their own hidden agendas. They operated under the belief that "being poor makes you righteous" or "being weak makes you just."
Initially, the chaos they created appeared to be loud and impactful, but due to their natural lack of organizational and leadership skills, it didn't amount to much. Even though they managed to rile up a crowd of clueless "concerned citizens" and put some pressure on the NYPD, their Manhattan protests over a few days didn't actually cause any serious damage to the department.
However, the situation began to spiral out of control when a group of hypocritical white liberals joined the fray over the past two days.
The members of the Lockset organization, who had orchestrated this entire mess with the intent of smearing Castle, were stunned to find that their initial Black provocateurs completely missed their target. The group they had incited had failed to drag Castle, the real target, into the spotlight.
How could this be acceptable?
The entire purpose of stirring up this chaos was to plunge Castle into a public relations nightmare, keeping him too distracted to focus on anything else. They couldn't just sit idly by while Castle remained unscathed, watching the circus from the sidelines.
Realizing that their initial provocateurs were incompetent, Lockset had no choice but to deploy their "elite forces" — white liberals wearing the mask of "progressive activists" but harboring ulterior motives. These individuals were far more calculated and dangerous than the original Black protestors. Among them were notable social commentators in New York and so-called "successful individuals," people with greater influence than the aimless street-level protestors. Their objective was clear: amplify the situation, smear Castle's reputation, and strip him of the glowing image that made him untouchable.
With such a calculated smear campaign unfolding, Castle had no time or energy to entertain requests from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for licensing or collaboration. His sole focus now was to mount a sharp counterattack against these Blade Fist activists who had turned their sights on him.
From the very beginning, Castle had known that the protests, which were ostensibly about NYPD overreach and alleged violations of civil liberties, were just a ruse to ensnare him. Initially, he had taken a relaxed attitude, watching the Black protestors' antics with mild amusement. But when the more organized and destructive white liberals entered the scene, he realized it was time to take the matter seriously.
Castle understood all too well that public opinion could be a powerful weapon, especially in the USA, a country that thrived on "happy education," which was, in reality, a form of indoctrination. The phrase "a lie told often enough becomes the truth" wasn't just a cliché. If these well-organized individuals managed to smear him effectively, clearing his name later would require a Herculean effort.
And Castle wasn't the type to quietly endure provocations without retaliating. After receiving an update on the situation from Jarvis, he decided it was time to personally step into the fray and teach these troublemakers a lesson they wouldn't forget.
But how?
For Castle, equipped with Jarvis—a near-omniscient AI capable of monitoring the internet—this wasn't even a challenge.
The internet, except for specific secure networks like those of intelligence agencies or high-security military operations, held no secrets from Jarvis. And when Castle had Jarvis dig into the backgrounds and recent activities of the most vocal protestors—both the Black agitators and the white Blade Fist activists—it was child's play to uncover a treasure trove of dirt on them.
However, there was a small issue. Castle couldn't directly unleash all the dirt Jarvis had gathered, especially the more incriminating evidence, as that would expose the abnormal capabilities of his intelligence-gathering methods. This might alert the Lockset organization to his extraordinary capabilities.
Fortunately, among the mountains of dirt Jarvis unearthed on these protestors, one particularly damning detail stood out: almost every single one of them was guilty of tax evasion.
This revelation delighted Castle to no end.
Why?
Because in the USA, the most feared enforcement agency wasn't the FBI, the CIA, or even Homeland Security—it was the IRS (Internal Revenue Service).
The IRS, under the Department of the Treasury, wasn't just responsible for collecting taxes; they also cracked down on tax evasion, prosecuted criminals, dismantled illegal organizations, and, according to Castle's personal joke, "maintained world peace."
The IRS's focus could be summed up in one word: "TAXES."
Every single American, from the poorest citizen to the richest tycoon, from law-abiding citizens to drug lords, had to report their income and pay taxes.
Illegal income? It didn't matter.
The IRS didn't care whether your income was legal or not. They only cared whether you reported it and paid the appropriate taxes.
You didn't pay your taxes?
If you got caught, you'd pay dearly.
The IRS's reputation for ruthlessness was legendary. With over 100,000 employees and an enforcement division of more than 40,000 agents, the IRS could roll out tanks if necessary to collect unpaid taxes. This wasn't an exaggeration—the IRS actually possessed military-grade equipment. Their tactical teams were better equipped than New York's Emergency Service Unit (ESU) or Los Angeles' SWAT teams.
In Hollywood movies, agencies like the CIA or FBI were often portrayed as the incompetent bad guys. But have you ever seen a movie mock the IRS?
Exactly. No one dared.
In the USA, you could mock the President, lambast the FBI, or even ridicule Homeland Security. But if you crossed the IRS?
Good luck.
The infamous gangster Al Capone, who dominated the 1930s with his criminal empire, wasn't brought down by the FBI or police. It was the IRS that nailed him for tax evasion, sentencing him to 11 years in prison and dismantling his criminal network.
The IRS's fearsome reputation as an enforcer of financial justice was etched into history.
And now, Castle was overjoyed to discover that every single one of these protestors had substantial unpaid taxes.
This was perfect. Castle didn't need to flex his intelligence-gathering muscles too obviously. All he had to do was anonymously report their tax evasion to the IRS, and within 24 hours, the IRS agents—armed with their unparalleled authority and firepower—would descend upon these so-called activists like an unstoppable capitalist hammer.
The IRS didn't care about the Blade Fist activists' supposed ideals. If you evaded taxes, there was only one outcome: you'd be crushed.
Castle also knew that filing these reports would allow him to remain under the radar. To the public, he would simply appear to be a concerned citizen doing his civic duty by exposing tax cheats.
Moreover, Castle was certain that once the IRS got involved, it wouldn't take long before they arrested those protestors currently camped outside NYPD headquarters, irritating Deputy Commissioner Montgomery to no end.
It wasn't that Castle didn't want to take more direct action—perhaps by teaming up with his neighbor John, who was currently battling the challenges of raising a baby—but there was no need for such theatrics. Castle understood the importance of striking with precision.
These activists had grown increasingly audacious in recent years, emboldened by certain political trends and shadowy backers. They were accustomed to exploiting protests and riots for personal gain, often under the guise of noble causes.
While the current protests in New York were orchestrated, Castle had no doubt that many of the Black participants had ulterior motives, using the chaos as an opportunity to "requisition" some free goods for themselves.
But this time, they had made a fatal mistake by crossing Castle.
With the IRS set to deliver its brutal, tax-collecting justice, these troublemakers were about to learn the true meaning of capitalism's iron fist.
(End of Chapter)
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