Chapter 5: Learn to Open a Portal
Reasonable tax avoidance was something companies all over the world strove for, because, at the end of the day, it was all perfectly legal.
If you were clever enough, like Apple or Starbucks, you could make hundreds of millions—or even billions—of pounds in England every year without paying a single penny in taxes to the Crown. In fact, you could even get a tax refund.
Why?
It was simply because these corporations had exploited England's tax loopholes, placing most of their profit-generating business in countries like Ireland or registering them in the Netherlands.
Their English branches would only declare about 10% of their profits locally, just enough to pay their UK employees.
As a result, these major corporations were technically losing money in England every year. And if you're losing money, you don't pay taxes; you might even qualify for a tax refund.
In reality, the money they were banking was far higher than their declared turnover.
Apple had hundreds of billions of dollars in cash sitting outside the United States, but it never repatriated the funds. According to the rules at the time, as long as the money stayed offshore, it was tax-free.
William felt he had to learn from these corporate giants. If the entire world, even the English royal family, was legally avoiding taxes, he wasn't about to foolishly pay more than he had to.
That same day, William found an agency that specialized in helping people register companies. On their advice, he registered two separate companies with the minimum required capital.
One was called Devonshire Industrial Corporation, registered in England. The other was an Irish entity called Ireland Import and Export Company.
Because both were registered within the British Isles, he received the operating permits for both companies the very next day.
A few days later, the full order of five thousand discs was delivered to his dorm. He then called Robert Carter and asked him to come over.
A short while later, there was a knock on his door. After letting Robert in, William said, "Hey man, I need you to help me draft a few legal documents. I'll pay you for your time."
Robert asked doubtfully, "What kind of legal documents?"
William explained, "So, I set up those companies we talked about. One is called Devonshire Industrial Corporation, registered here in England."
"The other is the Ireland Import and Export Company, registered in Ireland."
"I need you to draft some contracts. First, to assign the copyright for *Plants vs. Zombies* to Devonshire Industrial. Then, a second contract licensing the game to the Irish company for one pound per copy sold."
Robert gave William a strange look. In his experience, his friend had only ever cared about computer technology; he'd never shown any interest in legal matters.
Then it clicked; William was setting up a tax avoidance scheme. "So the funds never even enter an Irish bank. Ireland doesn't get to tax it, and England only gets to tax the one-pound licensing fee instead of the full four pounds."
"Clever idea, man. Are you sure you're studying computer science and not law?"
William thought to himself, "This is the simplest tax avoidance method there is. If you knew how Apple does it, you wouldn't be so surprised."
"I read up on it in my spare time," William said. "I know a bit about reasonable tax avoidance. These contracts will be legal, right?"
"What trouble could there be?" Robert said, shaking his head with a smile. "You're not the only one doing this. Plenty of English companies do the exact same thing."
After Robert helped William finalize the licensing contracts, William took out a box of fifty game discs and handed it to him. "You know my situation right now," he said apologetically.
"This is all I can offer as payment for now. There are fifty game CDs in here. Once I have more money, I'll treat you to a proper meal."
Robert replied jokingly, "No problem. You'll be rich soon, and we lawyers exist to serve the rich, don't we?"
"Besides, I might have to rely on you for a job someday."
William knew he was joking. A graduate from the University of London law school wouldn't need to work for his shoestring operation.
"No problem. Robert, once I make it big, I'll hire you as my personal lawyer."
"It's a deal, then," Robert said, slapping William happily on the back.
The two joked for a bit longer before Robert left.
William then began calling the students who had placed orders, arranging for them to pick up their game CDs from his dorm room.
It took a full day for everyone to come and collect their discs. After the last student left, William lay on his bed, suddenly unsure of what to do.
He had been busy for nearly a month straight, and now that it was over, he felt a bit adrift.
After a moment's thought, he realized he hadn't meditated in days. He decided to let go of his worldly concerns and enter a state of deep meditation.
In the middle of the night, a sudden surge of mental power startled William out of his meditative state. He immediately focused his awareness inward.
He soon discovered that if his mental power twenty days ago was the size of a sesame seed, it was now as large as a peanut.
Just as he was puzzling over this, a 'ding' sound echoed in his mind.
"Host's spiritual power has reached the primary level. You may now learn all magic independently." After that one message, the system fell silent again.
"This is the primary level?"
It seemed his silent system was useful for something, after all. Even if it only activated sporadically, his mental power could continue to grow.
Sensing the wealth of magical knowledge now available in his mind, he found that as long as his mental power was sufficient to control a spell, and he could understand its principles, he could learn it. There were no level restrictions.
He raised his hand, and a ball of flame slowly materialized in his palm. With a wave, the ball transformed into a ring of fire half a meter in diameter.
He held the spell for more than ten minutes before he began to feel even slightly tired.
Just a few days ago, as a novice, he could only maintain such a flame for less than a minute before becoming mentally exhausted. Now, he'd lasted for over ten minutes and was only a little tired. He could probably hold it for fifteen minutes without issue.
Didn't that mean his mental power had increased by a factor of ten, maybe even twenty?
Wait... he suddenly felt short of breath, as if the oxygen in the room was running thin.
William immediately extinguished the spell, opened the window, and took several deep breaths of fresh air. He leaned on the windowsill, wondering how he could use magic without being discovered.
It would be great if he had Mystique's shape-shifting ability. He could change his appearance at will, even mimic fingerprints. Then, even if he were seen, no one could connect it back to him.
"But once I learn to create portals, no one will be able to catch me. That's it! I'll learn portal magic first. The ultimate skill for escape and assassination."
Newly motivated, William closed the window, drew the curtains, and began to practice creating a portal with all his focus.
He focused his mind on the system, thinking about learning the portal spell, and all the magical knowledge associated with it was imprinted in his mind.
He began learning step-by-step, following the method transmitted by the system. Perhaps because he was a transmigrator, he seemed to have a particular affinity for spatial magic.
It didn't take long for him to successfully trace the glowing halo of a portal in his dorm room. After a dozen or so experiments, William felt his mental power lock onto the location of his en-suite bathroom. The magic circle in his hand suddenly flared open, and standing by his bed, he could see directly into his bathroom through the shimmering gateway.
He was so excited that, without a thought for any potential danger, he stepped through the portal and entered the bathroom.
Standing in his bathroom, looking at his towel, toothbrush, and other toiletries, William muttered excitedly, "Having a cheat ability is amazing. I've already learned it?"
"And I don't need to borrow power from some extra-dimensional demon god or whatever. The system just gives it to me directly."
"Who could possibly catch me now? This is the ultimate skill for escape and travel!"