(Ryan is the current protagonist of the story.)
City C, country Zero.
Business district.
Star Business Towers Headquarters, top floor.
Ryan had just reached his office and sat in his chair while his secretary detailed his schedule for the day.
As he was getting ready to start his work, he heard a commotion outside. He sent his secretary out to find out the reason for the disturbance and told the employees to quiet down and get back to work.
A few minutes later, the noise subsided, and his secretary returned with a few people behind her.
She moved forward to introduce them, but the leader of the group rudely pushed her aside, which resulted in her falling towards Ryan and the officer stepping in front of Ryan, extending his hand.
Ryan helped his secretary to stabilize herself and then shook the middle-aged officer's hand with displeasure written on his face.
"We are from the income tax office; we received an anonymous message about your business being evicted from the city taxes for the past 2 years."
"I would like you to cooperate with us in a detailed search of your office files regarding the tax eviction." The middle-aged officer stated.
Ryan was shocked after hearing the reason for their visit.
"Sir, I think you might have received a piece of false information. everyone knows my company was a startup until recently, and last year's tax was filed recently," Ryan said to them and asked them to check if they had come to the wrong place.
The middle-aged man then took out documents that stated his company name, his name, and the permit to search his office.
Ryan took the documents from the officer's hand and read them carefully.
After reading them, he returned them to the officer and stepped aside, allowing them to search his office for any evidence of his tax evasion.
The head officer then instructed the others who had come with him to start their work while he sat on the nearby sofa and started smoking rudely.
Ryan frowned when he saw him smoking but didn't intervene. He sat in his office chair, observing the officers' work and explaining the details in the files whenever they asked for more information.
By the evening, the entire office had been searched, and the officer found that the details in the files were correct, with no evidence of corruption or tax evasion.
All the workers in the office were given a half day off today due to the work disturbance caused by the search, and only Ryan, his secretary, and the officers who had come for the search were present in the office.
One of the officers went to the head officer and said he hadn't found any file regarding the tax eviction.
The head officer soon stood up from the sofa and went to Ryan, who was explaining the details in the file to one of the officers.
"Mr. Ryan, we haven't found any evidence of your tax evasion, but we would like you to hand over the files and the system in your office, as we suspect you may have falsified the details shown to us."
"You can collect them back from our office after our suspicion is cleared," the head officer informed Ryan, taking another document from his file and handing it to him.
"Sir, we didn't even know there would raid in the office. How can I have time to create false details in such a short time and replace them in front of you?" Ryan asked the officer
Ryan reviewed the document to ensure there were no incorrect orders due to any mistakes, but he found nothing amiss. Meanwhile, the head officer instructed the others to pack the files and systems as seized items.
By the time Ryan checked the document, the officer had packed everything in the office and started transporting them downstairs.
Ryan then informed the secretary to inform the employees that tomorrow would be a holiday, and he would notify them of the next working day and followed the officer to the tax office to make sure their files were not damaged during transportation.
Soon, it was three days since the tax raid, and the officers were not responding to his case and started to ignore him while keeping his office work files and system in their custody.
If Ryan had any doubts before, he was now certain that foul play was involved. He immediately contacted his lawyer and took the case to court.
The case that went to court became famous in the city because Ryan sued the officials instead of the other way around.
Many influential members of society advised Ryan to withdraw the case and compromise with the officials, but Ryan didn't even know who was responsible for the debacle. So, Ryan applied pressure on the officials throughout the court process, which led to many influential members and friends abandoning him.
Soon, a month passed, and the officials asked the court to grant them a few more days to submit the full details of the case, which made the court and Ryan both frustrated.
The court gave the last chance to the officer and warned them not to resort to foul play by creating evidence and assured Ryan that he would be compensated for his losses by the government if they could not prove him guilty.
Ryan, with the court assurance, went back to his home then got freshened up, and started resting.
In the evening, Ryan received an anonymous call on his mobile and was asked to come to the hotel next to his office.
Ryan recognized the voice on his mobile phone and knew it was the tax head officer who had called him and promised him to meet at the restaurant next to his office.
Ryan got ready with a pinhole camera arranged on his shirt, went to the restaurant, and was directed to a private room.
There in the room, he saw the middle-aged man who had come to his office for the raid under false information waiting for him.
Ryan sat in front of him and waited for him to speak.
Soon, the middle-aged head officer drank tea to moisten his throat and started speaking.
"Mr. Ryan, I know you have a grievance with me for making your company shut down temporarily, but I'm here to inform you that I'm not the reason for your predicament. It was your action that resulted in this predicament."
Ryan was confused upon hearing it and got angry at the middle-aged man.
"Mr. Ryan, please don't get angry. You have offended my master somehow, and it was my master who asked to invite you here. Please wait for a few minutes, and he will be here." The head officer said.
Within a few minutes, a young man aged about 20 entered the room where they were seated and sat in the seat reserved for him.
"Hello, Mr. Ryan, you don't have to know my name, but I have an item that belongs to me with you, that was the reason for the entire drama that took place until now."
"If you hand the item which you owned in the auction a month ago to me, I will ask the case to get closed and leave you alone." The young man warned Ryan.
Ryan soon recognized the young man as he saw him at the charity party the last time he went when he was free.
"I remember you, you are the only son of the city admirative governor right, and sorry but you are in no condition to give conditions to me, ask your lackey he will inform you that court has given you only a week to provide evidence or his future is over," Ryan exclaimed and reminded him after hearing his warning.
"You think my father will leave you alone once I complain about you to him? he will make sure you will never get justice by making you roam around the court, so go and get the item now, and I will forgive you for your impudence." The youth warned.
Ryan didn't agree to his demands, but Ryan informed him that he would bring the auctioned item here and ask him to pay for the cost. In return, he would pardon him by not mentioning him in court.
The young man broke into a slight sweat after hearing Ryan's warning. After some thought, he agreed to buy the item, but only after extracting a promise from Ryan to keep quiet about him.
Ryan then left the restaurant, leaving the sweating young man and the middle-aged man who was seated there the entire time.
"Young master, you don't have to fear him; I will send someone to his house now to warn him and speak a word about you." He assured the young man and left the private room.
The young master thought for a moment and remained silent with seething rage as though he hadn't heard his lackey's words.