Chapter 178 Daydream Tax
What I saw just now at the city gate is just the tip of the iceberg of corruption and depravity in the Holy City.
After going deep into the Holy City, the true face of the city was gradually revealed.
Here, money seems to be the universal passport.
Whether it is eating, drinking or housing, every daily activity is accompanied by taxes of various names.
Tax collectors are everywhere, always ready to collect fees from citizens.
Incredibly, if someone even pauses on the street to allow themselves to be lost in their thoughts, a taxman will quickly come forward to collect the so-called "daydream tax."
This kind of tax name is simply unbelievable, but it really exists in this city.
"This country is indeed crazy." Crazy Milk opened the window, looked at the tax collector on the street, and couldn't help complaining.
This is the first time he has seen a country that collects taxes so crazily. With such a governance method, isn't it afraid that the people at the bottom will rise up to resist?
"Alas, we can't control these things." Rose sighed at the side, "We'd better do our own thing."
Lin Yi nodded and started to pack his luggage, "Just wait here, I will contact our people. If I need help, I will send you a message."
After saying that, he changed into ordinary clothes, walked out of the hotel door, and disappeared into the bustling crowd.
After some searching, Lin Yi finally found the Kelin grain merchant mentioned by Tu Ke Burn in the west of the city.
But the reputation of this grain merchant in the Holy City is not very good.
It is rumored that he is involved with one of the four major families, and he often does shady things based on this background. Therefore, there are very few customers who are willing to patronize his shop on weekdays.
When Lin Yi stepped into the store, Klin was sitting behind the counter enjoying a meal, paying no attention to the customers who came in.
He shouted without raising his head: "Who is it? You can weigh whatever you want and don't disturb me while I'm eating."
Lin Yi glanced at the name tag on the shopkeeper's chest and confirmed that this person was the Klin he was looking for.
From the outside, Klin looks very different from a spy from the Kingdom of Beasts. Instead, he looks more like a cunning little trader.
"I'm going to buy some rice. How much does it cost?" Lin Yi randomly selected some rice, put it into a bag and put it in front of Klin.
As he handed it over, he deftly fastened the flamingo emblem to his cuff, ensuring that Krillin could see the symbol when he took the bag.
Sure enough, when Klin took the rice and prepared to weigh it, his eyes changed slightly.
He silently put the rice on the scale, then quoted the price and threw the rice back to Lin Yi.
Lin Yi noticed Klin's little movement, but didn't make a sound.
In this holy city, there may be royal spies hidden everywhere, so the two of them just conducted a seemingly ordinary transaction.
After completing the transaction, Lin Yi turned around and left, while Klin continued to sit behind the counter, with an inexplicable light shining in his eyes.
After returning to the hotel, Lin Yi couldn't wait to search among the rice he bought, and soon found a small note hidden in it.
The note read: "582 Princeton Street, 9 p.m., the code is one short and three long."
After Lin Yi wrote down the address, he threw the note directly into his personal space.
Compared to burning after reading, this method is obviously more convenient and safer.
As night falls, the holy city becomes even more prosperous under the bright lights.
On the streets and alleys, the cries of vendors came and went, making it very lively.
However, the tax officials on the street seem like an unharmonious scenery, making it impossible for people to fully immerse themselves in the excitement.
Lin Yi, Crazy Milk and Rose did not go directly to the target location, but played and tasted various snacks along the way, as if they were really tourists visiting the Holy City.
Such leisure and ease make them not stand out among the crowd.
At 8:55, the three finally arrived at the target location - 582 Clinton Street.
There are many shops here and there is a constant flow of people.
They blended in with the bustling crowd and did not attract attention at all.
Next, they just need to wait for the opportunity to arrive before they can take the next step.
Arriving at the tailor shop at No. 582 Collinston Street, Lin Yi was surprised to find that the shop actually had a royal logo on it and was obviously a property of the royal family. It can only be said that the intelligence personnel of the Kingdom of Beasts are really strong, and they actually made a fool of themselves.
With the protection of the royal family, ordinary people really don't dare to search this tailor shop.
He followed the agreed code and knocked on the door briefly and three times.
After the door opened, a gray-haired old tailor appeared at the door. He looked at the three people outside the door silently, and then introduced them into the store without saying a word.
The interior is exquisitely and elegantly decorated, exuding a noble and mysterious atmosphere.
The old tailor asked directly: "Where are the things?"
Lin Yi didn't say anything more and took out the flamingo badge from his pocket.
The old tailor took the badge and roasted it gently in the candlelight for a while.
Surprisingly, the color of the flamingo's eyes changed from red to green.
This change is apparently a way to verify the authenticity of the badge.
"Go in."
The old tailor pointed to a door at the back and motioned for Lin Yi and others to enter the room to talk.
When the door was pushed open, in the dim light, a mysterious figure wearing a mask sat in the center of the room, as if waiting for their arrival.
"Tell me, what have you been sent here to do?"
"Is there a way for me to meet the emperor?" Lin Yi said straight to the point.
The mysterious man's tone revealed some caution: "What are you going to do?"
Hearing Lin Yi's words, the mysterious man's face suddenly became solemn under his mask.
The emperor of the Holy Dragon Kingdom only serves as a representative of the royal family and represents the face of the royal family.
If something unexpected happens to the emperor, the entire Holy Dragon Kingdom will unite as one to resist foreign enemies.
This is undoubtedly an extremely unfavorable situation for the Kingdom of Beasts.
"I just want to convey some information to the emperor. You don't need to be so nervous." Lin Yi felt the mysterious man's alertness and quickly explained.
Hearing the other party's voice, Lin Yi immediately understood that the other party must have misunderstood something.
After listening to Lin Yi's explanation, the mysterious man finally relaxed his vigilance.
He realized that perhaps Lin Yi's purpose was not as dangerous as he originally thought.
"Tomorrow evening, the emperor and the empress will come here in person to choose a dress."
After the mysterious man revealed the emperor's itinerary, he stood up and left.
How to get close to the emperor was not within his scope of consideration.
If the people sent by the superiors can't even complete this small task, then it's natural that the mission should fail.
One day later, night falls, and the lanterns on both sides of the street emit a soft light, adding a touch of warm yellow to the quiet street.
The tailor shop is located in the bustling city center, where people come and go on weekdays, but tonight it seems particularly different.
As the sound of hooves in the distance gradually became clearer, a group of royal guards came on horseback. They were dressed in eye-catching red uniforms, shining helmets, and long swords around their waists. They looked mighty and mysterious.
Their arrival immediately attracted the attention of passers-by, who stopped to watch and whisper.
In front of the guard, a golden carriage drove slowly, the royal emblem on the car shining in the light.
The carriage stopped steadily in front of the tailor shop, the door slowly opened, and the emperor walked out surrounded by several guards.
He wore a gorgeous dragon robe with exquisite dragon-shaped patterns embroidered on it, demonstrating the dignity and majesty of the imperial power.
The emperor smiled, waved to the crowd around him, and walked into the tailor's shop.
(End of chapter)