My Manor

The United States has never been a welcoming place for immigrants, especially for Chinese people. While many American citizens promote the country in China, claiming it is a land of opportunity, the reality is known by those who actually live here.

If you're wealthy, then this country is heaven—no matter the city, it's a paradise. But if you have no money, then it's hell, a hell that drags you into a bottomless abyss.

One of the harsh realities here is taxation. In the U.S., almost everything is taxed. With over 300 million people living in the country, the average savings of most families is only around $1,000, while in China, the average savings for urban residents is about 100,000 RMB.

You may dismiss this comparison, but consider how much your home is worth. Real estate is an asset, and it's not unreasonable for each family to have a savings of at least $100,000.

Most Americans rent homes because the tax burden on owning property is too high.

Taxes touch every aspect of life in the U.S. Some claim that American healthcare, insurance, and social security are superior, but this is only true if you're paying the required level of taxes. In contrast to China's minimum medical insurance, the U.S. doesn't offer such coverage at a basic level.

The quality of medical insurance is determined by how much tax you pay. Without paying taxes, you won't even be able to buy cold medicine, as it's considered a prescription drug. A simple cold can cost you at least $1,000 in medical treatment, even with a lenient local doctor.

Additionally, if you try to take cold medicine out of China, it's forbidden.

The treatment you receive for a cold is mostly self-care, relying on your body's immune system to fight off the virus. This is why Americans are often perceived as healthier—they don't lack these basic necessities.

In China, the highest personal income tax rate is 20%, and for incomes below 800 RMB, there's no tax at all. In state-owned enterprises, even for those earning over 10,000 RMB, the tax burden is minimal. Bonuses and year-end rewards aren't taxed, a feature not found in the U.S.

In the United States, however, national taxes must be paid. If your annual income exceeds $100,000, whether from salary or bonuses, you're taxed at a minimum rate of 35%, and state taxes are calculated separately.

This 35% tax is mandatory and doesn't include additional expenses like property tax, car taxes (which continue for up to eight years after purchasing a car), or the costs for healthcare and social security.

For example, if someone earns $100,000 in New York, over 60% of that will go to taxes, unless they risk jail. Tax evasion is a serious felony in the U.S.—more so than murder.

There's no such thing as tax exemption in the United States. The most formidable government agency is not the FBI or CIA, but the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), a division of the Treasury Department.

One example is a dentist from an island nation who moved to the U.S. and opened a clinic. He reported earnings of only $400,000 annually, even though the average income for American dentists is around $1 million. The IRS noticed the discrepancy and launched an investigation. They sent agents posing as patients and tracked his clients. After a month of investigation, they discovered he was actually earning $150,000 a month. The IRS arrested him, and he was sentenced to three years in prison and forced to pay $5 million in back taxes, along with a $24 million fine.

This isn't an isolated case. Taxpayers in the U.S. are often subject to two-way taxation, which is one reason duty-free shops are so popular.

The high taxes create immense financial pressure for many Americans, making life unaffordable for a large portion of the population. Many find themselves trapped in this cycle, struggling to survive.

It's easy for tourists to overlook the harsh realities, but those who are truly struggling in the U.S. often go unnoticed, and their lives are far from the American Dream.

In fact, there are many cities in the U.S. labeled as "crime capitals" due to poverty and crime. For example, Cleveland ranked tenth with 84 murders in 2012 and a 34.3% poverty rate. Baltimore had 219 murders in the same year, and a poverty rate of 25.2%. Other cities like New Haven, Birmingham, Stockton, Memphis, St. Louis, Oakland, Detroit, and Flint have similarly high crime rates, with Flint having 63 murders and a staggering 40.6% poverty rate.

If anyone still insists that the U.S. is a land of opportunity after reading this, then nothing more can be said.

Even before these cities gained notoriety for crime, the U.S. had its share of unrest. In the early years of the country, the four major crime cities were all on the East Coast. The southernmost was Miami, the infamous drug hub, while the westernmost was Chicago. New York City, the setting for "The Godfather," also played a major role.

The oldest crime-ridden city in the U.S. is Boston, which was controlled by Irish gangs from the 1950s to the 1970s. South Boston was particularly notorious, though these gangs have mostly disappeared due to government crackdowns. Still, there are people in Boston involved in unsavory businesses, some of whom hold grudges against Jiang Hai.

As we shift to a scene in Boston, we find Billy Valen hiding in an abandoned warehouse with his crew. He's surrounded by a group of men dressed in black suits who have come to settle a score over a deal gone wrong. Billy Valen had promised them results, but had failed to deliver, citing the challenges of dealing with a powerful individual involved. After some tense negotiations, he agrees to a higher price—$2 million for the job.

Billy Valen's crew, now stunned by the deal, knows they must follow through. Meanwhile, the men in black return to their car and head toward the city center, their motives linked to the wider turmoil in China, where Jiang Hai's involvement has far-reaching consequences for powerful families like the Qi family.

Jiang Hai, unaware of the unfolding events, continues with his plans to meet with his allies in the forest.