481. Countering a Loophole in the Tax System
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They stood in silence for a moment, letting the weight of their task settle over them. Then, with a final glance at the city around them, they got to work.
Sico glanced around the marketplace, watching as the last few citizens returned to their routines. The announcement had landed well enough, but it was clear that not everyone was fully convinced yet. That was fine. Change always took time.
He turned back to Danny, his expression serious. "Listen, there's something else you need to know. Preston and Sarah have been working with the old Diamond City security force—training them up, turning them into real soldiers. They're not just guards anymore; they're actual defenders of the city."
Danny's eyebrows lifted slightly. "You mean they've been running drills?"
Sico nodded. "More than that. We upgraded their gear too. They're outfitted just like Minutemen soldiers now. Better armor, better weapons, real tactics instead of just standing around holding pipes. If anyone tries to start trouble over these new policies, they're going to find out real quick that Diamond City isn't some easy target anymore."
Preston crossed his arms and added, "We've been drilling them on everything—firearm discipline, formation tactics, defense strategies. They're getting there, but they still need more training. At least now, they won't be running scared if a real fight breaks out."
Danny let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair. "That's… actually a relief. If we're going to be making these kinds of changes, we need to make sure we can protect them. The city's always had a security team, but they've never been more than just hired muscle."
Sico smirked. "Not anymore. Now they're a real force."
Danny nodded. "Good. Because if I know people, there's going to be pushback. Some of the merchants, the wealthier folks—they're going to fight this. Maybe not openly at first, but they'll find ways to resist. Bribes, backdoor deals, stirring up unrest. We need to be ready."
Preston agreed. "That's why training the security force was step one. If the people see that the city is being properly defended, they'll feel safer. They'll be less likely to buy into the paranoia that some of the wealthier types might try to spread."
Sico crossed his arms. "And if anyone does decide to start trouble, we make an example out of them—legally, of course." He gave a half-smile. "We're not raiders."
Danny chuckled. "No, but we do need to show that we mean business. If we're going to rebuild this city the right way, it has to be done with order, not chaos."
Sico nodded in agreement. "Then let's get to it."
One Week Later
The first round of tax payments had officially begun, and the reaction was about as mixed as expected.
In the marketplace, traders grumbled as they handed over their caps, some muttering about how things were "better before," while others simply accepted it with a resigned sigh. Regular citizens weren't too happy either, but most of them seemed to understand why it was happening.
Piper had done her job well. The latest issue of Publick Occurrences had laid everything out in clear, simple terms.
"Where Are Your Caps Going?"
That was the headline. The article detailed exactly how the taxes would be used—funding repairs to the city, improving defenses, and ensuring that people had access to fair work and services. She had even included a breakdown of where the caps were being allocated, right down to the last percentage.
Danny stood near the marketplace, watching as people read the article, some nodding in approval while others scoffed. A man slammed the paper onto his stall. "We're already payin' traders' fees, now we gotta deal with this?"
Another merchant, an older woman selling baked goods, shrugged. "It ain't great, but if it means no more McDonough-style corruption, I'll pay my share."
The first man wasn't convinced. "We'll see how long that lasts."
Danny sighed, knowing that no matter what, not everyone would be satisfied. He turned to Sico and Preston, who were standing nearby. "This is going to be a slow process."
Sico nodded. "As long as we keep proving that the money is being put to good use, they'll come around. People don't like change, but they do like results."
Preston gestured toward the gates. "Speaking of results, you should take a look at what Sarah's been working on."
Danny followed them, walking toward the entrance of Diamond City. What he saw made him stop in his tracks.
The old guards' makeshift armor—mostly leather and metal scraps—was gone. Now, the men and women standing watch were outfitted in full combat gear, looking more like a professional military unit than a ragtag group of hired muscle. Their laser muskets had been swapped for modern rifles, their stances sharper, more disciplined.
Sarah stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching as a group of recruits ran drills.
Danny let out a low whistle. "Damn. This is… different."
Sarah turned to him with a small smirk. "Figured it was time to stop pretending this city was safe just because we had walls. Walls don't stop everything."
Danny nodded. "No, they don't. And if we're going to make Diamond City the center of the Commonwealth, we need to make sure it stays secure."
Sico added, "And this? This is just the start. We're not just training guards—we're building a real defense force. If the Brotherhood comes knocking again, or if some gang thinks they can muscle their way in, they're gonna have a much harder time than they used to."
Danny turned back to the soldiers, watching as they ran through their drills with a precision that Diamond City security had never seen before.
Danny stood near the entrance of Diamond City, arms crossed as he observed the newly trained soldiers running their drills. The transformation was undeniable. What had once been a barely organized security team now looked like a real defense force. Sarah's leadership had paid off, and Sico's influence had pushed them into becoming something more than just hired muscle.
But before he could dwell on the success, Geneva approached, her steps brisk and purposeful. She still carried herself with the efficiency of her days as McDonough's assistant, though now she worked for a much different administration.
"Danny," she called, holding a clipboard stacked with freshly written reports. "I've got the numbers from the first round of tax payments."
Danny turned to her, his expression expectant. "And?"
She sighed, flipping through the pages before settling on a specific section. "It's gone smoothly, for the most part. People aren't happy, but they're paying. The system is working. However, we've run into a problem."
Sico and Preston exchanged glances before Danny gestured for her to continue.
"The merchants," Geneva said, adjusting her glasses, "have found a way around it. They're raising their prices across the board to make up for the caps they're losing to taxes. Instead of paying their fair share, they're just passing the cost onto the residents."
Sico let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "Of course they are."
Danny frowned, rubbing his chin. "That's going to cause problems. If prices skyrocket, the average person is going to feel like we're squeezing them dry, even if it's the merchants trying to protect their own pockets."
Sico nodded. "Exactly. If people start blaming us instead of the merchants, we're going to have riots on our hands. This whole plan falls apart if the people lose faith in what we're trying to do."
Preston exhaled sharply. "We need to get ahead of this before it spirals out of control."
Danny glanced at Geneva. "Do we have a breakdown of which merchants are doing this? Is it everyone, or just a few?"
She flipped to another page in her report. "It's mostly the wealthier ones—the traders who deal in bulk supplies, ammo, medicine, and armor. Some of the smaller vendors, like the food stalls and general goods sellers, are keeping their prices steady, but they're feeling the pressure too. If we don't do something, they might start raising their prices just to keep up."
Sico exhaled and crossed his arms. "Then we need price regulations."
Geneva's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Regulations?"
Danny nodded slowly, considering the idea. "It makes sense. If we set a cap on prices for essential goods—food, water, medicine, ammunition, repairs—we can prevent the merchants from using loopholes to dodge taxes."
Sico added, "And if they refuse to follow the regulations, we hit them with fines. If they still don't listen, we revoke their trade licenses. They either play fair or they don't play at all."
Geneva looked thoughtful. "That… could work. But there will be pushback. The wealthier traders are already looking for ways to resist. If we enforce price caps, they might claim we're 'interfering in the free market.'"
Sico scoffed. "Free market my ass. This isn't pre-war America. This is the Commonwealth. We're not just letting people hoard wealth while everyone else suffers. If they want to operate in Diamond City, they play by our rules."
Danny smirked slightly at Sico's passion but nodded in agreement. "Alright. Geneva, I need you to start drafting a list of essential goods and services that will fall under these new price regulations. We'll need a council meeting to get it approved, but we're not wasting time."
Geneva nodded. "I'll get started on it right away."
Danny turned to Preston. "In the meantime, let's make sure the public knows what's happening. I don't want people turning against us because of some greedy merchants. Let's put out an official statement explaining that we're keeping prices fair."
Preston gave a firm nod. "I'll talk to Piper. We'll make sure Publick Occurrences gets the message out."
Sico clapped his hands together. "Good. Now let's see how the merchants react when they realize they can't play the system anymore."
The following morning, the new price regulations were announced.
A notice was posted in the marketplace and around the city, detailing the maximum allowable prices for essential goods and services. Alongside it was a clear statement from Danny's administration:
Diamond City will not allow price gouging. The purpose of the tax system is to improve our home, not to make life harder for its citizens. Any merchant found violating the price regulations will face severe fines, and repeat offenders will lose their right to do business within these walls.
Predictably, the wealthier merchants weren't happy.
Danny sat in his office, listening to Geneva's latest report as she listed off the complaints that had already flooded in.
"They're saying it's unfair," she said, adjusting her glasses. "That they have to raise prices to cover their own costs. Some are threatening to stop selling certain goods altogether."
Sico, who was leaning against the wall, rolled his eyes. "Let them. See how long they last when they can't do business anywhere in the Commonwealth. They need Diamond City more than Diamond City needs them."
Danny nodded. "That's the key. We have the leverage here. They'll grumble, they'll push back, but at the end of the day, they need a safe place to do business. If they think they can hold the city hostage by refusing to sell, they'll learn real quick that we're not playing games."
Geneva hesitated. "You really think they'll back down?"
Sico smirked. "They'll try to fight it at first, but once they see that people aren't on their side, they'll fall in line. Besides, we have the security force to make sure they don't pull anything shady."
Danny sighed. "Still, let's keep an eye on things. If any merchants try something drastic, I want to know about it immediately."
Geneva nodded. "Understood."
A few days later, the impact of the regulations became clear.
While a handful of merchants continued to complain, most had grudgingly accepted the new system. Prices stabilized, and for the first time in years, there was a sense of economic fairness in Diamond City.
More importantly, the people noticed.
In the marketplace, citizens talked amongst themselves about how food and medicine were no longer getting more expensive every week.
One woman, handing over caps for a bag of flour, turned to her friend and said, "You know, I really thought they were just gonna take our money and leave us worse off. But this? This actually feels fair."
Nearby, a mechanic working on a set of power armor muttered, "Never thought I'd see the day the traders got told 'no' for once."
Sico, who had been observing from a distance, smirked. "Told you," he murmured to Danny.
Danny exhaled in relief. "We're not done yet, but this is a damn good start."
Preston, standing beside them, nodded. "And if we keep this up, Diamond City might just become the place people always hoped it would be."
Danny looked around, watching as people went about their lives with just a little less worry than before.
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• Name: Sico
• Stats :
S: 8,44
P: 7,44
E: 8,44
C: 8,44
I: 9,44
A: 7,45
L: 7
• Skills: advance Mechanic, Science, and Shooting skills, intermediate Medical, Hand to Hand Combat, Lockpicking, Hacking, Persuasion, and Drawing Skills
• Inventory: 53.280 caps, 10mm Pistol, 1500 10mm rounds, 22 mole rats meat, 17 mole rats teeth, 1 fragmentation grenade, 6 stimpak, 1 rad x, 6 fusion core, computer blueprint, modern TV blueprint, camera recorder blueprint, 1 set of combat armor, Automatic Assault Rifle, 1.500 5.56mm rounds, power armor T51 blueprint, Electric Motorcycle blueprint, T-45 power armor, Minigun, 1.000 5mm rounds, Cryolator, 200 cryo cell, Machine Gun Turret Mk1 blueprint, electric car blueprint, Kellogg gun, Righteous Authority, Ashmaker, Furious Power Fist, Full set combat armor blueprint, M240 7.62mm machine guns blueprint, Automatic Assault Rifle blueprint, and Humvee blueprint.
• Active Quest:-