I Time-Traveled to 1900, But the Future IRS Still Found Me

Death is no excuse for tax evasion. Mark thought drowning was a quiet end to a ruined life. A bankrupt conglomerate, a billion-Longyuan debt, and a family he could no longer face—all gone in the freezing river. He woke up in 1900, on a small boat drifting toward the docks of Qing Dynasty Tianjin. But before he could celebrate his fresh start, his phone buzzed. The Future IRS has found him. And they don't care that he's 247 years in the past. Armed with a 22nd-century industrial database and a cold-blooded AI "assistant," Mark has five years to build a fortune in a world on the brink of war. From steam engines to precision manufacturing, he will drag the 1900s into the future—one gold bar at a time. What to expect: Tech-Uplift / Industrial Progression: From a "nobody" to an industrial titan. Historical Turmoil: Navigating the Boxer Rebellion and the shifting tides of the late Qing Dynasty. Competent Protagonist: A 41-year-old former CEO who knows how the world actually works. System-lite: No leveling up, just a very persistent tax collector.