[Chapter 505: Sold Out]

May 6th was an ordinary day on the calendar. Yet, with the grand opening of Linton's Health Specialty Store and the official launch of the Beauty and Vitality Pills, it swiftly became anything but ordinary.

Los Angeles suddenly captured nationwide -- and even global -- attention.

Though the store's official opening was set for 9:30 a.m., by 8:30 a.m., Linton arrived in his Coaster van, accompanied by a group of stunningly beautiful girlfriends, catching even himself off guard by the sheer volume of the crowd.

The store wasn't open yet -- still an hour away -- but already two long lines stretched outside the entrance.

Surrounding the store were swarms of reporters and paparazzi, each wielding high-powered cameras, their lenses clicking incessantly. Major networks, including UPN and MCA Television, had parked their live broadcast vans nearby.

Throngs of onlookers packed the street, making it feel like a wall of people impossible to breach.

Fortunately, the Los Angeles Police Department had deployed riot control units, ready to intervene should any disturbances erupt. Traffic enforcement had also imposed road closures around the area, rerouting vehicles to prevent gridlock.

...

Given the massive crowd, Linton was forced to park nearly a mile away. Flanked by twenty officially recognized girlfriends, security guards, and police officers clearing the path, he made his way on foot to the store.

As he approached, the paparazzi's camera shutters clicked furiously, some even eager to push through and snag interviews.

Peering at the crowd, Linton guessed there were no fewer than 3,000 people queued.

The problem was, the Beauty Pills stock numbered only 5,000 bottles, and the Vitality Pills just 150.

The Vitality Pills, priced at a staggering $8 million per bottle, was clearly beyond the reach of ordinary buyers.

But the Beauty Pills? Each customer was allowed to purchase up to two bottles -- enough for a year's supply. So, with 3,000 people lined up, that could mean demand for 6,000 bottles.

How could the store's entire inventory even come close to satisfying this crowd? The scenario was borderline insane.

In truth, people lined up to support the store opening in overwhelming numbers. Beyond government officials, various celebrities and business magnates had gathered. Wealth giants like Bill Gates, Jack Welch from General Electric, Warren Buffett -- the legendary investor -- and other titans of industry.

Hollywood's presence was no less grand. Studio heads, producers, directors, and stars of all ranks packed the area.

Particularly among the actresses -- each looking for a chance to appear on camera, to court Linton's favor, or to ride the wave of publicity.

Yet, Linton politely but firmly declined every invitation, allowing only a few high-ranking officials from California and Los Angeles city to attend in person, as he had no choice but to accept their presence.

In hindsight, refusing those celebrities was a wise move. Having them all at the scene might have sparked chaos.

...

At exactly 9:00 a.m., Linton invited the visiting officials and media inside to inspect the store's layout and take photographs.

Inside, the arrangement made the photographers' shutters whirl nonstop, especially as the twenty gorgeous "beauty angels" posed beneath their own promotional posters with perfect grace.

However, one glaring absence did not go unnoticed: Xu Qing's poster stood alone -- her image without a live presence.

Instantly, the journalists swarmed Linton with questions.

"Linton, why is Miss Xu Qing missing on such an important day?"

"Linton, are you and Miss Xu Qing having a falling out?"

"Linton, did you break up with her?"

"What standards do you use to select your beauties?"

The reporters, buzzing with excitement as if fueled by adrenaline, dug in, eager to extract a big scoop.

Linton calmly explained, "Today is indeed a significant day for the store's launch, but Miss Xu Qing couldn't attend because her visa expired. She returned home just yesterday. It's unfortunate, but there's no conflict between us."

"But how did you two meet?" another Journalist pressed.

"When will she return to America next?"

"Is she really your official girlfriend?"

"Enough," Linton cut them off. "Today's the store opening. Please limit the unrelated questions. You've got fifteen minutes -- take more photos, interview others."

...

By 9:20 a.m., the officials and media had cleared out.

Concerned that keeping the twenty beauty angels on site amid such heavy crowds might pose unwarranted risks, Linton had his bodyguards escort them back to the estate.

News of the event, especially the appearance of these twenty stunning muses, spread swiftly through television and online news, sparking nationwide buzz.

It was clear their star power was set to maintain public fascination for quite some time.

Meanwhile, many noticed Xu Qing's poster displayed unattended, fueling gossip about the story behind her absence.

Meanwhile, some Hollywood actresses bristled with envy and anger, wondering how Xu Qing had captured Linton's attention over them.

...

At 9:30 a.m., the store officially opened.

Store manager Alexis and chief of security Guli had pre-arranged a crowd-control strategy.

They stationed two guards paired with two beautiful assistants at the entrance, establishing a barrier line.

From each queue, twenty-five customers were allowed entry at once, for a total of fifty inside at a time.

Each shopper had fifteen minutes to purchase before the next group was ushered in.

...

The sales results exploded beyond expectations.

In less than an hour and a half, all 150 bottles of Vitality Pills sold out completely.

News of the sell-out caused wails of despair among those still waiting in line.

Many of those present weren't the real heavy hitters -- the likes of Bill Gates, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and investor Warren Buffett would never stand in line themselves.

They had surely dispatched trusted aides to buy on their behalf.

The store's rules, broadcast clearly on television, allowed anyone not on a government watch list -- with valid ID and sufficient credit -- to purchase a bottle.

So those who arrived too late to secure Vitality Pills faced potential repercussions from the powerful figures they represented.

Thankfully, more units of Beauty Pills were in stock, giving people something to console themselves with.

News of the Vitality Pills sell-out spread quickly via local TV and online outlets, sparking a media frenzy.

At a retail price of $8 million per bottle, most Americans could only dream of affording even one.

The astonishing sell-out in under ninety minutes struck many as impossible -- some accused the reports of being fake news.

Meanwhile, Yahoo's forums crashed under waves of panicked netizens desperately trying to confirm the news.

...

By 4:00 p.m., an even more shocking announcement arrived -- the entire inventory of Beauty Pills had also sold out.

Those still waiting in line were devastated. Chaos erupted as frustration mounted.

Fortunately, the vast riot police contingent on hand intervened swiftly, preventing violent outbreaks.

Viewers watching from home or online were equally stunned.

And just as Yahoo's system had finally recovered, it crashed yet again under the relentless flood of traffic.

*****

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