[Chapter 521: Security Risks, Sold Out]

While Linton was indulging wildly in the private gardens of his estate with Cristiana, Sophie Marceau, Monica Bellucci, and Madonna, big news was also breaking across the North American box office.

On its opening Friday, Twister recorded $16.87 million on its first day. Adding another $5.31 million from the midnight screenings, the total reached $22.18 million -- an outright runaway success topping the market without competition. The momentum carried on Saturday with $23.27 million, then Sunday with $20.19 million.

Over its first three-day weekend, Twister grossed an impressive $66.64 million, commanding 32% of the box office despite only 19.2% of the screening slots. It comfortably claimed the number one spot.

Audience reactions were overwhelmingly positive. Surveys by third-party firms rated the crowd with an A-, projecting total box office earnings not less than $230 million.

Critics and media pundits handed generally lukewarm reviews -- just scraping passing marks -- but by now, it didn't really matter. Since Independence Day's polarized reception, summer blockbusters had stopped worrying much about critical opinion.

Meanwhile, IMDb ratings were solid at 7.3, indicating good word-of-mouth among regular moviegoers.

Monday's take dropped somewhat to $10.26 million, still within acceptable limits. Tuesday brought $9.95 million, Wednesday $9.49 million, and Thursday $9.02 million. After the first week, North American ticket sales topped $105.36 million -- successfully crossing the $100 million benchmark.

Beyond the studios, the biggest winners were naturally the film's lead actors. Naomi, headlining as the main protagonist, especially benefited the most.

Excited by the box office success, Naomi called Linton to promise a big surprise after the promotional tour.

---

On June 5th, at his countryside farm, Linton entertained several important guests: White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, California Governor Pete Wilson, Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, Montana Governor Marc Racicot, along with representatives for Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, David Rockefeller, and Jeb Bush -- the brother of George Bush Jr..

They all dined on a sumptuous banquet featuring elaborate dishes prepared by the chef team, under the open sky of Linton's garden.

Though Bill Gates and Warren Buffett were among the nation's wealthiest, this was their first visit, and they were visibly stunned by the massive scale and grandeur of Linton's estate. The sprawling grounds, impressive architecture, and countless picturesque spots left them breathless.

Bill Gates, who had recently invited Linton to his own mansion with some degree of pride, now felt a quiet envy. Compared to Linton's garden, his estate seemed modest -- a minor player against a giant.

They recognized this achievement was far beyond what a typical first-generation entrepreneur could accomplish.

Sure, owning a large farm was attainable for people at their wealth level if they wished. But designing a smaller estate with such intricate layout and taste required immense experience and vision.

Only the Rockefeller family's private town came close in prestige, and their lineage had spanned five generations to reach such scale and refinement.

Like Leon Panetta, both Gates and Buffett expressed a strong desire to have a vacation villa built within the farm.

Linton declined politely, citing security concerns.

After lunch, they finalized a priority deal for the Vitality and Beauty Pills. The group left the farm in high spirits aboard a private jet.

...

Before departing, Leon Panetta approached Linton discreetly with a request: "Linton, can we remove the serial numbers on the quartz bottles for the Vitality and Beauty Pills?"

"Why? Didn't you say before that strict controls on purchasers are necessary? Serial numbers help law enforcement trace the pills."

"True in theory, but in practice, the serial numbers complicate the White House's allocation process unnecessarily. Whether law enforcement finds it troublesome is their issue, not ours."

"Removing the numbers would reduce costs as well. But if we do, it has to be consistent for all bottles -- otherwise, we can't explain it to customers."

"That's the consensus of the White House group."

"Alright, no problem on my end. Although I'll have to use the custom bottles I already have first."

"Thank you. On behalf of the White House team, I appreciate it."

---

Because of their immense value and high demand, these Vitality Pills had already become hot targets for organized crime. With the second batch's release date approaching, Guli Goethe, the head of security for the store, noticed an increase in suspicious surveillance around.

It was clear that gangs had set their sights on the Vitality Pills and Beauty Pills and were preparing to strike.

If the shipment arrived on the afternoon of June 5th as last time, there was a high risk of an armed robbery that night.

Even with top-tier security, proximity to the Los Angeles Police Department, and reinforcements brought in for the store, Guli had no confidence they could guarantee the safety of the pills.

Gangfire could potentially destroy the storefront completely.

After all, it was common knowledge that police weaponry and firepower couldn't match the ferocity and firepower criminals often brought to bear.

For security reasons, Guli advised Linton to reschedule delivery to the morning of June 6th via air freight from the farm.

The store's official opening was at 9:30 a.m., so arriving before 8:30 a.m. would allow enough time for internal handoff, storage, and distribution.

The flight from the farm to Hollywood Burbank Airport took about 1 hour and 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes from the airport to the store. So leaving the airport by around 6:50 a.m. was perfectly manageable.

Guli's advice made a strong impression on Linton: indeed, money often stirred dark ambitions. Criminals daring enough to risk everything lurked everywhere.

While this schedule change was necessary, it didn't fundamentally solve the problem.

The limited supply of the pills prevented them from staying overnight in the store. Meanwhile, the farm had elite armed forces and heavy weapons guarding it; few would dare challenge that force -- else the brutal slaughter of the San Francisco Black Tiger gang a few years back would serve as a grim warning.

Under the previous plan, the most vulnerable time was the evening of delivery when the pills were stored in the shop.

By moving transportation to the morning, the main risk shifted to the journey from the farm to the specialty store.

The sudden change disrupted the gangs' plans, but in the future, as they prepared, an armed robbery attempt during daytime transportation could still become a possibility -- maybe even a violent shootout on the street.

Linton had been thinking about eventually handing delivery duties off to Carter and his team once operations stabilized.

But judging by the current scenario, only personally escorting shipments would be safe.

Or perhaps orchestrate a sting operation: deliberately reveal shipment details to lure gangsters, then teach them a brutal lesson, turning the streets red with blood to deter others.

Even more disturbing than the pills themselves was the possibility the gangs might target Linton's personal circle -- like kidnapping any of his 21 girlfriends to extort ransom.

He decided security measures needed to be beefed up accordingly.

Each woman should have at least two female bodyguards plus two male perimeter guards.

With this in mind, he instructed Danny to immediately begin expanding the estate's security team.

...

Early morning on June 6th, Linton boarded a plane with 145 bottles of Vitality Pills and 5,000 bottles of Beauty Pills, accompanied by bodyguards and assistants, heading back to Los Angeles.

Madonna and her daughter, Cristiana, Sophie Marceau, and Monica stayed behind in the estate.

In fact, the manor's environment was far superior to the Los Angeles estate, especially with its pervasive spiritual energy in the air and nourishing gourmet meals infused with vitality -- perfect for the three expectant mothers and little Lina's health and growth.

Madonna's primary focus remained dance practice, which could be done equally well in the estate's professional studios.

...

The journey was smooth. Upon arrival, Linton and his entourage took three Mercedes SUVs from the estate to the specialty store.

Reaching Rodeo Drive, they found the crowd even thicker than last month. The entire pedestrian street was packed.

Outside, squads of fully armed riot police from LAPD had secured every intersection, primed to handle any emergencies.

Escorted by riot police and traffic officers, their vehicles pulled straight up to the store's entrance.

The scene was familiar: two long lines of customers waited outside, numbering over 2,000 by Linton's estimate.

After handing the pills to the store manager, Alexis Carlson, Guli took Linton on a tour, briefing him in detail.

First, the queues had gotten even crazier. People started camping out three days ahead, some with blankets and provisions, sleeping overnight by the store entrance. Others sat in chairs, rotating shifts to hold their place.

To prevent line-cutting, reduce disputes and conflicts, Guli had set up three long police barricades forming two massive queues.

...

That morning, an extraordinary development occurred: people who failed to get in line were paying huge sums to buy their places.

Numbers before 150 had already sold for $50,000; those before 100 commanded $100,000. Even numbers after 150 fetched $5,000.

Last month, there were only 150 Vitality Pills, with customers limited to one per person.

Assuming similar supply this month, the first 150 were essentially guaranteed to secure Vitality Pills.

With possible supply cuts looming, the front 100 spots were the safest bet, making those places even more valuable.

...

Second, gang activity had increased around the store.

From the previous morning, numerous gang informants had staked out the store's entrances, watching its every motion.

Late last night, these watchers withdrew, but between the airport and Rodeo Drive, four waves of armed gangs remained hidden, some carrying heavy weapons. They finally dispersed after dawn.

...

"Boss, if the pills had been delivered yesterday, we'd have had a full-scale battle with the gangs -- either en route from the airport or at the store. Even with police support, it would've been grim."

"Really that bad?"

"For sure. You know how valuable these Vitality Pills are -- prime loot for gangs. A single score could set them up for life. They're desperate."

"Alright, then from now on, deliveries will come on mornings of the 6th."

"That alone isn't enough. Today's changes scrambled their plans, but once prepared, they may try ambushing shipments during the day. Armed robbery on the transport route is a real risk."

"So your suggestion?"

"Two: assign David's elite squad with heavy weapons to escort shipments, and use specialized bomb- and bullet-resistant vehicles for secure transport."

"What about store security during daytime?"

"If the pills reach the store safely, it's less of a concern."

"Why's that?"

"Since 8 a.m., LAPD had deployed large riot squads, effectively controlling Rodeo Drive. It's nearly impossible for gangs to storm in."

"What if a small gang sneaks in?"

"Highly unlikely. Any daredevils attempting a daylight robbery face overwhelming police presence, plus our solid in-store security. They'd never see tomorrow's sunrise."

"But if a shootout does happen, how do we protect the customers?"

"Unfortunately, that's uncontrollable. Shootings happen daily in America; on average, ten die by gunfire every day. It's grim but unavoidable."

"It makes sense. Your bonus this month's doubled. I'll prioritize security."

...

Guli's warnings weighed heavily on Linton. He stayed at the store, monitoring sales and expanding his senses to detect any suspicious activity or intruders.

At 9:30 a.m., doors officially opened.

As before, pairs of guards and female security were stationed at the entrance, police lines controlled entry -- 25 people from each queue, 50 total, admitted at a time.

Customers had a strict 15-minute shopping window before the next group cycled in.

...

Sales were as explosive as anticipated.

Though mostly similar clientele, this time everyone heading inside queued first for the Vitality Pills upstairs before moving to the lower floor for the Beauty Pills; without exception.

Because only 145 Vitality Pills were available, Linton limited the third group entering to no more than 45 people to prevent conflict.

With two queues outside, the 13th person in line became a hot issue since the overall number was odd. It was obvious there was only one chance. One of these two held a line spot bought for $50,000. Neither wanted to lose.

The dispute almost erupted into chaos.

Finally, Guli intervened to settle the matter with a quick game of rock-paper-scissors.

The winner entered first; the loser went in next round. This resolved the tension smoothly.

Within just 45 minutes, all 145 Vitality Pills sold out.

Through Linton's spiritual senses, he noticed many intense stares from the crowd outside, likely gang scouts.

Some were shadowing customers leaving the store -- clearly plotting theft attempts.

Thankfully, buyers weren't ordinary -- they each had at least two bodyguards waiting and heavy police presence outside ensured their safety.

Once the Vitality Pills were gone, the suspicious watchers gradually dispersed.

Linton realized anew how treacherous the underworld could be.

The subsequent Beauty Pills sale was calmer. Satisfied with the day's work, Linton returned to the estate.

At 4 p.m., the store confirmed that all the Beauty Pills were sold out as well.

*****

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