[Chapter 487: Naturalization Turmoil and the Beauty Pageant Whirlpool]
Thunder Base.
After Linton and his group of women officially moved into the estate just before the new year, David deliberately transferred some personnel from overseas to bolster the farm's security forces. After Linton successfully developed the Beauty Pills and Vitality Pills, he emphasized to David the importance of strengthening the farm's defenses even further.
By now, the base's security numbered 80, not including the 10 security guards Carter had previously requested to take away. Following the departure of the White House political review team, Linton arrived at the base with his bodyguard Danny and security chief Carter.
David, knowing how to handle these occasions, organized a small inspection ceremony for all the soldiers, letting Linton personally experience their military presence and discipline.
Truth be told, the exercise didn't clearly showcase how strong their combat power was, but the soldiers' polished military bearing fully elevated Linton's spirits -- he was very pleased deep down.
...
After the parade, David gathered several commanders in a conference room. Linton joined them for a short meeting, with Danny and Carter attending as well.
"You've probably all heard about my development of the Beauty Pills and Vitality Pills by now?" Linton began.
"We know. We've all seen the news," they replied.
"A few days ago, I was called to the White House. The President and several high-ranking officials met with me personally. They believe that this place will soon face infiltration attempts from intelligence agencies worldwide, so they want to station troops here for enhanced protection."
At that, he deliberately paused.
"Boss, you didn't agree to that, right? We in Thunder Guards are more than enough," David quickly stood to assert.
"Boss, David's right. We have the strength to face any challenge," the commanders echoed, rising and speaking earnestly.
Linton pressed his hands down gently, signaling them to sit. "I trust your capabilities, so I refused their request on the spot. But to boost our strength, I leveraged the opportunity to request a special weapons procurement list from the Pentagon for you.
This includes two upgraded Apache attack helicopters, a set of the latest radar systems, four 200-millimeter howitzers, along with the latest armored vehicles and tanks..."
Hearing the list, several present were stunned -- was this a dream? How could they get their hands on such hardware? When did the Pentagon become so accommodating?
"Boss, did you say we can buy the latest upgraded Apache attack helicopters?" David's voice faltered slightly.
"That's right. All the weapons come fully equipped."
"This is amazing! With these arms, our base will be like Fort Knox, ready for any threat," one of the commanders exclaimed.
"But the radar and howitzers -- do we really need those here? And though our tanks and armored vehicles aren't the latest, they're sufficient for the farm's terrain, right?"
"I requested these weapons not just for you but also for the base in Danakil, Africa. You can decide the priorities -- this side first, the rest will be sent to Africa. That base also needs reinforcement," Linton explained.
...
"That's all for today's meeting. The new weapons should be delivered in about a month. Prepare your deployments quickly to face upcoming security threats. Thunder team will handle the farm's perimeter; Carter's security detail will manage inside."
"Boss, I promise to complete the task," they vowed.
"Also, effective this month, all base guards, including you, will receive a 50% raise."
"Thank you, boss! We'll protect the farm with our lives!"
---
With the political review completed, the immigration bureau proactively sent officials to Linton's farm to collect information on 30 Chinese/Hong Kong girls who had officially started working, initiating their special naturalization process.
This move by the immigration bureau hit the 117 Chinese women like a nuclear bomb, leaving them stunned.
Initially, when they heard that passing the security review meant they could join U.S. citizenship, most were skeptical -- it felt more like a distant hope than reality.
Who'd have imagined that just three days later, immigration officials would arrive to handle citizenship procedures for them?
This completely overturned everyone's impression of America. When had gaining citizenship become so easy?
Most of them knew people who'd struggled for years just to get a green card, much less citizenship.
Sure, the restriction required them to stay in the U.S. for three years before leaving, essentially till retirement, but who cared?
Meanwhile, the remaining 87 girls seethed with jealousy and regret.
They'd vowed to endure hardships together, so why had these few jumped ahead with skyrocketing pay and citizenship status in just six months?
Luckily, at this stage, their minds were still relatively pure and balanced. Though consumed by envy, none spoke irrationally or acted out. Instead, they were plagued by remorse -- why hadn't they performed better from the start? Such a golden opportunity slipped away.
...
News of this naturalization frenzy soon reached China, causing an uproar.
Previously, the 117 women in the U.S. frequently called home, bragging about how great things were. Everyone eagerly anticipated Linton launching a second recruitment wave.
Last month, Linton called Lin Hao to recruit 40 more waitresses.
Despite countless people already reaching out to him, Lin Hao knew where his true interests lay and refused to jeopardize Linton's trust.
This time, he arranged a 30-second commercial airing during prime time on Shandong Satellite TV -- an expensive and attention-grabbing move.
Though only one day, the buzz it created far surpassed their last recruitment, drawing far more applicants.
Since last selection satisfied Linton, there was no debate -- they reused the previous format: a three-round beauty pageant.
Everything proceeded smoothly. After finishing the second round, they had filtered 120 contestants ready for the third round of interviews.
Then came the news from the U.S. -- the 30 girls already began processing their citizenship.
Instantly, the call center exploded; Lin Hao's phone was overwhelmed with calls. Despite the phone being off, his home and office were swarmed by people.
Many couldn't be refused -- longstanding favors, tradeoffs, and influential figures pressing him to push their own candidates through backdoors.
Under such pressure, the third round was impossible to continue.
Lin Hao had no choice but to call Linton, explaining the chaos and asking for help.
"Mr. Anderson, you need to come over yourself or send someone capable to oversee the third round. I really can't handle this."
Hearing the complaint, Linton considered the tangled social dynamics involved and didn't want to drag Lin Hao deeper into the mess.
"Alright, pause the selection on your end. I'll arrange someone to come over as soon as possible," he promised.
"Thanks for understanding."
*****
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