[Chapter 501: The Blessing of the Gods]
On the morning of April 30th, a delegation representing the White House arrived at the Anderson Farm by private business jets. The group included Leon Panetta, the Chief of Staff from the White House; Pete Wilson, Governor of California; Richard Riordan, the Mayor of Los Angeles; and Marc Racicot, the Governor of Montana.
Linton gave them a whirlwind tour of the health product factory's production line. While none of them could immediately discern anything extraordinary, they all shared the same puzzling thought: the factory didn't appear to be running at full capacity. Why wasn't Linton pushing the production line to its limits to boost output?
...
At noon, Linton hosted the group for a meal in the courtyard dining hall. He prepared an extravagant feast.
After several rounds of wine and a variety of exquisite dishes, Richard Riordan couldn't resist voicing the question on everyone's mind. "Linton, your factory doesn't seem to be running at full tilt. Last time I toured Pfizer's production line, they operated three shifts around the clock, keeping machines running nonstop. You mentioned your production capability was insufficient, but why not follow their example?"
Linton smiled inwardly, realizing since they had asked, he could afford to take the grander gamble to further elevate the mystique of his elixirs. "What you see on the surface isn't the whole story. It's not that I don't want to increase production -- the crucial final step of producing these pills is to receive the blessing of the gods."
He continued, "With my current abilities, I can only channel so much divine blessing each day. We could make more pills, but without this blessing, they are useless."
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. "The blessing of the gods -- is that really for real?"
"Yes. Otherwise, why wouldn't I ramp up production? I'm not stupid," Linton replied calmly.
"Can you explain how this blessing works?"
"You may have noticed the pills coming off the production line are grayish-white -- they don't have any miraculous power at that point. They must be placed in a quartz urn for two hours to wait quietly. During that time, the blessing is bestowed, and the pills gradually change from gray to green, undergoing a profound transformation in potency. Only then do they become the complete beauty pills."
The officials recalled the morning's factory tour and recognized the truth of Linton's words. Coupled with having personally experienced the effects of the beauty and vitality pills, the whole process began to seem almost otherworldly. A faint, absurd thought crossed their minds: could Linton truly be a messenger of the divine?
Still, these were seasoned public figures, naturally skeptical of gods and miracles. Leon Panetta broke the silence. "Linton, can we take a closer look this afternoon?"
"Of course. You'll even get to experience the difference in the pills before and after the divine blessing."
...
After the sumptuous meal, curiosity got the better of them, and they headed straight back to the factory. This time, their entire focus was on the final step of the pill production.
Sure enough, as the pills rolled off the line, they weren't bottled immediately. Instead, staff gathered them and placed them inside a large quartz basin -- nearly two square meters in size -- filled with the pills.
"These pills rest in the quartz basin for two hours to receive the divine blessing," Linton explained. "After two hours, the next batch replaces them. You can observe how the pills gradually change inside the basin."
To Leon Panetta and the others, the transformation was incredible: right before their eyes, with no apparent external cause, the pills slowly shifted color -- visible even to the naked eye.
'Oh my God! Is it possible the gods really are blessing these? Can some of that blessing rub off on me?' They all harbored slight doubts, but couldn't help silently praying.
"You've taken the beauty pills and know their effects. Now you can try one straight from the production line to compare."
"Will the unblessed pills have side effects?"
"No. They won't cause any harm, but they also won't have the miraculous benefits. Want to try?"
"Yes, I want to try."
"Me too." x3
"All right, pick one each from the freshly produced pills," Linton agreed.
Each of the four officials took a pill directly from the production line and swallowed it. After some time, none of them felt any effect; the sensation was worlds apart from what they'd experienced with the fully blessed beauty pills.
Their doubts vanished. Linton was undeniably a divine envoy. The miracle they witnessed could only be explained as God's favor upon America. They silently vowed to maintain a good relationship with Linton and seek out opportunities to stay close to him. Perhaps they too could bask in the blessings.
At the very least, they resolved to personally handle the monthly procurement themselves -- never delegating it out of their hands. The four exchanged knowing looks, seasoned political veterans understanding each other perfectly: this was a secret to be kept at all costs. Only then could they safely maintain this supplier connection.
Leon Panetta spoke his mind. "Linton, do you have any accommodations here? Next time I come to get the pills, I'd like to arrive a day early."
"Sorry," Linton replied bluntly. "You've seen the town -- there's no commercial infrastructure. For confidentiality and security, strict access control is in place. We can't offer commercial lodging."
"Then what if I pay to build a private villa here?"
"I want to build one here, too," one of the governors chimed in.
"Count me in," said another.
"Me too," said the last.
They all jumped in with enthusiasm.
Linton shook his head firmly. "It's not that I don't welcome you, but having the factory here means no open access. We can't guarantee security if restrictions are loosened."
"That makes sense. There is no rush -- we'll think about a compromise." Leon Panetta nodded in agreement, dropping the subject, though regretting the missed opportunity.
As evening approached, the group reluctantly boarded their business jets, each carrying a supply of beauty and vitality pills. The miraculous visit to Anderson Farm came to a close -- for now.
*****
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