[Chapter 545: Washington's Concerns]
Due to the time difference, when Linton and his group returned to Washington, it was already the morning of August 5th.
Since today was the scheduled handover day for the Vitality Pills, Linton didn't linger in Washington. After saying farewell to the rest of the inspection team at the airport, he boarded his private plane directly with Xu Qing, Aunt Kelly, and two bodyguards, heading straight to his farm in Montana.
What he didn't know was that back in Washington, the Secretary of Commerce, Mickey Kantor, three staff members from the business inspection team, and two Secret Service agents, Steve and Hanst, were summoned immediately after deplaning. They were taken to a special conference room in the White House to be questioned by a special investigation committee led by National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon. The team was tasked with a thorough review of Linton's entire experience during this travel.
This was not because President Clinton or anyone else in the White House held specific suspicion toward Linton personally. Rather, it was due to the immense importance of the Vitality Pills and the Beauty Pills that Linton controlled.
The Beauty Pills alone had already sparked huge waves in the global beauty market, igniting a frenzy among women worldwide. There was no doubt that an enormous wealth flow would stream into Los Angeles -- and directly into Linton's pockets -- through these pills.
The magnitude of that wealth coming in promised vast benefits to America and Los Angeles but also attracted the covetous eyes of many countries and powers.
The Vitality Pills were even more extraordinary. Although they had only been on the market for four months, hundreds of doses distributed through Linton's exclusive stores -- and countless others allocated by the White House -- had been given to America's elite. These users included high-ranking officials wielding real power, individuals who had made special contributions to the country, and key leaders in critical tech-related public relations efforts.
Every single person who took the Vitality Pills spoke of them in terms bordering on miraculous. Not only did their bodies become more youthful and energetic, but their cognitive abilities also improved significantly. This was especially invaluable for aging politicians and veteran researchers -- true treasures beyond price.
Many cutting-edge national scientific projects saw breakthroughs well beyond expectations after team leaders took the Vitality Pills.
Most importantly, comprehensive hospital checks on all users found zero negative effects. Instead, the consensus was unanimous: vitality was markedly enhanced, immune systems boosted, and overall health remarkably improved.
By this point, the Vitality Pills had become recognized across the highest levels of American leadership as an absolute strategic asset, a critical technology for maintaining global dominance. Not even a hint of leakage was tolerable.
Some senators and representatives who had not yet received the Vitality Pills proposed that such an important strategic resource should not be freely sold by Linton on the open market but instead be centrally procured and distributed by the government.
Though this proposal was tinged with self-interest, it gained significant support from lawmakers still awaiting their dose.
However, this proposition was so disruptive that it threatened to undermine the entire free market system, even challenging the fundamental principles of the national economy.
Neither the Speaker of the House, nor President Clinton dared to openly entertain such a breach of market freedom. They jointly suppressed the proposal.
As a result, Linton's security, the production of the Vitality Pills, and most importantly, the formula itself, naturally became top priorities for the highest echelons of American government.
Around the Vitality Pills and Beauty Pills manufacturing sites, the FBI and Homeland Security had already arrested numerous foreign spies caught snooping near Linton's farm.
This was why Linton's plans to travel abroad had set Washington on high alert.
Frankly, if President Clinton had not been under Linton's Soul Slave Mark and unable to defy his orders, Linton would have had no chance to travel internationally right now -- especially to a country ideologically opposed to the U.S.
Though Clinton invoked the privileges of the presidency to push through Linton's trip, despite stringent arrangements to ensure Linton's safety, the decision still faced criticism from both the House and Senate, placing enormous pressure on the president.
It wasn't only political allies; even the other three members of the influential foursome -- Vice President Gore, Secretary of state Warren Christopher, and White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta -- were deeply dissatisfied with the president's decision.
Clinton had no defense to offer publicly; he certainly couldn't admit he was powerless to oppose Linton's command.
During these two weeks, Clinton and Washington's top officials lived in constant anxiety, fearing bad news might arrive at any moment.
The Pentagon even beefed up military deployments across the Asia-Pacific region and the Caribbean sea to prevent any unforeseen incidents.
The CIA sent out numerous agents under various covers to China and Colombia and activated many undercover operatives to gather all possible information related to Linton.
Now, seeing that Linton had returned safely, the collective relief in Washington was palpable.
Naturally, the next step was to fully understand every detail of Linton's trip. The government needed to evaluate any possible risks of the Vitality Pills' formula being compromised and determine if further special measures were necessary.
...
This latest investigation team was of particularly high caliber, led by National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon and consisting of members from the National Intelligence Office, the Pentagon, the CIA, and other agencies.
They recognized Linton's unique status and therefore dared not aggressively probe him or his immediate circle. However, everyone else connected to him was fair game, including Aunt Kelly's assistant and translator, who inevitably had to undergo questioning.
The Secretary of Commerce, the three staff members from the inspection team, and the two Secret Service agents Steve and Hanst provided a detailed report to the investigators on every single event from boarding the plane until returning to Washington.
Especially the two agents who had accompanied Linton throughout his trip recalled everything: where he had gone, whom he had met, what was said -- all of it reviewed with utmost care.
After two days of painstaking investigation and evaluation, the team reached a preliminary conclusion.
Aside from the significant charitable projects Linton undertook in Colombia, they confirmed he had formed relationships with three girlfriends.
One of them was none other than the famous and stunning Beauty Angel, who had even accompanied Linton back to the U.S., reportedly to star in a Hollywood film.
Other than these two facts, nothing suspicious had been uncovered.
Still, no one dismissed the risks entirely. In the end, the CIA was ordered to send intelligence operatives back to monitor anyone who had contact with Linton during his trip, watching for any unusual behavior.
A thorough vetting of Linton's charitable initiatives was also mandated to ensure they had not been exploited.
In short, Washington's mission was fully clear: absolutely prevent any leak of the Vitality Pills' formula. If leakage had already occurred, a thorough eradication plan must be enacted.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
https://discord.gg/HjHHhUXPn7.