[Chapter 577: Another FBI Massacre, A Storm of Public Opinion]
At 10 p.m., Linton's New York concert ended to thunderous applause and roaring cheers.
This concert came right on the heels of several major terrorist attacks that had recently rocked America. Naturally, the public's attention was still heavily focused on those traumatic events. Yet Linton, as America's superstar and mega-billionaire, naturally commanded massive attention. The lingering suspense from his last Los Angeles concert only added to the hype, making this event a spectacular media magnet.
MCA Network's official viewing ratings for the live broadcast wouldn't be available until tomorrow, but early estimates confidently predicted at least an 8% share.
While the concert was still underway, online forums everywhere were buzzing with nonstop chatter. Fans especially raved about Linton's stunning entrance, leaving comments across the internet praising his almost magical performance.
Unlike the previous Los Angeles show, this time both the live audience and TV viewers were fully prepared. Everyone's eyes were glued to the screen, witnessing firsthand Linton's incredible skills.
Suspended over three meters high in the air, Linton didn't rely on any external help. With only his right hand gripping the rope, he propelled himself into a perfect midair somersault, landing effortlessly and steady -- without a single note missed in his vocal performance.
Yahoo's celebrity forum quickly flooded with adoring fan messages. Other netizens debated wildly, but the focus shifted away from whether Linton's entrance was movie-like special effects or actual supernatural ability. Tonight, the whole country had clearly seen that no tricks or wires were involved.
The burning question on everyone's lips was: What exactly was Linton's mystical power?
Three threads quickly surged to the top on Yahoo forums: Was Linton mastering mystical martial arts? Could he be a superhuman, granted extraterrestrial strength? Or was he a divine avatar sent by God to aid America?
By the end of the concert, discussions exploded across forums nationwide. Yahoo's servers even suffered a brief crash under the massive traffic surge. Luckily, their tech team was prepared and had staff on duty, restoring the forum within thirty minutes.
With America still reeling from the recent terrorist horrors, Linton once again commanded terrifying levels of influence.
...
Meanwhile, backstage after the concert, dozens of famous actresses flocked to Linton, embracing him lustily. Some shamelessly groped and fondled him despite the sweat covering his body.
Several women who had shared deeper encounters with him were so aroused their legs trembled uncontrollably. Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, and Mariah Carey clung to him tightly, insisting on extended private sessions that very night.
Even Brooke Shields and Cindy Crawford, with whom Linton had only agreed to casual meetups, looked plaintively at him, asking when he would finally honor their private date invitations.
But Linton had no time for such distractions. The top priority now was to head to Washington and take care of Roger, Robert, Gittens, Maslow, and Eric -- five people who threatened his plans.
Apparently, his intimidation hadn't been enough. These conspirators, knowing their scheme had been exposed, hadn't rushed to apologize but instead dared to fight back -- sending out three sniper teams with reckless abandon.
That left no room for mercy.
The punishment had to be escalated. Killing just the individuals or their immediate families wasn't sufficient. Their entire bloodlines needed to be wiped out.
Their five families would be slaughtered in full, their blood a warning to the world: no one would dare challenge Linton and live.
So, despite the seductions and invitations from these beautiful starlets, he regrettably promised to reconnect with them in two weeks and pressed on.
...
On the drive back to the hotel, Linton noticed a suspicious convoy of FBI vehicles parked at the Madison Square Garden entrance.
When their own car pulled onto the main road heading home, he sensed those FBI vehicles tailing them persistently.
Passing two intersections, the tailing cars showed no attempt to hide. They clearly planned to avoid the congested concert traffic and strike where the roads were emptier.
A reckless lot who probably took fat payoffs to come after him. But whoever they were, they had no idea who they were messing with.
Danny, his bodyguard and driver, also spotted the trailing vehicles. "Boss, three FBI cars have been tailing us nonstop. They're definitely after us. Should I try to shake them?"
"Don't bother," Linton said calmly. "Just head straight to the hotel."
...
After a couple more turns, with traffic thinning out past 10:30 p.m., the three FBI cars behind began accelerating.
Linton rolled down his window slightly and unleashed his flying sword. The sword shot up to the trailing vehicles, flashing three lethal slashes in succession.
All three cars were sliced clean in half, instantly engulfed in roaring flames.
The occupants inside perished utterly -- no chance of survival.
Danny was startled by the violent scene behind, but his duty was to protect Linton. Seeing no warning from his boss, he focused and sped toward the hotel.
...
That night, the celebrations with the harem of starlets continued in full heat.
Though Madonna was absent, tied up with intense Oscar lobbying, Nicole Kidman eagerly took the lead organizing the party. The other women, fired up and electrified from witnessing Linton's supernatural concert display, threw themselves into a wild night of passion and abandon.
But amid the excitement, an invisible war had already broken out.
...
Around 11 p.m., online chatter about Linton's extraordinary concert entrance reached a fever pitch.
On Yahoo News forums, several posts speculated fiercely about Linton's abilities.
One particularly explosive long post titled, "Shocking: The Most Ruthless Killer of All Time -- The Murderer of Over 1,000 Lives Including the Families of Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and AbbVie Pharma Chairmen" suddenly appeared on major platforms. It quickly went viral, sparking heated debate and widespread reposting.
Less than 24 hours after the pharmas Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and AbbVie were bombed, public interest was at a terrifying peak.
News of Hoffman's entire family slaughtered was broadcast on morning TV, widely known across the country. Yet police kept all investigation details tightly sealed. No one knew how many were killed or if anyone survived.
Who could resist clicking on such a headline? Naturally, millions did.
The post detailed the mass brutal executions on Long Island of Hoffman Martin's household -- 304 people including two guard wolves and 32 pet dogs. Every victim was beheaded; blood soaked the scene in a disturbingly savage display.
Then it described the Pfizer Chairman Gittens Cooper's 280-person family estate, including four fierce pit bulls and 28 pet dogs. All were found decapitated in the same horrifying way.
Finally, AbbVie's Chairman Robert Gavin's estate in Highland Park, Chicago, saw 320 victims, four wolfdogs, and 33 pets similarly slaughtered.
That night alone, more than 1,000 souls were brutally massacred without mercy.
Who was this monstrous killer? The police were still investigating, but this case was destined to go cold.
Identical gruesome murders happened in Tokyo two years ago and Los Angeles last year, and those killers were never identified either.
The post next recapped the Tokyo massacre in October two years prior -- 60 plus Bronfman family members and bodyguards beheaded in a hotel.
It added a telling note: Bronfman had traveled with over 60 guards to Tokyo intending to buy Universal Group from Panasonic Electronics. The only competing bidder was Linton Anderson. After Bronfman's team was massacred, Linton secured Universal Group at a lower price.
Then it outlined the Los Angeles slaughter on July 4 last year, where five gangs lost over 1,000 core members overnight.
Another note explained the gangs had been plotting a major robbery of Vitality and Beauty Pills being transported from the airport to Rodeo Drive on July 6.
Linton owned those products. Since the gangs' elimination, no one dared challenge his monopoly.
Police concluded both cases unsolved. But following the logic "Who benefits the most?" Linton's involvement was impossible to ignore.
Now this same pattern had spread to New York, New Jersey, and Chicago.
All shared three hallmarks:
First, ruthlessness. Victims weren't just killed -- they were all beheaded.
Second, utter savagery. Every living thing at the scene, including elderly, children, even pets, were slaughtered without mercy.
Third, the killer had to possess powerful supernatural abilities to pull off such acts.
Such a brutal and sophisticated killing method was impossible to imitate, the post argued the current triple mass murder spree was likely done by the same group behind the previous cases.
The post's closing plea called on Americans to unite with the FBI and local police to solve these horrifying murders and bring justice to the victims.
It gave vivid, disturbing crime scene details and photos that made the narrative chillingly credible.
Although the post carefully avoided directly accusing Linton of guilt, the tone and implications strongly guided readers to suspect he was either the perpetrator or mastermind.
At first, many dismissed it as clickbait.
But after reading, the overwhelming response was shock and disbelief, followed by widespread sharing, commenting, and fierce debate.
Linton's fans flooded the comments defending him, but the wider public was gripped by fear and speculation: Could such a ruthless killer truly exist?
Could Linton, who publicly demonstrated formidable skills at the concert, really be behind these massacres?
Most replies demanded the FBI thoroughly investigate. A minority quietly concluded Linton was guilty, launching online attacks and insults against him.
The post's explosive popularity surged across forums, with Yahoo threads rapidly approaching one million comments within thirty minutes, certain to reach the top trending spot.
By then, Linton's online army leader Bella had already detected the online uproar and immediately called him.
...
Linton's party was just hitting its stride when the bedside phone rang. He answered irritably.
"It's serious, boss. Someone's seriously slandering you online," Li Xiaoran's anxious voice reported.
Linton had no choice but to pause the party and retreat to his study. Li Xiaoran rushed in carrying a laptop.
"Bella's coordinating with your management to steer the public opinion. She is also advising you or Winnie to contact Jerry Yang to see if Yahoo can remove the post."
After reviewing the post thoroughly, Linton admitted the attack was pretty skillful. Its pointed hints and inflammatory tone made it nearly impossible for readers not to link the accusations to him.
The post stuck to facts too, denying it was harder than refuting fiction.
But why should he deny? The online fray didn't actually harm him, only added to his mystique. Bad publicity was still publicity.
What risk could the FBI or New York police realistically pose, based on some internet rumors?
Nonetheless, some level of damage control was necessary. Linton needed to maintain his idol image intact for future entertainment endeavors.
Trying to get Jerry Yang to delete the post was pointless. With such massive traffic, Yahoo might even welcome it -- they'd never agree to remove or limit circulation. Trying that would just push netizens to other platforms.
Linton instructed Li Xiaoran to arrange a quick conference call with Bella and his manager, Mira.
...
For internet rumors like these, there was no perfect solution. Soon, all parties reached consensus.
Mira drafted a fierce condemnation statement demanding the poster retract the article immediately, apologize publicly, and reserved the right to sue.
Bella marshaled fans and sockpuppets to flood the comments, denouncing the post as pure libel and pointing out its blatant absurdities.
On January 13, just hours after the pharma chairmen murders, Linton had been resting in the Hilton, conserving energy for that night's show.
Mira also warned that tomorrow countless reporters and paparazzi would try every trick to trap Linton and his harem into scandalous interviews. Everyone was instructed to remain silent and avoid responding.
As for traditional media, without solid evidence, TV stations and mainstream papers wouldn't dare run the story. Managers planned individual outreach to them, while cheap tabloids and talk radio were ignored entirely.
...
After sorting all this, Linton ignored the chaos and returned to the bedroom, resuming the heady party with his ladies.
To keep spirits high, he didn't mention the raging media storm online.
Sweet harmonies swelled -- big group vocals, small choruses, pure vocal solos -- filling the night with intoxicating energy...
*****
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