[Chapter 272: Underground Movement Technique, Media Storm]
At night, Linton was happily playing games with Jennifer, Winona, and Catherine while practicing his abilities. Occasionally, his spiritual awareness scanned the farm.
Thanks to the informants successfully blending into the research team, no outsiders except some reporters were on the farm beyond the villa courtyard at night.
Meanwhile, the reporters and paparazzi in the tents outside were facing harsh conditions -- the cold wind howled, temperatures were freezing, and snowflakes drifted down.
Despite bundling themselves in thick sleeping bags and blankets, they couldn't stop shivering in the bitter cold outdoors; at least half of them would end up in the hospital by morning.
Linton wasn't a saint, though. He felt no sympathy for them and definitely wouldn't offer them any spacious rooms.
They had basically camped right outside his door, clearly trying to stir up trouble from him.
Because of them, he had to use a silent barrier during the play sessions with the three vixens and couldn't even pull back the curtains of the villa during daytime.
Only if he were crazy would he feel sorry for them; he actually wished they would all just get lost sooner.
By tomorrow morning, with half of them hospitalized and the rest likely struggling to endure, the place should finally be peaceful by the next night.
...
In the late hours, Linton gently spread his energy to induce deep sleep in the three vixens before starting to practice the Underground Movement Technique.
He already had a detailed plan for arranging a grand spiritual gathering formation covering the whole farm.
But with so many spies around, placing the formation without anyone noticing would require using the Underground Movement Technique.
Moreover, the materials and crystal pieces needed to be buried underground -- the deeper, the less likely they'd be discovered or damaged in the future. At the same time, it shouldn't be too deep to lessen the formation's effectiveness.
According to Linton's plan, the optimal depth was about seven meters underground, about one meter deeper than the copper pipes.
At this depth, any future waterworks or planting activities on the farm wouldn't damage the formation's foundation.
...
Linton silently went down to the ground floor, summoned his energy, and slowly vanished.
Underground, he felt like a fish swimming freely in water, moving with little resistance in all directions through the soil.
However, his speed was notably limited -- he guessed a maximum of about 50 kilometers per hour.
His descent depth was also restricted; the deeper he went, the stronger the resistance and pressure from the earth.
He tested his maximum depth and reached nearly 1,000 meters. Naturally, as his ability matured, this depth would increase accordingly.
After three hours of practicing the Underground Movement Technique, even with his stamina, he felt a bit exhausted.
Apparently, the technique consumed a considerable amount of his energy and spiritual awareness. He'd have to manage it carefully in the future.
Still, after three hours of practice, he had mastered the Underground Movement Technique well enough to meet his formation-setting requirements.
He decided to start arranging the formation on the farm the following night.
...
For now, Linton returned to his room, woke up the three vixens, and resumed playing games while recovering his energy.
Soon, strange sounds and sweet, melodious singing filled the room.
Thanks to the silent barrier, no sound leaked outside.
...
As expected, by dawn, five ambulances arrived at the farm, taking away over a dozen unlucky reporters who had frozen.
The other paparazzi were all sniffling and listless, no longer the lively bunch they had been the day before.
It seemed unlikely anyone else would foolishly endure the freezing northwest wind outside tonight.
None of this disrupted Linton and the three women's joyful party.
In fact, hearing the ambulances only increased their excitement, making the games livelier and the singing more enchanting.
They wrapped up their morning routine by 10 a.m., cleaned up, and headed downstairs for breakfast.
...
While eating, Linton sensed the misery of the reporters outside -- sniffling, chugging cold drinks, and nibbling dry food. It was pitiful.
After thinking about it, he asked Kelly and the other three servers to each deliver a cup of hot coffee and a large pot of soup to the freezing reporters outside.
It wasn't because he had a soft heart -- it was just the perfect chance to win them over.
A cup of hot coffee and a bowl of warm soup cost little but meant a lot to the suffering paparazzi.
Since he and Jennifer, Winona, and Catherine were all involved in the entertainment industry, maintaining good relations with the media was essential. These simple gestures could help ensure more favorable coverage.
He was confident that most reports by the coffee- and soup-warmed reporters would lean slightly in their favor.
...
"Boss, Mira called this morning to update on media coverage."
"Give me the rundown."
"She didn't go into detail but said news about you four vacationing here had stirred a media frenzy. Luckily, our PR strategy worked well. We quickly got a news story out first, setting the tone."
"Go on."
"With PR funding, today's coverage was mixed. She asked you to call her after you eat."
"Let me finish eating first, then I'll call her."
...
Dialing Mira, Linton turned on the speakerphone. "Mira, how's it looking in Los Angeles?"
"Overall, pretty good. Thanks to the Winter Thunder Miracle and your influence along with the three ladies', your vacation news has become a huge headline. Sixty-seven newspapers featured stories on you four at the farm, and numerous TV stations have covered it to varying degrees.
TV news remains objective, but expect countless variety shows to exploit the buzz, twisting narratives for entertainment. Radio, of course, is full of fabricated hype, but the public mostly takes it lightly, knowing its unreliability.
Our PR efforts made an impact. Forty-eight out of seventy-six papers, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and Washington Post entertainment sections, followed our narrative. Twenty-eight papers indulged in sensational rumors about you three dating simultaneously, painting you as a serial cad. This must be your competitors trying to smear you, telling tales of Jennifer, Winona, and Catherine being naive for trusting you. A few papers, like yesterday's Hollywood Gossip, are outright speculating on a four-way relationship, with daily orgies."
"What about Hollywood Gossip -- did the legal notice work?"
"Yes, it did. That small tabloid probably didn't want to go bankrupt. They issued an apology this morning and have revised their coverage to match our stance."
"That's encouraging."
"For now, things look okay, but we must stay vigilant. I worry your opponents will persistently try to defame you."
"Inform Goodman to handle those slander papers like Hollywood Gossip -- no tolerance. And besides continuing our strong PR work and monitoring media, coordinate with Bella. Have her watch fan reactions because these large fanbases are our foundation. Notify Jennifer, Winona, and Catherine's agents too, to track changes in their fans' attitudes."
"Understood, I'll report any updates immediately."
...
After the call, he still felt uneasy and rang Bella, asking her to assist Mira in monitoring fan sentiment.
He also urged Jennifer, Winona, and Catherine to call their agents with the same request.
Though carefree on the surface, they weren't truly unconcerned -- they overly trusted Linton and believed he could solve all problems.
They even listened to Linton's call with Mira and did exactly as he instructed.
...
By noon, Jennifer quietly pulled back the curtains and saw many paparazzi lingering outside. She slipped her arm around Linton's waist.
"Darling, there are still so many paparazzi outside. We can't go out. Shall we head upstairs and continue playing?"
"You're the best, my dear. Let's go." Linton scooped up Jennifer.
Winona and Catherine naturally weren't going to be left behind.
Soon, the silent barrier on the third floor reactivated, and the exciting game resumed.
To Linton's surprise, as he practiced, he felt not only his own popularity rising, but the three women's popularity growing as well, significantly accelerating his training.
Seems the media storm wasn't all bad -- it was like a precious power-up.
Since it had such a beneficial effect, he welcomed the media storm to intensify even more.
*****
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