Chapter 204: Opening
[Chapter 204: Opening]
The day before the Ultra Music Festival kicked off, at Bayfront Park.
In the southern area, a few miles from the main stage, workers were putting the finishing touches on the stage setup, and the large screens were entering the final testing phase. Robert Allen had been temporarily reassigned to Miami to make way for Ryan's Ultra satellite stage, while Taylor had paused her tour.
"It doesn't look much smaller than the main stage over there," Berwick said, wearing a hard hat and a reflective vest, channeling his inner construction foreman.
"It's actually bigger than the main stage," Teresa chimed in.
Ryan had a well-established stage design and setup team now; naturally, he spared no expense for the final performance. Plus, the cost of building the stage wasn't too high, as Robert had assembled the team, which worked efficiently.
Ryan turned his head and saw more tents being pitched not far away. It looked exactly like last year, with people in bizarre outfits, a festival vibe, and the scent of celebration in the air.
He estimated the scale of these tents to be even bigger than the previous year. With so many people, the amount spent on party favors daily was astronomical. Where there was demand, there was a market, and someone was bound to sell.
Noticing Ryan's gaze, Berwick approached, whispering, "Our team has uncovered several distribution points over the past few days. Some operate via phone orders, while others have fixed locations. Based on past patterns, there will also be on-site stalls in the park. All the locations from last year have already been marked on the map."
"Don't look at me like that. These people come from all over the country, and no one knows each other. It wasn't hard to gather this information," Berwick said, trying to defend their investigation.
"So, what's next? Should we notify the local PD?"
Ryan shook his head. "Now's not the time."
Moreover, Russell was a donor to the local PD, which likely meant he had people in the precinct. Informing them now would only prompt Russell to increase his defenses.
"Have you ever heard the story of Robin Hood?" Ryan countered.
"Robin Hood, the one who stole from the rich to give to the poor?"
"Basically, yeah."
"In Alabama, two of my old buddies have been tailing this guy for days. His car's tracker shows a few regular spots: his home, his mistress's apartment, and the factory..."
"Let's call 911 tomorrow," Ryan nodded in agreement.
...
"Fixing up the roads is done, but we have to cover the construction costs, or the city council won't pass it. My sister can only do so much," Alex's voice came through the phone.
That was enough.
"Your task is complete; thank you for your help," Ryan responded.
"Don't forget about the cut I'll need once this is all done."
"Of course, but only if I finish the acquisition."
"You've got the money and the connections, plus the intel I provided; you can totally pull off Ultra," Alex replied confidently.
"Let's hope so. Here's to hoping nothing goes wrong with Ultra this year," Ryan said slowly.
"What could possibly go wrong? Ultra has been happening year after year; even if there's a scandal, it'll just be minor."
...
The next afternoon, in Birmingham, Alabama, inside an abandoned warehouse.
"This is the last address. If you're not satisfied with this, I suggest you just don't open at all," a bald man in a shirt, with a gold chain around his neck, kicked a nearby soda can as he spoke, showing hints of impatience.
This man was Russell's go-to guy in Alabama, leading Ryan's crew to potential locations for a Bad Room branch. Yet, those two crew members proved to be quite picky, unsatisfied with every option presented.
Now they fell silent after exploring a bit, finally telling the man, "We'll report back to Mr. Rivers." Finally, it was over. The gold-chain guy was almost ready to shout in relief.
"I won't be driving you back to the hotel. I've got some business to attend to," he said before heading off to check the factory.
The duo didn't say anything further. After watching him drive away, they walked to a nearby diner and used the payphone to call 911.
...
About half an hour later, inside the car, the music blasted as the gold-chain guy hummed along. He turned the corner and suddenly spotted a cluster of police cars parked outside a nearby abandoned lot.
"Shit!" he cursed under his breath, rapidly reversing. In the next moment, his car was suddenly hit, and the force hurled him against the windshield, cracking it in the process.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a hospital, handcuffed to the bed. A DEA agent nearby promptly reported to the higher-ups.
"What are you doing? I'm just a bystander! I want my lawyer," he protested loudly.
Before long, several DEA agents entered, and the one leading the charge rested his hands on the bed, glaring at him.
"Alejandro Garcia Lopez, the head of the factory. Don't bother trying to escape; you won't be leaving unless you cut off your hands," he said, pulling a chair up beside the bed.
"All your crew has already sung. The goods we found in your factory are enough to lock you away for two hundred years. If you ever want to see the sun outside a prison wall again, you better spill everything you know. Where did the supplies come from? Who were they sold to?" He grabbed Alejandro by the collar.
"The supplies came from Florida!" Alejandro screamed.
...
By evening, as night fell, the Ultra Music Festival officially began. Ryan's stage was designed to resemble the Baroque-style architecture of Bad Room, though it was just decorative. The simple steel frame inside, illuminated by stunning lights, looked almost dreamlike. In terms of flair, it surpassed even the nearby main stage.
Ryan delivered an unprecedented long performance on his satellite stage, including last year's annual remix and his new songs. Taylor wouldn't arrive until later; she was set to perform her song Mean for the first time the following day.
After an extensive performance lasting over an hour, Ryan exited the stage, making way for Calvin Harris to take over.
Having Calvin replace Ryan showed how much Ryan valued him, but Calvin struggled to match Ryan's extravagant energy. Many fans who came to see Ryan started heading towards the main stage.
Ryan mused to himself about needing to sign a few more promising DJs. He wondered if any on the "wish list" would show up this year...
...
"Everything's going smoothly here..." a subordinate reported over the phone.
"Did you confirm the nightclub's address?"
"Should have... I think we did," came the less-than-confident reply.
"What's going on over there?" Russell immediately sensed something was off. His subordinate wasn't usually this hesitant.
"Ah, it's just some drama with the women, they're threatening to leave," the voice on the other end complained.
"I told you not to pamper them too much; sometimes, you have to teach them a lesson," Russell scoffed. "Alright, I can't talk long. The festival's started, and I'm swamped these next couple of days."
Of course, "busy" meant moving Molly; that was where the real money was. How much could they profit from the festival itself?
*****
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