Chapter 776 - 355: Montgomery Family (Part 2)

Chapter 776: Chapter 355: Montgomery Family (Part 2)

After completing the inspection, Lin Yu’an placed his palm on each of the two suitcases in turn and willed them away.

The two suitcases, weighing nearly four hundred pounds together, disappeared without a trace in seconds, as if instantly consumed by an invisible dimension.

Now, the car was completely empty, as if nothing had ever been placed inside it.

He took out the disposable burner phone and sent out the location of the parked Chevrolet via the soon-to-expire anonymous communication app.

Then, like an ordinary shopper, he left the parking lot, walked a few blocks, and took a rideshare back to the hotel.

After doing all this, he finally let out a sigh of relief. Now, he felt an absolute sense of security.

He checked the time, and there was still over an hour until his meeting with Mike.

He calmly walked into the bathroom, took a shower, then selected a well-tailored casual suit from the wardrobe to change into.

He believed that during the time he attended the dinner, this car, along with all the traces it carried, would quietly disappear into the Florida night.

An hour later, having groomed himself, he sat in the rented car and entered the address Mike had sent him into the car’s navigation system.

For such a family dinner invitation, arriving empty-handed would obviously be impolite. Before setting off, he navigated to a nearby top-notch wine shop.

Faced with a family like the Montgomery family, which has a deep-rooted foundation, a bottle of ordinary Lafite or Penfolds would only seem perfunctory and lacking in taste.

He glanced at the text Scooter had just sent, which included an address and a contact named Julian, "Tell him you’re my client. He’ll give you the best in the cellar."

Lin Yu’an entered the address into the navigation; it was a top-level wine shop hidden deep within a private garden, open only to members with an appointment.

As Lin Yu’an entered the store, a well-dressed manager with gold-rimmed glasses immediately greeted him.

"Good evening, sir. Do you have an appointment?"

"I’m here to see Julian," Lin Yu’an said calmly, "Scooter Braun sent me."

At the mention of "Scooter Braun," the manager’s expression changed instantly. The sense of detachment disappeared, replaced by a heightened sense of importance and respect.

"Mr. Braun’s guest!" he bowed slightly, "Please wait a moment, I’ll inform Mr. Julian immediately!"

Not daring to delay, he quickly walked to the office. Moments later, a man in his fifties, dressed in a dark suit with impeccably combed hair, hurried out. This was Julian, the proprietor of the store.

"Hello! I’m Julian," he extended his hand warmly, a sincere smile on his face, "Just received a call from Mr. Braun saying his most important guest was on the way, didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly! Welcome, welcome!"

"Lin Yu’an." Lin Yu’an shook his hand.

"Please follow me, Mr. Lin." Julian personally led Lin Yu’an, bypassing the public display area.

Then, with a black electronic card, he opened a heavy wooden door, entering the innermost part of the store, a temperature and humidity-controlled rare wine cellar.

"Mr. Braun has instructed me that you need a substantial gift." Julian did not recommend the flashy Bordeaux grand wines but instead went directly to a softly lit, separate display cabinet.

There, lay a bottle with a simple label, yet exuding a regal aura.

"Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon." Julian introduced with the tone of presenting a piece of art.

This was not an ordinary expensive red wine; it was the pinnacle of the United States’s "cult wine" pyramid, the Hermès Birkin of the wine world.

"Its production is extremely limited, with only a few hundred cases produced each year, and it’s never publicly sold." Julian explained, "Only channels like ours, directly serving top-tier clients, can obtain quotas."

He donned white gloves and carefully took down the bottle: "This is the 2018 vintage, rated a perfect 100 points by Robert Parker. For a new vintage of Screaming Eagle, this is one of the most collectible years."

"How much?" Lin Yu’an asked calmly.

"For Mr. Braun’s clients, our member price is six thousand five hundred US Dollars." Julian quoted a price that would stagger ordinary people.

Lin Yu’an didn’t even blink. He knew that Scooter’s name probably saved him some unnecessary markup.

He chose this wine, not to show off, but because he knew that for the Montgomery family, Screaming Eagle represented not just money, but also a kind of status and circle "hard currency."

"Great, I’ll take it. Please wrap it in the finest gift box for me."

Back in the car, looking at the route shown on the navigation pointing to Fort Lauderdale’s most famous affluent area—"Las Olas Islands," he realized this was not just a typical luxury decorated villa.

But when he actually drove there, he discovered he had underestimated the Montgomery family’s foundation.

The car slowly crossed a small private bridge, entering a tranquil and private island community surrounded by canals. It finally stopped in front of a large oceanfront mansion with significant grounds.