176: Chapter 176 The Epic of Dust and the Countdown to the Exploration

On the day the soundtrack for "city of instantaneity: A Sound Travelogue" was officially released, a light drizzle fell over Los Angeles. However, the gloomy weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of music and film lovers at all. Universal Music held a small launch ceremony and listening party at a historic record store in Hollywood, with Alex Su and Taylor Allison attending as art directors and core creators.

The store was packed with media, music critics, die-hard fans, and invited industry professionals. There was no ostentatious stage, just a simple display of the album's exquisite physical packaging (vinyl, CDs, and specially designed digital download cards), along with a few still posters of classic scenes from the film. The air was filled with the aroma of coffee and the faint scent unique to old records.

The ceremony was brief. Alex Su and Taylor Allison shared the core concept of the album's creation— "It's not about repeating the film, but using sound to retell the soul of the film." Afterward, the store's top-tier sound system began playing the entire album.

When the familiar, fragile yet resilient sound fragments and piano motifs of "Nesting in Shimmer" flowed out, many audience members who had already seen the film teared up. This independent "Echo piece," placed at the end of the album, served like a warm pause after a long journey, or a gentle look back at the film's core, with surprisingly good effect.

Music critics posted real-time short reviews on social media: "A masterpiece that can exist independently of the film," "The pinnacle display of sound narrative aesthetics," "Alex Su and Taylor Allison have created a complete auditory universe"... Professional acclaim exploded instantly.

What comforted Alex Su and Taylor Allison even more was the feedback from ordinary listeners. On the album's streaming pages and social media topics, many people left comments saying that even if they hadn't seen the film, they were deeply moved by the album, as if they had "heard" a grand yet intimate story about memory, technology, and humanity. Physical albums (especially the limited edition vinyl) sold out within hours of the launch, and digital sales soared.

The tangible sense of career achievement had never felt so concrete and warm. At the private celebration party after the launch ceremony, Zack Snyder walked over with a glass of wine and said sincerely to Alex Su: "Now, the sound in my film has its own life and biography. Well done, man."

"It was us who gave it life together." Alex Su clinked glasses with him, attributing the glory to their collaboration.

Meanwhile, submissions for the new "Echo Puzzle" theme, "Traces," were quietly sparking a wave of quiet and delicate creation on the platform. Users turned their gaze to the smallest, most easily overlooked existences: the patterns left by fingers on dust-covered windowsills (accompanied by extremely subtle friction sounds), the popping sound of the last bubbles as water stains at the bottom of a coffee cup evaporated, the unique crunching sound of snow left by a cat's footprints, or even the "hissing" sound of an old, forgotten cassette tape being fast-forwarded, carrying the wear and tear of time...

These submissions no longer sought grandeur or novelty, but were full of meticulous observation and gentle recording of life and nature. Alex Su often smiled knowingly while reviewing them. Through [Information Texture Discrimination], he could perceive the focused, near-Zen state of immersion of the submitters from these tiny "trace" sounds. This collective, inward-exploring creative atmosphere was the most powerful silent rebuttal to the previous accusations of "over-commercialization."

He specifically instructed the operations team to curate an online "Sounds of Micro-Traces" virtual exhibition, in addition to the regular community display, to display these most brilliant "trace" works in a minimalist way, accompanied by the submitters' brief thoughts, creating a digital space for quiet "strolling" and "listening."

The depth and warmth of the platform grew steadily like tree rings with each theme iteration.

On Friday, Alex Su received a complete data package from "Lin" regarding the first potential exploration site (a deep-sea area near a seamount somewhere in the Pacific). The content was astonishingly detailed: seamount geological structures, ocean current data, historical scientific research records, and even the known bio-soundscape characteristics of the area. The risk assessment report listed potential difficulties (such as harsh sea conditions, equipment pressure challenges) and contingency plans. The security and emergency plans were rigorous and thorough, almost like a military operation plan.

Alex Su spent an entire day studying it carefully and had The Architect conduct an independent assessment from a technical perspective. The conclusion: risks were controllable, scientific goals were clear, and logistics were sufficient. The professionalism shown by the other party was reassuring.

He replied to Lin, agreeing in principle to participate in the exploration of the site, but requested a final safety confirmation of the itinerary based on the latest marine weather forecast one week before the actual departure. Lin replied quickly: "Reasonable. The confirmation process has been included in the plan. The exploration window is expected to be in four weeks."

The cooperation progressed steadily, like a Gear of a precision clock, quietly meshing.

On Saturday, Alex Su and Taylor Allison decided to take a break and drove to Joshua Tree National Park. Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, surrounded by strange boulders and vast desert vegetation, the world seemed to become empty and slow in an instant.

They found a secluded spot, spread out a blanket, and did nothing but lie there watching the clouds. The sound of the wind was the master here, sometimes whistling, sometimes whispering, picking up sand grains and sweeping across rock crevices. With [Energy Perception] fully activated, Alex Su could "hear" the unique energy exchange produced when the wind rubbed against every stone and every cactus. Eons of wind erosion had left deep "traces" on the rocks, and the sound of the wind at this moment was the Echo of that long shaping process in the present.

He turned his head and saw Taylor Allison with her eyes closed, a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, as if she were "listening" to this land in her own way.

"Hear anything?" he asked softly.

"I hear... quiet," Taylor Allison said without opening her eyes. "And a kind of immense patience. The stones have been lying here for millions of years, watching the clouds come and go. Our little troubles and achievements, in their eyes, are probably like a grain of sand blown by this wind, leaving not even a trace."

Alex Su took her hand: "But the trajectory of this grain of sand, for us, is everything."

Taylor Allison opened her eyes and looked at him, her gaze clear: "So, we must see the Eternity of the stones, but also cherish the journey of the sand, right?"

"Exactly." Alex Su smiled.

They stayed in the park until sunset. When the huge setting sun dyed the entire desert into a burning golden red, Alex Su used his phone to record a piece of pure wind sound, as well as the chirping of unknown desert birds occasionally heard in the distance.

"Bring back some 'traces'." He said to Taylor Allison.

"The best sounding 'traces'." Taylor Allison leaned on his shoulder.

On the way back, Alex Su received a call from Marcus. The other party's tone was somewhat excited: "Boss, that trend you asked me to keep an eye on—'using old media for artistic creation'—I've found something. A very small independent art space in New York is doing an exhibition next week called 'Tape Memory: Analog Sound as a Container of Time.' The curator's approach is very interesting; it's not about nostalgia, but exploring the unique aesthetic value of analog media carrying 'traces of time' in the digital age. Here is the material."

While driving, Alex Su had Marcus send the material to the car's tablet. A quick browse confirmed that the exhibition concept indeed coincided with his previous thoughts, even being a bit more academic. A thought stirred in his heart, and he said to Taylor Allison: "Next week, are you interested in going to New York to see a special exhibition? And by the way... handle some work."

Taylor Allison looked at him and instantly understood what "work" might mean—the exploration cover itinerary mentioned by Lin? "Artistic field trip" was an excellent excuse.

"Sure." She readily agreed, "It just so happens that I also want to go and see the music scene there and collect some new 'traces'."

The plan was set. A public art trip could perfectly cover a secret technical meeting and itinerary preparation.

Back home that night, before packing, Alex Su carefully checked and maintained the Nagra reel-to-reel tape recorder that had been through the ice sheet. This machine itself had become an important partner for him to connect different worlds and record different "traces." He stroked the cold metal body, and [Energy Perception] could clearly feel the precise energy circulation channels inside, as well as the faint "imprints" of abnormal pulses and his own energy field that it had once recorded.

Abilities, tools, experiences, cooperation, career, emotions... all these lines, like the circuits inside this complex machine under his fingertips, connected to each other, forming a unique and orderly system. And he was the core and operator of this system.

He glanced at the system interface; the available popularity was close to seventy million. He was not in a hurry to redeem it, just feeling that this number was like a heavy "reserve fund" that could be called upon at a critical moment in the future. The road ahead, whether it was pioneering in the sun or exploring in the shadows, needed the confidence brought by this reserve.

Outside the window, the night rain in Los Angeles began to fall again, tapping on the glass, leaving fleeting wet marks. Like countless tiny "traces," they converged into the breathing of the city.

Alex Su turned off the lights in the studio and walked towards the bedroom. Tomorrow, new "traces" would be waiting to be recorded, and a new journey was about to unfold.