60: Chapter 60 Bomb, Rehearsal and the Road to Millions

The video froze on the final frame—the signature of "James Howard" curled in the center of the screen like a cold snake.

Alex stared at the line of text, his fingers hovering over the keyboard for five seconds.

Then he closed the video and called Taylor. It was answered before the first ring finished.

"Alex? I just received a strange encrypted email..." Taylor's voice was taut.

"Black SUV, near the exhaust pipe, a micro-device." Alex spoke extremely fast, "Where are you exactly right now?"

"At home. The car is parked in the garage. I haven't touched it yet."

"Stay put, lock the doors, and put all your security on high alert. Hank and Rex will be there in twenty minutes."

"What did they put in my car?"

"A tracker and a micro-explosive, just like the one in my car. But this time it's a warning—telling me they can get to you anytime." Alex stood up and grabbed his jacket, "Taylor, listen, what I'm about to say is very important."

A sharp intake of breath came from the other end of the line: "Go ahead."

"Howard's target has always been me. But he realized that dealing with me directly is too costly, so he's turned to you now—using your safety to force me to compromise. This is a standard kidnapping negotiation tactic: grab the hostage you care about most."

"I won't be a hostage." Taylor's voice turned cold, the tone only the diva in control of the stage would have, "I have my own security team, I can..."

"Your team can defend against fans and stalkers, but they can't stop infiltration at the level of Northrop." Alex interrupted her, softening his tone, "But I need you to do one thing. Something only you can do."

"...What thing?"

"Continue your life. Keep preparing for the tour, keep posting on Instagram, keep chatting and laughing with the media. Act like nothing happened."

"Why?"

"Because fear is their greatest weapon. If you show fear, they win. If you act like you're completely unaffected, their threat becomes invalid—at least, invalid on the level of public opinion." Alex walked toward the door, "And, I need you to help me put on a show."

"A show?"

"A show for James Howard."

Alex explained his plan quickly: Taylor needed to "accidentally" reveal on social media that due to recent "security concerns," she had decided to upgrade the security systems for all her vehicles, including installing anti-explosion checks and electromagnetic shielding. Then, she would "happen" to mention in a media interview that Alex Su—her tour opening act—had given her "professional advice" in this regard.

"This will make it look like I was prepared, and that I have a professional team supporting me." Alex said, "Howard will suspect that there is a leak within the Guardians of Truth, or that I have resources he doesn't know about. This will make him hesitate, and hesitation is what we need—the longer he hesitates, the more time we have to prepare."

Taylor was silent for a few seconds: "Alex... who exactly are you? An ordinary person wouldn't know these things, wouldn't think of these things."

Alex had anticipated this question.

"I am your opening act." He said, with a hint of a smile in his voice, "And also an eighteen-year-old madman who has taken bullets outside a courtroom, killed professional assassins in a canyon, and now just wants to write songs and sing. As for how I know these things... I read a lot of books, watch a lot of movies, and have a brain that likes to over-prepare."

This explanation was half-truth, half-false, but it was enough. Taylor didn't need to know about the existence of the system; she only needed to know—Alex Su was someone she could trust.

"Twenty minutes." Taylor finally said, "Let your team come. But I want to be on the scene—I want to see how they handle the bomb."

"Too dangerous."

"This is my car, my life." Taylor's tone was unquestionable, "And if I'm going to put on this show well, I need to know the details."

Alex thought for a moment and agreed.

Hank and Rex arrived three minutes earlier than expected. Taylor's Nashville apartment was located on the top floor of a high-end building in the city center, with the garage on the third basement level, equipped with private elevators and surveillance.

Alex kept the line open with Hank through an encrypted channel: "Situation?"

"Device confirmed, model XM-7 micro-magnetic adhesive bomb, remote radio trigger, powerful enough to destroy the vehicle but won't affect the garage structure." Hank's voice came through the earpiece, with a faint buzzing of electronic equipment in the background, "The design is very professional, but the installation was rushed—it wasn't fixed securely enough, probably installed quickly during the garage cleaning shift last night."

"Can you dismantle it?"

"Yes, but it will take fifteen minutes. The problem is..." Hank paused, "Taylor insists on watching on-site."

Alex sighed: "Let her watch, but keep a safe distance. Also, Rex, check the storage records of all garage surveillance—I want to see the face of the installer."

"Already on it. But the other party will likely wear a mask or interfere with the cameras."

"Give it a try."

Fifteen minutes later, the bomb was safely dismantled. Hank put the metal device, which was smaller than a lighter, into a blast-proof container and looked up at Taylor, who was standing ten meters away: "It's over, Miss Allison."

Taylor walked over, her face a bit pale, but her eyes sharp: "Such a small thing... can it really blow up the whole car?"

"Directional explosion, mainly destroying the chassis and the cockpit." Hank explained briefly, "The goal is to create the illusion of a fatal car accident, not a big explosion."

Taylor nodded and turned to Alex, who had just arrived: "What now?"

"Now," Alex looked at Rex, "Any results?"

Rex held up his tablet: "The garage entrance camera loop-played old footage between 11 PM and 1 AM last night, overwriting the real records. But the other party made a mistake—they didn't count on the convenience store across the street having a private security camera pointed at the street corner."

The tablet showed a blurry but identifiable image: a black van without license plates parked in the alley on the side of the apartment building, and two people in repairman uniforms got out, one of them carrying a toolbox. Although they were wearing hats and masks, one of them had a distinct characteristic in his walking posture—his right leg had a slight limp.

"Limping." Alex zoomed in on the image, "Can you cross-reference it?"

"Already doing it." Rex said, "In the Guardians of Truth North American operation team, there is a technical expert nicknamed 'The Cripple,' who specializes in installing and dismantling explosives. Real name unknown, but the characteristics match."

Alex turned to Taylor: "I need to borrow your social media team for five minutes."

An hour later, Taylor Swift's Instagram updated with a photo.

In the image, she was standing in the garage, with the black SUV in the background, and Hank and Rex (faces blurred) standing beside her. Caption:

"Vehicle safety upgrade today! Thanks to the super professional team recommended by @Alex Su for adding a full set of anti-explosion inspection systems to my tour vehicles. Safety first, especially when you're about to hit the road with the greatest tour ever! #1989Tour Countdown #SafetyUpgrade #ThanksToThePros"

At the same time, Alex's Twitter updated:

"While some people are still using old-school threats, smart people are already upgrading their defenses. Thanks to @Taylor Swift for the trust, and a reminder to everyone: in this era, attention is the best armor. #WeAreYoung See you Friday #MusicIsMorePowerfulThanBullets"

The two updates spread rapidly.

#TaylorVehicleSafetyUpgrade trended in the top twenty on Twitter.

Entertainment media began to speculate who "some people" referred to—stalkers? Extreme fans? Or...

Conspiracy theories began to sprout.

And that was exactly the effect Alex wanted.

At 2 PM, Alex returned to the farm villa and opened the system interface.

【Current Popularity: 2,850,000 points】

(Taylor's social media mention + speculation and reports triggered by the vehicle bomb incident brought a 330,000-point increase)

7.15 million left until the 10 million unlock threshold.

To exchange for Spatial Phase (movement ignoring obstacles) still requires: 10 million cumulative unlock + 45 million additional exchange = 55 million points, a huge gap.

But every step is getting closer.

He pulled up the redemption list and looked at the abilities he had already unlocked:

【Gun-Fu: Ballistic Calculation (Mastery)】 — The battle at the canyon proved its worth.

【Spider-Sense (Beginner)】 — Currently evolving towards Intermediate.

【Comprehensive Physical Enhancement (Stage 2)】 — Granting him physical fitness that surpasses any athlete.

【Anti-Surveillance Detection (Beginner)】 — It was a huge help today.

These abilities allowed him to survive, fight, and retaliate in the world of mortals.

But the extraordinary... that would be a game on an entirely different dimension.

While he was deep in thought, Marcus called.

"Alex! Billboard just released their projections, and 《We Are Young》 is expected to debut in the top fifty in its first week! Universal has decided to add another five hundred thousand to the marketing budget, focusing heavily on streaming!"

"Very good. What's the progress on the MV shoot?"

"Taylor's team has finalized the director, and filming starts next Monday. The location is an art space converted from an old factory in Nashville, and the one-take dance choreography is currently being rehearsed." Marcus paused. "Also, there's a proposal... Sony Music wants to discuss a collaboration with you. They have a few movie theme song projects on hand with high offers."

"Turn them down for now." Alex said. "Before 《We Are Young》 finds its footing, I won't take on any other collaborations. Focus is the only way to create a hit."

"Understood. Also..." Marcus lowered his voice. "I've heard rumors that Senator Winston's office is contacting several media outlets, preparing to publish an op-ed 'exposing certain influencers who rely on controversy to grab attention,' which is clearly targeted at you."

Alex laughed: "Let them publish it. The day the article comes out, I'll release a snippet of a new song—working title 《Truth Hurts》. Retaliating with music is much more effective than sending a lawyer's letter."

"When did you write that?"

"Just now, in my head." Alex said. "I'll record the demo tonight."

Hanging up the phone, Alex sat back down at his computer and began to work.

He needed more content, more exposure, and more moments that would make the whole world remember the name "Alex Su".

---

At seven in the evening, Alex returned to that warehouse.

This time, it wasn't a secret meeting, but an official stage rehearsal.

For the Nashville kickoff of Taylor's "1989" World Tour, the stage design was minimalist yet stunning: a massive circular LED screen, a retractable transparent platform in the center, and a lighting system with over a thousand units.

As the opening guest, Alex had time for three songs. His segment was scheduled for the very beginning of the show—the lights would go completely dark, a single spotlight would hit, and he would rise from the center of the stage with only a piano.

"An opening with the piano version of 《We Are Young》, then the band joins in after thirty seconds, and the lights explode." The tour director commanded through the headset from the control room. "Alex, I need you to capture everyone's breath the moment you step out of the darkness."

"Understood."

This was the first dress rehearsal.

Alex stood on the lift, closing his eyes. A low hum of machinery came from beneath the stage; he was rising, ascending from the dark underground toward the bright stage.

When the lights hit, he opened his eyes.

In front of him was an empty auditorium, but in his imagination, twenty thousand people were sitting there.

His fingers landed on the keys.

The prelude to 《We Are Young》 flowed out, not the passionate rock of the original version, but a more fragile, intimate piano arrangement. His voice echoed through the empty venue:

"Give me a second, I need to get my story straight..."

Thirty seconds later, the drums, bass, and guitar exploded in simultaneously, and the lights poured down like a torrential rain!

Alex stood up from the piano, grabbed the microphone, and his entire energy shifted instantly—from an intimate storyteller to a performer who could ignite the entire stadium.

"Tonight! We are young!"

The three-minute performance ended, and he stood in the center of the stage, his breathing slightly quickened.

Applause came from the control room.

Taylor walked up from the side of the stage, her eyes shining: "Did you see that? That moment just now... you completely commanded the stage."

"It's not enough." Alex shook his head. "The second song, 《Shake It Off》, needs to be crazier. We need to choreograph a signature dance move, simple enough for fans to mimic after seeing it once, but with enough visual impact."

"The choreographer is ready." Taylor waved, and a young woman with dreadlocks walked onto the stage. "This is Mia, my lead choreographer. Tell her your ideas."

Alex discussed with Mia for fifteen minutes, incorporating some viral dance elements from his memories of his past life—simple, repetitive, and full of rhythm.

Then they began to rehearse.

The rhythm of 《Shake It Off》 started, and Alex and Taylor tried out moves on stage, adjusted their positioning, and designed their interactions. Two hours later, a complete performance segment had taken shape.

"One last full dress rehearsal, then we wrap up." The director announced.

The music started again.

This time, Alex completely let go.

He enjoyed the stage, enjoyed the music, and enjoyed the feeling of creating energy through performance. When he and Taylor danced that signature move during the chorus, he even momentarily forgot about the bombs, the threats, Howard, and the ten million popularity points...

He was just an eighteen-year-old musician, doing what he loved.

The rehearsal ended late at night.

Before leaving, Taylor grabbed Alex's arm: "The official performance is next week. Are you... ready?"

"The stage is ready." Alex said. "The rest is almost ready too."

---

Back at the farm villa, Alex received an encrypted message.

From Rex:

"'The Limper's' identity has been confirmed. Former Army combat engineer, real name Robert Cole, joined the Guardians of Truth after retirement, specializing in explosives. He has a habit—after every mission is completed, he goes to the same strip club for a drink. The address has been sent."

Alex replied: "Monitor him, but don't make a move. I need to know who he reports to next."

Then, he opened the system to check the details of today's added popularity points:

· Taylor's Instagram mention: +120,000

· Media speculation reports: +85,000

· Tour rehearsal internal video (leaked clips by staff): +65,000

· 《We Are Young》 teaser clicks: +60,000

A single-day increase of 330,000 points.

If on the day of the official performance, with twenty thousand people on-site, plus the live stream and follow-up reports...

A million points in a single day is not impossible.

Alex pulled up the golden extraordinary redemption interface, looking at those abilities that required tens of millions of points to unlock.

Spatial Phase — Moving through obstacles.

Elemental Affinity — Controlling water, fire, and metal.

Bio-Force Field — Resisting firearms.

Information-State Vision — Reading electronic information.

Each one represented power unimaginable to mortals.

Each one required him to ascend to the cultural pinnacle of this world to obtain.

He closed the interface, opened the music software, and began recording the demo for 《Truth Hurts》.

At three in the morning, the demo was finished.

He uploaded it to the encrypted cloud drive and sent it to Marcus with a note: "Release this on the day Winston's article comes out. Also, contact Rolling Stone magazine; I want to do an exclusive interview—the theme is 'How musicians face power and threats in this era'."

Then, he lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

Spider-Sense maintained a low hum, like a constant background noise.

The threats were still there, the enemies were still there, and the long road was still ahead.

But he was already standing at the starting line.

And this time—

He would no longer run, no longer hide.

He would step onto the stage, onto the screen, and onto the place where all the eyes of this era converged.

And then, start from there.

Crush everything.