88: Chapter 88 The Throne, Rifts, and the Oath of Reunion

Saturday, November 26, 2011, 24 hours after the release of "Uptown Funk."

In the command center of the Nashville safe house, the air was filled with an unreal excitement. The glow of the data screens reflected on everyone's faces, and the refresh rate was so fast it was almost dizzying.

Alex knew the song would be a success, but seeing it rampage through the digital world of 2011 with his own eyes still delivered a shock beyond his expectations. This was no longer the cold "S-Rank Potential" from a system assessment, but a living, burning cultural pulse.

Screen A (Charts and Sales) announced its arrival in staggering fashion:

iTunes Singles Chart: In the US, it soared from 98th place at launch to 3rd place within 24 hours in a near-vertical trajectory. It broke into the top five in major English-speaking markets like the UK, Canada, and Australia. On the charts of over a dozen European countries, it acted as a dark horse, firmly occupying spots in the top ten. For a new song with no pre-release buzz and a distinct style, this rate of ascent in the 2011 digital music market was nothing short of phenomenal.

Billboard Real-time Data: On the Hot 100 chart, it had landed directly at 27th place from outside the chart. More importantly, on the "Digital Singles Sales Chart," which measures current heat, it had already taken the top spot, suppressing the new songs of a host of veteran superstars.

Spotify and Streaming: Although Spotify was still in the early stages of promotion in the US, in regions where the service was available, the song quickly topped the "Viral Chart," with daily plays exceeding three million—a staggering number for the streaming environment of that time.

Screen B (Social Media and Real-World Impact) showed even more intuitive heat:

Twitter and Facebook: #UptownFunk and related dance challenge hashtags accumulated over 500,000 tweets and posts within 24 hours. It didn't ferment slowly; instead, from the afternoon to the night of Black Friday, it was like a fuse being lit, exploding instantly. From celebrities and influencers to ordinary users, countless people shared their reactions to hearing the song—"Can't stop," "The office suddenly turned into a dance floor," "The theme song for this year's Black Friday!"

YouTube: Official audio and video views exceeded five million in 24 hours, and various user-uploaded reactions, covers, and especially short dance videos began to spring up like mushrooms after rain. Although the standardized, global-sweeping challenges of later years hadn't formed yet, the spontaneous, scattered imitation and playfulness proved that its melody and rhythm possessed a primitive, cross-cultural infectiousness.

Radio and Physical Feedback: Requests for airplay on major mainstream pop radio stations across the US surged in the afternoon. Monitoring showed that at least over thirty major radio stations played the song on the first day, with a request rate that left all other new songs in the dust. Marcus even received an inquiry from a large department store chain asking if they could use the song as background music during "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday"—the commercial world's sense for pop trends was startlingly keen.

Screen C (Industry Internal Shockwaves) brought constant news via encrypted channels and phone calls:

The voice of Universal Music A&R Director Kyle Jenkins was slightly distorted with excitement over the call: "Alex! The data department is going crazy! Do you know how many of our internal prediction models your song has broken? The board just held an emergency conference, and your name is now the highest priority! Rolling Stone wants an exclusive interview, BBC Radio 1 has sent an invitation... Wait, I just got news, the real-time sales of this song on iTunes have just surpassed Lady Gaga's new single this week!"

Attorney Lauren also sent a brief analysis: "The 'commercial success' clause in your business contract has been vastly amplified. Your bargaining chip is now terrifyingly heavy. But at the same time, the attention from various parties (including other factions within Universal and external competitors) and their attempts to exert influence are expected to grow exponentially over the next 72 hours."

Alex summoned the system interface; on the pale blue light screen, the numbers were pulsing with a vibrant rhythm he had never seen before:

[Popularity: 8,210,000 → 8,880,000 → 9,050,000...]

[Peak Growth Rate: +42,000 points/hour!]

[Notification: "Phenomenal Cultural Event (2011 Standard)" confirmed! Triggered "Voice of the Era" effect! Popularity acquisition efficiency and stability at the current time node have been significantly improved!]

[Ability Evolution: Cultural Trend Anchoring (22%) → (38%); "Pop Pulse" trait initially manifested.]

Breaking nine million! And it was still roaring toward the ten-million mark at a terrifying speed of tens of thousands of points per hour!

A rush of heat, mixed with achievement, excitement, and immense pressure, surged through Alex. He felt truly that the string he had plucked was resonating with the joy of a certain part of the world. Hank looked at the strangers from all over the world on the screen, who were jubilant because of a song, shook his head, and grinned: "This is much more powerful than most psychological warfare propaganda I've seen."

Rex pointed to the public opinion monitoring: "The negative influence accounts associated with Northrop have become chaotic and weak in their content since six hours ago. They are now completely drowned out by the massive volume of real user voices saying 'this song is too addictive' and 'can't help but dance along.' The 'serious discussion' they were trying to steer has lost its footing in the face of pure, viral happiness."

Marcus hung up another phone call, let out a long sigh, and looked at Alex as if looking at a miracle: "The industry has started using the term 'Uptown Funk Phenomenon.' It's not just that you have a hit song; you've redefined the speed and method of 'going viral.' Now, you are the most impossible-to-ignore voice in every party, on every radio station, and on every young person's playlist."

Taylor walked over to Alex and gently touched his arm. Her eyes were bright, filled with pride, but also a hint of complex emotion: "Feels like standing in the eye of a hurricane, right? Everything outside is turning upside down, but here... we must think clearly about the next step."

Because although the platform's total traffic and new users had skyrocketed with the song's popularity, another set of data Marcus pulled up made the brief cheers quiet down:

The volume of posts and interaction rates in the core topic area (related to NT-7) had dropped by 40% in the past 12 hours.

Dozens of highly upvoted comments pushed to the top carried a tone of disappointment:

"So... is the battle over? Did we win? Or is the spotlight warmer than the truth?"

"'Uptown Funk' is great, but I've cried listening to 'Safe & Sound,' and now I feel like a fool who's been left behind."

"Congratulations, Alex, you've become a pop star. What about those families who didn't get to wait for the truth?"

Even more troublesome was the private message channel: several victim families who had been deeply involved from the early stages and had provided key information or stories sent inquiries with cautious phrasing that couldn't hide their confusion, all with the core meaning: "We understand you need to develop your career, but is there a follow-up to the 'memory project' and the plans that were supposed to come next?"

Taylor silently projected a few of these messages onto the side screen. For a moment, no one in the room spoke. The roaring tsunami of the pop world, and the rift created with the solid soil behind him that had once lifted him up, felt more unsettling than any enemy's attack.

Alex stared at the messages, his face showing no irritation at being accused, but rather a deep understanding. He summoned the system interface; the popularity numbers were still jumping happily, but another line of small, previously ignored text came into view:

[Detected fluctuation in emotional connection with core support group: -15%]

[Notification: Popularity is not a pure numerical value; its 'quality' and 'stability' are positively correlated with deep emotional identification. Popularity provided by followers whose faith is wavering will decay.]

He closed the interface and took a deep breath. This was not a PR crisis; this was a rift in trust.

"They are not opposing 'Uptown Funk'," Alex began, his voice breaking the silence, "they are afraid. Afraid that this dazzling success will make us forget why we started, afraid that our voices will be drowned out by applause, and the truth will be covered by melodies. They aren't holding us back; they are using their anxiety to remind us of who we are."

He walked to the main console, played no noisy music, and instead pulled up the platform backend, bringing up the encrypted communication channels for Mr. Green and several key family contacts.

"Marcus," he instructed, "reply to these families' questions personally, one by one, in my name. Tell them three things: First, the 'memory project' has never been canceled; it is about to enter its most important stage. Second, I need their help more than ever. Third, please ask them to wait for a specific request that requires their personal participation, coming next week."

Then, he turned to Taylor and the team: "We need a communication, not for the media, but for our own people. But not a press conference in the spotlight of public opinion; that would be too deliberate, like a PR performance."

His fingers tapped the table unconsciously. In his mind, the system's "Future Song Library" was touched again by an invisible intention. This time, it wasn't about finding a rhythmic explosion, but following the wavelength of loss and anticipation permeating the core community to seek an "anchor" that could resonate with it.

A perception of a melody emerged, soft yet incredibly tenacious. It didn't belong to this era, yet it perfectly fit and could elevate all the complex, unspeakable emotions of the moment—remembrance of the deceased, adherence to promises, sadness over misunderstandings, and the longing for a "reunion" in a shared belief. "See You Again."

It was simple to the extreme, and profound to the extreme. It needed no explanation; once it played, it could build an emotional bridge spanning all the chaos.

Alex opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the anxious messages on the screen, and then looked at the team: "The next song will not be 'Uptown Funk 2.0.' It will be the first official clarion call of the 'memory project,' and the most solemn answer to all the supporters who have walked this path with us."

He played the simple piano demo of the core melody in his mind. After a few bars, that profound sorrow and warm comfort enveloped the room, forming a sharp contrast with the lingering restlessness of "Uptown Funk," yet strangely smoothing out the anxiety in everyone's hearts.

"This song is called 'See You Again'," Alex's voice sounded low and clear amidst the melody, "it is about parting, but more about remembrance and eternal connection. I will rewrite the lyrics myself. The chorus is a looking up to and a greeting for all the departed souls. And the verses..." He paused, his tone resolute, "I will embed as many of the names and story snippets for which we have obtained authorization as possible. This is not a pop single; this is a requiem and a vow dedicated to the victims, to comfort the living, and to unite all those who have not forgotten."

He looked at Marcus: "The production and release model will be completely independent of the commercial path of 'Uptown Funk.' It will premiere through the Voice of Truth platform and partner charity channels, available for free download, with all proceeds directly injected into a regulatory account. Invite Mr. Green and other families to participate in the recording, even if it's just a background harmony or a message. Universal Music can be informed and can be credited in the name of 'supporting public welfare,' but they have no right to interfere with the content or the proceeds."

He looked at Taylor again: "For the emotional support and vocals of the melody, I need you to give it a soul. This may be our most important and most difficult recording yet."

Finally, he looked at the messages from the core community on the screen, as if speaking directly to them: "Use 'Uptown Funk' to attract the whole world to listen, and then use 'See You Again' to tell them who we really are and why we sing. Let what is pop belong to pop, and let what is memory belong to memory. But those who carry out the memory have never left."

The strategy was clear: it was not just a cultural counterattack, but a reclamation and reinforcement of hearts. Use a global hit to seize the square, then use a soulful ballad to consolidate and elevate one's fortress.

The roar of global revelry was still faintly rumbling outside the window, but the center of gravity inside the command center had been completely anchored. The next battle was no longer about conquering more ears, but about awakening more hearts, and letting those hearts that were once worried beat firmly together again.

[Fluctuation in emotional connection with core support group paused.]

[New target locked: "Compassionate Resonance" preparation.]

[Special project "See You Again" (Adapted Version) in planning...]

[Popularity: 9,080,000 points. The ten-million threshold is in sight, but the path to 'divinity' requires first smoothing out the rifts in people's hearts.]