90: Chapter 90 The Pinnacle of Mortals, The Gate to the Divine Threshold

Friday. The day of decision, and also the day the release strategy for "See You Again" was set.

The atmosphere in the safe house was heavy as lead. The encrypted communicator in front of Marcus remained silent, yet it felt as if one could hear the fierce arguments taking place in the Universal Music headquarters conference room on the other end. Since the ultimatum last night, there had been no word from Kyle Jenkins.

Alex did not wait. He and his team were perfecting the final release plan for "See You Again." The plan was divided into two sets, A and B, like a double-edged sword hanging over their heads.

"Plan A, the compromise collaboration version," Marcus stated. "If Universal agrees to participate in the name of 'supporting public welfare,' we will agree to have the song simultaneously released on Universal's streaming platforms, accept their limited, non-commercial-led promotional resources (such as official website recommendations and press releases), and allow them to label the music video as 'Jointly Presented.' However, we must insist: First, the song must be free to download permanently; second, all donation channels must be independent and transparent; third, the promotional narrative must highlight 'commemoration' and 'social responsibility,' downplaying commercial aspects; fourth, we retain absolute autonomy over all in-depth content analysis and community activities conducted through the 'Voice of Truth' platform."

"Plan B, the independent release version," Marcus said, switching pages. "If they refuse or attempt to add unacceptable terms, we will conduct a global, simultaneous free release within 48 hours via the 'Voice of Truth' platform, the distributed network nodes provided by Organization D, and all independent music websites willing to cooperate. Promotion will rely entirely on our own community and the massive residual attention from 'Uptown Funk.' The risk is higher, but the control is one hundred percent."

Just as the details of the plan were finalized, the encrypted communicator rang. It was Kyle, but his voice was no longer anxious or hard; it carried a weary calmness, even a hint of strange relief.

"Alex, Marcus. The board... just finished a five-hour meeting." Kyle paused for a long time, and the sound of him taking a deep breath came through the microphone. "The final resolution is: Universal Music has chosen to... provide limited support for Plan A."

This result was somewhat unexpected. Marcus asked cautiously, "Conditions?"

"Almost no additional conditions, just follow the basic framework of your Plan A." Kyle's tone was complex. "But there is one 'suggestion' from the highest level: They hope that 'See You Again' and its related activities can conclude within a month. The board believes that the 'compassionate' side of an artist's social image needs to be shown, but it shouldn't last too long, lest it dilute commercial value. They are looking forward to your 'high-quality pop single' next spring."

Alex understood instantly. This was not a compromise; it was a higher-level commercial calculation. Universal saw his irreplicable uniqueness—not just the ability to create hit songs, but the rare talent for converting massive traffic into positive social influence (and the resulting brand value, public goodwill, and even a certain degree of moral shield). Supporting "See You Again" was an investment in this scarcer "compound value" of his. And the one-month deadline was a stop-loss point set for pure commercial return.

"Agreed," Alex responded cleanly and efficiently. "Thank you for the board's understanding. We will launch Plan A immediately and ensure all activities fulfill their core mission within a month."

The call ended. The taut string suddenly relaxed, but what followed was even greater and more precise execution pressure. They had to deliver this heavy commemorative song to every corner of the heart it was meant to reach within the limited time.

December 4th, Sunday. 24 hours before release.

The final preparations were tense and orderly. Taylor was repeatedly polishing every breath point of the final chorus harmony, pursuing the ultimate emotional concentration. Alex, meanwhile, was in the [Creative Master] and [Compassionate Weaver] states, making millisecond-level fine-tuning to the narrative rhythm of the verses, ensuring that the utterance of every name was solemn and clear, and the embedding of every story fragment was as natural as breathing.

The "Decoders" from Organization D sent word that the load test for the independent release network was complete and could withstand instantaneous demand for tens of millions of visits. The "Front Row Audience" sent a short but meaningful piece of intelligence: "The first phase of the 'Echo Cage' project by Northrop, the 'replica,' has entered the promotional warm-up stage; the style is highly imitative, but the core is hollow. They are keeping silent about the movements of 'See You Again,' but internal directives require 'avoiding any public comments that could be interpreted as disrespectful to the victims.'" — The opponent had been forced into a moral dead end.

On Alex's system interface, the popularity value was slowly and steadily climbing amidst the long-tail effect of "Uptown Funk" and continuous platform activity: [Popularity: 9,410,000 points]. Less than 600,000 remained until reaching ten million. He could feel that the invisible barrier was already as thin as a cicada's wing, and the emotional weight carried by "See You Again" was exactly the final and most appropriate heavy hammer to break through it.

December 5th, Monday, 10:00 AM sharp.

No teasers, no hype. "See You Again" (Memorial Edition) went live globally, quietly.

The homepage of the Voice of Truth platform changed to a simple deep blue starry sky background, with the song player in the center, and a clear explanation below: "Dedicated to all the heroic souls who could not return, and to all the longing that has never ceased—'memory project' sets sail." Alongside it were detailed project descriptions, authorization statements from family members, and links to completely transparent public welfare donation channels.

Almost simultaneously, the Universal Music official homepage also posted a low-key but prominent banner link: "Supporting the important public welfare project of artist Alex Su—'See You Again'," accompanied by an official press release that rigorously praised the artist's sense of social responsibility.

In the first hour, data growth was steady, far from the explosive nature of "Uptown Funk" initially. The comments in the section also presented a completely different appearance:

"Just clicked on it, and the prelude made my heart sink..."

"I was listening to it on the way to work. When I heard the part where the names were read, I cried like a fool on the subway. Sorry, the people next to me must think I'm very strange."

"My father is a veteran; thank you for remembering. This is not a song, this is a monument."

"Jumped over from 'Uptown Funk,' thought it was a mistake... Now my feelings are very complex, but I think this is even more amazing."

There were no viral dance challenges, only silent listening, long sharing messages, and spontaneously lit virtual candles. It was like a stone thrown into a deep lake; what it stirred up was not waves, but ripples that spread layer by layer, reaching deep to the bottom of the lake.

In the afternoon, the effect began to manifest. Many serious media outlets, veteran association publications, and aviation safety public welfare organization websites began to cite and recommend the song. It was not entertainment news; it became a topic for the social and cultural sections. The short testimonial videos pre-recorded by Mr. Green and several other family members (appearing only on the Voice of Truth platform) began to see their view counts climb rapidly.

By prime time in the evening, "See You Again" had surged onto social media trending lists in a completely different way. The keywords were #RememberTheirNames and #SeeYouAgain. People were no longer sharing dances, but their own mourning, longing for family, or thoughts on responsibility. Many new fans attracted during the "Uptown Funk" period seemed to truly "see" another side of Alex Su at this moment and were deeply moved by it.

The system interface began to emit a soft and continuous glow, and the frequency of the popularity value's jumping became faster and faster:

[Popularity: 9,410,000 → 9,550,000 → 9,720,000 ...]

[Emotional resonance intensity continues to climb... "Compassion Resonance" mechanism activating...]

[Emotional connection degree of core support group: +40% (reached a new high)]

[Social influence valuation significantly revised...]

Alex did not stay in the command center to watch the data. He stayed alone in the most soundproof room, eyes closed, feeling it. That was not cold numerical growth, but countless heavy emotions, recognition, and even faith, converging from all directions, merging into his existence, washing over that final boundary.

Late at night, 11:58 PM.

Alex stood by the window; outside, the city lights were like an inverted galaxy. He closed his eyes, no longer looking at the frantically jumping numbers on the system interface, but purely "feeling" that heavy and warm torrent of intent converging from countless corners—those longings, those sorrows, those awakened memories, those weak yet firm forces born from remembrance.

These forces, intangible and formless, yet through the connection represented by "Popularity" in the metaphysical sense, surged and poured in.

"Click..."

An extremely slight cracking sound, as if coming from the deepest part of his soul, rang out.

Immediately after—

[— — — Warning! Critical breakthrough! — — —]

[Popularity broke through 10,000,000 points!]

[Main quest 'The Path to Godhood Under the Spotlight' Phase 1 'Mundane Resonance' achieved!]

[Supernatural exchange authority—fully unlocked!]

[System core upgrade initiated... Countdown 23:59:59...]

[Exchangeable supernatural ability list (basic category) preview loading...]

[Note: Unlocked exchange categories include (but are not limited to): Spatial Movement (Basic), Elemental Manipulation (Basic), Bio-force Field Generation (Weak), Cellular-level Rapid Regeneration, Advanced Cognitive Overlay... Detailed list and exchange costs will be displayed after the system upgrade.]

There were no dazzling light and shadow effects, but it felt as if all sound had been instantly withdrawn from around Alex, and as if an invisible "pressure" had been injected into him. The air in the room seemed to become more "clear" and "perceptible"; he could faintly feel the slight breathing rhythm of Hank on guard duty in the distance, and could "hear" the deeper current hum of electronic equipment running downstairs. This was not an enhancement of hearing or vision, but an initial widening of the perceptual dimension.

He knew, that door, had opened.

Almost at the same moment he broke through, the room door was pushed open violently. Marcus rushed in, clutching a tablet, his face a mix of ecstasy and unbelievable shock, not even bothering with etiquette. Taylor, following closely behind, had also lost her usual composure, her eyes shining startlingly bright.

"Alex!" Marcus's voice was slightly off-key due to excitement. He turned the tablet screen toward Alex. "Look! 'See You Again'! The data model just refreshed; its propagation curve, emotional penetration rate, especially the positive media buzz and recognition from high-end social institutions it has triggered... It is creating a completely different kind of 'success'! It's not just the play count, it's... it's influence! Universal just sent an emergency assessment saying that the social value of this song might far exceed their expectations! We... is this project..." He couldn't find the exact word for a moment; the massive success was hitting him.

Taylor, meanwhile, keenly noticed the difference in Alex. He stood quietly by the window, his posture unchanged, but the aura around him... it was as if he had just undergone a silent baptism. Beneath the calmness, it contained a heart-stopping depth and an indescribable "sense of detachment." It wasn't exhaustion, but a near-inhuman calmness.

She walked up slowly, looked carefully into his eyes, and asked softly, "Alex? Are... are you okay? You look..." She paused, choosing a word, "a bit different."

Alex withdrew a portion of his mind from that perception of catching a first glimpse of a new realm, his gaze focusing on Taylor's face, then sweeping over the overly excited Marcus. He slowly exhaled, the breath seemingly stirring an imperceptible ripple in the air.

"I'm fine." His voice was steady but carried a strange penetrating power, as if it could land directly in the listener's heart. "Better than ever."

He looked at the tablet in Marcus's hand, where the curve representing the social influence of "See You Again" was climbing vertically. "This project," he said affirmatively, "is a success. It has done everything we wanted it to do."

The "success" he spoke of contained two meanings. And only he knew what kind of earth-shattering change the more core layer was.

Marcus punched the air heavily, still immersed in the massive victory in the worldly sense: "More than just success! This is simply... a milestone! We've proven that you can master completely different fields and reach the pinnacle in both! Now, whether in the commercial market or social influence, you possess absolute right of speech!"

Alex nodded slightly, his gaze once again cast toward the boundless night sky outside the window.

The peak of the mundane, he had already touched. And just a moment ago, a door leading to the supernatural realm had been thrown wide open before him. The system was upgrading, and a brand-new world landscape, composed of pure power and rules, was about to unfold before his eyes.

The spotlight was still scorching, but this light was no longer just about to illuminate the stage.