61: Chapter 61 Chen Mo Makes Money

The third round was on the rooftop of a chemical plant.

Seven people stood at the edge of the rooftop, with a glass of water placed in front of each of them.

Yan Ming announced the rules: "This round is called 'Trust Fall.' Each person takes turns standing on the steps at the edge of the rooftop, turning their back to everyone and falling backward."

"The others will catch them below. Both the person falling and the people catching will earn extra time. Those who don't dare to fall will have time deducted."

Show Lo was the first to step up. He looked down, then recoiled.

"It's so high."

He stepped up again, took a deep breath, and fell.

Wang Xun and Huang Bo caught him steadily, followed by Huang Bo, Huang Lei, Wang Xun, and Lay Zhang.

When Sun Honglei stepped up, the wind blew. He fell backward, and the people below caught him.

He opened his eyes and said stubbornly: "I wasn't scared at all. I just wanted to stand there a little longer and enjoy the breeze."

Chen Mo was the last one. He stepped onto the ledge, his back to the rooftop, with six pairs of hands below.

Sun Honglei's, Huang Bo's, Huang Lei's, Show Lo's, Wang Xun's, and Lay Zhang's.

"This is actually pretty scary!"

He fell backward, the wind rushing past his ears, but six pairs of hands caught him.

Sun Honglei's voice rang out from above: "Little Chen, you're heavier than you look."

"He's such a tall guy!" Huang Lei said with a laugh.

Recording ended in the evening. Chen Mo walked out of the chemical plant, the sunset turning the rusty factory building a shade of orange-red.

Lay Zhang caught up from behind.

"Momo, did you really choose Brother Honglei today because of me?"

Chen Mo paused and smiled: "Half of it, the other half is because he's truly annoying."

Lay Zhang laughed.

That night, a Weibo post quietly climbed onto the trending list.

The search term "Chen Mo returns to China to cash grab" shot to seventh on the trending list that very night after the recording.

Clicking on it revealed a long post from an entertainment blogger: "Chen Mo returns to China, participates in 'Running Man', then participates in 'Go Fighting!'. Isn't he supposed to be doing well in the United States? Billboard champion, Grammy Awards nomination, Hollywood ending theme song. If he's doing so well, why return to China to record variety shows? The answer is simple—to cash grab."

"His data on overseas websites looks pretty, but it can't actually be converted into commercial value. The European and American markets don't recognize him at all. This so-called 'international superstar' is just a marketing tactic of exporting to re-import; returning to China is his real ATM!"

This long post was shared tens of thousands of times.

In the comments section, some people chimed in—

"I've wanted to say this for a long time. What's the use of a Billboard champion? How many Chinese people in the US can truly integrate into the mainstream?"

"He endorses so many domestic brands, isn't he just eyeing the wallets of domestic fans?"

"It's just false prosperity."

There were also people speaking up for him—

"The Billboard champion title and AMA are real, the Grammy Awards nomination is real, and the Time Magazine cover is real. You call this false prosperity?"

"The Huawei P8max he endorses sold out in France. You call that the European and American markets not recognizing him?"

"Jealous."

"Is it that hard to admit someone else is excellent?"

The two groups were arguing in the comments section.

Jessica sent over the link to the long post with a note: "Mo, do you want to respond?"

Chen Mo leaned back on the sofa. He read the long post from beginning to end, then turned off his phone screen.

"No response."

The phone vibrated; it was a WeChat message from Lay Zhang.

"Brother Mo, have you seen those negative comments online?"

Chen Mo replied with one word: "Saw them."

Lay Zhang asked again: "Don't be angry. We know who you are."

Chen Mo typed a few words: "Instead of getting angry, I'd rather write songs."

Lay Zhang replied with a fist-bump emoji: That's good.

The next morning, Chen Mo opened Weibo.

The "cash grab" search term was still on the trending list, but it had dropped to the teens.

It was replaced by another one—

"Lay Zhang Chen Mo Go Fighting!", clicking on it revealed a Weibo post Lay Zhang had posted at dawn.

The attached image was a group photo from yesterday's recording. The seven of them stood in the sunset of the chemical plant, everyone's face covered in sweat and their bodies dusted with grime.

Sun Honglei had his arm around Chen Mo's shoulder, Huang Bo was making a peace sign nearby, Huang Lei was leaning against the rooftop railing, Show Lo was squatting at the very front, and Wang Xun was standing at the very edge.

Lay Zhang himself stood next to Chen Mo, smiling so hard his teeth showed.

The caption read: Today I saw Momo. He chose Brother Honglei because Brother Honglei tricked me in the first episode. After the show, I told him there were negative comments online, and he replied to me—'Instead of getting angry, I'd rather write songs.' Brother Mo, I've remembered it, @Chen Mo

This Weibo post was shared over two hundred thousand times.

The top comment in the comments section read: "Lay Zhang posting on Weibo at dawn to speak up for Chen Mo; this is what a friend is."

The second one read: "Instead of getting angry, I'd rather write songs—this sentence is more powerful than any response."

The third one was an evil smiley face: "He calls him Momo! Don't you think it's kind of shippable?"

Honglei replied underneath: "Lay Zhang, I've repaid what I owed you. Next time, don't let Chen Mo choose me."

Lay Zhang replied: "Brother Honglei, you also tore up my clues in the first episode."

Sun Honglei replied: "That's all in the past."

Huang Lei replied under Sun Honglei: "The first episode was less than a month ago."

Show Lo sent a row of laughing-crying emojis, and Wang Xun replied with a silly smile emoticon.

Chen Mo saved the group photo to his album, then replied under Lay Zhang's Weibo post: "Let's not hold a grudge."

Three minutes after posting, tens of thousands of messages flooded the comments section.

Someone said: "Chen Mo said 'Let's not hold a grudge,' Lay Zhang said 'I've remembered it'—this is the real Brotherhood."

Someone said: "That photo of the seven of them standing in the sunset at the chemical plant is more useful than any PR statement."

Someone else said: "The haters are still arguing about whether he's cash grabbing, but they are already making friends."

Huang Bo also shared it, with the caption: "Little Chen, next time you come to Qingdao, Brother will treat you to seafood. I'll be your free tour guide."

Chen Mo replied: "Okay."

Chen Mo placed his phone on the coffee table.

The Shanghai sunlight leaked in through the gap in the curtains, drawing a very narrow golden line on the carpet.

He leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

Flying to Los Angeles today, the data for 'Closer''s third consecutive week at number one was waiting for him, the album cover shoot hadn't finished, and the filming plans for two music videos were still sitting on Diego's desk.

The phone vibrated again; it was a WeChat voice message from Lay Zhang.

Chen Mo tapped it. Sun Honglei's voice exploded from the speaker with a thick Northeastern accent: "Little Chen! Brother added you on WeChat! Accept it!"

Chen Mo chuckled and hit accept.

In Shanghai, six men he had just met caught him on the rooftop of a chemical plant.

It was worth it!

Lay Zhang's voice followed immediately: "Momo, I sent you a dance video, an improvised choreography for 'Closer'!"

At the end of June in Los Angeles, it was so hot that the asphalt on the roads was bubbling with oil.

The palm leaves were curling at the edges, hanging listlessly from the trunks.

In the recording studio, the air conditioning was turned up to the max. Evan wore a faded T-shirt, with monitor headphones hanging around his neck; the leather on the left earcup was worn away, revealing the sponge inside.

He stared at the real-time data for 'Closer' on the screen for a long while.

"Three consecutive weeks at number one." He took off his headphones and placed them on the mixing console.

"Spotify's global play count this week is 47 million, up from last week. The people at Billboard told me this song is now the most-requested song on US radio, playing from morning till night."

Chen Mo didn't speak.

Evan pushed a can of Coke over; the aluminum can left a water trail on the mixing console, and he laughed: "It's playing everywhere outside, but you, you're just sitting here without a word."

"I've heard it too many times."

Evan laughed, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling.

"Chen Mo, do you know what a summer anthem is? It's when, starting from the beginning of June, you can hear the same song everywhere you go."

"Supermarkets, gas stations, beaches, cars with rolled-down windows on the highway, music drifting from the windows of the apartment next door at two in the morning—it's all the same song. This year's summer anthem is called 'Closer'."

In New York's Times Square, the Nike flagship store set 'Closer' as its in-store background music. The C Major piano intro poured out of the display windows, and the entire Seventh Avenue could hear it.

A tourist filmed a video and posted it on Twitter—

In Manhattan at noon, yellow taxis were backed up in a long line. A young Black courier on a bicycle stopped at an intersection for a red light, humming the chorus of 'Closer', while the Bluetooth speaker hanging on his handlebars was also playing 'Closer'.

The humming and the playing were synchronized. When he realized it, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

This video's 24-hour view count broke eight million.

At Wrigley Field in Chicago, the Cubs vs. the Cardinals, during the break between innings in the seventh, the stadium sound system started playing 'Closer'.

In the stands behind home plate, a little girl wearing a Cubs jersey stood up from her seat and started dancing. She was seven or eight years old, dancing without any particular style, but she hit every drum beat perfectly.

The stadium's big screen captured her and cut the footage to the largest screen in the stadium.

Forty thousand people started clapping along to her rhythm, the applause locking perfectly with the drum beats of 'Closer'.

After the game, the Cubs' official Twitter posted the edited video with the caption: "Tonight, during the seventh inning, when 'Closer' started playing, Wrigley Field turned into a forty-thousand-person choir."