The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 191 The world’s choice is——

Las Vegas, a city with almost no industrial smoke, is incredibly rich and lucrative—"a gambling den." A line from Martin Scorsese's film "Casino" aptly describes this place.

"Opening a casino is like robbing a bank without police supervision."

……

McCarran International Airport is at its busiest these past two days, with tourists and fans from all over the world gathering here simply because this year's Billboard Awards will be held tomorrow night.

World superstars came and went from the airport corridor, exited the station, and stepped into stretched luxury cars.

After the plane landed, Gong Cheng was woken up by Lin Yingxiong in a daze. He heard Park Chanyeol in the front seat looking out the window at the night scene and muttering unhappily, "Damn jet lag!"

Gong Cheng took off his eye mask and baseball cap, and smoothed his hair back in a stuffy manner.

Las Vegas is in daylight saving time, and has a 16-hour time difference with Seoul. It is already the afternoon of May 20th in Seoul, while Las Vegas is in the late night of the 19th and is about to cross the 20th.

The Bombardment Meteor group got off the plane, and Gong Cheng took off his jacket, leaving only a white T-shirt on his shoulders in the dry city temperature.

"Tarot!"

"Wo Ai Ni~"

"Tarot Oppa~"

"Bombardment Meteor!!!"

The hot weather made the Bombardment Meteor team too lazy to wear masks and sunglasses. Besides, wearing them would be useless, after all, they were followed by a large number of agents and bodyguards.

Plus, Bombardment Meteor's itinerary was already leaked online, so naturally, fans would be waiting to pick them up at the airport. For fans, even just the back of their favorite band member would likely be recognized.

Fans speaking broken Chinese and many Asians gathered outside the cordon, holding banners that looked like white airport welcome signs, covered with the name "Tarot" and many Bombardment Meteor group names.

A multitude of languages ​​from various countries converged in Gong Cheng's ears. Some of them he could understand, such as Japanese, Mandarin, Peninsular, and French. He took a few albums and wrote his signature on them.

Then he followed the members' backs and strode into the stretched car arranged by the organizer.

……

"Great trend!" In the car, the members gave a thumbs-up to Gong Cheng, who looked tired.

"Otherwise, why do you think the maknae is a global superstar?" Park Jae-bum smiled and patted Lim Young-woong's shoulder. In fact, everyone knew that perhaps the popularity of all the members of the group combined would not be as influential as the maknae alone.

"Hey, isn't it normal for a number one single and album to have a huge influence?" Gong Cheng touched his forehead, feeling something was wrong, like he had a cold. "Bombardment Meteor will be famous soon too."

He yawned and revealed some real thoughts about Bombardment Meteor's summer comeback, the last album in the series. He had just discussed it with Park Jin-young yesterday and wanted to create an album with English as the main part.

After all, he boasted so much online, it would be embarrassing if he didn't make some waves! There are many people outside who want to laugh at him, not only local fans, but also those in Europe and the United States. After all, K-pop group songs have a bit of a niche feel compared to the world music scene.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Park Chanyeol carefully noticed the pale face of the youngest member next to him. He didn't bother to joke, as he had felt that something was wrong with the youngest member as early as on the plane.

I slept very soundly, but now I'm feeling sleepy again after getting off the plane.

"Brother Dayu, thermometer." Wang Jiaer shouted to Kim Dayu who was sitting in the passenger seat. Managers usually carry this kind of small thing in their backpacks to prevent their artists from getting sick.

……

An hour later, in the suite of the Four Seasons Hotel, Wu Sehun lay on the sofa with a gloating look on his face, glancing at Gong Cheng who was lying on the bed, his hands not idle as he shared the landscape photos he had just taken with his new girlfriend.

Gong Cheng was lying in bed with an IV drip hanging on his hand outside the quilt. The bottle and the stent were right next to the bed. The doctor said it was a low-grade fever, and the recent training was too intense, mainly due to lack of rest.

As for the other members of Bombardment Meteor, after seeing that he had nothing to do, they went out as a team to see the night view of Las Vegas. Wu Sehun was afraid that he would be bored, so he stayed to accompany him.

"Hey, Brother Zhenying, I'm getting an IV drip. I feel much better." Gong Cheng yawned while lying on the pillow. The medicine delivered by the IV drip made him more sleepy.

"Brother, why are you so noisy over there? I won't talk about it anymore. The doctor told me to get more sleep and have a good rest."

He was confused as he listened to Park Jin Young's chattering, and there was some chattering noise in the receiver.

Wu Sehun heard the doorbell ring outside the suite, and the hotel waiter pushed a food cart with the dinner and drinks he had just ordered.

Gong Cheng threw down his phone, took the orange juice he handed to him, and just took a sip, "Ding-ling-ling~" the video ringtone rang - when he saw the concerned faces of the Twice members, he immediately knew who the chattering voice on Park Jin-young's phone was.

"Are you sick, Oppa? Is everything okay?"

"..."

……

On May 21, 2017, at 7:5 p.m. U.S. time, the 24th Billboard Music Awards opened at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, hosted by Ludacris and Vanessa Hudgens, and the ceremony was broadcast by ABC.

Bombardment Meteor and his group arrived at the dimly lit venue, where the strong smell of perfume and body odor mixed together - making Gong Cheng's body, which had just gotten better, feel a little uncomfortable again. The smell was almost suffocating.

“Tarot!!!”

"Bombardment Meteor!!!"

The names of Tarot and Bombardment Meteor echoed throughout the venue as they entered, attracting the attention of many internationally renowned artists. Gong Cheng walked at the end of the group, his exaggerated body proportions standing out in the crowded venue.

The Billboard Awards Ceremony was not like the awards ceremony in Seoul, where the seats were arranged wide apart and neatly arranged in front of the camera. Instead, the low seats made people crowded together, making it look more like a crazy party.

The big screen shot the members' faces reflected on the LED screen as Bombardment Meteor entered the stage. Screams rose and fell one after another, until Gong Cheng's gentle smile appeared on his face, "Tsunami"...

Even without the reputation of being a bomber, he was still one of the superstars attending the ceremony tonight. Most of the artists in the front row turned their heads to applaud and looked at Gong Cheng who had just taken his seat. They were thinking, what if there was no dark horse emerging this year?

Perhaps, next year, Tarot standing here will win several Billboard awards, such as Best Album, Best Artist, Best Song...

Instead, there is only one nomination for Best Social Artist this year.

"Bombardment Meteor!!!"

"Bombardment Meteor!!!"

There were also many cheers for the bombing meteor in the venue. When the sound waves reached the ears of the members, except for Gong Cheng, their bodies and minds gradually relaxed and they felt more confident.

Just as they thought, although Bombardment Meteor is not as famous as the superstars in the front row, last year's album and the "Tarot effect" have made them still quite well-known internationally.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been nominated for the Best Social Artist award - this award has been monopolized by Justin Bieber in the front row for several consecutive years. It's of high value but not too high, depending on how you define it.

This award is determined by the actual votes cast by fans...

Gong Cheng unbuttoned his suit and crossed his hands on his knees, feeling somewhat bored. He analyzed the nominations for this year's awards, based solely on the number of nominations and the various statistics from last year's B list.

He estimated that the biggest winner tonight would be Drake.

After the opening performance, the award presenters appeared one by one and began to present the awards, which was interspersed with performances by many of last year's popular collaboration singers.

Gong Cheng's face was dull with boredom, and the director would occasionally cut to the LED screen during the intermission to show screams and cheers - he had no choice but to maintain a warm smile. He didn't know where this director learned this bad habit!

Are you using yourself as a sex toy's switch? With just one click, you can make the atmosphere on the scene climax and scream?

"The Best Social Artist Award should be coming soon, right?" Wu Sehun sat next to Gong Cheng and snapped his fingers nervously, feeling a bit excited and uneasy, even though last year's award had nothing to do with him joining this year.

But we are a team!
But, to be honest, he's actually unsure! Not to mention Bombardment Meteor, even in the entire K-pop world, is there anyone who can compare to the name Justin Bieber?

Only the youngest member next to him can be compared with him, but the youngest member only kicked open the door to the European and American music scene this year and entered the center of the world.

"The whole world is watching, so stay focused," Gong Cheng said helplessly. "If there's no chance of winning, why would you even be nominated?"

"Let's wait until next year. Next year people won't be so nervous."

He added calmly that he was unsure about this year's award. After all, Bombardment Meteor started later than its nominated competitors and became an overnight success. "Fake Love", which climbed into the top ten of the B-list last year, also became a hit by accident.

However, he is determined to win the awards next year, whether it is an individual or a team award, and he will not be bad.

"Yeah, being nominated is already amazing. We are the first in Kpop." Park Chanyeol nodded in agreement.

The presenter on the stage, looking at the stars in the audience, announced the winner of the Best Song Sales Artist award with a bright red lip and a big smile, "Drake!"

Roarious applause and enthusiastic cheers filled the hall.

"This is Drake's fourth award tonight, right?" Park Chanyeol said in surprise. The award ceremony wasn't even halfway through, and he already had four major awards?
"Hello! Tarot." In the bustling conference hall, a blonde woman came to Gong Cheng's side.

Gong Cheng greeted her and recognized the American singer Halsey. She released her second album last month, and the title song "Now Or Never" performed very well on the Billboard charts, ranking in the top ten.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while. As for the members of Bombardment Meteor, they were already used to it. Since the beginning of the ceremony on the red carpet, many European and American artists have come to the youngest member to collaborate.

There are many superstars who hold big prizes tonight, and they are looking for collaboration either as a feat or as an arranger, and some even want to form a group with him.

"Are you interested in collaborating on a song?" Halsey didn't beat around the bush and stated her purpose directly.

"OK!" Gong Cheng's straightforward answer caught her off guard. She had debuted in 14 and had worked with Justin Bieber and The Chainsmokers. She was well-informed in the circle and had many friends.

They were all sitting in their respective seats at the venue tonight. She heard that many singers wanted to collaborate with the rising superstar in front of them, but were all politely rejected and there was no follow-up.

"I have a song that needs collaboration with Bombardment Meteor..." Gong Cheng answered her doubts and expressed some of his ideas about the song. Halsey herself was one of his targets for collaboration this time.

I didn't expect the other party to come to me on their own initiative. It was a pleasant surprise.

Halsey thought for a while and replied seriously, "I have to think about it." She smiled and did not agree directly. After all, she mainly wanted to work with the boy in front of her, not the group Bombardment Meteor.

She'd heard the songs from Bombardment Meteor's album released last year, produced by the boy in front of her! Many artists in the industry had mixed reactions to the group, believing that the title track, "Fake Love," cracking the top ten of the charts was a combination of luck and a touch of personal heroism.

But in the final analysis, a song that can go viral still needs to be of excellent quality. Otherwise, it will die out after being circulated on YouTube and Facebook, instead of rushing into the top ten of the B chart from a low position.

So she had a good impression of this group, but Gong Cheng's request for cooperation did not match her purpose, and she needed time to think about it.

"Okay, but please hurry. I'll only be in Las Vegas for two days." Gong Cheng chuckled and shook her hand. He then took out his phone and exchanged contact information. "You know, we're preparing a new album recently. It's a big project."

"time does not wait……"

"Ok, I'll give you an answer as soon as possible." Halsey smiled and looked at the boy in front of her who had two number one singles. Her confident smile seemed to confirm the grandeur and magnificence of this major project after its completion.

……

"Let's welcome Lindsey Stirling and Logan Paul." The two hosts on the stage introduced the presenters of the next award.

The spotlight fell on the two award presenters, arm in arm, as they stood before the microphone. Lindsey Stirling smiled and introduced the next award, saying, "Social media has affected music and everything about us."

"That's why the next fan-voted category has over 3 million votes... and these artists can be seen on the Billboard Social 50 chart..."

"..." After the award presenter made an announcement, "The following is the list of nominees for the Best Social Artist sponsored by lon360."

The moment the words fell, in addition to the screams, the big screen behind the two of them began to show images of the songs and MVs of the artists on the nominated list.

"Justin Bieber!" The sound of Justin Bieber's song and clips of his MV were heard on the screen.

"Bombardment Meteor!!!" Accompanied by a mechanical synthesized sound, the second song played in a scrolling manner was Bombardment Meteor, and the MVs of "Fake Love" and "Blood Sweat & Tears" were intertwined on the screen.

"If it's for you~even if it's sad..." The Korean song sounded into the eardrums of everyone present. Gong Cheng's eyes, full of attachment and sadness, hit the big screen. Suddenly, a shrill scream that drowned out the entire audience broke out in the back row!
"Manezhe Manezhe~" Blood, Sweat, and Tears depicts the Bombardment Meteor members dancing in a religious villa, their voices rising higher and higher as fans cheer them on.

The shocked award presenter smiled and covered his ears with his hands. In his sight, most of the audience sitting in the back row were white, blond, and had obvious features, while there were fewer Asians.

After all, in the United States, white people and black people are still the majority. He didn't expect that Bombardment Meteor would receive such a huge response internationally with just one album last year.

"Selena Gomez"

The big screen flashed with nominated artists, including Ariana Grande and Shawn Mendes, who were nominated for a total of five...

The director timely cut the camera to the members of Bombardment Meteor. Due to the terraced seats, this group, known as the Wanyan Group by fans in Asia, had their tough faces appearing on the big screen.

Many female artists in the front row cast curious glances. Gong Cheng tilted his head and stared at the award presenters in the center of the stage and applauded, as if waiting for them to announce the results. The crazy cheering behind him gave the other members a lot of confidence.

After talking about the cooperation, Halsey did not leave in a hurry. She sat next to Gong Cheng. She looked at Gong Cheng's smiling face and admiring eyes on the screen, and could not help but took out her mobile phone to take a selfie with Gong Cheng in public.

"With a face like yours, you'll succeed in everything you do." Halsey complimented him sincerely. "Can I post the photo on social media?"

She asked bluntly, wanting to share the photo with her fans, and with the face of the boy next to her, he was now a streaming tool for the whole world.

When I met him in person today, I found that this boy, who ranked first on the list of "Top 1 Most Handsome Faces in the World" published by the American website "TC Candler" not long ago, is even more eye-catching than in the photo.

"TC Candler" is finally reliable for once! Halsey heard that since Tarot's first full-length album took the global music market by storm, many high-end European brands have been negotiating with him for endorsement deals.

This has caused many celebrities to be jealous, and after meeting him in person today, she's come to her senses! Influence is one thing, but to be a spokesperson, you need to be at least handsome! The international influence of the award-winning bonsai is even greater than that of the current Tarot.

After all, they have been in the industry for so long, but you let two of them stand together wearing the same clothes. Is this a comparison between the buyer's show and the seller's show?
Gong Cheng nodded and agreed to Halsey's request. Then he chuckled and said, "It would be even better if you could cooperate with us."

……

"The Best Social Artist of the Year award, voted for by over 3 million fans, represents, to some extent, the world's choice!"

After the electronic screen stopped scrolling, the award presenter spoke of the authority of this award, which brought the atmosphere to a climax. The female guest beside him glanced at the list of winners in her hand and covered her mouth in surprise.

Afterwards, without any hesitation, he grabbed the microphone and shouted, "The world's choice is!!!"

"Bombardment Meteor!!!"

"..."

The winners were announced! In the chaotic venue, a tsunami erupted from the back row of the audience, sweeping away all the voices of the front row artists and the award stage. "Bombing meteor!!!"

This name, which was once considered to be childish and domineering, was shouted out by European and American fans in broken Chinese and Korean!
An upset! Just like last year's Leicester City miracle - a relegation team with odds of 1:5000 won the Premier League title two rounds in advance, creating the biggest miracle and upset since the opening of the Premier League.

The spotlight shone on the seven boys in the third row of the audience, just like the journey of that dream team, like a dream!

Park Chanyeol excitedly stood up, pumped his fist, turned around, hugged Park Jae-bum, and shouted excitedly! It was as if the emotions that had been suppressed for a long time were finally released and released with this award! Even though this award had nothing to do with him.

Lin Yingxiong was stunned for a moment, unable to react. Did he win an award? People back home didn't think they could beat Justin Bieber, who had risen to fame since his "Baby" days. Even he himself wasn't convinced.

I've said this to myself many times during those nights in Las Vegas: being nominated is already a big deal.

Wu Se-hun hugged Gong Cheng's neck tightly, as if he had won a battle and was very proud! Artillery group?! World-class group!

"Hh~" Gong Cheng leaned back in a low chair, his face tilted, a pure smile on his face. This result surprised him quite a bit! The big screen reflected the smiles of seven people, as if they were overjoyed, and as if they were relieved!

"Thank you." Gong Cheng buttoned up his suit jacket, stood up and hugged Halsey who was congratulating him.

Then the seven of them strode past many artists and stepped onto the stage to receive the awards. The spotlight followed them all the way, leaving them nowhere to hide. They stood under the spotlight of the world.

Park Jae-bum took the trophy. He is an American and his English is not bad.

This guy is really good at creating an atmosphere. He stood in front of the microphone, his eyes red, and raised the trophy in his hand, "Maknae, let's hear the cheers from the world again?"

Gong Cheng smiled brightly, stood in front of the microphone, and lowered himself slightly. His loud voice resonated through the microphone and echoed throughout the ceremony, "The world's choice is!!!"

"Bombardment Meteor!!!"

"..."

European and American fans stood up in the audience, shouting at the top of their lungs! Screams! Waves of applause! As the spotlight shone on Gong Cheng and the others, the tsunami of applause was exhilarating!
At the same time, the real-time live broadcast of the 24th Billboard Music Awards ceremony spread this tsunami to every corner of the world.

One of the symbols of the streaming era, the red arrow and the huge title, engraved with the names "Tarot" and "Bombardment Meteor", swept the hot searches in dozens of countries.

"Oh my! The oppas really won awards! My heart was trembling when the winners were announced!" "Is this a scam? Even the bully group can win awards?"

"Not a gorilla? Didn't we agree to release the pre-release song at 12 o'clock today? What time is it already?"

"..."

In Seoul, a city with a 16-hour time difference from Las Vegas, it was daytime, and countless people in major office buildings and campuses were watching the live broadcast—in disbelief and astonishment, until bursts of explosions and screams...

Park Jin Young was sitting in JYP's office with an ugly smile!

He immediately called Lee Soo-man and prepared to jointly release the audio and MV of Bombardment Meteor's first full-length album's pre-release song "Been Through" with the other three companies at this moment.

The original release date of May 21 at 12 noon had already been postponed by Park Jin Young. He was thinking that if Gong Cheng and others could win an award at the Billboard Awards Ceremony, he would release the pre-release song as soon as possible.

He believed the popularity would explode! He was a little uneasy at first, as no one could say for sure whether he could win the award. Fortunately, the result did not disappoint him.

……

In the practice room of Cube Entertainment, Zhao Meiyan, Song Yuqi and Tian Xiaojuan sat together on the floor, watching the live broadcast on the tablet.

"Ouni, your smile is really similar to Tarot senior." Song Yuqi looked down at Zhao Miyan's gentle smiling eyes and couldn't help but say. After observing for so long, I always feel that this Ouni is still secretly in love with that senior.

"Talk less and watch the live broadcast." Tian Xiaojuan looked at the seven figures standing under the spotlight on the screen with envy.

The screams and shouts coming from the video were exactly what they were pursuing and yearning for, especially the line "The world's choice is - Bombardment Meteor!" which gave her goosebumps all over her body.

"Except the Stargazers, no one wants us to win this award!" Park Jae-bum gave his acceptance speech into the microphone with red eyes, and he raised the trophy in his hand even harder!

"Joining Bombardment Meteor is a lot of pressure..." Park Chanyeol choked up and said what was in his heart, "But I will do my best!"

"..."

The acceptance speeches, one by one, were not long, but they moved many fans who were watching the live broadcast to tears. The group name "Bombardment Meteor" was still repeatedly displayed on the barrage of comments.

Song Yuqi rubbed her sore eyes with empathy, and her nose felt a little sore. Everyone was well aware of the recent domestic public opinion about the seven people, and when emotions arose, it was easy to empathize with them.

However, Gong Cheng's chuckle could be heard from the live broadcast, "Ani, focus! Now is not the time to cry. Let's celebrate at the end of the year!"

On the stage, Gong Cheng patted Wang Jiaer's back as he pretended to be strong and silently shed tears to comfort him, but he was pushed to the microphone by Wu Sehun and others, who motioned him to say a few words.

Spotlights, giant screens, and numerous cameras shone on his tall figure. He wore a black suit, his white shirt undone several times at the collar. Gong Cheng lowered his head to adjust the microphone stand, gazing at the stars and the fans outside.

"We will still be standing here next year..." Gong Cheng raised his cheeks, his eyes were extremely serious under his black hair. Under the increased exposure light, his black hair, black pupils and black suit jacket gave a monotonous feeling, but it made everyone and the camera unable to take their eyes off him.

"I'm talking about Bombardment Meteor—not just Tarot!"

A round of applause erupted, and Song Yuqi muttered in surprise, "Is this guy really that confident about Bombardment Meteor's comeback this time?"

……

At 10 o'clock in the evening, the 24th Billboard Music Awards held in Las Vegas came to an end. As expected by Gong Cheng, the biggest winner of the night was Drake.

But the most popular and talked-about one is Bombardment Meteor, especially in Asia. After all, they broke Justin Bieber's monopoly on this award.

After returning to the hotel, Gong Cheng and others changed out of their suits, took a quick shower, and prepared to take a night tour of the Las Vegas scenery.

But after Park Jae-Bum and Wang Jiaer's investigation and arrangement yesterday, the seven of them went to a bar for a crazy celebration. Gong Cheng sat on the sofa without drinking any alcohol, as his fever had just subsided.

The rabbit idol, the puppy, the fathead fish and the little tiger all cared about him and told him not to get sick and not to drink.

Gong Cheng chose to be obedient. A reliable man should listen to other people's suggestions appropriately, let alone those with good intentions. He is not the kind of person who is so ungrateful as to go against others.

[Stingy Mina-chan]: "Have you been experiencing Mercury retrograde lately? You've sprained your ankle and have a fever (Penguin scratches his head)"

"Are you concerned about me?" Gong Cheng smiled and took a sip of his drink, staring at the message he had read but not replied to.

"When are we going back to Seoul?" Under the ambient light of the bar box, Park Chanyeol asked, holding the trophy in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.

"What's the rush? Aren't we here to discuss cooperation? Let's have fun for two days, and tomorrow we'll go off-roading in the desert next door!" Park Jae-bum asked in confusion, and then expressed his thoughts, "I've already found a car, it's definitely powerful enough!"

"Oh my! I just want to throw the trophy in the faces of the media and make them shut up!" Park Chanyeol took a sip of wine and shouted happily!
"What did you say?!"

"Let's drink!"

"..."

……

【Bombardment Meteor won the Best Social Artist Award! 】

[The world's choice is——Bombardment Meteor! ]

The entertainment sections of Asian countries are full of hot searches related to Gong Cheng and Bombardment Meteor. Compared to Drake's great success last year, Asian fans are more concerned about the news of Bombardment Meteor.

It was rush hour in Seoul in the afternoon, and the LED screens in the subway were covered with posters and videos about Gong Cheng.

Many white-collar workers or students who had just got off work were standing in the subway, browsing the hot searches on entertainment forums. While being shocked, they did not forget to pick up their mobile phones, tap on the keyboard, and express their opinions on the Internet.

"Oh my! Oppa's advance song is online!" A surprised female voice made the people in the car couldn't help but look up and look over.

The screaming person was a student with a backpack on her back, who looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old. She was excitedly hugging her friend to share this "big news". After seeing everyone's gaze, she realized that her voice was a little too loud and difficult to control!

All of this was practiced to support oppa!
Hong Eun-won lowered her head a little embarrassedly, but when JYP's official website page was refreshed successfully, she automatically blocked the gazes of people around her and put on headphones with her friends, ready to enjoy the quality of the oppa's pre-release songs.

On the official websites of JYP, SM, AOMG, and Mulgogimusic, the previous update after the release of the pre-release song was a simple photo.

Many fans have seen the content of the photo, which was a scene at the Billboard Awards Ceremony a few hours ago, where seven figures stood on the world-renowned stage and held up the Best Social Artist trophy.

It’s just that the original high-definition pictures taken on the spot are much better in quality than those in the live broadcast room.

The latest development is a MV and simple copywriting, which edited the title of this first song "Been Through".

Hong Enyuan sat on the subway, nervously staring at the gray circle of light loading on the black screen, silently praying, "Oppa, you must cheer up! Slap those stinky bitches in the face! You must make it big!"

She has been fighting with other fans online a lot recently, so she is really looking forward to Bombardment Meteor releasing a hit song to shut up those haters and other fans!
The MV emits a light that explodes through the screen while loading - the opening design is simple and rough, yet trendy.

A whiskey bottle was tilted on the brown wooden floor. The golden liquid kept pouring out from the bottle mouth, spreading freely on the floor. Along the intricate gaps between the layers of the floor, it gradually outlined the Bombardment Meteor where the wine and water were intertwined.

The screen flashes, and the prelude to "Been Through" slowly begins to play. The crisp piano notes are like the ethereal tolling of a bell in the silent night. The video shows a small room wrapped in a black curtain.

The oppressive and cramped atmosphere seemed to materialize like a thick dark cloud that made it hard to breathe, and a series of neat and orderly "click-click" sounds mixed with the piano sounds, so that the white light of the flashlights illuminated the room.

Gong Cheng stood in front of the black curtain. The dazzling and chaotic white lights made it impossible for him to open his eyes - instead, he increased the speed of pressing the shutter button.

"What's going on?" Hong Enyuan didn't quite understand the opening scene. Instead, her friend beside her said thoughtfully, "I remember now. Don't they say that artists have to go through a small dark room training before their debut?"

"You'll get used to it one day~"

"It's like catching a cold all over again~"

As the picture accelerated, Gong Cheng's gentle face gradually became expressionless, and he lowered his hands that were covering his eyes, but his black pupils twitched even more violently.

"Will it blind you?" Hong Enyuan swallowed his saliva and said worriedly while listening to the scratching singing beside his ears.

Fortunately, the distressing scene did not last long. As the low drum beats quietly joined the piano sound, Wang Jiaer's singing voice sounded and the scene flashed.

"It will pass~it will pass~"

"It will only take a moment~"

In the video, a fish tank large enough to hold a person's height is placed on a dimly lit stage. Jackson Wang, painted like a solitary fish imprisoned in a smoky, imprisoned aquarium, taps on the glass of the overflowing aquarium. The bubbles welling up from the corners of his mouth make his tapping movements even slower...

"In the gray sky~"

"There will definitely be a brighter light~"

Lin Yingxiong's singing accompanied his back as he ran wildly down the stairs. The grayish-white tones and the steps under his leather shoes seemed like a maze in an endless loop, where he kept standing still and could not reach the camera.

"You shine like the stars~"

"You light up my heart~"

The interweaving of drum beats and piano creates a sad yet hopeful atmosphere for the black and white MV, like the deepest darkness before dawn, which makes people feel heavy but also allows them to vaguely sense that dawn is coming.

"Today's test ends~"

"Please illuminate me brilliantly~"

Zhang Yixing was sitting in an antique restaurant wearing a high-necked sweater, staring at the wine glass in his hand, wondering what he was thinking about writing. The foggy weather outside the window made him even more anxious.

"Cheer up~"

"To me, pain is nothing but..."

"A brief shower~"

Park Jae-bum sat alone on the rooftop. The low concrete wall beneath him was the same color as the haze in the sky he was gazing at. Scattered crushed beer bottles were piled next to his hand, which was wearing a silver bracelet.

Entering the chorus, Gong Cheng and Lin Yingxiong's voices gradually become higher and more penetrating, pushing the song's accumulated emotions to a climax like waves.

……

On the subway, many office workers leaving work, inspired by Hong Enyuan's words, opened their phones and watched the music video for the new pre-release song by this group, which had just won an award at the US Billboard Awards but was notorious in China.

The lyrical sound of the songs playing through the headphones caused many people to flash with surprise. It wasn't the ear-splitting, energetic songs of popular pop groups, but rather a gentle, eloquent ray of sunshine filtering through the darkness...

Comments flashed across the screen, with people discussing, "Isn't this group's vocals too strong?"

"It's not the end yet~"

“There may be darker days ahead~”

In the video, Park Chanyeol squatted in the corner with his hands on his knees, looking sideways at the dark haze outside the window. As the camera zoomed in, two letters of different colors were lying on the white floor of the practice room.

The black letter paper unfolded and read: "If you don't quit EXO I will kill you!"

The fan letter was completely different from the death threat letter: "Chanyeol oppa, do your best..."

"Today's test is over~"

"Please illuminate me brilliantly~"

“This isn’t the end~”

"Mmm~Mmm~Mmm~" Gong Cheng's silky high notes and harmony and Lin Yingxiong's soft and mellow alto seemed like interwoven moonlight, covering everyone's hearts and flowing slowly.

Hong Enyuan got goosebumps when he heard Gong Cheng's inhuman "hmm" sound.
"Is this a sound a human can make?"

The ethereal chant instantly tore a hole through the atmosphere that had previously seemed shrouded in mist and oppressive sadness, and the redemptive moonlight shone through...

"The dazzling sunlight obscured by dark clouds~"

"Please illuminate me forever~"

"The quiet air and the gentle warm breeze~"

"Always stays with me through thick and thin~"

“yeah~yeah~”

Wu Sehun lay in the empty room with his eyes closed, his head slightly tilted back. His curled up and trembling body seemed to contain inner struggle and pain, confusion and hesitation appeared on his face.

"Wow, wow, wow~ My sehun is finally learning lyrics in his old age~ It's not easy!" The scrolling barrage of comments was filled with string after string of tearful emojis...

"In the gray sky~"

"There will definitely be a brighter light~"

The camera cuts back to the beginning of the MV. The flashes never stop, and the dazzling white light interweaves into a light net. Gong Cheng's sharp eyebrows stare at the camera more and more coldly. Under the high-frequency white light, a pair of eyes reflecting white light seem as still as a sculpture.

"After the dark clouds dispersed~"

"Emits a dazzling light~"

At the end of the song, Gong Cheng's face, filled with flashes of light, suddenly smiled warmly. As he smiled, the large number of flashes stopped working. The last flash sounded, and the video suddenly fell into darkness.

"Is it gone?" Just when countless people were confused.

As if the lens was covered by a black curtain, a shutter sound of "click" was heard.

A photo seems to "emerge" from the embrace of darkness - the regular white edges of the photo form a sharp contrast with the black and white background in the center.

In the simple color scheme, Gong Cheng's eyes, warm as ever beneath his black hair, seemed to be filled with a smile of relief, becoming increasingly clear and bright... With the bright smile on his well-defined face, in that moment, it seemed as if the haze and fog in the MV were dispelled...

"Oh no! My dear! I can't breathe!" Hong Enyuan looked at the picture in the center of the screen that looked like a profile picture. His handsome features were accompanied by a murderous smile, which instantly swept away the sad atmosphere of the song just now.

"My dear friend, please lend me some money! I must get this card from Oppa! I'm willing to spend any amount of money!"

She originally thought that Gong Cheng's heavenly voice in this song was the salvation in the haze, but now she found out that she was wrong, so wrong! Oppa's smile was the salvation!

Her smile was like holy light! It was a crime to be so romantic! And she saved her wallet in the process...

"Oh my god! This Tarot part! It's so brilliant!"

"Oh, it's not the part that's outstanding! It's the person who's outstanding!"

In the subway, many people who were watching this MV were discussing this frame that was frozen and screenshoted by many people.

"Please illuminate me brilliantly~"

"Uh~uh~"

"Please illuminate me brilliantly~"

At the end of the MV, Jackson Wang, wearing a wet black shirt, walked out of the stage, raised his head and looked at the dispersing haze, and a pair of sunshine hit his face impartially.

Lin Yingxiong ran to the rooftop and came to Park Jae-bum's side. Wu Sehun opened the curtains of the closed room, and on the floor in front of Park Chanyeol, holding the black death threat letter in his hand, he resolutely picked up the kerosene lighter.

"Zila Zila~"

Flames overflowing~
Zhang Yixing lifted his turtleneck sweater and glanced out the window—the camera followed his perspective, revealing the seven tall figures of Bombardment Meteor, enveloped by a barrage of flashbulbs...

Hong Enyuan stared at the end of the video, feeling an indescribable surge in his heart.

The lacquered white screen, covered by the flash, was instantly covered by black fonts: [Story & Pain - is ongoing]

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(End of this chapter)