"Churches really are loaded," Niu Jiangxue muttered after hanging up the phone. She lowered her head and glanced at the table of numbers, all small piles of money.
She'd just ended a call with the First Presbyterian Church of Georgia. They offered five million to purchase the three-year rights for the full version of Amazing Grace.
"Brother Chu's vocal cord insurance needs to go up. That's real wealth right there." The thought struck her suddenly.
The insurance industry had long diversified in the entertainment world, covering legs, hands, chests, even fingernails. Back when they were filming Unsinkable, FOX's investors even took out a policy for Chu Zhi's face. If he got hurt during filming, he could've claimed tens of millions.
Niu Jiangxue told her assistant to schedule talks with the insurance company. She'd barely rested for a few minutes when another call came in, this time from the Lutheran Church of California.
The Lutherans were richer than the Presbyterians and offered even more.
"Four county churches bought the rights to Jesus Loves Me, seven for Amazing Grace. Just those two songs alone are generating about 13 million dollars a year."
The company's income streams kept multiplying. Niu Jiangxue couldn't help admiring Chu Zhi. That was what being a real badass meant. Amazing Grace had been around for over two centuries as the most famous hymn in the West, and his cover was still pulling in money. That's not just badass, that's bull demon king levels—bullshit hitting the ground hard!
It wasn't strange that county churches had so much cash. Donations from believers poured in constantly, and some even left their estates to the church. Big American churches had way more money than people thought. They didn't pay taxes, and they didn't need to disclose their assets.
Sometimes they had so much money they turned to investing, and where there's investment there are losses. So scandals about church corruption popped up often, nothing new.
The weight on Niu Jiangxue's shoulders grew heavier. Too many things were happening today, and there was still a meeting later. It was easy to predict that both The One Gazed Upon by Gods and All Nations, Vol. 1 would see another spike. Deciding how many albums to reprint fell on her.
Stretching, Brave Niu headed to the break room for a cup of black coffee. After running around all morning, her body was worn out.
Others were already there. She sipped her coffee and asked, "Lao Qian, is the ancient town event all set?"
"We've already worked with Xitang, Wuzhen, Zhouzhuang, and Pingyao more than twice. Nothing's changing," Lao Qian replied, implying it was fine.
Ever since Xitang's Hanfu Festival handed out Chu Ci · Ode to the Orange Tree and Chu Ci · Nine Songs as commemorative gifts, other ancient towns with enough resources had copied the idea. So, while the two new Chinese-style albums didn't seem to have official physical editions, about 20,000 copies still got printed each year.
Lao Qian took a sip of warm water. He used to love soda, but these days he always muttered "cola kills sperm." Technically true, but only if certain things directly touched…
"Head Niu, Jiu-yé's Twitter followers went up five or six million overnight. Do those even count as real fans?" Lao Qian asked.
"Guess so?" Niu Jiangxue thought for a bit. When she saw the grin on his face, she realized what he meant. "Lao Qian, you got married and now you're talking in circles. Just say it straight."
Lao Qian chuckled. "Bingbing says that's a man's charm, hinting instead of spelling it out."
"…" Niu Jiangxue was speechless. After a moment she said, "Once brother Chu records the full versions of Jesus Loves Me and Amazing Grace, more churches will start playing them. Bit by bit, believers will naturally feel goodwill toward him. In fan-circle terms, they'll turn into casual fans.
Even if only one out of ten casual fans is willing to spend money, that's still a massive number. No wonder so many pop singers record gospel songs. I never thought about it before, but Christian believers really are a huge support base.
I'll call brother Chu later and ask if he wants to make a whole gospel album to lock in this group."
Talking with smart people was easy. That was exactly what Lao Qian had been hinting at.
A Spanish song and an Arabic one had already brought unexpected rewards for the whole team. Before that, no one had thought of releasing "targeted albums" for specific groups. If they could capture the global Christian audience, Chu Zhi's worldwide influence would skyrocket.
Imagine if his influence across the world matched his dominance in Asia. What would that look like? Anyone with half a brain knew the U.S. wouldn't want China to have someone like that. The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Tonight Show hadn't even considered inviting him. With China's national strength growing, U.S. suppression had only gotten heavier, even on the cultural front. Chu Zhi was naturally part of that suppression.
Religion could be a way through, but it came with risks. What if someone tried an assassination? The U.S. government didn't hesitate to mess with its own celebrities, much less foreign ones. The team was already scrambling to hire a security company.
"Lao Qian, haven't you heard that you shouldn't drink water hotter than 50 degrees?" Niu Jiangxue reminded him.
"Because it burns the throat?" He caught on quickly.
"You knew already?"
"Of course. I just like the feeling of my throat burning," he said.
"…"
Neither of them continued chatting. Lately they'd both been so busy they wished they could split into two people.
Meanwhile, Aiguo Entertainment's higher-ups were discussing follow-ups for The Masked Singer USA. The show had made a huge splash in North America. Not leveraging it properly would've been a crime against their boss.
The U.S. airing was at 8 p.m., which was 8 a.m. back home. News traveled fast.
Azazel was Chu Zhi!
He sang The Internationale in Los Angeles!
Chu Zhi sparked protests across multiple U.S. states!
The uproar was like an EF5 tornado hitting. EF5 was the highest tornado level, strong enough to rip out houses and trees. The U.S. knew that best, since they got one nearly every year. The aftermath was always catastrophic.
The news was shocking enough.
Even Gu Peng, the "King of Alts," who'd been wondering why FOX seemed brainless, suddenly understood. They'd dumped money into promotions in China when the U.S. version couldn't even be imported officially, with only scattered clips online. It had seemed like burning cash for nothing.
Now that Azazel's mask was off, everyone got it.
Even Gu Peng, usually full of witty lines, could only type one word: "6."
Both hardcore fans and outsiders were dumbfounded, more stunned than if they woke up and found out apartments in China no longer had shared public spaces.
"Oh shit, I thought Lü Bu was already unbeatable, but Chu Zhi's going face-to-face and blasting away. He's spreading communism's songs in America! That's insane. Also, did Jiu-yé make it back alive?"
"Chu Zhi's story shows us one thing. Yeah, his face is gorgeous, but what really put him on top is his insane skill. If not for the third stage's song choice not fitting U.S. vibes, he probably would've taken the crown outright."
"There were a dozen protests in the U.S. last night. A bunch of media outlets are calling Little Jiu the voice of Satan, but I think his singing's just the trigger, not the cause."
"Anyone else? I'll ask for brother Jiu, anyone else?!"
Bandwagoners jumped in too.
Granting Light and Love: [I told you Azazel wasn't an ordinary singer. None of you believed me. Look at my prediction, his voice triggered protests across America. He's basically Daji, bringing chaos to the nation.]
Jam A replied: [Delete your old posts before bragging. Your last one said, 'Azazel's obviously a U.S. political correctness plant. Who even hypes this trash?']
Granting Light and Love replied: [That was my brother posting, you don't get it.]
…
Chinese netizens were floored. Chu Zhi had gone big in North America. No one could even remember the last time a Chinese celebrity had been the center of discussion across the U.S.
The news spread far. State media with overseas reporters confirmed it too.
Online rumors weren't exaggerated at all. The truth was even more shocking. The Associated Press ran back-to-back reports.
[George: Beware of media becoming a channel for biased stances]
[U.S. Secretary of State Benjamin warns Eastern nations not to weaponize political persecution]
George was the White House Chief of Staff, his tone always shifting with the President's. As for Benjamin, he was an old acquaintance. It was his second time warning not to politicize art.
The buzz wasn't dying down. More people joined protests, while Amazing Grace and Jesus Loves Me spread to Europe. Southern Europe, especially Italy, was feeling the wave.
To be precise, Vatican City.
The world's smallest country, barely the size of two airports, with only a few hundred residents. Tiny, but home of the Pope. His influence was greater than the UN Secretary-General's. The current Pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known as Francis I, came from Latin America. News of Azazel had already reached him. Opinions were split: "the closest voice to God" versus "the voice of Satan."
Francis, once Archbishop of Buenos Aires, was the first Latin American Pope and the first Jesuit Pope. Jesus Loves Me had left him with a good first impression of Chu Zhi. Still, calling it the "closest to God" was exaggerated. Francis suspected hype. To him, branding it the "voice of Satan" was clearly just American politicians trying to shift blame.
He wasn't naïve about political tricks, even as a man of faith.
So he listened.
"The singing's pure, like a winter blanket wrapping someone frozen."
He played the next one, or rather half of it. Amazing Grace was familiar to every Christian, himself included.
Unlike Jesus Loves Me, which only carried the Angel's Gospel blessing, Amazing Grace combined that with Siren Voice. Even Francis was captivated.
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…" and he felt the sweetness.
Francis had long pushed for spreading faith eastward, even visiting Japan. In one U.S. interview, he'd even said, "The Chinese are a wise people, they deserve a Nobel Prize for patience…"
After listening to Chu Zhi's The Internationale, Francis thought maybe U.S. politicians hadn't been entirely wrong. The protests weren't caused by him alone, but without that song they wouldn't have come together like this.
The next day, L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's only official newspaper, ran a front-page interview with Francis. He rarely gave interviews, sometimes only one a year. He criticized the U.S. President's policies on immigration, and then spoke about Chu Zhi.
When the Pope voiced an opinion, even the U.S. President had to think twice.
Asked who would receive this year's Golden Rose on Laetare Sunday, Francis said: "It had already been decided, but with Mr. Chu Zhi's appearance, the cardinals are reconsidering."
"The Chinese singer Chu Zhi?"
"His Jesus Loves Me brought gospel to both believers and non-believers. His Amazing Grace is the best gospel rendition of the twenty-first century. He's played a major role in spreading the Catholic spirit."
If the songs were only "pretty good," Francis wouldn't have spoken like that. But after listening repeatedly, he truly thought they were flawless. Where a devout gospel singer might score 80 out of 100, Chu Zhi hit 120. That's why Francis used the word "best."
Of course, the Golden Rose wouldn't actually go to Chu Zhi. That would've been too much. Speaking highly of him in an official interview was praise enough.
As expected, the story spread across international agencies. Headlines focused on two points: the Pope criticizing U.S. policy, and him praising a Chinese singer.
From the Pope himself came the recognition: "the best gospel rendition of the twenty-first century." Honestly, if the Grammys didn't award Chu Zhi Best Christian Song, believers might riot.
The news shocked not just netizens but even China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
"This time it's no coincidence," Minister Xiao said, staring at the trending news.
Last time, the government had pushed cooperation with Qatar under Chu Zhi's name, causing a stir. This time, the Pope's praise came purely from Chu Zhi's own strength.
The Minister knew it was good news. The stronger Chu Zhi's global influence, the more it helped China. Everyone knew Chu Zhi was patriotic to the core.
Meanwhile, the man himself, Emperor Beast, wasn't giving interviews, not even to state media. He was off handling his own schedule.
Online, discussions about him never stopped.
"Looking at Jiu-yé's three FOX stages, why do I feel like the first two were just setups for the third? It's like those web novel authors who update daily at first to hook you, then start slacking."
"Not fair. Xiao Jiu's two gospel songs, once you hear them, it really feels like angels descending. My dad's a believer. After he heard them, he became a Little Fruits fan with me. Then he asked, 'Is this singer Christian?' I was stunned. I've never heard Xiao Jiu is religious."
Debate erupted. Some said he had to be religious. Others said no, he was just a giving person. His songs had saved countless Japanese people from suicide after the earthquake, after all.
Neither side convinced the other.
Most melon-eaters didn't even care. They went off track as usual:
"You're all making good points, but did you know Australia has fifty million kangaroos and America only three hundred million people? If kangaroos invaded, six Americans would need to fight one kangaroo to protect the nation. And you don't care, because you only care about entertainment."
"That's true, but China has over a billion people, so it'd take 26 of us to share one kangaroo. That's not enough. And you don't care either, because you only care about the U.S."
…Sure, but how many Chinese people have even tasted kangaroo meat?
Chu Zhi's global reputation was only one benefit. The real benefits were even greater.
All Nations, Vol. 1 and The One Gazed Upon by Gods had sold 350,000 more albums in just two days.
The government was even considering giving him more responsibility. Before, he'd only dominated Asia. Now, his global influence couldn't be ignored. But he already held a deputy-minister level honorary post. Any higher would take serious discussion.
Meanwhile, in Annam, Minister Pan, head of propaganda and culture, saw his family targeted by arson. Many were dead or injured.
"We must punish the perpetrators severely!" Pan cried on camera, tears streaming.
It would've been a big story. But with Chu Zhi taking over global headlines, hardly anyone noticed.