NABC Chapter 18: Single Becomes a Hit, Music Line Launched
Chapter 18: Single Becomes a Hit, Music Line Launched
The moment "Northeast Man on the Court" went live online, Lin Hao was completing his daily training with the Warriors, his sweat-soaked jersey clinging to his back, and he was still clutching his gleaming ebony suona in his hand.
He didn't take it to heart at all. In his view, this song was just a hobby, no different from when he played the suona during halftime of the NBA Finals—just for fun. Little did he know that this song, which blended Northeastern suona, authentic Northeastern rap, popular high notes, and the passionate spirit of the NBA, exploded overnight in the music circles of both China and the United States like a spark thrown into an oil drum.
Within just 24 hours of its release, "Northeasterner on the Basketball Court" dominated the charts on major domestic music platforms. It topped the charts for New Songs, Hot Songs, and Rising Stars, racking up over ten million plays and hundreds of thousands of comments overnight. From basketball fans to music lovers, from fellow Northeasterners to ordinary netizens, everyone was hooked on the song.
"The moment the suona blared, I jumped right off the sofa! That's what Chinese crafts are all about!"
"Brother Hao is really ruthless. He went to play in the NBA and also made a name for himself in the music industry. He's succeeding in both the arts and sports, right?"
"The combination of the suona and dolphin-like high notes in the chorus gave me goosebumps. I never knew folk music and pop music could go so well together!"
Even more outrageous, the song became a huge hit on North American streaming platforms. It initially gained some basic play counts thanks to Lin Hao's NBA popularity, but foreigners who heard it were all stunned by the piercing and powerful sound of the suona. The hashtag #OrientalTrumpet# soared into the top 20 of the North American hot song charts, and countless foreigners flooded the comments section, frantically asking what this instrument that could produce such a stunning sound was.
On YouTube, the music video was edited into countless versions, including those featuring Lin Hao's iconic dunk over Shaquille O'Neal, mashups of his game-winning shots in the Summer League, and even a video analyzing the sound of a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument). The video's views tripled overnight. Even the official NBA account retweeted the song, captioning it: "A battle anthem from the court, the Eastern power of Lin Hao."
Just as Lin Hao finished showering and was drying his hair as he walked out of the bathroom, the system notification sound in his mind suddenly rang out loudly, like firecrackers going off during the New Year.
[Ding! Cross-industry creative task triggered: Export of folk music culture]
[Mission Completion: Perfect! The host has successfully used the suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) as a medium to spread Chinese folk music and Northeast Chinese culture globally, achieving top-tier cultural export!]
[Mission Rewards: Host's shooting ability permanently enhanced by 15%, full copyright license for the song "Northeast Man on the Court" unlocked, earning $120 million in copyright revenue!]
[Unlock Passive Skill: Big Heart (Advanced) - Increases shooting stability by an additional 30% in crucial moments, and increases the probability of maintaining proper form under high pressure to 100%!]
Lin Hao raised an eyebrow and whistled.
He hadn't expected that a song he casually composed would yield such a generous reward. The 15% permanent enhancement to his shooting ability perfectly compensated for his recent ankle injury, which had prevented him from practicing high-intensity drives to the basket, and it complemented his extra practice of catch-and-shoot three-pointers. As for the more than one million US dollars in royalties, that was secondary to him. After all, in his previous life, he only earned a few hundred dollars a night playing the suona at banquets in a small town. Being able to earn US dollars through the suona in this life was a dream come true.
Just as he was pondering this, his phone rang. It was Zhang Qingying calling. The girl's voice on the other end of the line was filled with barely concealed laughter, completely different from her usual aloof demeanor: "Lin Hao, have you seen the data? Our song is a huge hit."
"I just took a look, and it's really popular." Lin Hao smiled and leaned against the wardrobe. "It's mainly because of your dolphin-like high notes. Without your voice, the song would be missing half its soul."
"Come on," Zhang Qingying said reproachfully, then softened her voice, "Are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to dinner to celebrate the song's successful release and maybe we can talk about future collaborations."
Lin Hao readily agreed.
In the private room of the Chinese restaurant that evening, Zhang Qingying specially ordered a table full of Northeastern dishes, including sweet and sour pork, stir-fried potatoes, green peppers, and braised goose in an iron pot. The table was overflowing with food. The girl wore a simple white knitted sweater, her long hair loosely tied back. Gone was the aloofness and coldness on stage; she had gained a gentle and down-to-earth charm.
After a few glasses of warm water, the two chatted about everything from music composition to the suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument), from basketball to life, and the conversation flowed freely. Lin Hao told her about his past life in a county town in western Liaoning, where he led a group of teenagers in basketball training, and in his spare time, he would join a suona troupe for weddings and funerals. At the dinner table, he would boast to his apprentices that he would go to the NBA and dunk on Shaquille O'Neal, and he laughed as he said that his biggest regret in life was that his knees were ruined and he couldn't play professionally.
Zhang Qingying sat opposite him, listening quietly, her eyes unconsciously reddening. She also told Lin Hao about her days of struggling alone in the music industry, being rejected by her company, being ridiculed by netizens for only being able to hit high notes, and being questioned for her lack of songwriting ability. She persevered for three years with a strong will before finally getting a chance to make it.
Two people who seem to live in completely different worlds—one a rising star from Northeast China on the NBA court, the other a cool and aloof singer making a name for himself in the music scene—found a deep resonance in their souls at this moment. Both are people who refuse to accept their fate, and both have carved out their own niche in fields that others didn't believe in, relying on an indomitable spirit.
After dinner, Lin Hao drove Zhang Qingying home. As the car stopped downstairs at her apartment building, the girl looked at him, her eyes sparkling, and whispered, "Lin Hao, thank you. This song is the one I've sung with the most joy since my debut."
Lin Hao grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "No need to thank me, we're partners after all. From now on, I'll cover the suona accompaniment for your songs; no one else can play it with that Northeastern flavor."
Zhang Qingying smiled and nodded, watching his limping figure disappear into the night. Her heart felt filled with something soft and tender.
Meanwhile, the Warriors' locker room was completely taken over by "Northeast People on the Court".
Richardson set this song as his ringtone and would play it on repeat during training breaks, singing along to the Northeastern dialect rap. He was completely off-key, but he felt pretty good about himself, shaking his head and shouting to his teammates, "Hey! Bro! Does my singing sound authentic?"
Murphy, listening nearby, covered her ears, looking utterly dejected: "Jason, please stop singing! If Lin hears you, she'll break your suona."
"Bullshit!" Richardson retorted, unconvinced. "Canned Food Bro said I have talent!"
The locker room was filled with a dozen or so tall black men, each over two meters tall, who would nod and sway to a Northeastern Chinese song every day. They even played this song as background music during pre-game warm-ups. The scene was incredibly absurd.
Chinese netizens went wild with the memes, and the hashtag #LinHaoGoesToNBAToPromoteSuonaAndNortheasternCuisine# quickly became a trending topic, with the comments section filled with jokes.
"Others go to the NBA for the championship, but Hao went to the NBA for cultural export; he broadened his horizons!"
"I suggest replacing all NBA halftime shows with suonas (traditional Chinese wind instruments); they're way more energetic than violins!"
"Is the next step to open a Northeastern Chinese restaurant at the Warriors' home arena, with unlimited canned yellow peaches?"
Meanwhile, invitations from major commercial brands and domestic TV variety shows poured into Lin Hao's management team. Sports brands, beverage brands, and car brands all recognized Lin Hao's current popularity and positive image, offering increasingly higher endorsement fees. Even top-tier domestic sports variety shows offered an eight-figure appearance fee to invite Lin Hao to be a guest star.
Lin Hao had his team decline all of them, only keeping a few collaborations related to basketball and youth sports. He knew perfectly well that everything he had now was thanks to basketball. The suona, music, and popularity were just icing on the cake; only by establishing himself on the NBA court and achieving results could he truly succeed.
He continued to focus all his energy on training and games. Every day after the team's training session, he would stay in the gym to practice 500 catch-and-shoot three-pointers and refine his off-ball movement. Even though his ankle still ached slightly, he never missed a single day of practice.
The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease.
Just as Lin Hao was focused on preparing for the regular season, Jay Williams suddenly spoke out publicly on social media, directly targeting Lin Hao.
This 2002 second overall pick has been holding his breath ever since he was outmaneuvered and dunked on three times by Lin Hao in the Summer League. Now, seeing Lin Hao become a nationwide sensation with a single song, even surpassing his own popularity as the second overall pick, he can no longer sit still.
In the interview, he faced the camera with a disdainful look and said, "A mere internet celebrity who relies on sensationalism and a catchy pop song to grab attention, does he really think he's an NBA star? His game-winning shot in the Summer League was just pure luck. If he meets me in the regular season, I'll show him what real basketball is. I bet he won't score more than 10 points on me."
These words instantly went viral across the internet.
The media frenziedly fueled the fire, defining the upcoming Warriors vs. Bulls game as a "destined showdown between the second overall pick and the second-round pick." The nationally televised broadcast was temporarily upgraded, and countless fans were eagerly awaiting the outcome of this rematch between the internet celebrity rookie and the prodigy second overall pick.
In the Warriors' locker room, Richardson exploded upon seeing the interview, grabbing his phone to retort, but Lin Hao stopped him.
Lin Hao looked at Jay Williams' arrogant face on the screen, a smile playing on his lips. He tapped the screen a few times and posted a social media update with only one simple sentence:
"Let's take a gamble and see who's the best on the field."
The entire internet erupted in excitement; everyone knew that this showdown was inevitable.