Chapter 184 - KeymonSTER
Just like Jin Chonglin predicted, "Rebirth Melodies" couldn't reach the top of the music charts. It fluctuated around the eighth, ninth and tenth positions, sometimes even looking like it would fall down from the top 10.
The piano version of "Rebirth" and "Phantom of Your Love" were in the tenth and eighteenth positions respectively while "Black Star" was thirty-sixth in the singles ranking.
Although these results looked disappointing, especially when compared to the success of the original "Rebirth" album which was still reigning at the top of the music charts, it already defied the predictions made by most of the music industry experts. For an instrumental album like this to reach this height was already a great and unexpected achievement, especially when it was by a musician who many considered as a "second-rate pop singer".
Only Iris Long's dedicated haters mocked her piano album for not reaching the same level of success as the original "Rebirth" album. They chose to ignore the piano album's growing success overseas, especially in Europe. It had now entered the top 20 in six European countries. In three of these countries, "Rebirth Melodies" was in the top 10 in the music charts.
In fact, JJ's record label was already receiving various offers from abroad inviting Iris Long to perform in those countries. Of course JJ wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste, deliberately leaking the information to the public.
When Iris' fans learned of this, they went crazy with delight. Her official fan club, the Black Stars, were especially ecstatic and proud.
CaptainBlackStar: "Listen up, comrades! This is the proof that our boss is now a world-class musician! We, the Black Stars, need to prepare ourselves when our boss decides to take on the international scene. We need to be there to support her all the way!"
"Yeah! Our boss is the best!"
"I'm crying. I feel so emotional. Someone pinch me. I think I'm dreaming."
iEatSlippers: "What pinch? Here, I'll whack you with my mighty slippers instead! You're not dreaming! THIS IS NOT A DREAM!!!"
/p>"Wow. Just wow. Boss is just so wow."
iEatSlippers: "Slippers Army, let's follow Captain's instructions and prepare ourselves. Go polish your slippers because when our boss ventures out into the international scene, we need to be ready to wave our mighty slippers in her honour and whack anyone who dares stand in her way!"
LittlePhoenix: "Yeah! All hail our mighty slippers! In the name of Boss Iris!"
"This uncle will follow the boss wherever she wants to go! I'm ready! Let's go!"
MrsLovePhantom: "I'm so proud of Iris. She deserves the recognition she's getting both in our country and abroad as well. She's such a talented girl. I can't wait to see how far she'll go. I'll continue to support her."
Her three friends echoed her statement.
Many netizens also commented on this leak. Although many were like the Black Stars, supporting and congratulating Iris Long, there were also some who were skeptical.
"This is just unsubstantiated rumour. There is no confirmation whether these alleged offers from abroad are real or not."
"Who leaked this? Answer: Iris Long!"
"Iris Long is getting too ahead of herself. She just wants more publicity to maintain her current top position in the music charts."
/p>Of course, her haters wouldn't miss this chance to hate on her even more.
"Hah! I told you. A fame wh*re will always be a fame wh*re! Iris changed her image to a goody two-shoes but deep inside she's still the same black-hearted fame wh*re!"
"What invitations from abroad? They're probably sent by strip clubs or something. Maybe even brothels! Because that's where sl*ts like her belong!"
"I hate you, Iris Long! I wish you died in the car crash! Go kill yourself!"
The last comment was reported by many users as abusive and the web admins eventually removed it. There were many other dummy accounts like this. Their sole purpose was to hate on Iris Long.
A few hours later, a number of people's identities and personal information were all revealed to the internet. These people were apparently connected to the anti-Iris dummy accounts, either by using the accounts themselves or by hiring others to leave hate comments about Iris Long on the web.
When their real identities and personal information were revealed to the public, many people were shocked because most of them were young socialites from some of the most prominent families in the country.
But this was not all.
In addition to their real identities and personal information, scandals about them were also exposed for everyone to see. A lot of them were featured in nude photos and a couple of them even had sex tapes. Records of abortions, secret children, and all kinds of dirt were also dug out.
The families of these socialites immediately went into lockdown mode, refusing to speak to the media, as they frantically contacted their respective PR teams to salvage their reputation.
/p>A few days later, the authorities issued a search warrant for a hacker named KeymonSTER. It seemed that the hacker taunted the socialites' families that if they didn't control their children, he would expose all the dirty laundry these families were hiding. He was very bold by revealing his hacker name.
Overnight, KeymonSTER became a household name as an infamous hacker.