Devil’s Music - Chapter 121: Break the Wall

“Dre and Geon returned to the studio deep into the night. Dre, heavily intoxicated, stumbled out of the car, quickly supported by the driver. Geon followed, speaking up as they exited the vehicle.

“Dre, how about taking a break today and starting work tomorrow?”

With the driver’s help, Dre turned around, chuckling as he replied, “The music work starts tomorrow. But I need to write lyrics now; it can’t wait. You take today off and come back tomorrow.”

Geon watched Dre disappear into the Beats store, standing still as he observed Dre’s retreating figure. With tears staining his face, Geon glimpsed his reflection in the storefront window, retrieved a mask from his pocket, and hailed a taxi to the hotel.

Inside the taxi, Geon gazed at the nighttime scenery of Compton, pulling out a notebook to jot down something. Lost in concentration, the sound of pencil scratching filled the air. Before he knew it, the taxi arrived at the hotel. Despite his longing for a shower, Geon collapsed onto the bed, grappling with the notebook for a while before finally setting it aside. He glanced at the wall clock, realizing it was time to shower. As the cold water touched his face, clarity began to seep in.

“I have to do this right. I can’t embarrass Dre, whom I’ve brought along.”

After finishing his shower, Geon succumbed to sleep, the early hours of the morning enveloping him.

The next day, for three days straight, Dre and Geon didn’t emerge from the studio. Ice Cube knocked on the door several times, but the locked studio remained unyielding. Peering through the window, Ice Cube spotted Dre and Geon immersed in their work, causing him to shake his head in amusement.

Ice Cube yelled at the studio door, “Why! Let me in! Let me join you!!!”

Rumors of Dre and Geon’s studio sessions quickly spread through the hip-hop scene, relayed by rappers to acquaintances, who then spread it to ordinary fans. The fan-spread rumors reached journalists.

On the third day of Dre and Geon’s studio seclusion, a weary Ice Cube sat outside. Seong-gyu approached, looking down at Ice Cube and asking, “What are you doing here?”

Ice Cube raised his head weakly, waving his hand. “Oh, hello. I’ve been begging to be let into the studio for three days now.”

“Why?”

“Why? It’s Dre’s album! Why would they leave me out?”

“Please move. I need to go in.”

Ice Cube chuckled weakly, shaking his head. “They’ve ignored me for three days. If you don’t want to embarrass yourself, just go.”

Without a word, Seong-gyu folded his arms, staring down at Ice Cube. Seeing this, Ice Cube got up and said, “Wait. Since you’re a guest, I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”

As Ice Cube trudged up the stairs, he heard the sound of the door opening and saw Seong-gyu disappearing into the studio. “Argh!!! What the heck!!!” Ice Cube exclaimed.

The studio door locked again as soon as Seong-gyu entered. Ice Cube banged on the door, shouting, “Why! Why! How come she gets in and I don’t!!!!”

Now, I’ll translate the passage from Korean into English while maintaining its vivid imagery and emotional resonance:

“Dre and Geon returned to the studio deep into the night. It was after the darkness had settled in. Dre, swaying heavily from the effects of alcohol, stumbled out of the car, quickly caught by the driver to steady his body. Following behind, Geon spoke as they disembarked.

“Dre, why don’t you take a rest today and start working tomorrow?”

Dre, with the driver’s shoulder for support, turned around, chuckling as he glanced back. “The music production begins tomorrow. But I must jot down the lyrics now; it cannot wait. You, take a break today and return tomorrow.”

As Dre waved his hand dismissively, disappearing into the Beats store, Geon stood still, watching his departing figure. Tears streaming down his face, Geon caught a glimpse of his tear-streaked reflection in the storefront window. Retrieving a mask from his pocket, he put it on before hailing a taxi to the hotel.

Sitting in the taxi, gazing at the nighttime scenery of Compton, Geon suddenly pulled out a notebook and began to write something. The sound of the pencil scratching against the paper filled the quiet space as he immersed himself in concentration. Before he knew it, the taxi arrived at the hotel. Despite his longing for a shower, Geon collapsed onto the bed, wrestling with the notebook for a while before setting it aside. Glancing at the wall clock, he realized it was time to freshen up. As the cool water from the shower touched his face, a sense of clarity started to emerge.

“I must do this right. I cannot let Dre down, whom I’ve brought along.”

After finishing his shower, Geon succumbed to sleep, the early morning hours enveloping him.

The following day, Dre and Geon remained holed up in the studio for three days straight. Despite Ice Cube knocking on the door multiple times, the locked studio remained impassive. Peering through the window, Ice Cube spotted Dre and Geon engrossed in their work, prompting him to shake his head in amusement.

Ice Cube shouted at the studio door, “Why! Let me in! Let me join you!!!”

The news of Dre and Geon’s studio sessions quickly spread through the hip-hop scene, relayed by rappers to acquaintances, who then spread it to ordinary fans. The rumors reached journalists.

On the third day of Dre and Geon’s studio seclusion, a tired Ice Cube sat outside. Seong-gyu approached, looking down at Ice Cube and asking, “What are you doing here?”

Ice Cube raised his head weakly, waving his hand. “Oh, hello. I’ve been begging to be let into the studio for three days now.”

“Why?”

“Why? It’s Dre’s album! Why would they leave me out?”

“Please move. I need to go in.”

Ice Cube chuckled weakly, shaking his head. “They’ve ignored me for three days. If you don’t want to embarrass yourself, just go.”

Without a word, Seong-gyu folded his arms, staring down at Ice Cube. Seeing this, Ice Cube got up and said, “Wait. Since you’re a guest, I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”

As Ice Cube trudged up the stairs, he heard the sound of the door opening and saw Seong-gyu disappearing into the studio. “Argh!!! What the heck!!!” Ice Cube exclaimed.

The studio door locked again as soon as Seong-gyu entered. Ice Cube banged on the door, shouting, “Why! Why! How come she gets in and I don’t!!!!”

Ice Cube’s desperate cries echoed throughout the underground studio, but the locked door remained shut. For over an hour, Ice Cube shouted and banged on the door, but eventually gave up, slumping on the stairs, exhausted, and falling into a pitiful sleep.

As the week passed, fan interest intensified. CNN US dispatched reporters and cameras to Dr. Dre’s studio, where Ice Cube’s wailing form on the stairs was the only footage they could capture. The world watched as a disheveled Ice Cube lay on the stairs, murmuring to himself.

“Why… why won’t it work for me…”

The hip-hop scene’s attention grew more focused, with even Snoop Dogg assigning staff to guard Dre’s studio daily. The area outside Dre’s Beats store was always crowded with black sedans. Inside each sedan, either the rappers themselves or staff dispatched by them reported the situation to headquarters. And on the seventh day, Lynn emerged from the studio. Despite numerous questions from journalists and hip-hop insiders about the situation inside the studio, she vanished without a word, leaving behind only the chilly wind.

And finally, on the tenth day, Dre and Geon emerged from the studio.

Ice Cube stuck close to Dre, but Dre, upon leaving the studio, no longer pursued the project. He merely went about his business schedule as usual. Snoop, curious about Dre’s activities, frequently called Ice Cube.

Even when Ice Cube was alone in the studio, rummaging through the PC, Snoop would call.

“Hey, Ice! Any news?”

“Nope. Everything’s the same since we left the studio.”

“Really? What’s Kay doing?”

“He’s acting weird lately. He’s been following that Chinese guy around all day, looking busy, but when I approach, he suddenly clams up and acts all strange.”

“Hmm… Anything else unusual?”

“Nothing besides that… Oh, Dre’s been meeting a lot of Apple people lately.”

“So what? Dre’s always been associated with Apple. What’s strange about that?”

“Besides that… Nah, nothing.”

“Okay, let me know if there’s any news. I’m getting too curious, it’s driving me crazy.”

After hanging up, Ice Cube tore his hair out and exclaimed, “Ugh! I’m so curious!”

Over thirty minutes, he kicked the chair in the studio and banged his head against it, glowing with frustration. Suddenly, he remembered something he had said during his conversation with Snoop.

“Huh? Apple?”

He sat down at the PC, and the Apple homepage appeared on the screen. On the product announcement page, a pop-up window appeared with the Apple logo in the upper left corner, striking a simple yet sophisticated balance of black and white.

Below a photo of Dre with his head bowed so that the shadow concealed his eyes, a sentence appeared.

“Beats By Dr. Dre New Product Announcement D-10”

Ice Cube’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, “What? A sudden new product announcement? Huh? They’re doing pre-orders without showing the product? Who would buy this, are they insane? Huh? If you pre-order now, they’re offering a gift… but they don’t even say what the gift is?”

Rubbing his chin, Ice Cube stared at the PC screen, feeling puzzled. Eventually, he clicked on the pre-order button and proceeded with the payment. As the loading screen for the payment progress passed, his eyes widened upon seeing the screen indicating a successful payment.

“What? Over fifteen hundred pre-orders already? Are there so many people willing to pay $500 without even seeing the product? Not just me, but there are so many crazy people out there.”

As he looked at the screen displaying the current pre-order status for customers who had completed their pre-orders, Ice Cube’s face froze in astonishment. Just as he stared blankly at the screen, his phone rang.

“Hey, Eminem. What’s up?”

“Yo, did you see the Apple page?”

Now, let’s translate the passage from Korean into English while maintaining its vivid imagery and emotional resonance:

Ice Cube’s anguished cries filled the underground studio, but the locked door refused to budge. Ice Cube spent over an hour shouting and pounding on the door, but eventually gave up, collapsing on the stairs, utterly exhausted, and slipping into a pitiful sleep.

As the days passed, fan interest swelled. CNN US dispatched reporters and cameras to Dr. Dre’s studio, hoping to capture the fans’ fervor. However, all they could broadcast was Ice Cube’s crumpled figure on the stairs. The world watched as he lay there, murmuring to himself.

“Why… why does it work for everyone but me…”

The spotlight on the hip-hop scene intensified, with even Snoop Dogg stationing staff outside Dre’s studio to monitor the situation. The area outside Dre’s Beats store was constantly filled with sleek black sedans, each containing either the rappers themselves or their dispatched aides, diligently reporting on the unfolding events. And on the seventh day, Lynn emerged from the studio. Despite numerous inquiries from journalists and insiders, she disappeared without a trace, leaving only the chilling wind behind.

And finally, on the tenth day, Dre and Geon emerged from the studio.

Ice Cube clung to Dre’s side, but Dre, upon exiting the studio, no longer pursued the project. He simply resumed his usual business routine. Snoop, eager for news about Dre’s activities, frequently called Ice Cube

.

Even when Ice Cube was alone in the studio, scrolling through the PC, Snoop would call.

“Hey, Ice! Any updates?”

“Nope. It’s been the same since we left the studio.”

“Really? What’s Kay up to?”

“He’s been acting strange lately. He’s been glued to that Chinese guy, appearing busy, but whenever I approach, he clams up and acts weird.”

“Hmm… Anything else out of the ordinary?”

“Nothing else… Oh, Dre’s been meeting a lot of Apple folks lately.”

“So what? Dre’s always had ties to Apple. What’s unusual about that?”

“Other than that… Nah, nothing.”

“Alright, let me know if anything changes. My curiosity’s getting the better of me.”

After hanging up, Ice Cube tugged at his hair, exclaiming, “Argh! I’m dying of curiosity!”

For over thirty minutes, he kicked the studio chair and banged his head against it in frustration. Then, suddenly, he remembered something from his conversation with Snoop.

“Huh? Apple?”

He quickly sat down at the PC, and the Apple homepage appeared. A product announcement page popped up, showcasing the sleek Apple logo in the upper left corner, exuding simplicity and elegance.

Beneath a photo of Dre, his head bowed to obscure his eyes, a single sentence stood out.

“Beats By Dr. Dre New Product Announcement D-10”

Ice Cube’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? A sudden product announcement? Huh? They’re taking pre-orders without revealing the product? Who would buy into this, are they crazy? Huh? Pre-order now and get a free gift… but they won’t even tell us what the gift is?”

With a furrowed brow, Ice Cube stared at the PC screen, perplexed. Eventually, he clicked on the pre-order button and proceeded with the payment. As the payment processing screen flashed by, his eyes widened upon seeing the confirmation of a successful payment.

“What? Over fifteen hundred pre-orders already? Are there so many people willing to shell out $500 without even seeing the product? Not just me, there are so many other madmen out there.”

As he gazed at the screen displaying the current pre-order status for those who had completed their transactions, Ice Cube’s expression froze in astonishment. Just then, his phone rang.

“Yo, Eminem. What’s good?”

“Hey, did you check out the Apple page?”

“Hey, did you see? Uncle’s involved, so I just placed a pre-order. Surprisingly, there are fifteen hundred people who are willing to buy without even seeing the product.”

“Oh, I’m one of them.”

“What? You bought it too?”

“Yeah, my headphones’ wire broke last time.”

“Huh? Weren’t yours wireless?”

“The sound quality wasn’t great. I prefer ones with wires.”

“Hmm… But what’s this about? I didn’t know Uncle was preparing a new product.”

“Who knows? Let’s wait and see. Oh, Snoop just bought one too.”

“Really? Okay. Let’s wait and see.”

Apple’s announcement for Beats by Dr. Dre continued with pre-orders ongoing without revealing detailed specs or the basic design of the product. The pre-production quantity of three thousand headphones announced beforehand sold out within a day of the product’s announcement. Those who accessed the Apple website belatedly found a screen displaying only a “Sold Out” sticker, prompting many to inquire via email.

As countless additional pre-order inquiries flooded Apple’s customer service email, the official response from Apple headquarters became a topic of discussion on social media.

“We have received your email. Apple is set to release a new product, Beats by Dr. Dre, in ten days. This product incorporates innovative technology compared to the existing Beats Pro and is personally designed by musician Dr. Dre. Only three thousand pre-order items have been produced, and upon completion of shipping for pre-order purchases, we plan to produce an additional ten thousand as limited editions. We deeply appreciate your anticipation for this innovative product. The name and promotional video of the new product will be revealed on our website at noon (12:00 PM) in ten days. From 1:30 PM onwards, we will accept additional pre-orders, so please make sure to place your order during that time. Please note that the limited edition will not be produced further, so be sure to place your order successfully during that time. Thank you. Apple Developer Center.”

Apple’s official response, rapidly spreading across social media platforms, became a huge sensation as it aired on news channels in the United States. The world spent the next ten days eagerly anticipating the secretive new product and promotional video that Apple would unveil. And on the appointed day, from morning onwards, all broadcasting stations and fans’ attention were focused on Apple’s website.

Over the past ten days, Apple’s stock price had risen by a whopping 7%, drawing a positive curve in addition to the one that had risen following Steve Jobs’ death and the announcement of the iPhone 7 series, eliciting laughter from many investors. And with just over ten minutes left until noon, countless people worldwide gathered in front of their PCs.

Meanwhile, Snoop and Eminem, at Snoop’s home, connected their PC screen to a large TV and stared at the black screen displaying “Connecting” while waiting for the video to play.

Now, let’s translate the passage from Korean into English with precision and artistry, capturing the vivid imagery and emotional resonance of the original:

“Hey, did you see that? Because my uncle’s involved, I just placed a pre-order. Surprisingly, there are fifteen hundred people willing to buy without even seeing the product.”

“Oh, I’m one of them.”

“What? You bought it too?”

“Yeah, my headphones’ wire broke last time.”

“Huh? Weren’t yours wireless?”

“The sound quality wasn’t great. I prefer ones with wires.”

“Hmm… But what’s this about? I didn’t know Uncle was preparing a new product.”

“Who knows? Let’s wait and see. Oh, Snoop just bought one too.”

“Really? Okay. Let’s wait and see.”

Apple’s unveiling of Beats by Dr. Dre proceeded with pre-orders ongoing, withholding detailed specs or the basic design of the product. The three thousand pre-production headphones announced beforehand sold out within a day of the product’s announcement. Those who accessed the Apple website belatedly found a screen displaying only a “Sold Out” sticker, prompting many to inquire via email.

As countless additional pre-order inquiries flooded Apple’s customer service email, the official response from Apple headquarters became a topic of discussion on social media.

“We have received your email. Apple is set to release a new product, Beats by Dr. Dre, in ten days. This product incorporates innovative technology compared to the existing Beats Pro and is personally designed by musician Dr. Dre. Only three thousand pre-order items have been produced, and upon completion of shipping for pre-order purchases, we plan to produce an additional ten thousand as limited editions. We deeply appreciate your anticipation for this innovative product. The name and promotional video of the new product will be revealed on our website at noon (12:00 PM) in ten days. From 1:30 PM onwards, we will accept additional pre-orders, so please make sure to place your order during that time. Please note that the limited edition will not be produced further, so be sure to place your order successfully during that time. Thank you. Apple Developer Center.”

Apple’s official response, rapidly spreading across social media platforms, became a huge sensation as it aired on news channels in the United States. The world spent the next ten days eagerly anticipating the secretive new product and promotional video that Apple would unveil. And on the appointed day, from morning onwards, all broadcasting stations and fans’ attention were focused on Apple’s website.

Over the past ten days, Apple’s stock price had risen by a whopping 7%, drawing a positive curve in addition to the one that had risen following Steve Jobs’ death and the announcement of the iPhone 7 series, eliciting laughter from many investors. And with just over ten minutes left until noon, countless people worldwide gathered in front of their PCs.

Meanwhile, Snoop and Eminem, at Snoop’s home, connected their PC screen to a large TV and stared at the black screen displaying “Connecting” while waiting for the video to play.

>

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