Rewind With A Superstar System

Chapter 137: Award Show (1)

<🎧 Song Recommendation: Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man>

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(4th March, 2020 — The Beverly Hilton, Los Angeles)

To the uninitiated public, the Independent Music Awards sounded like a consolation prize for those who couldn’t secure a seat at the grand table with the major labels.

But anyone actually operating within industry knew it was the ultimate proving ground. It was like a high-stakes hunting reserve in the entertainment world.

The ballroom of the Beverly Hilton was packed to the brim with executives, A-list celebrities, and major label representatives.

They didn’t only come to applaud the underdog but to network and scout the next generation of superstars who had already done the expensive work of building a fanbase from scratch.

For ninety percent of the independent artists walking into that room, this night wasn’t just about winning a piece of glass; it was an opportunity to finally grab a massive label deal.

If you could make the executives in this room stand up and applaud, you could walk into Sony or Universal the next morning and write your own check. Everyone in the industry took this seriously.

Von, of course, was no exception to the rule.

A month ago, Emily had called him late in the evening to deliver news that he had picked up seven nominations!

Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Record of the year, Self-released Record of the Year, Best Rock Record, Best Folk/Americana roots record, Best Music Video, and Independent Song of the Year.

Von had found the news incredible. Even though he wasn’t interested in a label deal, it was still a lot to get a nod. Seven, even!

He and his team had celebrated that night at the Pinecrest compound with good food and expensive drinks.

Now, after a month of waiting, the time had finally arrived to see if he would actually take a trophy home.

The Cadillac pulled up to the front of the Beverly Hilton. Even with the tinted windows, the flashing lights from the cameras outside were blinding. Reporters stood behind velvet ropes, shouting names.

Bunny opened the front door and stepped out first. The giant wore a simple black suit and a black face mask. He stood by the back door, crossing his arms. Just his size alone made the closest photographers step back.

Then, Von stepped out. He wore his normal streetwear clothes and nothing too formal or fancy. The crowd of fans and reporters immediately got louder.

"Von! Von! Look this way!"

Right behind him was Olivia. This was her first official outing with him, but she looked like she had been doing this for years.

As Von’s Personal Assistant, she had been helping him non-stop over the past month.

She handled his daily schedule, kept his phones charged, and made sure he was always where he needed to be. Tonight, she wore a neat black blazer and held his itinerary in one hand. She also wore a black face mask, just like Von.

They started walking down the carpet. Von stopped for a few pictures, keeping a calm smile on his face. Suddenly, a reporter with a microphone pushed past the rope and stepped right in front of him.

"Von! Quick question for E-News!" the reporter said, shoving the mic close to Von’s face. "Seven nominations tonight for your debut! How are you feeling, and are the rumors true that major labels are fighting to sign you?"

Von stopped and looked at the camera. "I feel great."

"Is it true you’ve shown interest to finally join a label? I heard you’re tired of being independent."

"I don’t know where you heard that," Von answered with an unintended laugh.

"But what about the budget?" the reporter pushed, stepping even closer. "Your latest music video cost a fortune. How long can you stay independent? And is there a special someone you brought tonight to celebrate with? Is that your girlfriend beside you?"

The questions were getting too personal and the reporter was standing way too close. Before Von could answer, Olivia stepped cleanly between them.

"Thank you, but Mr. Von is running late for his table," Olivia’s firm voice betrayed her look. She placed a hand lightly on Von’s back and guided him forward. "We have to go inside now."

The reporter tried to ask another question, but Bunny stepped into his line of sight, blocking him completely. Von gave Olivia a nod of approval as they walked through the front doors of the hotel. She was doing her job perfectly.

Inside the main lobby, it was loud and crowded. People in expensive suits and dresses were holding champagne glasses and laughing.

"Over here."

Von turned and saw Emily waiting for them near the coat check. She had come to the venue on her own earlier to talk to some press people. When Von looked at her, he actually stopped walking for a second.

She looked stunning. Emily was wearing a deep, captivating black dress that hugged her body and had a high slit up the leg. She had her short white hair jelled to look coily, and wore minimal gold jewelry that made her look very elegant.

It was a very sexy style, totally different from her usual nonchalant look.

Von let out a loud whistle. "Wow. Look at you," he said, walking up to her. "You really went all out tonight."

"Well, I have to look the part if I’m the manager of the guy with seven nominations. But honestly, I could say the same to you." She smiled and teased him, "Though you’re handsome all the time, so I won’t say I noticed a difference today."

Von chuckled. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

"You should," Emily said, getting back to business. She pointed toward the ballroom. "Listen, you need to take the time to greet people tonight. Walk around the tables. I’ve already spotted a few big executives I need to talk to. I’m going to go network. Soo, be nice to people."

"I’ll try," Von said with a wry smile.

After Emily walked away into the crowd, Olivia stepped up beside Von. She looked around the room and started naming people.

"The man in the blue suit by the bar is the Head of A&R for Republic Records," Olivia said quietly. "And over there, the woman laughing with the camera crew is the lead editor for Rolling Stone magazine."

Von looked at her in surprise. "Damn, you really did your homework."

"I’ve been memorizing the guest for some time," Olivia admitted and they began to walk into the main ballroom.

Von was shocked by the scale of the event. Olivia pointed out even more people. He saw famous actors, huge pop stars, and top-tier producers sitting at the VIP tables.

A lot of A-list celebrities who weren’t even independent artists had showed up just to see the new talent.

But as Von looked around the massive, crowded room, he noticed something very concerning.

Almost no one was wearing a face mask.

Out of hundreds of people packed closely together, breathing the same air, only Von, Olivia, Bunny, and a few others had masks on. Emily had taken hers off to take pictures.

Right now, the news was talking about a disease outbreak overseas, but they were treating it like a joke.

They said it wasn’t a national threat. But Von knew the truth. It was going to hit the country, and it was going to happen very soon.

However, as he had watched the news over the past few weeks, he realized something important.

This wasn’t the normal Corona Virus he remembered from his past life. This was different. His regression to the past had likely caused a butterfly effect, and the virus had changed.

The news called it The H or Hypoxia-19. It didn’t give people a bad cough or a high fever. It was much worse, and way more difficult to identify.

The disease secretly attacked a person’s oxygen levels. Someone could have it, feel totally fine, and walk around talking to people.

But at its critical stage, the person’s lips would turn a faint blue color, and they would just suddenly pass out and fall to the ground.

Because there were no warning signs, people didn’t know who was sick until they collapsed.

Von felt a little bad, but mostly, he just felt lucky. Even though the virus was different, the result would be exactly the same.

When people started collapsing, the government would panic. Everyone would be forced to stay inside. And since the lockdown was still going to happen, his massive investments in tech and streaming stocks would still pay off. He was going to make a lot of money very soon.

"Let’s walk around," Von told Olivia.