"When did you come back? The last time I spoke to you, you were still in London, right? Hugo sat down in his place, looked around with some restraint, and finally his eyes fell on Michael, who was opposite.

Michael didn't answer immediately, but slowly took off his coat, then his scarf, then his hat, and finally his sunglasses, like peeling an onion, showing his true face to Hugo layer by layer, "Why do you still wear a hat all the time, it's a strange behavior to not take off your hat indoors." ”

After Michael's reminder, Hugo reacted, in the past time, Hugo has long been used to walking around with a hat, and always guarding against the paparazzi, so he forgot about it at all. Now Hugo and Michael are sitting in a box, and Michael's huge team of bodyguards, Joseph and Samora, are guarding the outer room, which is the corridor of the restaurant.

Under such intensive protection, Hugo could not worry, he took off his hat briskly, and immediately saw Michael's stunned expression.

Michael was stunned, then chuckled, looked up again and looked at Hugo's head with a thin layer of fluff, it was really so joyful, the laughter couldn't help but rise again, and finally evolved into a cheerful laughter, "God, you are such an interesting person." ”

Michael looked at Hugo carefully and nodded secretly, although the hairstyle is half of the artist's face, but I have to admit that Hugo really has a good foundation, even if his bald head does not expose too many of his shortcomings, it still makes people marvel, "Why do you look more like a ...... after you shave your head?" Scholars, or professors? ”

Hugo shrugged, "Maybe it's because I'm too smart, and my hair falls out after I use my brain too much." "Extremely smart, that's what it means. Hugo's bald image actually has a strong bookish atmosphere, which really surprised everyone, not only did not have the fierceness of the fierce gods, but instead converged and precipitated the usual sunshine into erudite wisdom.

The smile on Michael's lips lifted lightly again, but this time he didn't bother with Hugo's hairstyle anymore, but changed the subject, "I was still in London when we spoke last time, and I remember you were preparing for the Grammys." Michael changed the subject again, "I watched that show, well done!" Michael smiled and praised, although he was soft, but he could clearly feel the lightness of the end of his words, "However, performing Nirvana was unplanned, right?" ”

Michael's veteran and sophisticated naturally knows how conservative the Grammys really are. Hugo laughed, "That's the charm of the stage, isn't it?" "He didn't admit it, but he didn't deny it either." Didn't you say last time that you were working on a new album in London? How's the preparation now? ”

Although Michael has been out of the media for nearly two years, he has been actively preparing for his fifth full-fledged studio album as an adult. Hugo didn't know the specifics, he just knew about it.

"It's almost done, and I actually went back to Los Angeles last month in preparation for the return of the new album." Michael simply said, "Actually, I originally planned to release this album in the UK, and the promotion was also launched in the UK. But then I thought a lot about ......" said Michael, giving Hugo a deep look, "I decided to come back to the United States anyway." ”

Where you fall, you get up. Michael remembered Hugo's encouragement and affirmation, even though he was worried about it. The aftermath of the child case would have caused problems for publicity, but he decided to face it bravely.

"But now it seems like I have a windfall." Michael's gaze rested on Hugo's eyes and whispered.

If Hugo remembers correctly, Michael Jackson's fifth official solo album "History" was released in 1995, this album has two albums, the first is a collection of compilations, and the second is a collection of new songs. Historically, the album kicked off with the largest and most expensive campaign ever, but was belittled. Child. The aftermath of the case has been affected, and the path forward of the album "History" is very tortuous.

On the one hand, the critics have mixed reviews of the album, while Michael is still attacked en masse, and people generally believe that even if the charges are dropped, Michael is still burdened with molestation. The suspicion of children, the crimes committed against children in the United States is capital punishment, and no one wants to "forgive" Michael.

On the one hand, it is because of the interests of Sony Columbia Records, and they think that this is likely to be Michael's swan song - or because of prostitution. Child. So, they priced the album very highly, and although the price of the double-disc album was a little higher than that of the single-disc album, Sony set a super high price that no other two-disc album could match.

On the other hand, because Sony did not pay attention to it, the publicity strategy was hasty, and the single promotion and album sales curve were not linked in time; Then there was Michael's absence from most of the campaigns in the U.S. market, which led to a sluggish album sales.

Therefore, although the album "History" landed on the Billboard in the first week with record-breaking sales, it only won for two consecutive weeks, which is completely inconsistent with Sony's expected dominance of three months, and the media believes that this album is Michael's last swan song.

In the end, although "History" won 3.5 million sales in the U.S. market, and 16 million units in the global market as of 1998, it was no longer at its peak.

So what now?

Hugo met Michael's gaze, Michael in front of him was still unassuming, it was hard to imagine that the world superstar who was domineering on the stage did not have any aura in private, but Michael's vitality and indifference were impressive. This is not the one in history who was molested. Child. The case strikes a exhausted and disheartened man.

Hugo, of course, knew what Michael was talking about as a "windfall", and the collapse of the Chandler family made the truth known to the world, and Michael could finally shake off the shackles he had carried for two years. Although the damage has been done, the wound remains there forever, and the negative effects have been ingrained; But at least, Michael cleared his name, and that's all that matters.

"The truth won't be buried forever, it's the truth." Hugo chuckled and said, his eyes filled with firm confidence, not too ostentatious, not too excited, as if this qiē was so natural.

Beautiful. Child. The truth of the case was revealed fourteen years in advance, and Hugo did not know what the future would bring, which was perhaps the boldest and most direct change he had ever made to this plane. No one knows about the second molestation in 2003. Whether the child false accusation case will continue to appear, no one knows whether Michael will continue to be silent or a phoenix nirvana, and no one knows whether there are still countless people mourning the departure of a generation of superstars in the midsummer of 2009...... But at least, this qiē has found the key to change.

So, does this mean that the future of the album "History" can also change?

Michael looked at the confidence in Hugo's eyes, although he had long known Hugo's trust in him, but today, standing in front of Hugo, feeling his huge confidence, Michael had an indescribable touch. When the whole world has given up on itself, but there are still people willing to stand behind them, this moving intricacy is difficult for even Shakespeare's quill to explain.

"When I saw the news, I cried, like a child, sitting on the edge of the bed and crying, I was so overwhelmed that I cried until I was short of breath and almost fainted." Michael said calmly, as if telling someone else's story, with a shallow smile on the corner of his mouth, "I cried to the end, I didn't even know why I was crying, I just felt very sad and sad...... Then I suddenly began to recall the last time I had been so presumptuously in tears. Speaking of which, Michael pursed his lips and chuckled, "If I'm not mistaken, it was when I was a real kid, when my brothers and I were still touring together." I was a real kid back then, and it was funny, wasn't it? ”

Hugo looked at the light breeze at the corner of Michael's mouth, and couldn't help but sigh softly. He never imagined what kind of reaction Michael would have to have when he was alive to wash away his grievances, because he had no way of imagining. Not only because Michael was too far away from him, but also because Michael's experience was too complex, too large and too heavy, and he couldn't appreciate the intricacies as a bystander.

But now seeing Michael's relaxed expression, Hugo has a touch of melancholy, he can't imagine the grievance and sadness behind Michael's crying, and he can't imagine the bitterness and heaviness behind Michael's understatement. Any language is pale at this point, so Hugo is silent, just looking at Michael, who is immersed in his own memories.

Michael blinked his head to let the mist in his eyes dissipate, then looked up again at Hugo. He has never been a person who likes to express his inner feelings, because he knows that in the entertainment industry, no one will care or sympathize with him when he reveals his true feelings, and in the end, it is himself who is hurt. But this time it was an exception, because only Michael himself knew, Who. Child. The weight of this cross was so heavy and terrible that it almost made him go up in smoke. Even just reminiscing about it would consume all of his body.

Michael adjusted his breathing a little and spoke again to Hugo, "I spoke to Dawstone on the phone, no matter what his purpose or means, but he gave me the truth, and I should say thank you to him." Michael paused slightly, his eyes looking at Hugo more seriously than ever, "But, he said, I should thank you, because you gave the first clue." ”