With the help of Columbia Records, Martin's new single "Thatgir1" quickly became available in major record stores, selling out at a terrifying speed.
The popularity generated by Martin's hunting of African cheetahs wasn't limited to the film industry. Sales of his single "Unstoppable" also skyrocketed.
Many were curious about the identity of the girl "Thatgir1" was dedicated to. After its first week, "Thatgir1" sold 887,000 copies, ranking fourth on the Billboard charts.
The latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine devoted four full pages to evaluating the song.
"There is no doubt that "Thatgir1" is an outstanding work, and Martin's singing gives it its soul."
"He perfectly integrates the relaxed, comfortable, nimble, and mischievous emotions with melancholy and sadness, interpreting them through his flawless voice. He is only thirteen years old this year, and at this age, he has achieved this level of music. I don't know who else can compare, except perhaps for some of the greatest musical geniuses in history."
"I believe the light rock with a pop flavor initiated by Martin will be the next big trend!"
The Los Angeles Times, which has always been supportive of Martin, once again put him on the front page.
"Clearly, Martin Meyers is a divine masterpiece. He has exceptional artistic talent and has shown extraordinary achievements in literature, film, and music. He is a treasure gifted to the United States by God."
"But that's not all. He also excels academically, and has impressive archery and riding skills..."
"Honestly, if someone told me one day that Martin was running for president, I wouldn't be surprised. I even believe he could do a better job than most American presidents!"
As time passed, "Thatgir1" grew even more popular. By the second day after its first week, the single unexpectedly reached the top of the Billboard charts, where it firmly remained.
At this time, Martin had already returned to school and was preparing for the junior high school graduation ceremony.
Upon seeing Martin, Mark Zuckerberg rushed over excitedly. "Martin, I finally see you! Damn, except for the two days of final exams this semester, I haven't seen you at all."
"But you're so awesome! You shot two cheetahs to death and saved two lives! You're a hero."
"I've watched all your movies, read your new books, bought all your music albums and singles... All I can say is, wow!"
Looking at the enthusiastic Mark, Martin felt a little ashamed. He had given all his free time to the girls and had indeed neglected his good friend.
"Mark, I'll bring you a gift," Martin said.
"A gift?" Mark asked, confused, as he looked at Martin's empty hands.
"It's not with me right now, but it's at my home. I'll send it to your place tomorrow," Martin said.
"Can you tell me what it is?" Mark's eyes lit up with excitement.
"A computer. An Apple computer. A top-of-the-line Apple computer."
"Wow, that's exactly what I wanted!" Mark's eyes shone.
Martin was happy to see his friend's joy and decided to buy the latest top-tier Apple computer as soon as he could.
Mark didn't know that the gifts were still in the store.
Excited, Mark pulled Martin aside and pointed to a group of girls in front of them who were taking graduation photos. "Martin, you know, before graduation, I confessed to Wendy."
"What? You actually caused such a big deal while I was away?" Martin feigned shock. "What's the result?"
Looking at Mark's happy expression, Martin thought to himself: Did Mark really succeed? So… who is Wendy?
He tried to recall, and finally remembered—a pretty girl with brown hair. She seemed to be an admirer as well.
"The result?" Mark showed an expression of sweet memory. "I confessed to her on the playground in front of a lot of people. Like you said, when you chase a girl, you have to show courage and determination."
Martin shook his head slightly. Maybe it's not that important.
"Then what happened?" Martin asked, genuinely curious now.
"Then Wendy was stunned for a moment after I confessed, then came over and hugged me, and whispered in my ear, 'I don't like you, but you can hold my hand and leave the crowd now.'"
[TL/N: HAHAHAHAHA!]
"See? See? How kind Wendy is! Even though she rejected me, she still thought about not embarrassing me. She's such a good girl."
"Yeah?" Martin stroked his chin. "But by doing that, didn't she not only reject you but also make other girls reject you? Not only did she not accept you, but she also turned the table over!"
Mark was stunned.
"Ah?"
Then, he thought about it, and it seemed true. When so many people saw Wendy and him leaving hand-in-hand, they might not think they were really together, right?
Mark suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
At this point, Martin said, "But it's okay. After all, we're graduating soon and will leave junior high school to go to high school. Who cares about this now?"
Mark immediately cheered up. "Yes! I'm going to high school soon! Who will even remember me then?" He grinned. "So Wendy is still a good girl, hehe!"
"But Mark! Didn't you still attend high school at this school?"
Mark groaned in frustration. "Oh no! Why does God do this to me?"
The joy quickly disappeared, and Mark held his head in his hands, looking sorrowful.
Martin patted his shoulder comfortingly. "It's okay. Look on the bright side—you'll have more time to tinker with your computer!"
"Screw that! Compared to computers, I still want to tinker with girls!"
Martin was surprised. Is this the same Mark Zuckerberg I know?
"You've grown up, Mark!" Martin said, a bit amused.
"Of course!"
"By the way, can the computer you gave me run a graphical operating system? I heard Apple developed a new graphical OS that's comparable to Windows?"
"Of course, that's no problem."
Martin nodded. It seemed that although Mark had grown up, some things hadn't changed much!
"Martin! Martin! Over here! Come take a photo with everyone!" Lindsay shouted.
Martin patted Mark on the back. "Let's go take a group photo together."
"Okay!" Mark grinned. Maybe a photo with Martin will help him attract girls when he gets to high school.
Who says Mark hasn't changed?
[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧