Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 120: Von’s Interview With Gork

<🎧 Song Recommendation: Roar by Katy Perry>

...

The cheers from the live audience kept raging after hearing the name.

Von walked with a cool, unbothered swagger. He shook Colin’s hand firmly before taking his seat on the plush guest couch.

After Von sat comfortably, Colin Gork leaned forward on his desk with a wide smile.

"Welcome to the show, Von Varley," Colin said loudly over the applause. "Or should I say King Von?"

Von laughed lightly without a word.

Colin continued, "Man, what a year it has been for you. Project: Star finalist, independent artist, a debut single that became a cultural phenomenon, Vanguard’s official ambassador..."

The host chuckled, shaking his head. "And now I hear you’re doing side quests in college auctions while your album is on the way. How’s the new star life treating you?"

The audience laughed loudly at the joke.

"Yeah, I must admit it’s been one heck of a year," Von smiled. "And I think I’m doing really fine. Except some upgrades to my lifestyle, life has been fairly normal. I’m living and enjoying the moment."

Colin pulled up a printed graphic of Naomi’s viral tweet, showing the selfie and the artwork.

"Well, speaking of those recent events," Colin said. "You made headlines for dropping fifteen grand on a painting. Now we know it’s your sister, but man, fifteen thousand?"

"Honestly? That price is even far too less for how spectacular that art was," Von said seriously. "She’s a really good artist. She’s even the one that made my official album cover."

The studio screens instantly flashed the Lost And Found artwork, which had been uploaded officially just two days prior. The audience applauded the intricate, symbolic design that had been all over social media.

"It is absolutely gorgeous," Colin praised. "But let’s talk about that album. I’m looking at the tracklist, and I’m seeing some very familiar names. It’s like you’re bringing back your former crew from the show."

"Absolutely," Von nodded. "But it’s more than a reunion. They’re all really talented musicians that I felt I could work with to put out good music. We locked in, and we all delivered well there."

"The hype is definitely real," Colin said. "Of course, not everyone can make the team. But there’s one name everyone is asking about... did you have a fallout with Aura?"

Von paused for a fraction of a second.

He still didn’t understand why the show’s producers had insisted on including this specific question during the pre-interview. It felt like bait. But he could only answer smoothly.

"Nah, nah... we’re very good," Von answered effortlessly, waving a hand. "She wasn’t available due to personal reasons, but we’re both open to making music together some time in the future."

His casual response immediately drew a collective ’Ooh’ of relief and excitement from the studio audience.

"Glad to hear it," Colin smiled broadly. "Does that mean you plan on making music for a long time? Because if I remember correctly... you almost studied theater arts, right?"

"Hmm," with a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, right now my focus is entirely on my music. But I’m a creative. I’m always ready to adapt if the path changes."

"Spoken like a true star!" Colin laughed, turning to face the main camera. "Stick around, everybody! When we come back after the break, Von Varley and I are going to play a little game. Don’t go anywhere!" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

***

After a short break, the cameras flashed back to life with a red glow. The live band finished their upbeat jazz riff as the applause sign lit up above the audience.

"Welcome back to Late Night!" Colin Gork shouted over the cheering crowd.

The standard interview desk had been pushed aside during the commercial break. In the center of the stage, a small, padded arm-wrestling table now stood under a bright spotlight.

"Now, Von," Colin said, unbuttoning his suit jacket and tossing it to a stagehand. He rolled up the sleeves of his expensive dress shirt, revealing surprisingly thick arms.

"You’re a musician. But my producers tell me you’ve got a bit of an intimidating aura in person. I work out five days a week. So, we’re going to put that aura to the test."

The audience cheered, highly entertained by the sudden shift in tone.

"An arm-wrestling match?" Von asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly," Colin smirked, stepping up to the right side of the table and planting his elbow on the pad. "First one to pin the other wins. If you win, I’ll buy a copy of your album for everyone in this room when it releases. If I win, you have to sing the chorus of Masquerade while wearing a ridiculous clown wig."

A stagehand immediately held up a massive, rainbow-colored wig. The crowd erupted into laughter.

"Deal," Von didn’t reject. There were about two hundred guests in the life audience, that was over four thousand dollars. He had nothing to lose.

He didn’t bother taking off his Vanguard jacket. He just walked up to the left side of the table with a relaxex posture completely relaxed, and planted his elbow.

They locked hands. Colin’s grip was really tight, clearly trying to intimidate the younger artist.

Von didn’t feel it much. His daily workouts were more than effective.

"Ready?" Colin asked, his face already tightening with focus.

"Whenever you are."

"Three. Two. One. Go!"

Colin instantly gritted his teeth, his face turning a noticeable shade of red as he threw his entire upper body weight into his arm. He let out a loud grunt of effort, fully expecting to slam Von’s hand down in seconds.

But Von’s arm didn’t even move a single inch.

It was locked in place like a steel beam welded to the table. He even had the audacity to look away from Colin and smile at the camera.

The audience gasped, realizing Colin wasn’t joking around he was genuinely struggling, and Von wasn’t even trying.

"How are you... doing this?"

"Just healthy living," Von smirked.

With a full swing of his wrist, Von applied his force.

Smack.

Colin’s hand was slammed into the opposite pad with terrifying speed.

For a second, the entire room went silent. Then, the crowd exploded.

Young ones in the front row jumped out of their seats. The studio band’s drummer hit a massive rimshot.

Colin stumbled back, clutching his wrist in genuine shock. He looked from his hand to Von, completely bewildered. "Are you secretly a superhero? What do they feed you in Miami?!"

Von just chuckled, rolling his shoulder casually. "A copy for everyone, Colin. Don’t forget."

"I’m a man of my word," Colin laughed, shaking out his arm as the stagehands quickly cleared the table away.

They returned to the plush couches. The energy in the room was entirely different now. There were more people admiring Von after seeing he wasn’t just like every other star. Colin was rarely beaten in this segment, but he just did that effortlessly. .

Colin reached behind his desk and pulled out a physical, pristine vinyl record. It was a prototype. The camera zoomed in tight on Naomi’s Lost And Found artwork.

"Alright, we are out of time," Colin said, his tone shifting back to professional hype. "The debut album, Lost And Found, drops officially at midnight tomorrow. Von, the entire industry is watching you right now. What should the fans expect when they hit play?"

The studio went quiet.

It’s an album I really put a lot of soul and life into," Von began. "That’s exactly why I didn’t just want anybody to be on it. It represents not just my journey, but the journeys of many others. I believe it’s more than perfect, but ultimately, it’s up to you guys to tell me that."

"Just keep your phones ready for midnight," he added with a wink.

The audience erupted into massive cheers.

"You heard the man!" Colin shouted to the camera, holding the prototype vinyl high in the air. "Lost And Found! Midnight tomorrow! But for now, we’re all gonna hear the mainman perform the first song of the anticipated album before we continue... Give it up for, You’re Gonna Come Home!"