The successful premiere of the first episode finally allowed Gilbert to feel a bit more relaxed.
Honestly, he had been quite worried about whether this work would be liked by the market and accepted by the audience. This series was adapted from a previously popular anime, and there was a chance that changing the production style could make the audience dislike it.
But the facts proved that good works always find an audience, and people will appreciate them.
The premiere ratings were quite impressive, which gave Gilbert a sense of reassurance, and the subsequent plans for the Cyberpunk series could proceed smoothly.
Gilbert rested with peace of mind, while online media was buzzing at this time.
Compared to traditional media, online media reacts extremely quickly. Almost the moment the premiere ratings for Edgerunners were released, online news flashed immediately.
"Edgerunners first episode premiere explodes in ratings, breaking long-standing premiere records."
"Online reception is off the charts; Edgerunners has sparked widespread discussion."
"Gilbert constructs a fascinating dystopian world; the parallels between Night City and reality make the story feel particularly authentic and believable."
"It is reported that this is just the opening work of the Cyberpunk world. According to the original story and tabletop game, there are still countless stories to tell afterward."
Audience discussions were lively as well. Many viewers were so excited after watching that they took breaks between episodes to express their thrill.
"Wow, so cool, so cool! This Edgerunners is absolutely amazing."
"I love this series! I want cyberware, I want the Mantis Blade."
"I can't wait to buy some merchandise. The designs are just too cool."
"The fight between Adam Samsher and Morgan Blackhand made my blood boil. The bustling Night City is also deeply captivating; I want to live in such a world."
"No way! Haven't you seen the homeless people and the drug addicts? And the gangs and violent crimes? It's dangerous."
"But actually, for ambitious people, this is also an opportunity."
"I think Night City is very similar to Detroit: same homeless people, same gang violence."
"Why do I feel it's more like Los Angeles or New York?"
"Stop debating; Episode two has started."
"Let's go, I want to know what happens next."
Johnny and Paul continued watching the second episode. To raise surgery fees for his mother, David searched around the house but unexpectedly found a hidden item of hers.
After inspecting it, David realized it was a military-grade Sandevistan implant.
David stared at the implant, lost in thought. The next day, on his way to school, he once again gazed at the holographic goldfish, hoping to see the blonde girl who had been smoking.
But unexpectedly, he didn't see the girl. Instead, he ran into Katsuo Tanaka's gang.
"F*ck! How can Katsuo Tanaka and his gang be so high and mighty, humiliating and insulting David?" Irene was extremely displeased.
Zhao Jack seemed to relate. Chinese people in North American society often occupy the bottom of the social hierarchy. Zhao Jack had encountered many situations like this before, which Irene had never experienced.
"Normal. I understand, Irene; not everyone is as kind as you," Zhao Jack said. "Without absolute strength, you can only choose to endure, choose to smile and not resist."
Irene wasn't happy. "Don't you have any courage?"
"Courage comes with skill, just like David," Zhao Jack pointed at David on the TV.
Katsuo Tanaka became even more outrageous, even insulting David's mother. David could no longer tolerate it and fought back. But Katsuo Tanaka had advanced martial arts chips, and David couldn't win, ending up bloodied.
To make matters worse, the hospital called and said David's mother had passed away.
This marked the story's lowest point, and the audience sank to the same emotional depths as David.
David was at a loss, listening to the doctor speak without emotion, explaining that because they chose the cheapest package, even if the surgery succeeded, there was still a high risk of complications.
Julia Roberts' cameo ended with this dialogue.
Though her screen time was brief, her portrayal of a loving mother was established and provided the motivation for David's transformation.
David wandered home in a daze. The voiceover conveyed constant debt collection reminders: academy system repair fees, apartment rent, and surgery costs.
Coupled with the sad songs quietly sung by Avril Lavigne, the atmosphere reached its peak.
Johnny clenched his fists. "This hellish world… do they even let people live?"
Alex and Valerie were deeply moved. "We used to live in a world like this. We still had the chance to fight for a better life. But David?"
Night City seemed even more hopeless than the real world. The skyscrapers the monorail passed felt like towering mountains, pressing down so heavily that it was hard to breathe.
The suffocating and oppressive emotions reached their peak. If this continued, it was certain the audience would abandon the show.
David carried his mother's urn back to his apartment door, only to find he couldn't enter due to overdue rent. He found the ventilation window next to the bathroom and climbed in through it.
These constant difficulties made David increasingly irritable, but what pushed him over the edge was a call from Katsuo Tanaka.
Katsuo Tanaka said that David's mother had committed crimes so that he could attend a noble academy and even advised David not to repeat his mother's path.
In a fury, David's eyes fell on the Sandevistan implant. He found a cyberware doctor and asked the doctor to implant the Sandevistan into his own body.
After the surgery, David went to school and saw Katsuo Tanaka. Accompanied by intense rock music, he thoroughly beat Katsuo Tanaka in front of the TV audience, releasing his anger.
Back in his apartment, David continued staring at his mother's urn, refusing to believe she had truly died.
Meanwhile, the school board watched the footage of David's beating of Katsuo Tanaka and thought he had some value, deciding to use him as a test subject for a new product.
Viewers watching this became even angrier. Could David really be reduced to a human test subject? But with the Sandevistan implant, he should have the ability to resist, right?
At the same time, this plotline of humans being used as experiments reminded viewers of reality. Many laboratories, like the notorious Fort Detrick, had rumors of people being captured for experiments.
Plotlines that evoke real-world parallels made the audience even more resentful.
Most of the second episode was frustrating, but viewers were still looking forward to it. The director couldn't always abuse the protagonist, right? There had to be a chance for hope.
Johnny had already sworn that if the abuse continued, he would send Gilbert razor blades, funeral wreaths, and block trucks…
The next morning, David, wearing his mother's clothes, wandered the streets alone. On the monorail, while gazing out the window, he unexpectedly saw the blonde girl from that day, stealing an implant.
Finally, Scarlett's scenes appeared. The girl had recently resumed training, filming Iron Man 2, and would soon move on to Captain America.
Tonight happened to be free, so the creators of Iron Man 2 gathered in front of the TV to watch the episode. Scarlett even took a photo and posted it on social media.
Seeing her own formal appearance, she took a selfie, with director Jon Favreau and lead actors Robert Downey Jr. and Kate Beckinsale visible in the background.
"Finally appeared on screen. I hope everyone will like this character."
Not long after posting, there weren't many likes, comments, or shares. Everyone was too absorbed in watching the series to go online.
...
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