Chapter 18: early popularity
Time passes gradually.
For Lin Qingshan, life went on normally.
It is neither very lively nor very ordinary.
In addition to having Pochita as a partner in his life, he also has two regular guests, Gu Qianli and Ayumi Ito.
Because of Pochita, Gu Qianli and Lin Qingshan always find a day to visit Pochita on weekends.
As for Ayumi Ito, this girl from Japan probably visits Lin Qingshan, a foreigner who knew a little about the Japanese region, probably because he did not have many friends in the city.
With the arrival of the winter holidays, Gu Qianli, a college student, went straight home to spend the holidays.
Lin Qingshan did not know where Gu Qianli was from. In any case, this rich lady was not a native of Shanghai.
But that has nothing to do with him.
And Ayumi Ito also returned home during Chinese New Year.
For Lin Qingshan, there is nothing worth celebrating during the New Year in this world.
Being alone but still with Pochita, he opened several cans especially for Pochita on New Year's day.
Make Pochita spin with joy.
After the New Year, Gu Qianli and Ayumi Ito returned to Shanghai one after another.
In addition, Lin Qingshan's " Edgerunner " is still serialized normally and its popularity fluctuates, but it is still within the normal range.
The lowest popularity was at sixteenth place, and the highest was the newly serialized episode episode seven.
…
Gu Qianli took the lead in the opening of the latest issue of "Comic World". She directly found the page number of the last serialization of "Edgerunner" based on the catalog.
The plot of the sixth episode of the previous series was arranged by Lin Qingshan to stay at David's residence when he was invited by Lucy.
Lucy obviously comes across as a heroine. Her stylish hair color and unique short hair break the long-haired style of ordinary comic book heroines, and at the same time she also gives people an attractive appearance.
When Gu Qianli saw this person grabbing the ponytail from his back, he couldn't help but wonder, does Lin Qingshan prefer short hair?
She thought no more and continued reading.
The title of this episode is "the Moon".
Gu Qianli didn't think much and just kept reading.
Lucy took David to her drab but cyberpunk residence and took out two bottles of beer.
"You don't mind if I only have beer here, do you?"
Lucy said with a laugh.
David was obviously embarrassed and uncomfortable and said, "I don't care."
Then he toasted Lucy, " cheers... congratulations."
At this moment, Lucy lit a cigarette first, and her photo was filled with a historical sense.
However, the next moment David took a sip of beer, choked and coughed violently.
Seeing this, Lucy said jokingly: "really? Is this your first time drinking?"
"I'm fine with alcohol, I just don't like the smell of soda and cigarettes."
David said helplessly.
"There are still people like that now ..."
Lucy said with a smile.
"I didn't lie to you!"
David explained quickly.
"It's so bad... your clothes are bad too, take them off!"
Lucy pointed to her yellow coat and said provocatively.
David was surprised, but after Lucy's repeated requests, he took it off.
However, Lucy placed it directly on herself, then turned her back to David and modified the pattern on her back right in front of David.
"Don't write randomly."
David was a little nervous, but the next moment two cursive English words appeared on the back of his yellow coat.
"Edge ...runner"
Edgerunner, this is a straightforward phrase, but what does it mean specifically?
Gu Qianli continued to read with curiosity.
"Another name for cyberpunk."
Lucy said: "you want to be like that, don't you?"
David smiled and said, "Actually, I'm a big fan of the"Edgerunner " series. "
"Yes?"
"So, what's with that cheesy poster of yours?"
David looked at a poster on Lucy's bedroom wall.
The poster is a bit old. It shows an astronaut pointing to the moon and has large English characters: "your new life is waiting for you!"
However, Lucy's face instantly turned cold, "do you have any objections?"
"No objection. David hastily explained, " advertisements always promote glamorous havens that disgust me. I mean, how many people sacrificed themselves to develop the moon."
"Compared to paradise, it's more like a dark hell."
"You seem to know a lot... Lucy's expression softened suddenly and she joked.
"Arasaka Academy taught me lessons that would never be reflected in advertising."
"As expected of a playboy who can afford to go to the gym."
"No!"
…
Faced with Lucy's provocations, David gradually became serious. He took a sip of beer and said:"... I shouldn't have gone to Arasaka Academy, but my mother worked hard to let me go to that school. I'll never be one of them."
"Then why do you still want to go to Arasaka Academy?"
"There's no way... I have to go to college to work at Arasaka Company and climb the corporate pyramid."
David's eyes were a little confused and lost, "at least that was my mother's wish or dream..."
"That's why."
This was not his dream, but it was his mother's dream, so he tried so hard to study at the Arasaka Academy.
When Gu Qianli saw this, he seemed to feel even heavier as he looked at David.
David has no dreams of his own and has always lived with his mother's dreams behind his back. However, her mother died not so long ago.
"But this is someone else's dream."
Lucy stood up, looked at each other with David and said.
"other people?"
"You and your mother are two different people. Why do you want to live to fulfill her desire?"
Lucy said confused.
"That is... wrong?"David said confused.
"Your own dreams shouldn't belong to anyone else."
"Speak as if you have already found it."
David said with a smile.
Then the screen turned to the old poster of going to the moon, and David said, incredulous: "isn't it?"
Lucy looked out the window at the neon night scene of Night City and her eyes reflected in the glass.
"You think it's hell... but for me, that's hell."
Outside the window, the busy night view of Night City is well lit and built with special colors, as if this is what Night City really looks like at night.
In contrast, Lucy's sad eyes were obvious.
Even looking into her eyes, Gu Qianli felt a growing sadness.
The heroine Lucy...does she have her own story?
"Here?"
David asked.
"I just want to fly away. Lucy said, answering the question.
The scene changes to a composition of Lucy and David sitting together, and Lucy says, "Let me show you something."
Then the next storyboard scene showed the two picking up what appeared to be the immersion chip and then lying in bed, their eyes glowing with a pink light.
The next scene shows David and Lucy appearing on the desolate surface of the moon.
"What an incredible resolution! The sun is so hot!"
David said surprised.
"This is to allow you to feel the heat of the sun through your personal link, but if it were the actual temperature of the sun, you would be burned directly. I have adjusted to a level that ordinary people can adapt to."
Lucy said with a smile.
David levitated directly into the virtual world at this time. Seeing David start walking directly, Lucy smiled happily at this.
"Not bad."
"It's amazing."
"Right."
"Follow me."
…
The two began playing on the virtual surface of the moon and David followed Lucy. Suddenly, Lucy's hand on her back made a nodding motion to David.
Looking at Lucy's slender back, let alone David in the comics, even Gu Qianli found this scene very cute.
She did not know that in "Edgerunners" any sweetness would eventually turn into a fatal knife.
Just when David was hesitant to step forward and shake hands, Lucy grabbed his arm directly.
The two were having fun on the moon, and the scene where Lucy and David jumped up and seemed to be crossing the lunar base was even more beautiful.
It can only be said that the ability to draw master level is so strong that Lin Qingshan manages to directly reproduce the exquisite scenes of the anime almost with his own body.
While this sweet plot is still going on, the next moment...
"It's over! You idiot!"
In the real world, David suddenly woke up while lying in the big bed.
Lucy next to her smoked a cigarette with an indifferent expression.
A group of mercenaries who didn't look like good people looked at him, and then the big man in front looked at him and flashed a malicious smile.
"Boy! Sorry to get in the way of your pleasure, but the implant in your body is mine!"
"Now it's time to return the property to its original owner!"
David was directly defeated by the great leading man!
The final scene was of the rocket taking off over Night City, as if it were heading towards the moon.
"That's over."
…
After watching this plot, Gu Qianli was shocked for a moment.
David was... fooled by heroin?
Were those sweet plots a lie?
It's really unexpected... Gu Qianli was a little helpless.
How could ordinary people arrange the plot like this? Lin Qingshan's arrangement is truly unique.
Or is Lucy not the heroine? Is there anyone else?
It can only be said that even Gu Qianli, as a senior ACG enthusiast who has read so many comics and animations, has never seen such a plot arrangement.
Highlight an unexpected...
However, she recognized the great man who beat David. He was the "Mann " who asked David to compete in the Lin Qingshan drawing she had seen before.
In this case, David should be fine, and it seems that the follow-up is David joining the team?
(End of Chapter)