New Century Anime Warrior

After saying goodbye to his grandparents and younger sister, Si Hua's parents took Si Hua to board the high-speed train bound for Beijing.

Si Hua is going to report to the National Broadcasting Corporation.

Chen Yu and his family were also traveling with them.

Chen Yu listened to the advice and filled in Renmin University's economics major as his first choice. In this life, he did not fail to get into Xiamen University, nor did he study traditional Chinese medicine.

We can't expect everyone who switches from medicine or pharmacy to shout, "You can't do XXX if you study medicine," can we?

Originally, Zhou Zhe's family was also supposed to join, but this year, students admitted through the recommendation system outside Beijing are required to enroll early, so the final group of middle-aged tourists consisted only of the Si couple and the Chen couple.

Yes, these two pairs of parents actually used the excuse of sending their sons to university to go on a trip.

The two families have already agreed that they will leave their sons at school and then happily go to Zhongdeng to enjoy their time.

Before setting off, Si Hua confirmed that "The Edge Walker" was available on Steam, and then he didn't care anymore, showing a carefree attitude of killing without caring about the consequences.

Indeed, apart from his initial Weibo reply that said "the best is yet to come," he basically did not respond to any wailing or cursing.

"You guys eat eggs, why do you want to know what the hen is thinking?" Si Hua was very sad; he didn't understand.

"...Don't you want to listen to what you're saying?"

Chen Yu couldn't help but complain, "Is this a joke about eggs and hens?"

"But are you really not going to respond to the players? Looks like you've been nerfed pretty badly."

"Let's put it on hold for now. Judging from the Steam backend data, most players have only just reached the part where Mann experiences his cyberbullying disorder. The best is yet to come... If I speak up now, won't I have to respond again once they've actually finished the game?"

Chen Yu was speechless. So you also know how ridiculous the story of "The Edge Walker" is?

Chen Yu and Zhou Zhe are both "beta testers," but the difference is that Zhou Zhe is in Beijing, far away, and can only complain about Si Hua the executioner from afar.

Chen Yu found it very convenient; every morning he would come over and pull back his blanket to express his dissatisfaction.

Especially when he saw Rebecca Sauce, he would come to Tang Huijuan every day and say that he wanted to eat the dishes his godmother made, and then he would order the dishes that Si Hua disliked the most.

When they first started playing, Chen Yu thought that the "Rebecca-chan" that Si Hua mentioned was imitating Xiao Rizi's cute verbal tic, but he never expected that it was literally "chan".

It's hell.

The most lethal thing is when the author himself makes a meme.

"Alright, then take good care of yourself."

I suspect there's something hidden in your words.

-----------------

The editorial department of Next Generation E.

Senior editor Shen Yuan was trying his best to persuade editor-in-chief Leng Bingmo to agree to let him publish a long review of "The Edge Walker".

This is the online media channel under Electronic Soft Magazine. It was originally just an affiliated website of the magazine, mainly to realize the "real-time news" function that the print magazine could not provide.

With the advent of the internet, magazine sales plummeted, marking the twilight of print media.

Fortunately, thanks to this small platform, Electronic Soft Publishing Group successfully transitioned to online platforms by advocating against fast-food culture and cultivating idealism and grassroots culture.

The game "Fringe Walker" is very similar to the "Next Gen E" series.

It is full of elements that defy player expectations, tragic aesthetics, and emphasizes the immersive audiovisual experience, all of which are worth discussing.

Abyss, a veteran editor who has completed the game multiple times and unlocked most of the branching endings, stayed up all night to write a relatively positive review.

But the editor-in-chief still managed to stop it.

To paraphrase Leng Bingmo, you, Shenyuan, wrote thousands of words in a long and satisfying way, but I have much more to consider.

"How about we put this manuscript aside for now? Let me think about it some more?"

Leng Bingmo wiped his glasses: "Even the Steam reviews say the visuals are very gory...sigh."

Leng Bingmo doesn't dislike "The Edge Walker," but the game is filled with content and visuals that could challenge current values, making it too risky.

"Old Leng! This game is worth it! Think about what our domestic game developers are doing?! They're even preparing to remake Blood Lion!"

"Pah, what bad luck!" x2

Upon hearing the name, both of them simultaneously uttered a curse.

"And with all these pop-up ads for browser games and reskinned versions of classic games everywhere, our game is really dying!"

Abyss, in his impatience, slammed his fist on the editor-in-chief's desk again.

The crowd outside the editor-in-chief's office strained to hear the gossip.

"Furthermore, the producer is affiliated with the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League; we shouldn't only focus on the bloodshed and cruelty of this story!"

"I know that, but it's not necessarily a protective charm," Leng Bingmo replied while straightening the materials that had been knocked askew by the abyss.

"It also contains the brilliance of humanity: David's willingness to die for his cause, Lucy's freedom, Mann's perseverance, and so on—these are flowers blooming from the mud!"

"Furthermore, the story is set in a cyberpunk world. What is cyberpunk? Isn't it just a chaotic world after capitalism has reached its extreme?"

"This story is a sharp thorn in the side of the decadent Western world!"

Leng Bingmo rubbed his temples. This abyss was getting more and more outrageous, even bringing up the struggle between forms.

"There's no need for such a grand narrative. After all, we're just a newly transformed online gaming media company."

Hearing the editor-in-chief soften his tone, Abyss also relaxed his voice: "Alright, then let's not dwell on how bloody it is, let's just talk about how moving it is... Is that alright?"

"It's possible."

"Then we can focus on the game's outstanding qualities. Lao Leng, you know how special this game is among domestic games these days... Most importantly, it already had a huge reputation!"

"We can't avoid it."

After saying that, Shenyuan sat down with a thud. He was a bit tipsy, and the editor-in-chief's office fell into silence.

After a long while, Leng Bingmo suddenly said, "I haven't finished this game. Are you sure it's a visual novel where choices don't affect the final ending?"

"Yes, although it has many characteristics of Galgame, including multiple endings, all the branching endings lead to the abrupt end of the story, and without exception, each ending is tragic with the disintegration of the main characters and almost the annihilation of the entire group."

Is this an inevitable consequence of the disorderly expansion of capital, or is it fatalism?

Leng Bingmo tapped the table with her pen. "I agree, but you have to revise the text."

Abyss understood what the editor-in-chief meant: this was to emphasize that it was a game, but it was more than just a game.

-----------------

Just as Si Hua arrived in the capital and completed the enrollment procedures, a game review titled "Since there's no escaping it, let's burn it out!" was reposted by many players.

"This is a one-way ticket to hell."

"Don't ask if the ending is good or bad, and don't dwell on whether the choices are meaningful. Here, the creator just wants to tell everyone that tragedy is the highest form of romance."

"When David gets fitted with more and more prosthetics for Lucy, for the team, and for the unattainable dream of 'going to the moon,' this kind of tragic heroism, which is like an electric current, will pierce through your screen and your heart."

"Don't think about starting over, and don't expect a miracle."

"In Night City, 'unresolved feelings' are already the biggest source of enjoyment."

"Just like in the game, we are born as popcorn, destined to explode in the fire in order to taste that moment of sweetness."

"Get your tissues ready, not only to wipe away the blood David splattered on the screen, but also to wipe away the tears from your eyes. There is no perfect ending in Night City; any choice is destined to be futile."

"This is the most real and extreme world of capitalism."

"I think this is one of the reasons why the creator chose to release it on Steam. He wanted to tell foreigners that they can take up arms against authoritarianism."

"Editor's rating from Next Gen E: 9/10"

"The Edge Walker may not be perfect, but it is powerful enough."

"The Chinese game industry is about to welcome its most controversial creator."

"Finally, to borrow a line from the game, Night City has no living legends."

"But we can choose to become our own legend."