The name Cyberpunk: Edgerunners had already exploded across the entire internet.
There was no longer any doubt about it.
On BiliZone, the series broke through ten million views in a single day. Three million virtual tips flooded in. Hundreds of thousands of comments filled the screen. All of this happened within twenty-four hours.
Of course, platform promotion played a role. BiliZone's homepage recommendation was the strongest promotional weapon in the animation industry. With nearly one hundred million daily visits, once something was pushed to the front page, it became unstoppable.
But promotion alone could not create a phenomenon.
The song I Really Want to Stay At Your House completely broke out of the anime circle and crossed into mainstream culture. On short-video platforms, on BiliZone, and across social feeds, creators used the song to edit scenes of David and Lucy. Clips of their journey, their rooftop talks, and especially their final kiss beneath the full moon, were shared again and again.
Lucy's dream was never just the moon.
Her dream was him.
The first viral edit came from a mid-tier animation creator. He stitched together David's growth, Lucy's quiet vulnerability, and the final tragic embrace in episode ten. When the chorus rose and Lucy's tears fell, the comment section exploded.
Then more edits followed.
And more.
And more.
Inside Northstar's office, Ethan Reed leaned back in his chair, watching the numbers rise.
Twenty-six million had been spent.
It was worth every single cent.
Premium subscriptions had not yet recovered the cost, but that didn't matter anymore. Edgerunners had become a nationwide hit. Viewers from other platforms who wanted to watch the full episodes had only one choice.
They had to come to BiliZone.
They had to subscribe.
That night, the head of BiliZone was praised by his superiors. As an anime enthusiast himself, he could only smile and say that carefully studying the story before purchasing the license had been the right move.
Unlike many corporate executives, he genuinely loved animation.
This wave?
This wave was profit while lying down.
And he had already made up his mind.
He would keep a close eye on Northstar Games.
The moment Northstar or Mooncrest Studio made their next move, he would personally rush to negotiate the copyright.
---
Meanwhile, far away from boardrooms and market strategies, someone else was staring at a small screen in a dim apartment.
Her name was Kesi.
Real name: Mu Wan.
Twenty-one years old.
A high school dropout who once believed music could save her.
For two years she had streamed online. She refused to show her face. She only sang. No flirting. No suggestive behavior. No attention-seeking tactics.
Her monthly income barely reached the equivalent of survival wages.
Sometimes she ate properly.
Sometimes she didn't.
She had begun considering applying for a job at a milk tea shop.
Then Ethan Reed contacted her.
At first, she thought it was a scam.
But the identity verification was real.
Lead Planner of Northstar Games.
The name carried weight. Even if she didn't play games, she saw his projects constantly trending in streaming circles.
The offer?
Record one song.
Payment: fifty thousand.
That amount equaled her entire yearly income.
She agreed immediately.
Contracts were signed electronically. A flight ticket was sent. A studio address attached.
When she arrived, she was scolded.
Harshly.
The vocal coach criticized her breathing.
The arranger told her she rushed every emotional rise.
The instrument instructor corrected her guitar posture repeatedly.
But none of it felt humiliating.
It felt… serious.
For the first time, professionals treated her like someone worth investing in.
For a week she trained.
For a week she improved.
When recording finished, she received fifty-two thousand. Two thousand extra for travel.
Then silence.
Half a month passed.
No release.
She wondered if they had discarded her version.
Until Edgerunners aired.
In episode two's ending credits, her voice began to play.
Her heart nearly stopped.
Then episode ten arrived.
Lucy and David floated above the city skyline.
They kissed in silence.
The song rose.
"I really want to stay at your house…"
She cried that night.
She did not sleep.
The next morning, her Official Blog follower count jumped from three hundred to over twenty thousand.
A random post she once made — a photo of an orange cat in the studio — now had thousands of comments.
"Is this really you who sang it?"
"You're amazing!"
"You endured so much for your dream!"
"The Edgerunners army has arrived!"
Mu Wan stared at the screen.
Her hands trembled.
Her eyes reddened.
She pressed the phone to her chest and whispered:
"I think… I'm really famous."
"Mom… I'm trying my best."
---
Back at Northstar's headquarters in Lumen City, another expansion was taking shape.
The so-called Science and Technology Building was nothing more than a modest office structure in a third-tier city. But Northstar had quietly taken over.
Seventh floor.
Then sixth.
Now third, fourth, and fifth.
Five floors total.
They were officially the largest tenant.
Ethan stood with Vivian Frost, Rachel Quinn, and Daniel inside the newly cleared third floor.
"Third floor will be Mooncrest Studio's animation department," Ethan said calmly. "Fourth floor will be the music department. Fifth floor we'll leave for future expansion."
Vivian raised an eyebrow.
"The fourth floor is a thousand square meters. We only have thirteen people from the recording team. Isn't that excessive?"
"It won't stay thirteen," Ethan replied. "We need audio managers, market analysts, composers, lyricists. We can't rely on outsourced teams forever."
Rachel looked uneasy.
Northstar was a game company.
Now it had an animation department.
Now a music department.
What exactly were they building?
Daniel, however, understood.
Games and music were inseparable.
Every major gaming giant had in-house music production.
Northstar needed control over its sound.
Edgerunners had proven that.
Vivian sniffed and leaned casually against Ethan.
"So… are we recruiting artists too?" she asked playfully.
"Yes," Ethan smiled. "A music department without singers is just an empty room."
At that exact moment, a cautious voice came from behind them.
"Excuse me… is this Northstar?"
They turned.
A tall, sweet-faced girl stood at the entrance.
Mu Wan.
Vivian instinctively assessed her like a rival.
Long legs.
Bright eyes.
Soft curves.
Then Ethan laughed and gently tapped Vivian's head.
"Boss, the singer you wanted is here."
Vivian froze.
Oh.
Employee.
Not enemy.
She immediately switched expressions and stepped forward with a brilliant smile.
"Welcome to Northstar. This will be the best decision of your life."
Mu Wan bowed slightly.
They went upstairs to the seventh floor office to finalize her contract.
After the signing was complete, Vivian stood up dramatically.
She looked around at Ethan, Mu Wan, Daniel, and Rachel.
Then she clapped once.
"From today onward—"
Her voice rang through the office.
"Northstar Music Department is officially established!"
Everyone applauded.
Ethan smiled calmly.
Mu Wan clapped shyly, still unable to fully believe she now belonged to a company that had shaken the entire internet.
Daniel clapped with quiet confidence.
Only Rachel maintained a complicated expression.
Northstar Games.
Mooncrest Studio.
Northstar Music Department.
This was no longer a simple game company.
This was becoming something much larger.
And somewhere beyond the glass windows of Lumen City, the neon skyline reflected the truth:
Northstar had taken its first step toward building its own empire.
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