『Clannad Episode 4 becomes legendary – fan praise skyrockets, Yindou Net's rating jumps from 8.8 to 9.2 in just three days.』
『Nobody expected this: only weeks into the summer season, the two most underestimated shows—'Kaiji' and 'Clannad'—have both exploded in popularity.』
『Qingyun Network's registered user base surpasses 40 million, now the most subscribed streaming site in all of Great Zhou.』
『Limited-time half-price promotion on 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' brings another sales surge.』
『A month into the summer drama season, the top two rated shows remain Jing Yu's. When, if ever, will someone finally beat him head-on?』
『Jing Yu might become the final boss of screenwriting—every single drama since his debut has gone viral. The industry is gripped by "Jing Yu-phobia," with top screenwriters deliberately avoiding the quarters where his shows air—to spare themselves the humiliation.』
What nobody in the industry saw coming was—
Right on the heels of the critical explosion of 'Kaiji' Episode 4, 'Clannad' also ignited a firestorm of discussion after its fourth episode.
The actress who played Fuko gained over a million followers overnight on Qingyun Blog platform.
Industry insiders didn't even know how to respond. Some had previously mocked 'Clannad' for its "slow and bland" early plot—but now? Those critics were being roasted into ashes by Jing Yu's fans, who had seized the chance to hit back hard.
Just like that, the calendar turned to May.
'Kaiji' surpassed eight million average views per episode, while 'Clannad', boosted by its word-of-mouth revival, rose from barely over three million to five million average views.
In early May, revenue from Qingyun Network's release of 『5 Centimeters per Second』 was distributed—240 million yuan in total.
With that money finally hitting the books, Jing Yu felt a massive weight lift from his shoulders.
After all, most of the funds he'd previously earned had been invested into buying Qingyun Network shares, into early VFX development for Fate, and into producing 'Clannad' and 'Kaiji'. The company's cash reserves had gotten pretty tight.
But now—
With funds back in hand, Jing Yu operated with renewed boldness.
He began contacting the VFX studio more frequently, raising the production standards to exacting heights. The team lead on their side was already overwhelmed.
Meanwhile—
Cheng Lie launched a nationwide casting call for 'Fate/Zero'.
Jing Yu knew full well: this story was massive. Even though this project focused only on 'Fate/Zero', it might not end there.
If the show exploded in popularity, there could be a game adaptation, spin-offs, and other derivative works.
So from the start, they had to plan casting and contracts accordingly—duration, appearance clauses, compensation, and more.
Jing Yu wasn't stingy. Big-name stars invited to join 'Fate/Zero' would be paid at full market rates. But he also needed to prevent them from asking for sky-high fees later on if they were brought back for sequels or promotions tied to the Fate franchise.
At the very least, the roles that needed special attention included:
Artoria Pendragon (Saber)
Kiritsugu Emiya (who would also appear in 'Fate/stay night')
If the franchise expanded, those characters had to be perfectly cast from the beginning.
All of these clauses would be clearly outlined in the initial contracts.
Of course, to most actors, none of this was a big problem. What really caught their attention was—
This is reportedly Jing Yu's biggest-budget drama to date.
Estimates placed the budget at over 200 million yuan.
And not over two seasons—just one.
This kind of funding was rare even for the top three networks, let alone a screenwriter-turned-producer working independently.
While the rest of the industry looked on with jealousy at how Jing Yu had broken away from Yunteng TV and now printed money like a mint—
Countless actors with free schedules across Great Zhou were getting ready to move.
Jing Yu's assistants, Cheng Lie, and even Cheng Lie's assistant were being flooded daily with resumes. No outreach necessary—the actors came to them, pulling strings in the industry to get Jing Yu's attention.
So in terms of casting, things were smooth.
The real challenge was—
Jing Yu and Cheng Lie had already begun selecting actors for 'Fate/Zero' during the filming of 'Clannad' and 'Kaiji'.
And finally—
Cheng Lie got his hands on the full 'Fate/Zero' script, which Jing Yu had kept tightly under wraps until now.
And then—
"Jing Yu... this script is surprisingly bold! A completely original fantasy world—aren't you worried that your audience might not be able to connect with it?" Cheng Lie had to admit—he was blown away by the sheer creativity.
Servants. Masters. Heroic Spirit summoning.
But there was something else he wanted to ask.
"So… Arthur? Alexander the Great? These names sound epic, sure. But they're all fictional history in your fantasy world. Don't you think... that might be a bit hard for the audience to relate to?"
"I know what you mean—immersion, right?" Jing Yu smiled.
"Yeah, it's definitely a concern. But I honestly think it's fine. The truth is, Artoria is just Artoria, Alexander is just Alexander. Their names might be borrowed from real history, but audiences won't care about that. They won't fall in love with these characters because of some real-world legacy—they'll love them because of the story, the design, the characterization."
"If I replaced their names with historical figures from Great Zhou's past, it might add a slight boost in relatability, sure. But would it actually increase their charm? Probably not. And it introduces risks."
After all, in his past life, Jing Yu didn't care one bit about Western mythos, yet he still thought:
"Iskander is so cool. Gilgamesh is so cool. Artoria is amazing."
The allure came from the characters, not their historical namesakes.
Because of this, Jing Yu didn't attempt a "Great Zhou-fied" version of 'Fate/Zero'. That would introduce far too many hazards.
For instance:
Who would Artoria be based on? A female emperor from history? What if he cast her as a foreign figure? A powerful monarch who was a woman in this version?
That would definitely be labeled as disrespecting history. He could get sued by foreign organizations. And if he modified Great Zhou's own emperors… their descendants might literally show up at the studio the next day to tear the place down.
In his past life, many historical figures had living descendants. In Great Zhou, emperors did too.
Why risk it?
Better to keep the original setting.
Just treat his previous life's world as this series's alternate universe.
"But," Jing Yu added after a pause,
"You're right about one thing—immersion is important. A fully fictional world doesn't hit as hard as one with some historical hooks. I'll address that. During script development, I'll write fictionalized historical events for 'Blue Star'—the world in the drama—to fill in its lore."
"Oh! Like releasing them alongside the show in a companion guidebook? Or exclusive content only available to streaming subscribers? That could bring in extra revenue!" Cheng Lie nodded enthusiastically.
"It's not about the money," Jing Yu corrected him.
"I know—it's about the viewer experience." Cheng Lie grinned.
The outcome was the same.
"By the way, Jing Yu, have you talked to Qingyun Network yet? Are they okay with you having this third show air simultaneously on both their platform and broadcast TV?"
The issue was simple: Jing Yu's existing contract with Qingyun Network included exclusive streaming rights.
If Qingyun Network agreed to let 'Fate/Zero' also air on TV, then Qingyun Video would remain the exclusive streaming host.
If not—
From a business standpoint, Cheng Lie preferred a multi-platform release: Qingyun Video, Qiezi Video, Jixun Video, and Yunteng TV—all four at once.
"Their response was... they'll think about it," said Jing Yu.
"What about Yunteng TV?"
"They agreed, but they lowered the licensing fee."
Naturally, non-exclusive rights always cost less.
But Jing Yu didn't care.
A million or two in the difference—chump change compared to the potential fanbase expansion.
Every new viewer who watched this drama meant more potential revenue from merchandise and spin-offs.
Compared to that, licensing fees were pocket change.
So Jing Yu and Cheng Lie spent the day hashing out contract details and finalizing the roadmap for the company's next phase.