Episode 10 of Kaiji ended with Tonegawa, after his defeat, being ordered by the chairman to kneel and apologize on a scorching iron plate.
But viewers were still reeling from the episode's intense plot.
"Watching this show makes me feel like I'm just not smart enough."
"I thought I figured out Kaiji's trick, and assumed Tonegawa had too—that he noticed the card switch. But I never expected Kaiji to actually switch the card. It was all a feint!"
"Director Jing Yu is incredible. You can never predict where his stories are going."
"His plots never follow clichés. Everyone assumed Kaiji tricked Tonegawa by switching cards, but it turned out to be something else entirely."
"I need to rewatch this episode. It was too damn good."
"Same here."
"Honestly, just being an ordinary person feels nice. If I were in Kaiji, I'd be dead by episode two."
"But here's the thing—Kaiji is so capable, why was his life such a mess before he encountered the Teiai Group? Scraping by on card games, slashing car tires, and stealing hood ornaments to vent his rage?"
"Guess that's just part of the character Jing Yu designed for him. He's the type who explodes under pressure—he dares to bet his life at the gambling table. It's hard to believe someone like him would be crushed by society."
"Exactly. Look at the 'Restricted Rock-Paper-Scissor Arc',' the 'Steel Beam Crossing Arc,' and now the 'E-Card Arc'—Kaiji's greatest strength is his psychological resilience. A person like that being a loser in society? That's the only thing in the show that feels off."
"Or maybe Kaiji's not lacking in ability—it's just that society's rules and hidden systems of exploitation are so entrenched that even someone as capable as him can't rise above. But gambling tables are different. If you expose your opponent's cheat, you can turn the situation in your favor. In society, even if you see through the truth, what good does it do? You still get crushed."
"That… actually makes a lot of sense."
"Yeah. Suddenly, gambling to the death almost feels like the easier route."
'Kaiji' is that kind of show. It may not be some once-in-a-generation masterpiece, but every arc peels back the layers of human nature—raw and brutal.
These are truths we all understand in theory. But witnessing them unfold firsthand hits differently.
That Monday night, 'Kaiji's tenth episode had viewers buzzing late into the night.
The discussions ran well past midnight.
The next day, Episode 10 of 'Clannad' also aired smoothly.
Compared to 'Kaiji's nearly 13 million average views per episode, 'Clannad' lagged a bit behind—but it was steadily approaching 9 million per episode.
Still, these results meant that Qingyun Video had secured a decisive edge over both Qiezi Video and Jixun Video in the streaming wars.
Those two platforms had also aired some original dramas during the summer, but compared to 'Kaiji' and 'Clannad', their performance was mediocre at best.
Jixun's romance series "Clear Skies" had aired eleven episodes so far, averaging just over five million paid views per episode. Qiezi's workplace drama "Path Forward!" was even worse, barely hitting four million, plus the reviews labeled both shows as thoroughly average.
It confirmed what the platforms already suspected: viewers are honest. They flock to wherever the best content is.
And this early competition for user attention is about shaping habit. If a viewer gets used to opening one app every week, then even if another platform later releases something great, it'll be much harder to lure them away.
Just like in Jing Yu's previous life, fans who got used to watching anime on Bilibili rarely jumped ship to Tencent or iQIYI.
The other two platforms were growing anxious. After all, Qingyun Video had entered a honeymoon phase with Jing Yu after agreeing to give him a stake in the company.
Now, Qingyun Video's registered users have surpassed 40 million, ranking first among the Big Three platforms.
Back in January, that number was only around 20 million. In just six months...
Understandably, the higher-ups at Qiezi and Jixun were getting nervous.
But just then—
A message from Jing Yu's team sparked a sudden surge of energy.
"'Fate/Zero' isn't going to be exclusively on Qingyun Video? Is it going to be broadcast both on TV and online?"
"Seriously?"
"They're asking if we're interested in a partnership? Is that even a question?"
"Of course, we'll work with them! Even if it doesn't make us money! There are only three major streaming sites in the Great Zhou. If we say no, it'll basically end up as another Qingyun Video exclusive."
"Exactly. But seriously, how is it that the entire TV industry—hell, the whole streaming industry—is being played like a fiddle by a guy in his twenties?"
"That's just how it goes sometimes. It's not the people at the bottom who change the game—it's the most talented few at the top. So far, no one in the Great Zhou can compete head-on with Jing Yu. Right now, he's number one in the eyes of drama fans. More and more viewers aren't loyal to platforms anymore—they follow him."
"And who could blame them? If someone else had debuted and released over a dozen hit movies and dramas in just three or four years, they'd have the same influence. But can anyone else even manage that? It's not just the quality of Jing Yu's work—it's the quantity. He's unrivaled in the Great Zhou's entertainment industry."
After reviewing the proposal from Jing Yu's side, both Jixun Video and Qiezi Video quickly agreed to let 'Fate/Zero' stream simultaneously on their platforms.
It wasn't a hard decision. Refusing meant giving Qingyun another exclusive win—at least in the digital space.
So in the end, everything unfolded exactly as Jing Yu had anticipated.
Meanwhile—
After 'Clannad' Episode 10 aired, word spread quickly across the film and acting departments of several well-known performing arts universities in the Great Zhou.
Many students received an internal notice from their professors or department heads:
"Jing Yu—the industry giant of today's entertainment scene in the Great Zhou—is casting for 'Fate/Zero', his biggest-budget production to date."
"The female lead hasn't been finalized yet."
Any interested students could request the audition script from the 'Fate/Zero' production team, record their performances on video, and submit them via the department, which would forward the materials to the production team's official inbox.
To the general public, this news might not mean much.
But to film students, it meant everything.
This—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The entertainment industry, compared to any normal career path, is brutal.
An average person can buy a lottery ticket for two yuan and become a millionaire overnight. But in the entertainment world, it takes connections just to get your face or name in front of a major writer or producer.
An open casting like this—with no need for connections, just looks and talent?
Even if it was only a video audition, it was practically a miracle.
Forget about the odds. Every single student who chose this major dreams of becoming a star. Do you think they care about probability?
No. As long as the chance isn't zero, and they meet the submission requirements, they'll spend a day or two diving into the script and filming their auditions.
What puzzled many, though, was this—
Previously, several top-tier celebrities had vied for roles in 'Fate/Zero', going so far as to backstab and leak dirt on each other. That drama even trended on the Great Zhou's entertainment news weekly.
So how is it that the female lead still hasn't been cast?
But that only made the students more excited.
That meant those top stars… had been rejected.
If they were selected instead, it would be the ultimate jackpot—instant fame, media frenzy, and a meteoric rise.