Four days later.
At the Modo airport.
Jing Yu's assistant personally came to pick her up.
Tang Rui followed the assistant to Bluestar Media & Film Company, feeling a bit nervous.
Sure, she had imagined the possibility of being chosen when she agreed to send in her audition tape—just like someone buying a lottery ticket might briefly fantasize about hitting the jackpot. But the odds were what they were. And when you do win… your mental prep means nothing. You're still going to be shocked.
She remembered how, just two days ago, the entire school was buzzing with the news.
"The martial arts performance student Tang Rui has been selected by Jing Yu and invited to Modo City for further talks!"
Even more surprising was that all expenses were covered—plane ticket, food, hotel—and no matter the outcome, she'd be paid 30,000 Great Zhou yuan as a learning disruption stipend.
Tang Rui hadn't expected such terms.
Of course, her roommate Xi Ke—who'd initially urged her to apply—was dumbfounded too.
She'd thought she was dragging a cannon-fodder classmate into the mix, so even if she failed the audition, it wouldn't be embarrassing. But this?
Jing Yu really picked her?
The dorm atmosphere had been… weird ever since. Tang Rui felt a little uncomfortable about it.
Modo City in June was blazing with sunlight.
Tang Rui took a deep breath as she stepped out of the car.
She was led to Jing Yu's office.
The moment she walked in—
She saw him.
The legendary screenwriter whose works she'd followed faithfully for the past three years. Not a single show missed. A top-five regular on the Great Zhou's most popular male stars list. A musical genius whose songs frequently dominated the top ten charts.
And that face…
Handsome. Even more so than on screen.
Her heart immediately started racing. Not out of fangirl delusion—she was surrounded by attractive men in her circles—but a man like Jing Yu, who was both this talented and this attractive? That was rare.
Especially since she was his fan. Meeting him felt like a fan meeting their idol.
Meanwhile, the man across from her…
Was studying her carefully.
Just when Tang Rui started to feel the awkward silence stretch a bit too far—
Jing Yu finally spoke.
"Would you mind putting on some makeup?"
"Huh?"
"I mean… put on Artoria's costume. Then try out a quick audition."
Still a bit stunned, Tang Rui nodded quickly.
She was led to the changing room, where a female staffer helped her into a specially-made Artoria costume.
Though not actual armor, it was designed to be lightweight yet still have heft to it. Wearing it gave Tang Rui a palpable sense of pressure.
After makeup and wardrobe were done, she looked at herself in the full-length mirror—
And was surprised.
Damn… I look cool.
Elegant, sharp, and noble—her look meshed with the armor in an unexpectedly perfect way.
No wonder this is a big production. This costume alone must cost six figures…
She mentally estimated the cost.
Jing Yu, upon seeing her—
I was stunned too.
What the hell… she looks this much like her?!
At this point, Jing Yu had pretty much made up his mind.
Acting could be coached. But this looks?
Maybe not 100% perfect, but close enough that he had no illusions about finding someone better in the coming days.
With the costume on, her match rate shot to 90%—easily.
"Um… Director Jing Yu? How long are you going to stare…?"
Tang Rui asked timidly.
"You… your info says you have martial arts performance training, right?"
Jing Yu glanced around the room, spotting an old prop sword from a past shoot for 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal'.
He picked it up, then looked at Tang Rui.
"Try it. Don't worry, it's a prop. No sharp edge. Attack me."
Ten minutes later, Tang Rui was gasping for breath, propping herself up on the sword.
What the hell was that? Why am I sparring with Jing Yu using prop swords—and why am I getting destroyed?!
"Ah, sorry about that." Jing Yu finally realized he'd gone a bit overboard and composed himself.
Truthfully, her stamina was average, but her movements were sharp and camera-friendly. That was enough.
He didn't need someone with Servant-tier combat skills to play Artoria.
He got straight to the point.
"If I told you I want you to play Artoria—the female lead of 'Fate/Zero'—what would you think?"
"Huh?"
Tang Rui's heart jumped into overdrive.
He really picked me?
She wasn't naïve. If she hadn't been open to playing the role, she wouldn't have come to Modo. Sure, she'd almost backed out of submitting the video, but that was mostly due to low confidence—like someone who doesn't buy lottery tickets because they think they'll never win.
But if they do buy one out of the blue and hit the jackpot, only a fool wouldn't cash it in.
Yes, she looked like Artoria. But that didn't mean her temperament or philosophy matched the character. She was just a regular person with simple goals.
She'd envisioned a future working in a stage troupe, never once considering stardom.
But now, this opportunity was right in front of her.
She had no reason to say no.
Seeing her straightforward response and lack of "playing hard to get," Jing Yu's opinion of her rose a little more.
Since both parties were clearly interested in working together, Jing Yu didn't bother beating around the bush.
He pulled out one of several prepared contract templates.
In reality, all the contracts had similar terms—just different emphasis.
But all of them had one hard requirement:
A long-term contract, with no short-duration option.
Jing Yu avoided signing long-term contracts with TV stations because he had the leverage—his fame came from his own work. He had the freedom to be picky. When you have talent or money, you get to be willful.
Tang Rui, however, was different.
Yes, she was beautiful. She might find a bit of fame on her own.
But being the female lead in a production with a 200 million yuan budget from the get-go? That was on a whole other level.
Left to her own devices, it might take ten years to land a second or third-lead role in a project of this scale—if she was lucky.
Jing Yu didn't want her playing Artoria now, only to demand 10x salary for future entries in the Fate franchise.
That would be… irritating.
Like the 'Avengers' actors in his past life, many rose to stardom through the MCU, and eventually, Marvel couldn't afford their fees. So they had to kill off characters and reboot the team.
The contract content was fairly standard per the Great Zhou's entertainment laws.
The difference?
Jing Yu wasn't a greedy producer. He didn't trap people in restrictive clauses.
He just wanted to protect his IP.
"Ten-year contract. During this period, you'll need Bluestar Media's approval to participate in any other productions. You'll also be required to appear in any promotional materials related to Artoria or the Fate series."
Tang Rui read through the contract.
It was essentially a signing deal with Bluestar Media.
But it wasn't harsh.
If she wanted to leave, she could terminate the contract without penalty—but she wouldn't be allowed to work for other production companies.
That was the catch.
Then she saw the payment section: 2.4 million yuan.
Her breathing hitched.
That was an astronomical sum for a college sophomore from a middle-class family.
"From my perspective," Jing Yu said, pouring herself a cup of coffee, "I'd never sign this contract."
"Because my next ten years are worth a hundred… a thousand times more than two million."
"But for you—it might not be."
He looked at her seriously.
"Sure, the contract has restrictions. But for anyone living a normal life, those clauses won't be an issue."
"But what if I sign it and then get shelved after this show ends?" Tang Rui asked. "The contract gives me no leverage."
"True. But that's a problem after you're famous. And if you don't take this role, you probably won't get famous."
Jing Yu was blunt.
To him, Tang Rui wasn't necessarily suited to acting in general—just perfectly suited to playing Artoria.
He could guarantee she'd get famous with 'Fate/Zero', but for other roles? Who knew.
"You know Yu Youqing, right? Great looks, solid acting, trained in formal performance. Yet she graduated two years ago and still doesn't get cast."
"And I'm not a ruthless boss. I don't exploit my actors. As long as I'm creating, I give priority to my own people—Yu Youqing, Xia Yining… and if you sign, you."
"Sure, there's a non-zero chance that ten years from now, I stop making shows. Maybe I'll go travel the world or something. But for now—I have no plans to stop."
"Think it over. I'll give you two days. If I don't hear back, we'll move on to someone else."
He said no more, personally escorting her out of the building.
Back in his office, Cheng Lie walked in.
"First time I've seen you skip shooting just to meet a student actor. I take it this Tang Rui really lives up to your vision for Artoria?"
"She does."
"You're just letting her fly back to the capital? Not worried she'll change her mind?"
"No. She won't."
"Why not?"
"Because she's not stupid. If she wants to enter this industry, she won't find a better offer than mine. If she says no, it means she's not ready—maybe she's still attached to her current field of martial arts performance."
"I'm not the type to force people. I'll respect her decision."
"Cheng Lie, things are gonna get hectic. We're just over a week away from the 'Fate/Zero' shoot."
"Got it. Don't worry."
They both let the Tang Rui topic drop.
The next day, just as Jing Yu predicted—
He got the call.
Tang Rui had accepted the contract.
She became the third signed artist under Jing Yu's company.
With that settled—
Time quietly moved into late June.