After entering December, Jing Yu shifted his full focus to promoting 'Fate/Zero'.
Unlike the previous shoot-as-you-air format, 'Fate/Zero' adopted a style more like the broadcasting model from Jing Yu's previous life in China.
Most of the series had already been filmed, and the team was now in the relaxation phase.
The only difference was that while the main filming was largely completed, the post-production company was still working overtime on the special effects for the last five or six episodes.
However, the promotional work for the series was the real grind.
Every fan event felt more like a cosplay convention. Jing Yu's dazzling golden armor looked impressive, but it was anything but comfortable to wear. On top of that, at these events, fans had every excuse to get handsy with him under the pretense of "being curious about the armor"—not something he could easily complain about.
That said, as these events continued, anticipation for the show within the Great Zhou drama fan community only grew stronger.
Entertainment news outlets were more than happy to feed the hype, actively framing 'Fate/Zero' as a major challenger to the Big Three TV networks.
After all, Jing Yu hadn't released a single project on TV in over a year. Although 'Clannad' was airing this season on Chenghai TV, most people had already seen it last quarter. So while the ratings remained solid—reaching 6.5%—they began to plateau, and the show now ranked third on the winter season drama chart.
Naturally, 'Fate/Zero' became the media's favorite subject for aggressive coverage.
Without Jing Yu, the Great Zhou television industry had gone stagnant, reverting to the Big Three networks' decade-long dominance.
Drama quality was hit-or-miss and full of tired formulas. Both industry professionals and viewers alike were looking forward to Jing Yu shaking things up again with another high-quality, innovative production that could give the Big Three a run for their money.
Although 'Fate/Zero' would stream simultaneously on TV and online platforms, the media intentionally ignored that fact and continued to emphasize a showdown between 'Fate/Zero' and the Big Three's flagship spring dramas in the ratings war.
As a result, tension surged throughout the entire television industry.
Staff within the Big Three networks were under serious pressure.
If 'Fate/Zero', airing on three video platforms and Yunteng TV, could outperform them in ratings, there'd be no excuse left for their incompetence.
Xingtong TV's flagship spring romance drama 'Diary', Imperial Capital TV's fantasy adventure 'Undersea', and Huanshi TV's historical epic 'Rise of the Great Zhou' all received extra funding—but also strict mandates from above:
"Lose to anyone, but not to 'Fate/Zero'."
If Yunteng TV could still dominate in ratings with a licensed broadcast of 'Fate/Zero', it would be a massive blow to the reputations of the Big Three.
So everyone was giving it their all, eyes fixed on this spring season.
Time ticked by.
At the headquarters of Bluestar Media & Film Company—
Jing Yu had just returned to Modo after over two weeks of nationwide promotion.
"One more week." Jing Yu looked down at the timeline in his hand.
'Fate/Zero' was scheduled to premiere at 8 PM on Sunday, January 3rd.
This time, Yunteng TV wasn't backing down. Although Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights were all prime-time drama slots—
8 PM on Sundays had historically been the strongest performer in terms of ratings.
In the past, even if Jing Yu's shows aired on Sundays, Yunteng TV would always avoid going head-to-head with the Big Three's seasonal flagship dramas.
But this time...
Yunteng TV took the initiative and locked 'Fate/Zero' into the best time slot: Sunday at 8 PM.
The Big Three didn't respond publicly, and their internal thoughts remained unknown. On the surface, however, they quietly adjusted their own flagship dramas' schedules to avoid overlapping with 'Fate/Zero'.
Even this silent show of weakness was enough to excite the staff at Yunteng TV.
On December 28, Yunteng TV went all-in, dedicating nearly a quarter of its total daily ad time to promoting 'Fate/Zero'.
Although Yunteng TV didn't own the rights to the show, for a TV station, ratings are king. They had no intention of sidelining 'Fate/Zero' just because it was a licensed broadcast.
Jing Yu had also considered Yunteng TV's needs. As a long-time partner, he extended certain courtesies.
For instance, 'Fate/Zero' would air exactly at 8 PM on Yunteng TV, while the three video platforms would have a 5-minute delay before their watch links went live.
Both parties were happy with these small but meaningful gestures.
Meanwhile, Qingyun Video, along with first-time collaborators Qiezi Video and Jixun Video, all began displaying 'Fate/Zero's promotional banners instantly when users opened their desktop or mobile apps.
In terms of marketing, 'Fate/Zero' was hands-down Jing Yu's most aggressive campaign since entering the TV drama scene—and far more effective than anything the Big Three had launched.
Time flew.
January arrived.
On Friday night, January 2nd at 8 PM, the first drama to air was 'Diary' from Xingtong TV.
Thanks to Jing Yu's influence, the Great Zhou drama industry has started to change in recent years. The outdated "mother-in-law and daughter-in-law" tropes and cringeworthy idol dramas were mostly phased out.
Instead, emotionally resonant youth dramas like '5 Centimeters Per Second' and 'Your Lie in April'—the kind Jing Yu favored—were becoming more popular.
But as always, the world moves in cycles.
Back in the early 2000s, in Jing Yu's previous life in China, these melancholic youth dramas were all the rage. Many emo teenagers carried around little journals to write down TV quotes and wallow in melodrama. But over time, it all spiraled out of control—those romance dramas devolved into betrayal, NTR, abortions, heartbreak, and suicidal themes. The content ended up being repulsive.
The writer of 'Diary', however, skipped straight to the tragic part of that arc.
In just the first episode, the female lead went through half of those traumas.
Honestly, Jing Yu was stunned while watching the premiere that night.
For a moment, he thought he wasn't in Great Zhou anymore—but back in old China.
What surprised him even more was the next day's reviews—
Unexpectedly glowing.