With Jing Yu's new scripts completed, Cheng Lie immediately got to work, studying the drafts and selecting the appropriate production staff for both 'Legal High!' and 'Natsume's Book of Friends'.
Jing Yu had high expectations for these two projects—but clearly, he didn't see them as transformative works that would redefine his studio, Bluestar Media & Film Company.
His true focus remained on the ongoing momentum of 'Fate/Zero'.
After all, to make 'Fate/Zero' happen, Jing Yu had already poured over 200 million yuan into its production. And after acquiring and integrating the game development division for its adaptation, he spent another 200 million plus. In terms of his entire career in the film and drama industry, he had sunk nearly half his personal fortune into this single title.
Naturally, he was heavily invested—mentally and financially.
So while he did greenlight over 100 million in initial investment for 'Legal High!' and 'Natsume's Book of Friends', those projects clearly didn't carry the same weight. They weren't "low-budget," but they weren't top-tier either.
As Cheng Lie and Jing Yu focused on their respective tasks...
Mid-February — Episode 7 of 'Fate/Zero' aired.
To be honest, the early parts of 'Fate/Zero' did feel drawn out.
One minor villain, like Bluebeard, caused so much chaos that even the Servants had to come together like it was the final boss fight. Compared to the fast-paced and emotionally powerful later episodes, the gap was clear.
But to Great Zhou's viewers?
They were already satisfied.
Massive cast, top-tier VFX that rivaled industry ceilings, and elite-level action choreography—
Eh, so what if critics complained that 'Fate/Zero' was just a popcorn spectacle with shallow narrative depth?
Come on, do these critics even understand the market?
Sure, shows like 'Clannad' and 'Love Letter' gave us characters like Furukawa Nagisa and Ushio Okazaki, whose stories still warmed our hearts.
But that didn't mean the average viewer didn't love a good popcorn drama! After a long day of work, what's better than turning on the TV and watching a bunch of gorgeous people throw down in 'Fate/Zero'?
"That's why I say, don't listen to those critics spewing nonsense. 'Seven selfish Masters fighting over the Holy Grail with no deeper meaning' — who cares? I don't want deep meaning. I want a story like this! Fully immersive. If I were one of those Masters, I'd fight to the death for a wish machine too."
"Exactly. And wasn't last week's Roundtable of Kings amazing? I became a fan of the King of Conquerors right then and there. He's just so cool! Though… it did hurt a little when he roasted Artoria for being an idealist. I was viewing the show through her perspective—it felt like I got roasted."
"Just switch your perspective to Iskandar. Artoria's way of ruling is too suffocating. I can't even think about it without feeling secondhand pressure."
"Still love her though! I'll always have a soft spot for idealists."
Before the broadcast, every major fan group for 'Fate/Zero' was on fire.
Yunteng TV's ratings surged—starting from just over 3% at 7:00 PM and rising steadily to 9.1% by 7:58 PM.
In fact, if you were to name the TV station with the biggest fluctuation in viewership across the entire day, Yunteng TV would easily take the top spot.
In Episode 7, the plot continued from the last episode: six Masters joined forces to take down Ryunosuke Uryu—aka the sunny psychopath—and his Servant, Bluebeard, who had been wreaking havoc and murdering civilians in Fuyuki City.
Now, to be fair, Uryu and Bluebeard were undeniably the lowest-tier contenders in this Grail War—their personalities were utterly trash. Just two sadistic killers lumped together, completely lacking the philosophical weight of characters like the Three Kings.
But thanks to stellar visual effects, the audience was still hooked.
Who could resist watching six Servants team up to fight a monster-summoning lunatic?
Great Zhou didn't have 'Ultraman', 'King Kong', or 'Godzilla'—but this episode gave viewers that kind of thrill.
"At this point, what more could you want? Just hit play and enjoy!"
Despite recent dips in reviews and a mere 9.1 rating on Yindou Net, 'Fate/Zero' was pulling in higher viewership with each episode. Episode 7 broke through the 10% rating mark by mid-episode.
Then, in the second half—
The long-awaited showdown between Gilgamesh and the Berserker.
This segment was one of the most expensive parts of the show's VFX production.
Especially Gilgamesh's flying chariot.
"What boy wouldn't drool over this kind of thing?"
The screen was practically dripping with money.
"God, I'm so jealous of Gilgamesh. What doesn't he have in that treasury?"
"Same here. Guy's the ultimate rich, hot, and powerful combo. So unfair."
"He uses Noble Phantasms like basic attacks. If a weapon touches the ground, it's garbage. That's some next-level luxury."
"Jing Yu's acting has really leveled up. This role is so annoyingly charismatic. Love to hate him!"
Bluebeard, meanwhile, had the terrain and magical environment working in his favor. Even with multiple Servants joining forces, they couldn't do much against this mad mage hiding inside a monster's body.
As Gilgamesh and Berserker both launched into aerial combat, each on their own war machines—
Yes, you read that right.
Both had flying vehicles, firing anti-air missiles at each other across the night sky of Fuyuki.
"I'm dumbfounded. They're actually doing this on a TV show?"
"Berserker is insane. So over the top!"
"Jing Yu should've pivoted to this genre sooner. His tearjerkers were great, but this popcorn drama hits the spot after work."
"You can hear the budget burning."
"Rich boy Gilgamesh vs. terrorist Berserker, sponsored by Great Zhou Bank."
"I thought it was mages vs. monsters—suddenly it's ancient heroes in an aerial missile showdown?!"
"Is this really free-to-watch TV content? Will the paid version of Qingyun Video have even more bonus visuals? Jing Yu just gets us."
Meanwhile, the subplot between Tokiomi and Kariya finally began heating up.
As Gilgamesh and Berserker battled it out in the skies, their Masters had a much more civil confrontation.
"Why did you send Sakura to the Matou family?" Kariya finally asked Tokiomi face-to-face.
"What? You're really asking me that right now?" Tokiomi's expression was one of utter confusion.
Viewers watching at home burst out laughing.