In May, the chill faded, and spring blossomed in full vibrance.
In both the mainland region and the Sakura Island region, during the morning commute, it wasn't uncommon to see groups of people on the subway logging into ZhongxiaNet on their phones to catch up on episodes of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'.
Truth be told, not every work Su Yan released was universally loved. But when everyone around you was watching it, not watching meant having nothing to talk about with friends.
In Su Yan's previous life, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had been a massive hit. Among non-long-running anime in the Sakura Island region, it ranked near the top in commercial value. However, its influence had largely been confined to anime circles.
But in the Xia Nation, Su Yan had already become a major figure in the television industry. Whenever drama fans thought of this type of genre, they instinctively paid attention to him. Although the show had only been airing for a little over a month, the magical girl genre was already gaining popularity.
Several television stations had begun planning to imitate the related settings in upcoming quarters.
Su Yan's version of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' was clearly too tragic in tone. Why did magical girls have to suffer such miserable fates?
Why couldn't it be a wholesome story about righteous magical practitioners defeating evil and achieving a happy ending?
Innovators in the Xia Nation had already begun conceptualizing "orthodox" magical girl works.
Creative sparks and artistic inspiration spread across the country.
After several years since Su Yan's arrival, his peers in the Xia Nation hadn't simply stood by watching him shine. They were learning through imitation, seeking opportunities to surpass him.
This could be seen in the noticeable rise in ratings across major television networks over the past two years—it wasn't solely due to increased investment.
That afternoon, after watching the entire filming process on the set of 'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet', Su Yan walked over with a smile on his face.
"Congratulations. You acted very well."
"Thank you for the compliment." Shen Liqian narrowed her eyes, her smile radiant.
Both '5 Centimeters per Second' and 'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet' were slice-of-life romance films.
There was little technical difficulty in filming.
Moreover, the cast of 'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet' consisted entirely of seasoned first-tier stars. '5 Centimeters per Second' had wrapped up half a month ago.
'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet' would finish within the next few days.
Su Yan had come during the final stretch to oversee things.
The company now supported a large staff. With two films wrapping up, he needed to consider the company's next direction.
Regardless of whether '5 Centimeters per Second' and 'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet' flopped or became box office hits, Dimensional Pictures was now considered a well-funded private film company within the Xia Nation's industry.
The company wouldn't face major financial strain due to the success or failure of these two films.
There were 500 million Xia currency sitting in liquid funds in the company account. Additionally, many of their previous works continued generating tens of millions in quarterly revenue.
Judging by current performance, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' alone would likely contribute several hundred million more after its conclusion.
This wasn't an inflated stock market valuation—it was hard cash Su Yan could actually access. After all, since its founding, the company had never taken bank loans or signed borrowing agreements.
With money in his pocket and nearly 300 million emotion points accumulated in his system space since 'Tokyo Love Story' aired, Su Yan certainly wouldn't waste time.
After observing the filming progress in detail, he planned to return home that evening and draw some new works.
After more than three years in the Xia Nation—nearly four—Su Yan might not be the greatest figure in the history of Xia Nation television, but calling him the number one figure in the current television industry would meet little objection.
He would certainly continue deepening his presence in television.
But in film, he needed to step up.
In the film industry, he could only be considered accomplished—not yet top-tier.
As company chairman, Su Yan occasionally hosted dinners with Shen Liqian and the core members of the 'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet' crew at a nearby hotel.
It was a way to foster relationships.
Beyond cold Xia currency, human connections required social interaction to maintain.
Shen Liqian felt nervous as 'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet' approached its wrap.
Although she had debuted seven or eight years ago on television, this was strictly speaking her first film.
Many television veterans who ventured into film had been labeled box office poison.
Gu Qingyuan had already proven herself among film audiences through 'The Garden of Words'. Next—it would be her turn.
Unlike the serene and laid-back Gu Qingyuan, Shen Liqian clearly understood how important a debut film's performance was for an actress.
Even top-tier stars had fallen from grace after a single flop—let alone a newcomer to cinema like her.
On set, she maintained confidence. But with Su Yan beside her, she finally opened up.
After all, she considered herself not just a contracted artist under Su Yan's company, but also his friend.
"Don't be nervous. 'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet' definitely won't flop. You performed very well—just keep it up," Su Yan reassured her during dinner.
"And even if there's a strong competitor at the same time and the results fall short of expectations… then we try harder next time." He smiled.
"Next time… who knows how long that'll be? People don't have infinite lives. There aren't infinite chances." Shen Liqian had drunk a little; her cheeks were slightly flushed.
"At the very least, you're the second artist I ever signed."
Su Yan understood her worries and gave her reassurance.
"First, I believe the box office will be strong. If it underperforms, that's my misjudgment—my responsibility, not yours. Second, opportunities… they'll come soon. You might not even have to wait until the film releases before landing a new role."
Her hand holding the wine glass suddenly steadied.
Her previously unfocused gaze sharpened instantly as she looked at Su Yan.
"Teacher Su Yan, you mean—?"
Su Yan responded with a smile, saying nothing more.
But she understood.
The dinner ended soon after.
After calling a designated driver to take him back to his villa, Su Yan's buzz had mostly faded.
Inside, he removed his clothes and stepped into the bathroom, while part of his consciousness entered the system space.
Drawing was a gamble—high risk, high reward—but the genre and style were uncontrollable. Past draws had proven that.
Not every work from his previous life was suitable for adaptation in the Xia Nation.
Before today, he had already formed preliminary ideas about what he wanted to draw.
From his otaku memory bank, works suitable for live-action adaptation were mainly from masters like Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai, and Satoshi Kon.
Then there were numerous theatrical films from popular anime.
But most theatrical anime films were meaningless without the original series' popularity.
There was one exception—
'Rurouni Kenshin'.
Su Yan's first short television drama in the Xia Nation had been 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal'.
For years, viewers had flooded his comment sections asking for the continuation of 'Rurouni Kenshin'.
The original anime was out of consideration—too long. It would require at least seven or eight seasons.
But the live-action films from his previous life were different—only a handful, all with extremely high commercial value.
The series had accumulated Tens of billions of yen in box office revenue.
Converted to USD or Xia yuan, it might not seem outrageous—but this was achieved in a market of only 100 million people in the Sakura Island region.
Compared to absolute box office numbers, the proportion of the population mobilized to watch the film better reflected its explosive popularity.
In recent years, Su Yan's rise in the Xia Nation has proven that Xia audiences embraced live-action adaptations of Sakura Island works.
So without further hesitation, he spent 90 million emotion points to exchange for the first live-action 'Rurouni Kenshin' film.
It was early May. According to his plan, he would accelerate production and aim for a February release next year during the Spring Festival.
Nine months for filming and post-production was sufficient.
Next, Su Yan allocated 150 million emotion points for a direct draw.
He had a gambling streak. The company had money—no matter what he drew, as long as it was suitable for production in the Xia Nation, it would likely succeed.
Especially if it were a television series. With his current popularity, he couldn't afford to produce something mediocre.
Either he didn't make it, or he made a masterpiece.
Prestige dramas, even S-tier productions, required long preparation times. Drawing early allowed early planning.
Soon, the result appeared.
Su Yan's gaze sharpened.
A title appeared before him—
'Fate/Zero'!
That one?
His expression turned slightly stunned.
Even if he didn't lack money, did the system really give him such a high-budget project?
Strictly speaking, a large ensemble like the Fate series suited television adaptation—but the special effects budget would be enormous, likely even higher than 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' and 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'.
However—
Such works were excellent for expanding into overseas markets.
Even before 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had finished airing, overseas companies, television stations, and streaming platforms had already approached for collaboration.
Spectacle-heavy action dramas transcended cultural boundaries. In any world, they were among the most popular genres.
"Well… that works."
Looking at the remaining tens of millions of emotion points, Su Yan didn't draw further.
With his company's current manpower and resources, handling one film and one television series simultaneously was already at its saturated capacity.
Drawing more would serve no immediate purpose.
After confirming the results, he stepped out of the bathtub, his skin flushed red from the soak, wrapped himself in a towel, returned to bed, and fell asleep.
As for how to film the two projects, casting arrangements, and scheduling, that could wait until tomorrow.
A few days passed in a flash.
Friday. Episode six of 'Peerless' aired.
Its ratings declined rather than increased, settling at 5.14%.
Meanwhile, after weeks of mounting discussion, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' saw its average paid online views approach the 20 million mark.
However, due to the story's deeply depressing tone, angry fans had slightly lowered its rating—from 9.6 to 9.4.
Industry insiders understood that fans still highly praised the show. The rating drop was aimed at Su Yan himself.
Sunday—the wrap day for 'We Made a Beautiful Bouquet'.
That very day, Su Yan informed Shinozaki Ikumi that he had concepts for a new film and a new S-tier television drama.
Shinozaki Ikumi was no longer surprised by his speed. A genius could do anything.
Even if Su Yan behaved like an alien, she wouldn't overthink it anymore.
She merely replied calmly, telling him to write the scripts first.
As for her, all her focus that day was on episode six of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' airing that evening.
Because tonight's episode was, strictly speaking, the most spectacular, most expensive, and most emotionally devastating episode since the series began.
She feared fans might not be able to handle it—and lose control of their emotions.