After Cheng Lie left, Jing Yu sat upright at his desk.
It was time to really think about it:
What should the next drama be?
He had to finish the initial script within three days—that is, before September. Casting wasn't a big issue.
YuntengTV would definitely cooperate fully. Whoever Jing Yu wanted, they'd try to get, and fast.
So in terms of timeline, he wasn't too pressed.
But the interest-free loan from Yunteng TV didn't come entirely without strings—they expected his new drama to average above a 5.5% viewership rating.
Yunteng TV knew not every drama could blow up like 'Initial D'.
The execs there had decent taste. They understood that 'Initial D' was in a class of its own and never expected Jing Yu to crank out that level of success repeatedly.
But Jing Yu himself—he was someone who thrived on forward motion.
Even though 'Initial D' had once peaked at 11% ratings, it was difficult to maintain that kind of average. Even if he adapted Sherlock Holmes into a single-season TV drama, it probably still wouldn't average above 10% on Yunteng TV.
Shows that broke 10% often did so through a combination of commercial buildup and sustained momentum over time. For example, if Jing Yu chose to adapt Slam Dunk into a multi-season series, he was confident that by the final season—after building popularity and executing Yunteng TV's marketing push—it could break Great Zhou's all-time drama ratings record.
But without that long-term setup? Single-season shows breaking 10% were rare—not just on Yunteng TV, but even across the top three networks. When they did, it was always the final season of a long-running series spanning three or more quarters.
So after sitting there thinking for a long while, Jing Yu gave up.
Some works surpassed 'Initial D' in popularity, revenue, or sales—but in terms of overall quality? He honestly couldn't think of many that were clearly superior.
Even iconic series like Bleach, Naruto, or One Piece—sure, they had massive audiences, but you couldn't say they were definitely better than 86. That'd be like saying sweet tofu pudding is better than savory just because more people like it.
So then… it came down to personal taste.
Maybe there weren't many works clearly better than 'Initial D' to adapt, but perhaps he could pivot to another genre.
If 'Initial D' was categorized as a sports/competition drama, then 'Slam Dunk' might edge it out slightly, but it wasn't a clear tier above.
So he shifted his attention to other genres.
Quickly, several titles surfaced in Jing Yu's mind.
In romance? His top picks were 'Kimi ni Todoke' and 'Clannad'.
For darker, psychological thrillers? The pinnacle in his mind was 'Death Note'.
But 'Death Note' had a controversial subject and sensitive themes—passing the censorship board would be a question mark. And with such a tight production schedule, there was no time to do the special effects justice.
Another cerebral thriller he'd once considered was 'Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor'. But it was just too long—on par with 'Slam Dunk' in scope. If he really had that kind of time and energy, he'd rather go all-in on 'Slam Dunk'.
Besides, Yunteng TV was only committed to this winter season. Jing Yu didn't need to pick a story that obviously required multiple seasons. If something went sour in this collaboration model, both sides would be left in an awkward position.
Also, now that he thought about it, from the start of his career till now, every drama he'd made had been youth/school-themed.
If he wanted to ensure strong ratings, it was better not to suddenly switch gears into the harsh realities of adult life.
He could explore that later. But for his first self-produced drama post-Yunteng TV, he needed something safe. Something to kick off strong and reassure the audience.
Back to romance, then?
Easy to shoot. Easy to hit the required metrics for Yunteng TV.
Jing Yu thought it over—then made his decision.
'Clannad' was simply too long. No way to finish that in one season.
So 'Kimi ni Todoke' it was.
Decision made, he immersed his consciousness into the Exchange Space.
This series costs about the same to exchange as 'Initial D'. With his current fan value balance, he couldn't yet afford Bleach, Dragon Ball, or other high-tier longform titles. If he spent everything, he could just barely afford 'Slam Dunk'.
But those long battle shounen series? Not suitable for drama adaptation. They were just too long.
Still, thinking of action series reminded Jing Yu of one particular title—
'Attack on Titan'.
He'd been a die-hard fan of it in his past life. Before the manga's ending came out, he'd thought it was a god-tier masterpiece.
"Forget it… maybe someday," Jing Yu murmured with a shake of his head.
Soon, the exchange for 'Kimi ni Todoke' was complete.
Now came the real work—trimming and adapting the original plot.
For Jing Yu, the most appealing part of 'Kimi ni Todoke' was everything that happened before the confession between the male and female leads.
Every episode had been engaging—but after the confession, the emotional tension dropped off fast.
Since this was an adaptation, he definitely wouldn't follow the source material to the letter.
In the original, the sweet post-confession life between the leads could fill a season—but ratings would likely plummet.
So Jing Yu planned to wrap the story right at the moment Sawako and Kazehaya confess.
The confession would be the finale.
End on a cliffhanger. Keep viewers on the hook until the very end. Leave them desperate for more.
After all, it was nicknamed "The anime that makes you die of frustration," right?
Over thirty episodes in the original anime, and the main couple hadn't even held hands or kissed—but each episode still delivered emotional payoff. In both his past and present life, Jing Yu had never seen another romance executed quite like it.
For the first time in a while—
Jing Yu got lost in screenwriting.
He rewrote and cut any scenes he felt were filler or not vital to the main plot, striving to make this adaptation one where every episode kept viewers hooked from start to finish.
And just like that, three days flew by.
In the meantime, Cheng Lie had been pulling strings—calling up old industry friends and reliable contacts.
With a bit of pleading, bragging about the success he and Jing Yu had achieved in the past six months, and some motivational talk, he actually managed to poach quite a few talents from smaller networks.
Cheng Lie knew Jing Yu's personality—he'd never promise profit-sharing or equity to anyone. But once Jing Yu made money, he'd never short-change anyone who worked for him. So Cheng Lie had no problem talking big when recruiting.
In just a few days, new hires started arriving and signing contracts.
From fewer than ten full-time staff, the company quickly grew to over thirty employees.