If that were all, it wouldn't be such a big deal—after all, with how much money Jing Yu had made, buying shares in Qingyun Video wasn't exactly a shocking move.
But when the announcement came bundled with the news that Jing Yu's new film '5 Centimeters per Second' would be exclusively streamed on Qingyun Video, and that his next drama would also be released exclusively on the same platform—
Great Zhou's entertainment fans exploded.
"Wait, for real? Is Teacher Jing Yu really this bold? Just uploading his own new film and drama directly to Qingyun?"
"I'm speechless. Just last week, I saw Great Zhou's famous TV director Zou Mingxi reject an offer from Eggplant Video and renew his contract with Imperial Capital TV. He even said in an interview that the online streaming industry is still in its infancy and would need at least twenty years to fully mature. And now, one week later, Jing Yu buys into Qingyun and doubles down on it?"
"He's a legend! Watching dramas on mobile is just around the corner!"
"But I still prefer watching dramas on my TV! Phone screens are just too small—it kills the vibe. Last month, I watched 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' on my phone, and it felt off. The action scenes just didn't land."
"You must be a student, huh? Do you even understand how convenient watching dramas on a phone is? For us overworked employees, getting off work at 11 PM while all the good dramas finish airing by 9 PM is pure torture. My coworkers chat about the latest plot, and I can't join the conversation at all. I 100% support Teacher Jing Yu's decision to stream his new drama exclusively on Qingyun."
"True. Yeah, the phone sacrifices some screen quality, but you just can't beat the convenience!"
"If I had to choose, I'd still go with online streaming."
"TV dramas are one thing—the production is relatively modest due to tight schedules. But '5 Centimeters per Second' is a film meant for theaters, and it's premiering exclusively online? What a shame. It really should've been shown in cinemas first before going up on Qingyun."
"I get it, though. It's clearly part of Qingyun's growth strategy—to boost publicity and drive user growth."
"Honestly, I think it's great! Movie tickets are 50 yuan for large theaters, 40-something for smaller ones—we students just can't afford that! On streaming sites, you pay 12 yuan and can rewatch as much as you want. That's a user-friendly model!"
"You're overthinking it. Movies that already screened in theaters cost $12 on Qingyun, but exclusives will likely be priced higher. Still cheaper than the average cinema ticket, and rewatchability is a major plus."
"What about the new drama, though? Did Teacher Jing Yu reveal anything?"
"Only that it'll be exclusively streamed on Qingyun, but no mention of which drama or when it will premiere!"
"For now, let's just finish watching 'Kimi ni Todoke'. They've just announced the partnership, so a new release in January seems unlikely."
"But wait—if it's all going to be streamed exclusively online, do they still have to follow traditional TV scheduling? TV stations release shows by quarter to align with ad slots and ratings battles. But streaming platforms… they're not bound by that at all, right?"
"If the show's ready, and they wanted to premiere it tomorrow, it wouldn't be that weird."
"???"
"Makes sense!"
While Jing Yu's fans were shocked by the news...
Yunteng TV, which had been planning a celebratory banquet, was completely thrown off.
Wasn't this supposed to be a great partnership?
Why did you suddenly run off to collaborate with Qingyun Video?
That kind of new, upstart platform—how could it possibly compare to Yunteng TV in terms of influence or reputation?
Sure, your last two movies did okay on Qingyun, but so what?
That afternoon, Yunteng TV's production department head and upper management went straight to the set of 'Kimi ni Todoke' to find Jing Yu.
"Please, have a seat," Jing Yu said, handing them tea.
After all, one of the visitors was Meng Yu, head of Yunteng TV's production department. The other was Diao Qinghong, one of the station's three deputy directors.
Of course, they were just executives at Yunteng TV. They did hold small stakes in the company, but nowhere near enough to compare with the board. They were, essentially, at the top of the employee food chain—but still employees.
"Xiao Jing," Meng Yu was the more direct of the two. "Is there something you're unhappy with in our partnership? Why did you choose to invest in Qingyun?"
"Invest in Qingyun?" Jing Yu paused, then gently corrected him.
"I didn't join them. I just bought shares and became a shareholder. I'm still the chairman of BlueStar Media & Film Company—I have no plans to become a Qingyun employee."
"Then why?" Diao Qinghong looked at him intently.
Back when Jing Yu was still working with Yunteng, the two had spoken during the year-end party.
"I can work with Yunteng—but I can also work with Qingyun, right?" Jing Yu replied with a smile.
"Well, sure, that's technically true, but Xiao Jing, you—" Meng Yu sighed.
If Jing Yu had joined one of the big three networks, Meng Yu would've been disappointed, but he could accept it.
But investing in Qingyun and doing exclusive releases there?
What a waste!
What a waste!
What a waste!
This thought echoed three times in his heart.
Yunteng TV could accept losing to the Big Three. But to lose to Qingyun Video?
That was just... unacceptable.
"Director Meng, I don't have any dissatisfaction with Yunteng TV. And my collaboration with Qingyun doesn't mean I'm ending things with Yunteng TV, either," Jing Yu said after a moment of thought.
"You're saying you'll work with both?" Meng Yu was taken aback by the implication.
After all, in Great Zhou's drama industry, no one had ever worked with two platforms or networks simultaneously.
"Then your new drama…" Diao Qinghong hesitated.
"If there's a suitable script, and I think it fits Yunteng TV, I'd be open to continuing our cooperation," Jing Yu said, keeping things vague.
It was inevitable that online streaming would challenge traditional TV. But for the next few years, there would still be competition between the two. Jing Yu had no intention of abandoning TV altogether. The only difference was that future collaborations with Yunteng TV might not be as frequent.
Meng Yu and Diao Qinghong exchanged glances. They weren't here to accuse him—just to get a feel for his intentions.
And this answer... was something they could live with.
Still, they couldn't help feeling a little regret. If Jing Yu had remained exclusive to Yunteng TV, all of his work would've aired on their network.
Yunteng TV would never complain about having too much of Jing Yu's work.
After a bit of small talk, Jing Yu saw them off.
Soon after, a representative from Qingyun Video came by.
They brought gifts for Jing Yu, their major new shareholder, and began discussing plans.
"Director Jing," the representative said upon arrival, launching straight into Qingyun Video's development strategy. Now that Jing Yu held 17% of the company and had a seat on the board, they had to keep him in the loop—even if he wasn't hands-on with company operations.
"Chairman Che also asked me to confirm the release date of '5 Centimeters per Second' and your plans for the new drama. If you've made any decisions, please contact our operations team as soon as possible."
"I understand," Jing Yu nodded after a moment of thought. "I'll consider it and get back to you soon. If it's not something urgent or needing my personal approval or signature, just talk to Cheng Lie."
After seeing the rep out, Jing Yu looked down at the final script for the last episode of 'Kimi ni Todoke' on his desk.
In just a week or two, filming would wrap up on this drama.
Yes—it was time to think about his next project.
'5 Centimeters per Second' was already in mid-to-late production. It wasn't a particularly complex film, and everything was progressing smoothly.
As for the three new dramas he had promised to Che Kaijun...
Jing Yu would take his time. But now that he had invested so much and become a shareholder in Qingyun, he certainly wouldn't take things lightly.
At the very least, the first exclusive new drama to air on Qingyun Video—
Jing Yu wanted it to truly wow his fans and impress audiences across Great Zhou.
Especially since Qiezi Video and Jixun Video already had several projects lined up for the next year.
Those two platforms had rejected his investment proposals, looking down on him.
Well then—they had only themselves to blame.
Originally, Jing Yu had planned to invest a little in all three platforms, spreading his bets. That way, no matter who rose to the top, he'd still win. No loss either way.
But since only Qingyun accepted his investment...
Now, all his efforts would go into helping Qingyun defeat the other two.
He couldn't interfere much in external operations, but when it came to creating exclusive new dramas to draw in new users—
Jing Yu was determined that Qingyun wouldn't lose to anyone.