Jing Yu hadn't really taken Spring Festival seriously since arriving in this world.
After all, he was all alone here. During the holiday, at most, he would give himself a few days off forcibly. His staff had all gone home, so even if he wanted to work, there wasn't much he could do.
This year was a bit better, though. He and Yu Youqing celebrated properly together in the Modo City region.
But by the afternoon, after finishing lunch, both of them were still focused on 'Castle in the Sky', which was scheduled to premiere the next day.
Jing Yu had acted in this film—and not just any role, but a villain. It was one of his rare villain portrayals.
"Let's hope your villain doesn't end up being the most popular character in the whole film," Yu Youqing said, lying on the bed with a tablet in hand, browsing film forums for early buzz on the movie.
By now, it was basically impossible to find any threads bashing Jing Yu on those forums.
Not because he was some sort of Great Zhou coin that everyone loved, but because there was simply no angle left for haters to attack.
As a filmmaker, screenwriter, and musician, none of Jing Yu's works had flopped. Each release performed better than the last. The only thing the trolls could cling to was: "He's too handsome, it overshadows his acting skills."
It was like Louis Koo in his prime—too handsome to win awards, because the judges felt good looks meant weak acting. Only after he tanned himself into a darker, more rugged look did the awards start coming in.
But these were really just jokes fans tossed around for fun. No one took them seriously anymore.
Still, Yu Youqing knew deep down: if the timing was right—like now, with 'Castle in the Sky' being a film with over 300 million in combined investment and promotion—if the box office wasn't a smash hit, even if it wasn't a total flop, the trolls would come crawling out of the woodwork.
She was actually quite anxious about it.
But seeing Jing Yu completely absorbed in gaming beside her, she could only sigh.
"Out of the entire 'Castle in the Sky' production crew, I bet you're the only one still playing games at a time like this," she said.
"Why not? It's not like I bite," Jing Yu replied, glancing over. "And I'm not the type of chairman who shifts blame to the team when things go south. I oversaw the whole production from start to finish. The film only got duplicated and sent out after I signed off on the quality. The director was under my control the whole time. If it underperforms, I take the heat. So what are they worried about?"
"But that's just it—you've never had a single flop," Yu Youqing pointed out. "If one of your films ever does poorly, people likely won't blame you. They'll blame the people around you."
"Right now, joining your film crew is probably the fastest way to rise to fame in Great Zhou's entertainment industry. But on the flip side, it's also the fastest way to go down in flames," she said, half-joking, half-serious.
"I'm guessing the director, the boy playing Pazu, and that young girl playing Sheeta probably couldn't even eat their New Year's Eve dinner tonight."
"You sound a little too happy about that," Jing Yu gave her a look.
"Well, of course. Back then, it was just me and Xia Yining doing the heavy lifting in your projects. We carried that pressure the most. And now? With all the hype surrounding this release, people already expect 'Castle in the Sky' to be one of the top two-grossing films of the Spring Festival season. If it lives up to expectations, great. If not, your haters and overzealous fans are going to start tearing people apart."
She wasn't truly gloating. She was just sympathizing with the two young leads. If 'Castle in the Sky' underperformed, Jing Yu might get flamed for a few days, but those two? Given their status and experience, no crew in Great Zhou would dare cast them again.
That was the real risk of joining one of Jing Yu's high-profile productions—a true double-edged sword.
Even if the script wasn't the problem, as long as you were in the cast, you were going to get flamed.
Jing Yu couldn't care less about their pressure. If you wanted fame, you had to shoulder the risk.
After Yu Youqing brought it up, he also started looking into the competing films releasing the next day.
This Spring Festival lineup didn't include any truly mega-budget films—not the kind with 700 or 800 million, or even a billion yuan investments. Those kinds of films rarely make their money back through box office alone and rely more on merchandising and licensing. The Great Zhou had pretty much stopped making those.
The highest-budget film of the season was a war movie called 'Frontline', with a budget of 390 million. But it wasn't some grim, ultra-realistic, blood-soaked type of war film. It leaned more into personal heroism, similar to 'Wolf Warrior' from Jing Yu's past life.
That was actually the one he felt the most threatened by.
Because of 'Wolf Warrior 2', he was always wary of films with that kind of potential.
There was also a comedy titled 'The Fool', budgeted at 260 million. The plot was about a guy who kept getting spiritually "possessed" when visiting the tombs of famous historical figures—he'd unknowingly finish ancient lost works of literature, or create forged calligraphy so convincing even the descendants believed it was genuine. He'd uncover all kinds of ridiculous historical conspiracies and profit from them. The movie seemed to be one big, absurd, ghostly romp through history. The trailer looked pretty interesting, at least to Jing Yu.
Comedy, humor, and war films—all genres with the potential to explode in popularity, regardless of budget.
Compared to that, the other romance or workplace-themed films didn't really worry him. Those films rarely lost money, but it was also hard for them to earn huge returns.
One night passed.
The next day—
The first day after the Spring Festival, all of Great Zhou was buzzing with celebration.
Snow blanketed the streets in silver. The flakes were flying, and everyone was dressed festively.
For many industries, the holiday was prime time to make money—cinemas included.
Inside every cinema, posters for 'Castle in the Sky', 'The Fool', 'Frontline', and 'Love in the Sky' were everywhere. By 10 a.m., the theaters were packed. Lines stretched endlessly.
As always, the most eye-catching group in the theaters was Jing Yu's fanbase.
He had so many works. Fans were cosplaying as Himura Kenshin, Rintarō Okabe, Fujiwara no Sai, Artoria Pendragon… and even…
Ultraman.
Yes, that's right. 'Castle in the Sky' hadn't even aired yet, but fans were already cosplaying based on character design leaks online.
There were no official merchandise releases—because of copyright issues—but that didn't stop the die-hard fans with serious DIY skills.
Ultraman suits weren't exactly high-tech. Sure, the homemade versions were ugly…
But in the theater? Those clunky knockoff Ultraman cosplayers were still the flashiest people there.
"We finally made it to this day! What a ride!"
"No clue if Old Thief's 'Castle in the Sky' will top the Spring Festival box office, but when it comes to fan dedication, who can compete with us?"
"For real though, that guy cosplaying Artoria up there? That shook me. I get it if a girl cosplays her, but why's a guy pulling it off too?!"
"Didn't you see his girlfriend? She's dressed as Gilgamesh! They're a couple who love that ship!"
"But Artoria is supposed to be with Shirou Emiya, right? Why Gilgamesh?"
"C'mon. Don't underestimate the power of the Saber x Gil fanbase. That pairing has a huge following."
In the long queue, 'Castle in the Sky' fans instantly recognized each other by costume alone. Just one look, and they were chatting like old friends.
10 a.m. sharp.
The first screening of the new year began.
Inside the auditorium, the excited buzz settled down. Everyone turned their eyes to the screen, waiting for the film to begin.
'Castle in the Sky'—compared to its original animated version—might be even better known for its theme song.
In Jing Yu's previous life, in China cities, you could easily find someone who hadn't watched the movie—but finding someone who hadn't heard the theme song? Nearly impossible.
All Jing Yu could say was: Joe Hisaishi forever the GOAT.
Japan in his previous world was known for top-tier film scores—and Joe Hisaishi was a god among them.
The movie opened with the iconic scene of Sheeta being attacked by air pirates and falling from the airship. Immediately after: a musical baptism for the audience.
Naturally, Jing Yu shamelessly credited himself as the composer and lyricist.
One note: The Great Zhou didn't actually have airships in its history. In Jing Yu's past life, airships fell out of use due to a fatal accident that led to airplanes replacing them.
But here, when audiences saw the design explained on-screen, they couldn't help but admire it…
"This theme song…"
"So good…"
"Old Thief strikes again."
"An airship? In a movie?"
"The intro actually makes it sound plausible—not some made-up tech."
"A giant sealed hot air balloon ship?"
"Sheeta is gorgeous too! Is this actress newly signed by Old Thief's studio?"
The quiet chatter filled the theater. But once the theme song reached its crescendo and the scene showed Sheeta falling from the sky—her glowing stone pendant breaking her fall, leading to her rescue by Pazu—
And then, silence.
The music faded.
A romantic moment followed as the two met for the first time.
The influence of Miyazaki was clear.
Many Japanese directors had been shaped by his work. From the train sequence in 5 Centimeters Per Second to the falling-through-air handhold in Spirited Away or Weathering With You—you could feel his fingerprints everywhere.
'Castle in the Sky' was filled with iconic moments, too.
Early scenes of a steam-era town, a boy playing the trumpet on the rooftop at dawn as pigeons took flight—the girl awakened by the sound...
Then came the air pirates, and the government agents hunting the girl.
No time wasted. No dragging out introductions. The story launched straight into danger and world-building.
"This isn't Blue Star, huh?"
"Definitely not. Didn't you notice? It's not set in that fictional 'Japan' anymore. No more Matsushita, Kawakawa, Hanano surnames."
"That's a good thing. Let Old Thief create more new worlds like this. Blue Star was fine, but why not explore other empires, like Alexander's?"
"Still feels like Blue Star, just maybe another country in the steam era."
"Whatever. Don't overthink it. It's fiction!"
"So the story is about Pazu and Sheeta looking for this floating city?"
And thus the journey began.
Then came the chases—on rails, in the sky—where animation might have seemed tame, but in live-action, it had full Jackie Chan vibes.
Within just 20 minutes, we'd seen the pirates, the protagonists, and their personalities—all introduced naturally, without feeling crammed.
And then came the big entrance: Muska, the villain played by Jing Yu.
Handsome. Glasses. Suit. Every fan's fantasy of a "cool villain" is embodied.
But that sly, cold smile…
Fans were stunned. "That's Old Thief?"
How could someone so good-looking scream "villain" at first glance?
Makeup? Acting?
Within the first 30 minutes, the film had already set up the world, delivered action and tension, and now—with Muska's appearance—the main plot had finally begun.