"They're coming, they're coming!"
"Who's going to the game expo on the 2nd in the capital?"
"The official ticketing page removed the link. That stadium's max capacity is 50,000 people a day. We're screwed. I should've acted sooner."
"Same here. I'm miserable. Teacher Jing Yu will be there all day in his golden Gilgamesh costume!"
"I heard the booth will have a demo version of the 'Fate/Stay Night' game."
"A demo already? Is the game finished? That fast?"
"Not really. It's probably just a sample of the battle system or something like that."
"I don't even care about that stuff—I just want to see my waifu, Artoria. But I didn't get a ticket. This hurts!"
"If you didn't get one, I have extras. Original price was around 30 yuan—now just 400! Jing Yu hasn't attended public events like this in years. Miss this chance, and it could be years before the next. First come, first served!"
"400?! You trying to rob us?"
"Robbing doesn't make as much as scalping! Buy it or don't—plenty of others will. Last ten tickets. DM me if interested."
"Damn it, I knew it! Nothing involving Teacher Jing Yu ever goes smoothly. This game expo is held every year, and tickets have never sold out before. Now, the moment he's announced to appear, it's chaos."
"Can't help it. Other popular actors show up on variety shows, hold concerts, host fan meetings, or stir up media buzz with juicy gossip. But Teacher Jing Yu? He's either filming or en route to film. Any photos the media catch are from his film sets. Any articles are about his new projects. You can Google any other celebrity's favorite foods or hobbies—but Jing Yu? Nothing."
"Exactly! This isn't some movie premiere—it's a game expo. That means fans might actually get up close to him! No wonder they're losing their minds. I got my ticket. I will get his autograph and a photo that day."
Neither Jing Yu nor the event organizers had expected his appearance to blow up like this in just a few days.
Jing Yu knew he was popular, but he was too busy working to grasp how big it had gotten. When word spread online on the 1st that he'd appear at the Capital Stadium on the 2nd, both he and the organizers finally realized the scale of the situation.
At 2 a.m. on the 2nd, Jing Yu was dragged out of bed by the makeup artist.
Gilgamesh's look wasn't easy. On set, he could just wear a wig and trick the audience. But for a live appearance? He had to dye his hair properly.
Tang Rui was also dragged in for makeup alongside him.
Around 5 a.m., after dozing off in the chair, Jing Yu was nudged awake by the makeup artist and told the process was complete.
It had been a few months since he last dressed as Gilgamesh, and Jing Yu felt a wave of nostalgia.
"Boss, you look amazing today. That armor's going to melt the hearts of a thousand girls. I'm one of them!"
Tang Rui had been with Jing Yu's company for over six months. Since 'Fate/Zero', she hadn't filmed any new shows, but the Artoria role alone had been incredibly profitable for her.
Some event organizers or variety shows paid her seven-figure fees just to appear as Artoria for one night. And Jing Yu only took a 50% cut. Compared to filming a three-month drama, doing three or four events was way easier and more lucrative.
Now that she and Jing Yu were more familiar, she joked and flattered him freely.
Jing Yu looked at her in full Artoria makeup—noble and just, complete with a perfect ahoge—but hearing her say stuff like that still threw him off.
"Be careful. In the hearts of Great Zhou's fans, you are Artoria. Talking like that could cost you fans."
Jing Yu stood up, his full armor weighing several dozen pounds. If he wasn't careful walking, it clanged with every step.
"What's there to be afraid of? If fans overheard, they'd just think I'm cutely charming, and it's part of my appeal," Tang Rui grinned.
Surrounded by staff, the two of them got into the car. By the time they arrived at the venue, it was already 6:30 a.m.
The expo center was large. Though billed as a game expo, for developers—especially newer ones like Jing Yu's—getting a booth required spending money just to qualify.
Jing Yu didn't agree to appear live because of the expo's tens of thousands of daily visitors. He had already purchased promotional articles across major media and secured front-page placements on livestream platforms. His team was fully prepared.
The entire expo would be broadcast live jointly by his company's staff and the official platforms. Naturally, all the focus would be on the 'Fate/Stay Night' game.
When they arrived, many others were still setting up—local and foreign companies alike.
"Great Zhou's game industry is doing well," Jing Yu thought with admiration.
"Still smaller than the film and TV industry, though," Tang Rui replied.
Currently, Great Zhou's game industry isn't quite as large or profitable as its entertainment industry's top players.
But Jing Yu knew—once the internet fully boomed in the coming years, gaming would explode. Launching a gaming division now was a smart move, a form of early investment.
If a film company wanted to grow strong, it needed to follow the same model as its past world—simultaneously expanding into TV, film, and gaming merchandise.
By 8 a.m., a flood of early-rising visitors began arriving outside Capital Stadium No. 3.
Though…
Calling them game fans didn't seem quite right.
I mean, when have you ever seen gamers holding signs like "Teacher Jing Yu, I love you!" or "I'm your #1 fan!"
And many were dressed in elaborate cosplay. Anyone familiar with Great Zhou's entertainment world would recognize outfits from series like 'Hikaru no Go', 'Steins;Gate', 'Fate/Zero', and 'Rurouni Kenshin'—all Jing Yu productions.
Just from the crowd alone, it was clear: at least one-third of attendees were there for Jing Yu, not the games.
For other visitors just interested in gaming, it was quite the surprise.