The next morning.
On the set of 'Tokyo Love Story'.
It was that weekly moment again—when every crew member couldn't concentrate on anything else.
After all, this production represented the very peak of the Xia Nation's drama industry.
The performance of 'Tokyo Love Story' would directly impact the career records of everyone involved.
Besides—
Who didn't have a dream?
The show's premiere numbers had already rivaled those of 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners'. Could it possibly—
Break the ratings record set by 'Edgerunners'?
At that thought, no one could stay calm anymore.
Time ticked on.
By noon, all eyes in the crew kept glancing toward Su Yan.
And right on time—despite the thousand-kilometer distance between Tokyo and Hudu—a text landed on Su Yan's phone within seconds.
He cleared his throat and smiled.
"5.13%."
"That's a significant jump compared to last week."
Shinozaki Ikumi's hand trembled slightly when she heard that, but she maintained a calm expression as she announced the news to the crew. Instantly, the studio erupted in thunderous cheers.
Gu Qingyuan clapped gently, a faint smile appearing on her face.
Even though she'd been brutally dragged online the night before, she was actually enjoying it.
She was tired of playing roles that were designed to be likable.
Playing a character that everyone hated? Honestly, kind of refreshing.
All the online hate? In a way, it was a compliment to her acting.
Among the main cast, this moment was when Shen Liqian's heart raced the most.
In 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners', she was the supporting actress while Gu Qingyuan was the lead.
But this time, she was the lead, and Gu Qingyuan the supporting role.
The better 'Tokyo Love Story' performed, the more she stood to gain.
And from the current buzz, she might very well end up the only true winner in the entire cast.
After all, Gu Qingyuan's portrayal of Satomi had been universally panned.
Even Su Yan, for taking on the role of Kanji, was getting roasted by Rika stans.
Before working with Su Yan, Shen Liqian had been one of the less influential stars among Xia's A-list actresses.
But with this drama—
She saw her chance to rise to the very top.
"Stay calm. Stay humble. The show's only aired two episodes. We're only filming episode seven. It'll be two or three more weeks before Su Yan gives us the final script."
She took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Su Yan's scripts had never dropped the ball in later episodes.
Still, she couldn't ignore the slim chance of something going wrong.
"And... my contract with my old agency is about to expire. I need to handle that and move over to Dimensional Pictures as soon as possible."
While Shen Liqian was thinking through all that—
Su Yan had already begun receiving celebration gifts from various cast members.
Whatever else could be said, the numbers for 'Tokyo Love Story's first two episodes had blown everyone's expectations out of the water.
Yamamoto Yuto (who played Mikami) and Yoshikawa Kotone (who would have more screen time in later episodes as Nagaki Naoko) were both from Sakura Island. Compared to Shen Liqian and Gu Qingyuan, their grasp of social cues was leagues ahead.
Their gifts to Su Yan were carefully chosen—not necessarily expensive, but full of sincere thought.
Shen Liqian thought her main competition was Gu Qingyuan.
But these two? They were playing a longer game.
Su Yan had elevated two actresses already. Who's to say he couldn't elevate them next?
They were supporting roles now—but in Su Yan's next drama, who knew?
Everyone had dreams.
After the second episode's ratings dropped, the entire crew's attitude toward Su Yan had gone from 120% enthusiastic to 200% loyal.
Su Yan could feel it, too.
Now he was starting to understand how big-name directors and producers from his past life were treated on set.
If not for the fact that Su Yan's professional reputation was squeaky clean, and his interactions with even the most stunning actresses were strictly businesslike—so much so that some people suspected he liked men—
There was no doubt more than a few actresses would've tried something by now.
As for Shinozaki Ikumi—
She was even busier than Su Yan.
Since 'Tokyo Love Story' began airing, everyone she'd ever met—even if they only had one meal together—was reaching out.
Back when she and Su Yan left Sakura TV, they were mocked by half the industry.
Now, those very same people were scrambling to cash in on their old connection to her—hoping for any role in Su Yan's future projects, even as background extras.
Because everyone saw it clearly now—
This season's top-rated drama was almost guaranteed to be 'Tokyo Love Story.'
If Su Yan's second drama this season also topped the charts—
What would that mean for the Xia Flame Awards next January?
Any award with real weight? It'd probably be swept up by 'Tokyo Love Story' and 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners'.
Sure, 'Blood Route' had its strengths—great writing, solid production, and solid ratings. In any other season, it would've been a shoo-in for top drama.
But trying to go head-to-head with Su Yan's shows?
A losing battle.
It sounded absurd, but more and more people in the industry felt it:
Even with all its power, Sakura TV felt less intimidating than Su Yan alone.
After 'Tokyo Love Story's second episode ratings were released, the Xia Nation's media kicked into overdrive.
The internet might not have memory.
But its records never disappear. And memories? People could dig those up real fast.
Every bold claim 'Blood Route' had made before airing—
All the jabs writer Akiyama Shunsuke took at Su Yan in interviews—
All the passive-aggressive mocking Akasaka Yoshitoki did via variety shows—
Now, it was all coming back to slap them in the face.
📰'Blood Route' crushed in ratings by 'Tokyo Love Story' for two consecutive weeks! Akiyama Shunsuke's first work in ten years obliterated!
📰Genius writer Su Yan dominates the autumn lineup once again—he is the new god of dramas!
📰New wave crashes into the old—Xia's TV industry enters an irreversible transformation.]
📰Akasaka Yoshitoki faces a career crisis! His reckless choices two years ago created a terrifying rival in Su Yan. Conservatively, Su Yan's impact has cost Sakura TV hundreds of millions. Shareholders are furious!
📰Su Yan has never had a flop. How high can his ceiling go?
📰Rumor has it, after 'Tokyo Love Story', Su Yan's next series, Magical Girl, will air on Zhongxia TV. After dominating this year with 'Edgerunners' and 'Tokyo Love Story', what about next year? Can the three major networks really do nothing to stop this one-man studio boss?
📰Even though Zhongxia TV is reaping massive success thanks to Su Yan, make no mistake—his rise is breaking down the decades-old fortresses built by the Big Three networks.
📰Industry experts predict that 'Tokyo Love Story' will surpass 'Edgerunners' in ratings. Unlike the dark, violent 'Edgerunners', 'Tokyo Love Story' is a drama anyone can enjoy—young or old, male or female. A true mass-market classic.
The media spent the entire week hyping the show nonstop.
At Sakura TV, Akasaka Yoshitoki looked visibly worse with each passing day.
'Blood Route's second episode was only about 0.2% behind 'Tokyo Love Story'.
But even so, Akasaka was clearly spiraling.
He had seen it happen before.
Some dramas might beat Su Yan's shows in the premiere, but they always collapsed later.
And 'Blood Route' didn't even start ahead—it got crushed right out of the gate.
Akasaka had always viewed the drama industry as a capital-driven game. To him, no genius could beat the system.
But now, for the first time, he felt despair.
What now?
Time was running out.
After 'Blood Route', he had another S-tier drama lined up.
That one was scheduled to directly compete with Magical Girl.
If 'Blood Route' couldn't beat 'Tokyo Love Story', could that drama beat Magical Girl?
For the first time, the overconfident Akasaka lost his confidence.
If both dramas failed, he was 100% getting booted from his department head position.
All those decades of work and ambition...
Only to lose the seat after two years?
How could he accept that?
But right now, he truly had no cards left to play.
Big capital could suppress ordinary people.
But against someone on your level, those tricks were useless.
Su Yan had Zhongxia backing him. He didn't fear Sakura in the slightest.
Akasaka knew: the only way he could win—
Is if Su Yan mess up.
'Tokyo Love Story' had only aired two episodes.
His only hope now was that the plot would fall apart later.
On Friday, 'Blood Route' aired its third episode.
It finally broke the 5% mark—landing at 5.03%.
After three weeks of marketing blitz from Sakura TV, it barely surpassed 'Tokyo Love Story's first episode.
But on Saturday and Sunday, very few media outlets reported this milestone.
Their focus was all on 'Tokyo Love Story'.
Everyone was waiting for the third episode's performance.
In the online streaming market, the show's average paid views per episode had already skyrocketed past 8 million. It was projected to break 10 million any day now. The user rating? A jaw-dropping 9.5.
To be honest, these numbers were already better than 'Edgerunners' during its run.
Veterans in the Xia drama industry felt it in their bones:
'Tokyo Love Story' still had room to climb even higher.
As long as the quality held steady until the finale.
That afternoon, Su Yan's fans were already lighting up the internet.
Tons of Rika stans posted self-made gifs of the character, promoting the show in forums to fans who hadn't yet tuned in.
That evening—
Zhongxia TV's ratings skyrocketed from the moment the episode began.
Other channels' numbers plunged—nearly drained dry by Zhongxia's dominance.
In a residential complex in Hudu—
Jiang Yuan munched on snacks and chatted with her best friend on the phone, excitedly waiting for 'Tokyo Love Story' to start.
She had never watched a Su Yan drama before—'Tokyo Love Story' was her entry point this season.
And in just two weeks, she'd joined over a dozen Su Yan fan groups.
Just like the media said—dramas like 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' were too niche, with their bloody romance and action-heavy plots.
But 'Tokyo Love Story'? Completely different.
It didn't filter viewers. It welcomed everyone—young or old, man or woman.
She used to ignore all the buzz about Su Yan.
Special effects, fantasy, time travel, Samurai, music—none of that interested her.
But a workplace romance?
That was different.
She could relate—she was a working woman herself.
'Tokyo Love Story' was, without a doubt, the most grounded, most accessible series Su Yan had ever made.
Time ticked on.
At 8 p.m. sharp—
'Tokyo Love Story' Episode 3 began.
Jiang Yuan's eyes lit up. She set the snacks aside.