Cheng Lie glanced at the final-minute ratings for the first episode of 'Hikaru no Go'—3.13%. The average rating? 2.78%.
He then checked the major drama forums to see what viewers were saying. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Some avid Go players were even breaking down and discussing the actual matches shown in the episode.
The success of 'Hikaru no Go's first episode had far exceeded his expectations.
Originally, he would've been perfectly content with the first episode hitting a modest 2.1%. That would leave room for steady growth in later episodes. But now… it seemed that concern was unnecessary.
This show wasn't one of those slow-burning dramas.
"No wonder Teacher Jing Yu said it would only take a month for me to realize that producing this show was a decision I'd never regret. A month? It didn't even take that long." Cheng Lie exhaled deeply.
But no matter how much he tried to stay calm, the excitement bubbling inside him was impossible to suppress.
As expected of the number one screenwriting talent from Lan Province, one look at his work and you could tell the difference.
That night, across the entire drama market of the Da Zhou Nation, the buzz around the shows airing during prime time was nonstop.
'Hikaru no Go' might not have had as much attention as the mega productions airing on Imperial Capital TV and Xingtong TV, but that was understandable. After all, those two channels were juggernauts in the Sunday night slot. Even a mediocre show from them could easily pull in a 3.5% rating simply due to their massive viewer base.
But when compared to 'Race Against Time', airing at the same time on Chenghai TV (also one of the Big Six), 'Hikaru no Go' wasn't falling behind at all in terms of online discussion.
Over on Yindou Net, the viewer ratings came in. The first episode of 'Hikaru no Go' received a stunning 8.9, ranking it first among over thirty new dramas that aired across all channels on January 1st.
Well… tied for first. The other was Fireworks, Xingtong TV's main spring season drama.
Meanwhile, Imperial Capital TV's Deadly Gambler came in at 8.7, and Chenghai TV's 'Race Against Time' scored an 8.5. Most shows from smaller channels hovered somewhere between 6 and 7.
The overall results for this New Year's Day drama lineup matched media predictions—except for one surprise: 'Hikaru no Go'.
No one expected such a strong show of support from viewers—many of whom had no idea how to even play Go.
The next morning, bright and early, Jing Yu received a call from Meng Yu, Head of Production at Yunteng TV.
Having just gotten to work, Meng Yu had immediately checked the ratings report for 'Hikaru no Go', and the numbers far exceeded his expectations.
Yunteng TV hadn't aired a drama with a first-episode rating of 2.78% in over a year. In fact, most of the network's headline shows in recent quarters had only managed to debut with somewhere between 2.2% and 2.5%. Only one or two had crossed an average of 3% by their finale.
That's just the reality of the drama industry. The big names hog the spotlight. Audiences are limited, and most people can only follow one or two shows at a time—usually opting for the polished hits from Imperial Capital TV, Xingtong TV, or the rest of the Big Six.
So, while Big Six network dramas often end with over 4% average ratings, anything outside that group typically settles for under 3%. Smaller regional networks? Some of their dramas barely hit 0. something percent.
At Yunteng TV, any drama that finishes its run in the weekend prime time slot with an average of 2.4% is considered qualified. Over 3%, and the team gets double bonuses. Over 4%? That's a major hit. And if it ever hits 5%? Even the Head of Production would treat the creators like VIPs.
As for breaking the 5% barrier… that only happened once in the past decade—a sports-themed drama five years ago that scored a miraculous 9.9% rating. A once-in-a-generation phenomenon.
Looking at the current numbers, Meng Yu figured that a drama like 'Hikaru no Go', which started above 2.7%, was unlikely to end below 3%.
He was very pleased.
"Jing Yu, keep up the good work. Don't let the first episode's success go to your head, though. This is still a Go-themed drama—a pretty new concept. No one can say for sure if viewers will stay interested in the long run."
– Meng Yu's final words of caution
After hanging up, Jing Yu turned his gaze toward the crew.
As a newly recruited writer at Yunteng TV, Jing Yu hadn't exactly been welcomed with open arms. Many of the crew were long-time Yunteng TV staffers, and while the production had been put together by Cheng Lie, some skepticism lingered.
Each TV station only produces a handful of dramas per quarter. Internally, those slots are hotly contested. Outwardly, it seemed like Jing Yu was just recruited by Cheng Lie and given the prime-time slot by default. But in reality, Cheng Lie had to fight tooth and nail in production meetings, arguing against multiple colleagues.
Giving such heavy backing to a rookie writer with just one year of experience? Many in the network were against it. But Cheng Lie forced it through.
Had 'Hikaru no Go' flopped, it would've been Cheng Lie who'd faced the heat.
But now…
Everyone in the crew could finally relax. That morning, their greetings to Jing Yu carried far more sincerity than before.
No wonder someone from a small, remote province like Lan could rise to fame—he actually had the talent to back it up. A Go-themed drama scoring 2.7%+ on its debut? No wonder Producer Cheng had dared to speak so boldly in meetings.
That afternoon, after wrapping the day's shoot, Cheng Lie invited Jing Yu, director Qin Shi, and leaders from each crew department to a fancy BBQ restaurant in Modo City for a celebration dinner.
Truth be told, Jing Yu wasn't big on social gatherings. If he had free time, he'd much rather go home and play games alone. But the 'Hikaru no Go' team had been filming quietly for nearly a month with few chances to bond, so Cheng Lie used the drama's strong debut as an excuse to bring everyone together.
"Teacher Jing Yu, a toast to you!"
"Ah, Team Leader Liu, that's too kind."
"A true genius. I was honestly worried that the general audience would ignore a Go-themed drama. Turns out I underestimated you."
"Here, try this aged liquor I brought from my hometown. It's over twenty years old. Cheng Lie's been eyeing it for ages, but I've never let him have a sip."
"This is farmed sturgeon—not as flavorful as wild-caught, but still quite rare. Try it with some chilled wine in one bite, Teacher Jing Yu."
Compared to Lan Province, the people at Yunteng TV were definitely warmer and more outgoing.
On set, everyone had their role. But over dinner, they became fast friends. After several rounds, Jing Yu was feeling a bit light-headed—these seasoned drinkers were hard to keep up with.
Though it was supposed to be a celebratory meal, the conversation soon veered back into work.
"No matter what, 'Hikaru no Go' had a great start. I initially projected an average rating of 2.6% for the series, considering its niche subject and modest budget. But with that first episode breaking the target already, it's time we raise the bar," said Cheng Lie, turning to Jing Yu.
"Teacher Jing Yu, you're the creator here—and your judgment's always spot on. What's your new rating target for this drama?"
Everyone around the table turned their eyes toward Jing Yu.
He lowered his head, thinking.
To be honest, it was hard to say. He was confident that 'Hikaru no Go' would make waves in the Zhou drama scene. But just how big it could get… would depend on many factors: broadcasting conditions, timing, and platform support.
Still, judging from previous adaptations, Zhou audiences had a strong appetite for manga-based content.
If 'Hikaru no Go' followed a similar trajectory to its previous-world counterpart, it wouldn't lose to any show from the Big Six. In fact, it might crush them.
But classic works need time to build word-of-mouth.
Take One Piece as an example. It took over 20 years to become the cultural giant it was by the time Jing Yu crossed over. It's not like Eiichiro Oda dropped 1,000 chapters at once and JUMP just published them all at once, instantly making it a global phenomenon.
Jing Yu was confident 'Hikaru no Go' would still be remembered by drama fans even five or six years later. But in just the few months it aired, how big could it really get?
He wasn't sure.
So he hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand—five fingers splayed.
Everyone stared, puzzled.
Then he switched the gesture—index, middle, and ring fingers folded, leaving just thumb and pinky extended: a "six."
"Ah! Teacher Jing Yu means he's hoping for a final average rating of 3.6%!" said Li Ping, who handled post-production. "At first he was going to say 3.5%, but thought that was too low."
"3.6%? That's actually within reach."
"With a premiere at 2.78% and an 8.9 score on Yindou, as long as the script holds strong and buzz continues to build, it's definitely possible."
"Man, if we hit 3.6%, I'm looking at triple my bonus this quarter!"
"Seeing how confident Teacher Jing Yu is gives me peace of mind. Not like that writer from last year—he didn't even believe in his own script. No surprise the ratings tanked after episode seven."
Even Cheng Lie nodded at this.
Jing Yu's goal was even higher than his own estimate of 3.4%, but that was fine. If they worked hard and kept the quality high, they might just pull it off.
Cheng Lie was about to say something when Jing Yu—still a little tipsy—suddenly spoke up.
"Actually… that's not what I meant. I wasn't aiming for 3.6%. I'm talking 6%. I was gonna say 5%, but that felt too low. Even playing it safe, 'Hikaru no Go' should hit at least 6% average."
The entire table froze.
Six percent?
Did they hear him wrong, or did he just say something outrageous?
Even Cheng Lie looked stunned.
They were talking about average ratings, not peak ratings.
With a premiere of just 2.78%, to average 3.6%, they'd need the finale to reach around 4.5%.
Remember 'White Album 2'? Even with a 3% finale, it averaged below that because earlier episodes dragged it down.
But 6%? That would mean 'Hikaru no Go' would need to close with 9%+ to even out.
That's Xingtong TV territory.
Jing Yu noticed everyone's stunned faces. He understood.
To them, a 9% episode was an unreachable fantasy.
But to Jing Yu?
He truly believed it.
He'd studied Zhou's so-called "legendary dramas"—the few that averaged over 10%.
Sure, those shows were good. But in his opinion, none were as compelling as 'Hikaru no Go'.
Those hits had massive budgets, A-list actors, A-list directors, full-scale promotions across all major cities… and then they pulled a 10% premiere. That's the only way their averages broke 10%.
'Hikaru no Go' had none of that—no big names, no huge promotion, and a niche subject.
So yes, it debuted at 2.78%. But he believed it would explode later.
Still, expecting an average above 10%? That was delusional.
That'd be like failing the English section of a college entrance exam and still expecting to score over 590 overall.
So Jing Yu didn't think about that.
But 6%? That should be a reasonable expectation.
He smiled bitterly and leaned back in his chair, pretending to be drunk.
No point explaining. They wouldn't believe him. They'd just think he was arrogant or boasting.
In the end, only results speak for themselves.
"Oh, he's drunk!"
Everyone suddenly understood.
No wonder he'd say something as absurd as 6% average viewership.
Our screenwriter really is kind of adorable.
And so, the dinner continued as normal.
But from then on, 3.6% became the new, unofficial target for 'Hikaru no Go'.