January 22, Modo City – Overcast.
On a crowded city bus, Zeng Lian sat quietly as the overhead screen cycled through promotional clips from Modo City's major TV stations for their spring dramas.
Aurora TV's 'How the Salted Fish Was Tempered'!
Xingtong TV's 'Fireworks'!
Yunteng TV's 'Hikaru no Go'!
When 'Hikaru no Go's teaser came on, both Zeng Lian and many other passengers' eyes lit up.
Although Yunteng TV wasn't as well-known nationally as Xingtong TV or Aurora TV, in Modo City, it wasn't far behind.
Most of the city's bundled cable packages included the six local stations—Yunteng TV among them.
So while 'Fireworks' may have led in national average viewership, in Modo City itself, after 'Hikaru no Go' began gaining momentum, the gap had narrowed considerably.
In fact, at her workplace, 'Hikaru no Go' was becoming the most frequently discussed show during lunch breaks.
"Sai is so hot!"
"Did you know the actor playing Sai is also the screenwriter of 'Hikaru no Go'? He even composed the opening, ending, and seven or eight insert songs.
He's like a genius straight out of a fairytale!"
"That's not even all—he's written two acclaimed dramas in Lan Province, plays piano like a pro, and also violin. Absolute legend."
"I read in a recent report that the show's Go consultant, Li Le, challenged Jing Yu to friendly matches after joining the crew—and lost fourteen games in a row.
At first, Li Le refused to accept it and kept trying to win one back, but in the end he got so wrecked he started avoiding Jing Yu on set."
"Honestly, I would too. Imagine joining as the 'expert advisor' only to get schooled by a screenwriter. And then it gets reported in the media? Oof. Humiliating."
"Anyway, every time I see Sai's face, I just feel so calm. I wish I had a gentle guy like that teaching me Go every day."
"You wish he'd teach you Go? Filthy."
Zeng Lian kept a neutral expression, quietly listening to the discussions around her.
She didn't join in, but deep down, she was happy the show was gaining so many fans.
After all, she'd been a devoted fan since the very first episode, back when she stumbled on the premiere while channel surfing.
She was hooked immediately.
On the night Episode 3 aired, she even dreamed she was playing Go—with Sai as her opponent.
Later that day…
"It's Sunday again! That means a new 'Hikaru no Go' episode!"
Zeng Lian hummed happily while preparing dinner.
As she ate, she tuned into Xingtong TV's 'Fireworks' first.
One hour later…
"That was good, but… it still doesn't move me like 'Hikaru no Go' does."
She stretched and sighed.
That subtle, lingering emotion 'Hikaru no Go' stirred in her—she just didn't feel that with 'Fireworks'.
Episode 4 Ratings:
'Fireworks': 6.57%, a new record.
'Race Against Time' (Chenghai TV): 3.82%
Slightly—just 0.01%—above 'Hikaru no Go's previous 3.81%.
For the 'Race Against Time' crew, it was a tiny relief.
"If 'Hikaru no Go's new episode outperformed our previous one… we'd be screwed."
Within the 'Race Against Time' team:
"'Hikaru no Go' has to flop tonight!"
"Please let the ratings crash!"
"If they beat us in the rankings again, we can kiss our quarterly bonuses goodbye!"
Ironically, these professionals cared more about 'Hikaru no Go' failing than they did about their own show succeeding.
Why?
Because as long as you weren't beaten by a non–Big Six station, you could still slack off, still coast through mediocrity.
But now 'Hikaru no Go' had shattered that unspoken rule.
If your Big Six show got beaten by 'Hikaru no Go', your bosses wouldn't care why—they'd just assume you're useless.
In the 'Hikaru no Go' fan group:
"I hope this week's episode is a bit more cheerful. Last week hit me hard!
Watching Hikaru nearly ruin Tsutsui's dream because he was fooling around on the board... Thank God Sai came through!"
"Looks like the dynamic is: Akira chasing Sai, and Hikaru chasing Akira."
"So next up is Hikaru joining the Go Club, right? Curious to see how that unfolds!"
"If I could predict the story, I wouldn't be here discussing it—I'd be the one writing 'Hikaru no Go'."
"Heard Yunteng TV is already working with manufacturers to release Sai's costume replica for pre-order. Only 998 yuan a set. Anyone getting one?"
"Why would girls buy that? It's men's clothing!"
"Because gender is a concept, okay? I can cosplay as Sai if I want.
Since I can't find a Sai in real life, I'll become him myself!"
"I've got a supplier selling Sai's fan—only 200 yuan each. Pre-order now and get one free for every five!"
"A paper fan for 200+?! Do I misunderstand the average income in Dazhou?"
"Ignore those. Probably bootleg sellers sneaking into the group.
If you want merch, buy from Yunteng TV's official store.
Anything else is 100% fake."
"But the official site says orders won't ship for another month. That's so long…"
As 'Hikaru no Go' gained popularity, its merchandise took off as well.
Yunteng TV's internal teams moved quickly, designing and launching pre-orders for a variety of official merchandise.
Despite shipping delays, fan enthusiasm was sky-high.
Even Zeng Lian was tempted.
During the pre-episode commercial break, she searched Yunteng TV's website for 'Hikaru no Go' products.
But her attention was soon stolen by the theme song.
Every time she heard it, it felt different.
She hummed along as the music swelled.
Episode 4:
The story shifted fully back to the school setting.
Hikaru officially joins the Go Club, teaming up with Tsutsui to recruit new members.
Meanwhile, Akira still couldn't let go of Hikaru—the only peer whose Go skills surpassed his own.
Hikaru had become his target, his inspiration, the one opponent he swore he'd beat.
Akira headed to Hikaru's school, asking around for the Go Club's location.
The 'Hikaru no Go' production had masterfully remixed its original anime soundtrack, creating a wave of nostalgia for fans of 2000s Japanese animation.
Series like 'Inuyasha', 'Hikaru no Go', 'Slam Dunk', 'One Piece', and 'Naruto' were known for their iconic scores—songs that stirred emotions deeply.
Later on, even those same shows lost some magic when they replaced old tracks with newer, less impactful compositions.
Just one track—"Get Over"—was enough to spark intense emotion.
In 'Hikaru no Go', the moment when Jing Yu's piano rendition of the theme came in—a slowed, melancholic variation—it hit Zeng Lian like a wave.
The mournful tone, the resonance of each piano note—it was powerful.
And at the emotional peak of the background score...
Inside the school's Go Club room,
Hikaru and Tsutsui were in the middle of a game...
When Akira arrived—
Through the first-floor classroom window,
their eyes met.