Early in the morning, the viewership ratings for Yunteng TV's sub-channel were climbing rapidly.
The state-run Great Zhou National Media Channel, of course, wouldn't fully focus its broadcast on one person during an event like this. Their coverage had to be "balanced." But Yunteng TV, which had dispatched its own crew to stream every single match of Jing yu's games, naturally became a magnet for 'Hikaru no Go' fans—and for all the Go enthusiasts who were now following him after his triple win yesterday.
Everyone was tuning in to watch one thing: Jing yu demolishing professional players.
The result? A bizarre situation emerged. Yunteng TV's sub-channel actually peaked at a 3% viewership rating in the morning—surpassing even the main Yunteng TV channel in the same time slot.
On a Go Enthusiast Forum:
"It's starting. Who did Jing yu draw today?"
"Honestly, I'm suspicious about yesterday's lottery results. Three rounds in a row, he drew pros? That's way too coincidental."
"Guess he's the chosen one."
"I wonder if Jing yu will show off any new tactics today?"
"Probably not. You can't invent new techniques every single game."
"But where did he even learn Go to this level? Normally, you need to spar with strong opponents to improve. Just playing against old men in the park? You'd never reach this kind of skill. The top Go players in Great Zhou are all pros, and not one of them knows who he is."
"Makes no sense. But if he's this strong, who cares about his background?"
In the 'Hikaru no Go' Fan Chat Group:
"Let's go, Teacher Jing yu!"
"Crush those pro players! Slap those fake fans who doubted you!"
"LET'S GOOOO!"
"Remember that hater on the forum a few days ago who said he was waiting to see Jing yu get humiliated at the event? That dude's getting roasted so hard, even his mom wouldn't recognize him!"
"I just hope Jing yu gets matched with one of the two 9-dans today. If he can play them head-on and hold his own, I'll be satisfied."
"Yeah, considering his main job is a screenwriter, not a pro player, he already made it further than anyone expected. Even if he loses, it won't change how I feel about Sai."
"Still, it'd be better if he wins."
"Right? If you can win, why lose? Honestly, I wasn't that invested when he wasn't in costume, but now that he's back in full Fujiwara no Sai gear—I really don't want to see him lose."
"Same here. Maybe it's because I'm too attached to Sai. I only watch 'Hikaru no Go' for him. Who cares about Hikaru?"
At Yunteng TV headquarters, Meng Yu was already yelling at his team to prepare press releases.
He never imagined that just sending Jing yu to some amateur Go exchange event would blow up like this.
Because of this whole Go tournament thing, Jing yu's popularity had skyrocketed in just two days.
Even Great Zhou's national news channel—the equivalent of a nightly state news broadcast—devoted half a minute to covering the tournament yesterday, with over ten seconds of direct screen time on Jing yu.
That was a massive win for Yunteng TV. No matter what happened in today's match, tonight's news segment would absolutely cover Jing yu's explosive performances.
Even better—episode 7 of 'Hikaru no Go' would be airing tonight. Time to ride this momentum and push ratings through the roof.
At the exchange event site, only eight of the original sixty-four contestants remained.
But most of the eliminated players didn't leave. They were all fascinated by the new tactics Jing yu had used to beat the pros yesterday. The organizers had provided a discussion room, and many of them were already in deep conversation early in the morning, analyzing the possible variations and evolution of Jing yu's unorthodox strategies.
As for Jing yu, he had woken up early again, taken a shower, and changed into a fresh Fujiwara no Sai costume. After more than an hour with the makeup team—
A vision in white appeared once more.
At 8 a.m., Jing yu arrived at the venue, followed closely by Yunteng TV's filming crew.
"He's here!"
"It's really him!"
"I heard he's a screenwriter. This is too wild…"
"Still, he's an amateur, just like us. If he wins this event, we'll all feel proud!"
The eliminated players whispered excitedly among themselves.
Among the top 8, excluding Jing yu, the four remaining amateur players all looked tense.
Of the eight:
Zhou Zhengguang – 9-dan
Su Lin – 9-dan
Li Le – 5-dan
Jing yu – Amateur
That left four "normal" amateur players, and they were all feeling the pressure.
Honestly, no matter which of the other four they drew, they didn't like their odds. The best-case scenario would be getting matched against another amateur—or maybe Li Le, the "softest target," offering a tiny sliver of hope.
You could see it in their eyes: when they looked at Li Le—or even at each other—they were practically itching for a luck-based matchup.
Meanwhile, Jing yu hadn't slept well last night. He looked exhausted and kept yawning.
After all, he had gotten up early both yesterday and today for makeup, and yesterday he had played three intense games back-to-back. Honestly, it had taken a toll.
"Teacher Jing yu looks so handsome—even his yawns are captivating."
"Truly a national treasure of beauty. How does someone like this even exist?"
"Hmph. Shallow! His talent is even more impressive than his looks, and all you care about is his face?"
"I heard he's single!"
"For real?!"
"Pretty sure. I've got a friend on the 'Hikaru no Go' production team. She said he's never been seen with any women on-set. His closest female connection is Yu Youqing—they've filmed three dramas together. But there hasn't been any gossip."
"Can your friend get me a job on the 'Hikaru no Go' crew? I'll pay!"
"You'll pay? Don't kid yourself. You think you can buy your way to Jing yu? Or that you're more attractive than Yu Youqing or Xia Yining? He's not even dating them—what chance do you have?"
Before the matches began, it was time for the draw.
Each round's opponent was determined randomly. Completely fair.
So… Jing yu's fourth-round opponent turned out to be—
Zhou Zhengguang.
The moment that result was announced, viewers on Yunteng TV and the national sub-channel exploded with excitement.
This was it.
The amateur god versus the professional titan—the match everyone had been waiting for, and it was happening on a Sunday morning.
When Zhou Zhengguang saw the drawing, he let out a long breath.
"Old Zhou," Su Lin said, turning to him, "I'll see you in the finals."
"Don't worry," Zhou Zhengguang smiled. "We'll meet there."
Then, his gaze shifted to Jing yu—his eyes instantly ignited with competitive fire.
And with that spark, the passion spread across the entire viewer base: fans of 'Hikaru no Go', Go nerds, drama junkies—
Everyone was fired up.