9:10 AM
By this time, the ratings analysts at each of the major television networks had already compiled the viewership data for the shows aired during the previous time slot.
"You, Under the Cliff", Episode 3 — average viewership rating: 6.99%
Just in its second episode, the series had already broken the 7% mark. Yet now, in its third episode, it had slipped below that threshold.
In the offices of Huanshi TV, the staff monitoring the ratings looked grim, too afraid to make a sound.
"What about Yunteng TV's 'Steins;Gate'? What was its rating?"
On the other end of the phone, 'You, Under the Cliff's screenwriter Lin Bin asked, his tone edged with irritation.
"3.56% — the third episode's average was 3.56%."
The analyst answered cautiously, then added after a brief pause,
"But… its peak viewership was at the end of episode five — it hit 4.19%."
BANG! A loud crash came from the other end of the line, and then the call disconnected.
The third episode of 'You, Under the Cliff' had underperformed — a result that had taken the entire Great Zhou entertainment industry by surprise.
Although there were murmurs just the night before that 'Steins;Gate' was gaining traction in terms of reputation and word of mouth, most had dismissed its chances due to its long and drawn-out setup in the first four episodes. Nobody expected it to make a comeback.
But episode five of 'Steins;Gate' had completely overturned every prediction.
Not only did it surpass the 3% mark, it shot up to 3.56% — a remarkable leap.
Granted, 3.56% isn't a jaw-dropping figure in itself. However, when you consider that it aired in the same time slot as Huanshi TV's flagship show 'You, Under the Cliff', the implications were clear.
And with 'You, Under the Cliff' experiencing a slight dip in its third week's ratings...
It became obvious: 'Steins;Gate' hadn't just withstood the pressure from its heavyweight rival — it had actually begun stealing its audience.
Who could've predicted such an outcome?
And as of last night, after the fifth episode aired, 'Steins;Gate's rating on Yindou Net jumped from 8.2 to 9.1.
Week 1: 6.9
Week 2: 8.2
Week 3: 9.1
What kind of show was this, exactly?
The summer drama market — once expected to be chaotic — had now descended into utter madness.
[Last week, 'You, Under the Cliff' was still smugly smiling in the shadows. This week, it's met a worthy rival.]
['Steins;Gate' counters the trend and strikes back — the number-one spot in the seasonal ratings may no longer be secure.]
["Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west" — when the Big Three tried to crush 'Hikaru no Go' last season, did they ever think they'd be repaid in kind this summer by Yunteng TV?]
[Low budget, high reward — three weeks into the summer season, screenwriter Jing Yu has three dramas in the top 20 rankings. 'Hikaru no Go' ranks 2nd, 'Another' ranks 10th, and 'Steins;Gate' ranks 12th.]
[The first serious challenger to the Big Three in five years — is the genius screenwriter Jing Yu aiming for the season's ratings crown?]
['Hikaru no Go' currently holds second place in ratings, with 'You, Under the Cliff' 0.7% behind. In two days, will that gap widen — or shrink?]
[A masterpiece? Or just a flash in the pan? Episode 5 of 'Steins;Gate' truly delivered a mind-bending experience. But can the show maintain that level of quality and creativity?]
[The summer season's dark horse — or a joke? 'Steins;Gate' had a rocky start with gaping logic holes. If the later episodes can't fix them, the entire show could collapse.]
[Microwave + phone + headphones + computer = time machine? One self-proclaimed scientist claims the show plagiarized his 20 years of time machine research and publicized it without his consent. He's threatening to sue Jing Yu, warning of global disaster.]
[A single week's ratings spike doesn't mean everything. Was the drop in 'You, Under the Cliff' just a fluke, or is Steins;Gate truly pulling viewers away? We'll find out next Friday.]
[The six major networks of Great Zhou? After this summer season, it might be time to rename them the "Big Seven."]
Following episode five, film critics across Great Zhou became unusually active, unleashing a flood of scathing articles mocking the Big Three networks.
The Big Three's production departments were also growing uneasy.
Why was this happening?
Just two extra shows from Jing Yu this season — how could that shake things up so much?
Xingtong TV
"At least we didn't get hit by Yunteng TV this season. 'Black Cat's time slot has no real competitors. Starting from episode four, we should see a solid increase in ratings."
"Still, be cautious — don't get careless. Also, does anyone have connections with this Jing Yu guy over at Yunteng TV? Their headquarters are just a 30-minute drive from ours. If Yunteng TV can have him, why can't we?
If anyone can recruit him to Xingtong TV, the station will absolutely make it worth your while."
Imperial Capital TV
"What the hell is going on? We invested 90 million in 'The Manual', and a drama made with only 9 million is dragging us down?"
"Tonight's episode four of 'Manual' — I want the ratings to hit at least 6.4%. Among the Big Three's flagship shows, ours is ranked fourth as of last week.
Do any of you still dare to say we're part of the Big Three?"
"Contact Jing Yu. Try to get him on board. Didn't he just sign a one-year contract with Yunteng TV? One season, three dramas — all in the top 20. Incredible."
Huanshi TV – Production Meeting
"I won't waste words. Right now, 'You, Under the Cliff' is still at the top in seasonal ratings, even if it slipped a bit this week.
It's the most expensive in-house production among all networks this season, and we went all out to hire three A-list actors.
If we don't take the crown this summer… well, you know what's at stake."
"Also, contact Jing Yu. Try to bring him over. Talent like that is wasted at Yunteng TV."
"Understood. Actually, we tried last winter."
"You call that trying? One phone call? No one even went in person — you call that sincerity?"
"…"
Even the "Lower Three" networks had noticed — Jing Yu's presence in this summer season was becoming unignorably huge.
Aurora TV and Squirrel TV were already stirring with ideas.
Only Chenghai TV felt the most conflicted.
After all, 'Hikaru no Go' — Jing Yu's smash hit — had originally been pitched to them first.
If Jing Yu could get 'Hikaru no Go' to second place in ratings over at Yunteng TV, then if it had aired at Chenghai TV... it might be number one right now.
News had already spread across the industry: Xu Mei, the head of production at Chenghai TV, rejected a show that could've topped the entire season.
No one cared that almost everyone thought a Go-themed drama was doomed at the start. People only care about results.
Now, Xu Mei had become the industry's Clown #1, while producer Fu Jing had taken the role of Clown #2.
Back then, Fu Jing had personally contacted Jing Yu. She was now so ashamed she could barely speak.
Even she thought she'd been a fool — and that Xu Mei was one too.
Jing Yu had agreed to sign a three-year deal and even brought 'Hikaru no Go's script directly to them. But they turned it down because they didn't think the subject matter would work — and let Yunteng scoop it up.
The funniest part?
This morning, at the production meeting, Xu Mei actually suggested that Fu Jing reach out to Jing Yu again, promising that any script he brought, regardless of genre, would receive at least 70 million in funding.
…As if he were an idiot.
Who just comes and goes as others please?
Does he think Fu Jing has some kind of magical persuasion skill?
She couldn't even bring herself to open that conversation.
Jinhui TV – Production Department Meeting
Chu You, once again, couldn't help being passive-aggressive.
"I was the one who personally handed Jing Yu the 20-year contract with our station back then…"
"Sigh. If only someone hadn't been in such a rush to kick him out after Jing Liang passed away, 'Hikaru no Go' would've been our show.
And not just that — 'Another', Steins;Gate — all ours."
This marked the 30th or 40th time Chu You had brought it up since Jing Yu left Jinhui.
The whole room — dozens of staff — turned their eyes to Xu You.
The man sitting across from him looked like he'd swallowed a toad, his face flushed purple. But he said nothing. Not a word.
Even though Jing Yu was long gone, the sting of that decision haunted Xu You like a slow, suffocating death.
As day turned into night, the internal ripple effects of Jing Yu's three-hit combo were still unfolding across the six major networks.
And that night —
Episode 4 of 'Another' aired.