Friday night.
The fierce battle for viewership between 'Steins;Gate' and 'You, Under the Cliff' in Week 6 finally came to an end.
Across the film and television industry of Great Zhou, professionals were left with complicated feelings about the outcome of the two shows' ratings from the night before.
In one industry chat group:
"So 'You, Under the Cliff'... lost, huh?"
"Lost? Yeah... it really did lose. A drama with over 100 million in investment, three top-tier actors in its cast, once expected not just to dominate the summer season but to possibly take the crown for the entire year—and now, it's been dragged down by a non-flagship series from Yunteng TV. At this point, 'Hikaru no Go' might be next in line to take the top spot in the coming week."
"Do you think 'Steins;Gate' would've had higher ratings if it hadn't aired head-to-head against 'You, Under the Cliff'? Was it worth it?"
"If it had aired in another slot, its opening numbers would've been trash, like always. Sure, the later episodes might've pulled higher ratings—but what would that change? Without 'Steins;Gate' suppressing it, 'You, Under the Cliff' would've undoubtedly taken the summer ratings crown. Don't forget, it already broke 7% by its second week. Without interference, last night's episode might've hit 8.5% or more. But now? It's down to 6.5%.
Yunteng TV's Jing Yu played the long game. No wonder this guy once beat a professional 9-dan Go player—he's a master of strategy. He sacrificed 'Steins;Gate' to open a path for 'Hikaru no Go' to climb to the top."
"6.5%. 'You, Under the Cliff' is in trouble now. Though its early episodes had strong ratings, and its overall average will likely place it in the top three—probably even top two—not winning the season is still considered a failure for a show like this. I've been in this industry for over a decade. This is only the second time I've seen one writer single-handedly make the Big Three look this embarrassed."
"Tell me about it. I've worked for over twenty years, and this is only the second time for me too. Funny enough, the last time it happened was also someone from Yunteng TV—Zhong Ming. This time it's Jing Yu.
What's with Yunteng TV? How do they keep attracting these top-tier talents? Why aren't they going to the Big Six?"
"Because the Big Six are too arrogant. Zhong Ming initially wanted to go to Xingtong TV, but they looked down on him and offered insulting terms, so he went to Yunteng TV out of spite.
Same with Jing Yu. He first brought the 'Hikaru no Go' script to Chenghai TV, but they turned their noses up at it. And now? He's back at Yunteng TV, making waves."
"'Hikaru no Go' didn't meet their standards? That's the Big Six for you."
"I've always said it—those big networks are overrated. Their judgment is worse than our smaller stations. Arrogant and blind. They dismissed 'Hikaru no Go' as worthless? Really?"
"Man, I'm fired up now! A 20-million-yuan investment, going head-to-head in the same time slot as a flagship show from Huanshi TV, opening with a 2% rating and now reaching 5% in six weeks?
I'm starting to believe I can pull that off too."
"Seriously! I've got a new drama starting next quarter, also airing on Friday nights. Maybe I'll be Great Zhou's next genius screenwriter like Jing Yu!"
The fact that 'Steins;Gate' alone had pulled down 'You, Under the Cliff' — a near-guaranteed summer champion — sent shockwaves through the entire industry.
But 'You, Under the Cliff' dropping from 6.85% to 6.52% also made the summer season's ratings war even more unpredictable.
Especially in the camp of the 'Manual'.
"This is great! Now we have a chance!" the screenwriter of 'Manual' was glowing with excitement.
"'Another' ended last week, so this week should see a chunk of its audience drift into our show. Without that restraining force holding us back anymore, the summer ratings crown is up for grabs!" said 'Manual's producer, full of confidence.
That night, at 8:00 PM sharp—
Both of them waited, excited, for Saturday prime time to begin.
'Manual' Episode 7 aired smoothly. While 'Another' was being rerun in the same time slot, a significant portion of 'Another' audience did indeed migrate to 'Manual', given its similar genre.
The result?
'Manual's ratings rose from 6.19% to 6.45%, marking its biggest single-week jump since its premiere over a month ago.
The next day.
Cheng Lie arrived on set, looking deeply troubled.
He was out of it all day, distracted and uneasy.
Jing Yu finally couldn't take the long face anymore and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
"…'Manual' hit 6.45% in ratings. This is bad!" Cheng Lie said, face scrunched with worry. "At this rate, it might overtake 'Hikaru no Go' next week."
Jing Yu didn't seem surprised. "Wasn't that always a possibility? It's from one of the Big Three, after all. Now that 'Another' isn't holding it back, of course, it'll start gaining momentum."
He nodded calmly. "But it's nothing to panic over. 'Hikaru no Go' Season 2 is just about to enter its own final power spike."
"That's exactly why I'm panicking!" Cheng Lie looked straight at him. "I'm worried that once the character Sai disappears… 'Hikaru no Go's ratings will drop like a rock!"
A valid concern.
'Hikaru no Go' was, at its core, about Sai—not just literally, but spiritually too. Sai wasn't just a ghost in the story—he was the soul of the entire series. Once he disappeared, the show's appeal would take a significant hit.
And in Jing Yu's past life, the manga version of 'Hikaru no Go' did exactly that. After Sai's exit, the story did lose popularity.
But—
There was still a moment of resurgence just before the decline.
That brief period of uncertainty—when readers weren't sure if Sai was really gone, and hoped he'd come back—actually boosted engagement temporarily.
The same would likely happen here.
The audience would speculate, debate, and hold out hope. It wouldn't be until they were sure he was gone that interest would fade. But by that time? The summer season would be over, and 'Hikaru no Go' would have already ended.
"You're right," Jing Yu said. "Losing Sai will hurt the show's popularity, but it won't happen immediately.
Tonight's episode features Akira's father, Koyo Toya, playing a net match against Sai.
Next week, Hikaru will discover the 'Divine Move.'
The week after that is Sai's final moments with Hikaru before disappearing.
That's Episode 10.
The series ends at Episode 13.
If there's a Season 3 of 'Hikaru no Go', I guarantee that without Sai, the ratings will struggle to break 6%.
But for the final three episodes after his death? Trust me — the ratings won't fall off."
Nothing in this world is 100% certain, but Jing Yu knew 'Hikaru no Go' inside and out. He wasn't too worried.
So what was Cheng Lie's real issue?
He'd never expected 'Hikaru no Go' to be a contender for the ratings crown. That's why he'd always been calm.
But now? Now that it was within reach, he'd become afraid to lose it—scrutinizing every detail, obsessing over competitors, getting lost in his own anxieties.
Sometimes the worst pain isn't having no hope at all—it's having hope dangled in front of you, only to lose it.
Put simply: Cheng Lie was starting to wonder…
"Is this the only shot I'll ever have in my career?"
But truthfully, things had already gone beyond anyone's control.
Whether it was Jing Yu, Cheng Lie, Yunteng TV, or even the Big Six networks, none of them could truly dictate the ratings anymore.
This was now a game governed entirely by the market.
A drama's rating was the sum of two factors: its inherent quality and its broadcast platform.
But the final answer?
Only the audience could give it.
Jing Yu wasn't particularly stressed.
He'd already done everything he could.
From this point on, it was out of his hands.
That night, 'Black Cat' Episode 7 aired on Xingtong TV.
The ratings remained stable, closing at 6.69%.
An hour later, it was time—
'Hikaru no Go' Episode 7 began its broadcast.