After the final ratings for 'Hikaru no Go' were released, news spread like wildfire throughout Great Zhou's drama industry.
Five years ago, Yunteng TV had once attempted to challenge the dominance of the Big Six networks. That effort came from a drama that aired continuously for an entire year—four straight seasons. It was only in the fourth quarter that it finally gained enough popularity to cross the 9% ratings mark, coming just shy of breaking 10%.
But now, 'Hikaru no Go' had nearly reached 7% in just its second season, and even took the top spot for the entire summer season.
In a direct comparison, 'Hikaru no Go' actually outperformed that legendary Yunteng TV show from five years ago.
The only pity… was that 'Hikaru no Go' wasn't a long-running series.
If it had continued into a third or fourth season, maybe history would've repeated itself.
Still, this result was already more than enough.
Especially considering that 'Hikaru no Go' had the disadvantage of smaller investment, limited marketing, and weaker broadcast platforms—yet still claimed the crown in viewership.
And not only that—Jing Yu's other work, 'Steins;Gate', despite placing fifth in ratings, had received even better reviews than 'Hikaru no Go'.
The two dramas held the #1 and #2 spots in audience scores for the season.
If in the spring season, Jing Yu had merely caught the attention of the industry as an impressive newcomer—
Then by the end of the summer, he was seen by his peers as if he had unlocked cheat codes.
He was unstoppably good.
Meanwhile, the Silver Dragon Awards had officially opened fan voting online.
Although the Silver Dragon was a quarterly award—technically lower in prestige compared to annual ones—
It had become a trusted guide for many Great Zhou viewers deciding what shows to catch up on.
With so many networks and so many series each season, no one could watch everything.
But if a drama won a Silver Dragon Award? That alone could pull in countless new viewers—and boost merchandise sales, too.
Moreover, for the end-of-year Golden Dragon Awards, many nomination qualifications were linked to how well a series performed in the Silver Dragons.
So naturally, every drama team with a hit show was giving 110% attention to the Silver Dragons.
Fan voting had a particularly strong influence on certain categories—
such as Most Popular Actor, Most Popular Actress, and Most Popular Drama.
While judges still held authority, fan votes carried serious weight.
On the official Silver Dragon voting site, in the category of Most Popular Male Lead:
The protagonist of 'Steins;Gate', Okabe Rintarō, held an overwhelming lead—over 25% ahead of the second-place lead from 'You, Under the Cliff' (Yu Meng).
In Most Popular Supporting Actor, the lead was even more exaggerated:
Fujiwara no Sai had more votes than Okabe himself.
And sitting comfortably in second place?
Tōya Akira, also from 'Hikaru no Go'.
In the Most Popular Actress category, Makise Kurisu held a slight lead over Xia Li, the supporting female lead from 'Black Cat'.
Though on the forums, many 'Hikaru no Go' fans were joking that Tōya Akira should be nominated for Most Popular Supporting Actress instead.
Yep—fujoshi are everywhere.
Many female viewers watching 'Hikaru no Go' didn't just see friendship between Hikaru and Akira—
They saw Go-fueled romance.
There were entire fan communities around pairings like:
HikaAki (Hikaru × Akira)
SaiHika (Sai × Hikaru)
SaiAki (Sai × Akira)
To all this, Jing Yu could only shrug:
"As long as the fans are happy. Imagination is harmless."
As voting continued, many lead actors, directors, and writers from summer dramas took to social media, calling on their fans for support.
Some actors who didn't have a show lined up next season even began holding fan meetings—
anything to boost their vote counts.
"This is insane," Jing Yu muttered, constantly refreshing his feed and watching the numbers.
In his past life, he hadn't been a fan of anything.
So it was hard to understand how this all felt.
But now, as a well-known screenwriter and actor… it was overwhelming.
"Of course it's crazy," Cheng Lie replied from the driver's seat. "These are the highest-rated and most well-reviewed dramas of the season. If they weren't in the top three, that would be the real problem."
He drove calmly, but his tone was serious.
"Still, Jing Yu-sensei… games are great and all, but don't lose yourself in them. You need to start focusing on your next script."
This was the third time Cheng had said this today.
"Look at how big you've gotten this season. You're now the most anticipated screenwriter in the entire country.
Any entertainment news article that wants clicks is name-dropping you.
But here's the thing—"
Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
"High expectations come with a price.
One misstep in your next project, and all those fans praising you? The critics singing your praises? They'll flip instantly."
"I've seen it happen to so many talented people.
They rise fast… then crumble just as quickly. Can't handle the pressure. Disappear from the industry."
"Winning top ratings this quarter is great for Yunteng TV.
But you, Jing Yu-sensei… your sights shouldn't stop there.
With your talent, you should be aiming for annual viewership records."
"And beyond that? Think bigger. The all-time historical records.
There've been hundreds of dramas that made history in the past few decades…
Why not add your name to that list?"
Cheng finally paused, realizing he'd been rambling.
Maybe he was overstepping.
Advice, after all, is often hard to swallow.
Jing Yu was quiet for a moment, then gave a faint smile.
"I get it.
The road is long and winding…"
He knew how it looked—no new drama in autumn, spending days playing games.
To others, he probably looked like another young talent flying too high, too fast.
Other screenwriters would grind themselves down trying to write something half-decent.
Meanwhile, Jing Yu seemed carefree, always calm and composed.
But he knew the truth:
Every script he produced was exchanged, not written by hand.
He didn't need to lock himself away to "search for inspiration."
Pretending to struggle in a blacked-out room for "art's sake"? Jing Yu thought that was ridiculous.
"I'll have a new script ready before winter."
"Producer Cheng… do you know the phrase 'chest full of bamboo'?"
"Chest full of what?" Cheng blinked.
Great Zhou didn't have that idiom.
Jing Yu briefly explained it:
"It means to have a complete plan in mind—to know exactly what you're going to do."
"So you're telling me…" Cheng's eyes lit up.
"You do have something in mind? You've got a new story coming?"
He slowed the car, his gaze sharp with excitement.