It was now mid-November.
The fierce competition in Great Zhou's winter drama season was gradually nearing its end.
'Initial D' had broken through the 8% ratings threshold first, delivering a huge blow to the top three major television networks.
In spring and summer, they could still find excuses.
In spring, 'Hikaru no Go' Season 1 broke the big three's long-standing monopoly, squeezing into the top three in ratings. They brushed it off, saying Jing Yu got lucky.
In summer, 'Hikaru no Go' Season 2 topped the ratings. This time, they claimed he was shameless—dragging down their prime-time flagships with a low-budget drama.
But this winter… 'Initial D'?
They had no excuse left.
All the networks aired their shows normally, no overlapping time slots, no flops disrupting the numbers.
They were simply… outmatched.
Viewers just liked Jing Yu's shows more.
In fact, the love for this particular show even bridged the platform gap between Yunteng TV and the top three networks.
According to the latest stats, Yunteng TV's viewership had not only increased during the airtime of Jing Yu's dramas—its overall daily ratings were up.
Originally, among the "Big Six" stations, Yunteng TV was not far behind the lower three in platform traffic. But now, thanks to Jing Yu producing five high-quality dramas across three quarters…
Aurora TV, also based in Modo, was beginning to feel the pressure of losing its position as the second-biggest station in the region.
And it wasn't just hype—Jing Yu had a 100% hit rate since joining Yunteng TV. Every single drama was a critical success. That gave Great Zhou audiences serious confidence.
The idea that "Yunteng + Jing Yu is just as good as any of the big three" was starting to take root.
And that is what truly scared the top networks.
"We need a plan. Reach out to Jing Yu. Offer him a big deal—we need to steal him for Xingtong TV."
"Isn't his contract up in December? Do whatever it takes—just make sure he doesn't renew with Yunteng TV. Better yet, bring him over to Imperial Capital TV."
"Does anyone have industry contacts who can reach Jing Yu? We have to talk to him. He's wasted at Yunteng TV—he belongs with us."
It was still only November, but the top three networks were already swarming over Jing Yu's contract situation.
And not just the big three—Squirrel TV, Aurora TV, and Chenghai TV from the lower three were also showing serious interest.
Jing Yu had been with Yunteng TV for only one year, yet every quarter he released a new show, and each one cracked the top three in ratings. If Initial D hit its projections, it'd be his second show this year to take the No.1 spot.
It was insane.
In just one year, Jing Yu had outshone every veteran screenwriter in Great Zhou's entertainment industry.
And this wasn't like when he left Jinhui TV last time—this time, the Big Six were serious.
Ever since mid-November, while still filming 'Initial D', Jing Yu had been flooded with offers from the networks.
Not just phone calls—networks were reaching out through actors, former collaborators, college classmates—anyone who might help them persuade him.
One example? Fu Jing, the agent from Chenghai TV who almost signed him last year, showed up in the small town where the shoot was happening, asking him to dinner and for contract talks.
Naturally, Yunteng TV wasn't clueless.
They responded by dispatching a rep directly to the set—with an upgraded contract in hand.
But all this attention…
Seriously disrupted Jing Yu's creative work.
After once again rejecting a recruitment attempt from an Xingtong TV staffer, Jing Yu let out a long sigh.
At this point, he had to think seriously about his contract with Yunteng TV.
To be honest, he was very comfortable at Yunteng TV. He had no desire to leave.
And even though the offers from the Big Six were tempting, none were actually better than what Yunteng TV had given him.
Because Yunteng TV offered him profit-sharing deals.
He didn't have to invest a single yuan or take any risk. For every drama, he received not only writer, actor, and music royalties, but also more than 20% of the total project value.
And that's not all.
Those bonuses were paid after airing, so the production budget remained untouched, ensuring top quality during filming.
The better the performance, the more Jing Yu earned.
With 'Initial D''s current success, aside from his 25 million+ in direct fees, he was projected to receive over 10% in backend profit share from future licensing and copyrights.
None of the Big Six would ever offer that.
Their internal politics and factionalism were a nightmare. Despite their dominance, they still treated writers like disposable employees. The moment someone suggested paying Jing Yu more than a senior exec, half the board would scream.
Yunteng TV was simpler.
"You bring in 100 million? Sure, we give you 30–40 million. Why not?"
They weren't the type to argue about dividing the eggs before the hen laid them.
Still… there was one point Jing Yu couldn't ignore.
Even though he made more at Yunteng TV, his dramas didn't reach their full potential there.
For example, 'Initial D'—if it had aired on one of the top three stations and received full support, it probably would've hit 10% viewership two or three weeks ago.
That's why the top stations were so desperate now.
They knew how rare 10% dramas were—and none of their in-house writers could promise one.
But Jing Yu?
With 'Hikaru no Go' and 'Initial D', he'd shown real, repeatable potential.
If anything was holding him back, it was the platform.
His consistency in quality?
Terrifying.
So why hadn't he signed with anyone yet—not even Yunteng TV?
Because lately, he'd been wondering…
"Do I really need to keep working for someone else?"
At first, joining Jinhui TV was for survival.
Leaving for Yunteng TV was to make money.
Now, after a year with several hit dramas—and huge backend earnings from Yunteng TV's deal—he had tens of millions in savings.
And that's before counting the payout from 'Initial D' once it wraps.
Not rich enough to retire… but definitely enough to take a few big swings.
Jing Yu believed that Great Zhou's entertainment industry right now… resembled early-2000s China from his past life.
And he was certain:
Traditional TV's golden era wouldn't last much longer.
Great Zhou had already entered the internet age.
Nationwide 4G-equivalent networks began deployment last year. He suspected that Great Zhou might skip past the PC streaming era entirely—and jump straight to mobile-first video platforms.
The tech was there.
There's no way an industry could ignore it and stick with decades-old models.
In Modo, the heart of Great Zhou's culture and economy, insiders were already whispering about massive investments heading into mobile video.
But many in the TV industry still mocked it.
"Streaming apps? Who'd want to watch dramas on such a small screen?"
"The bandwidth's terrible!"
"Can they even secure licensing? Where's the profit?
"No top writer or production team would release their work online instead of on TV."
Just like in his past life.
Back in the 2000s, nobody believed people would one day rely on their phones for everything—paying bills, watching shows, and more.
Yet here he was. He had seen it happen with his own eyes.
Back then, even huge TV stations like Mango Channel could blacklist artists.
Later? They became irrelevant. A drama airing online could still earn millions.
TV influence wouldn't vanish, but it would definitely decline.
In his past life, shows could get over 10% in ratings. Some even hit 20%.
But later?
Breaking 3% was called a "hit."
5% was a "smash."
7–8% was god-tier.
Now, Jing Yu had enough money to retire.
But he also had another idea:
"Should I start my own production company… make my own dramas… and license them to TV networks?"
Once that thought entered his mind, it wouldn't leave.
Yunteng TV treated him well. Everyone respected him.
But nobody wants to be a wage worker forever.