FLBOTCP Chapter 90
Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path Chapter 90
In the late hours of the night, Brother Lao received a message from Chen Xi on WeChat. He didn’t say much about anything else, but in addition to the contact information of Huihua’s public relations department, there was also a set of Huihua’s public relations documents for artists in relationships. He did not realize for a moment what Chen Xi meant, and before he could ask, Chen Xi added a few words.
Huihua-Chen Xi: Lao Ge, if you need anything, just give me a call directly!
Hardworking Manager: No brother, you’re putting me under a lot of pressure. Can you please explain things more clearly?
Chen Xi had just arrived home, sitting on his own sofa in silence for a long while. Even with his eyes closed, he could vividly recall the image of Film Emperor Pei wearing pajamas with his arms around Mr. Zhao. He typed on his phone: Just now, I went to Zhao Zong’s house…
-*
Standing at the front desk of Huihua, Qiu Miao hesitated. She was still questioning whether this matter was true or not. Because of the recent unpleasant incidents within the team, many people had left, and even the director advised her to compromise early. He suggested that if she wanted her work to successfully hit the screens, it would be more advantageous to have it credited under the name of a big screenwriter.
But Qiu Miao felt aggrieved. Whether it was her pride or inexperience, she acknowledged that her script writing skills were really not exceptional. But she was unwilling to see her work transformed into someone else’s creation without any credit, becoming merely a source of inspiration for the story. She refused to accept such a situation.
Fortunately, the team was aware of the script framework, but the actual script writing had only progressed through the first few episodes. There were still many plot points in the later episodes that she hadn’t fully disclosed to the director. As a result, the director would occasionally ask her about the subsequent plot. Qiu Miao had become smarter. She learned that the team had recently established contact with another company interested in investing in their urban drama. So, the screenwriting team was also considering speeding up the scriptwriting process.
In the framework of this story, she had planted many foreshadows, and there were also many inspirations and jokes that hadn’t been used. As a result, the story written by the screenwriters lacked the vitality of the earlier episodes and was easily constrained by the story framework. That’s why the director asked her about this matter, even going as far as to paint a rosy picture, saying that he was willing to mention her name in the screenwriting team.
But Qiu Miao has figured it out. They aren’t even willing to credit her as the original author. No matter how many promises are made, there’s no guarantee they’ll follow through. In these past few days, she has been thinking of leaving the team and even considered shelving the entire story. And just at this moment, Huihua reached out to her.
To be honest, when she first received the message, she thought it might be a scam or a joint effort by the screenwriters and the company to deceive her. But, after further investigation, she discovered that Huihua was not the company the director mentioned as wanting to invest in them. Instead, it was a company that had previously rejected them because of script issues.
“Miss Qiu, right this way please.” The person in charge of contacting her came over, ushering her into a meeting room and then presenting a project overview.
Qiu Miao took a glance at it, a bit surprised and said, “A scriptwriter development program?”
The representative said, “Yes, we’ve taken your situation into consideration. If you’re willing to sell the copyright of your work to Huihua, we’ll connect you with the best screenwriter to discuss adaptation, while still preserving all your original rights. Alternatively, considering your circumstances, if you’re open to signing with Huihua, we offer a comprehensive scriptwriter development program. It’s a new initiative within Huihua aimed at nurturing new talent. We hope you’ll give it some thought.”
Qiu Miao came here because Huihua reached out, expressing their willingness to purchase the copyright of her work. But after arriving, she not only received a definite response but also discovered that Huihua was offering her alternative employment opportunities. The world of scriptwriting is not simple. For new writers, having guidance from experienced seniors is essential to avoid potential pitfalls.
She has been unhappy because of the recent script incident. And she had a falling out with the original screenwriter, who is well-known and has prominence in the industry. Because of this incident, it is very likely that if she wants to mix the scriptwriter circle next, she will be suppressed and excluded by the scriptwriter.
Qiu Miao had almost given up until she came to Huihua.
“Now, other companies also have plans to nurture screenwriters. If you’re not confident, you can inquire with others. Huihua has already initiated programs for director and scriptwriter development, and we can provide a list of current screenwriters collaborating with Huihua.”
The representative understood that newcomers might have reservations about signing a contract, but this was a matter that needed to be discussed openly. Mr. Chen had also expressed concern several times about the newcomer in front of him. They heard that Mr. Zhao was the first to notice her, and their supervisor emphasized the importance of signing this screenwriter. But despite the urgency, careful consideration was necessary.
“If you’re interested, we can provide specific consultations. As for the copyright contract, we can sign it shortly,” the representative added.
Qiu Miao hadn’t quite understood the situation. After all, she was just a recent graduate in the field of scriptwriting, and her skills were far from perfect. The only thing she had going for her was the inspiration for this story, which was barely passable. But even this had been criticized by the senior screenwriter in her team several times. She couldn’t understand why someone of her level would be sought after by a company when there were many other talented new screenwriters. “May I ask why your company chose to sign me? There are many new screenwriters who are better than me.”
The representative wasn’t surprised by her question. “What caught our attention initially was the project proposal submitted by your original team. During the internal review at our company, your story was well received. But by the second evaluation, our assessment team was disappointed with the script’s content,” he explained more explicitly. “In today’s market, while a good adaptation is important, the essence lies in the story itself. Your story is very well-received, and both Mr. Chen and Zhao Zong appreciate it very much.”
Qiu Miao was momentarily stunned. While researching Huihua, she had noted Mr. Zhao’s influence. It seemed that Huihua’s current development relied heavily on the investment from Mr. Zhao. Could someone of his status genuinely be interested in her story?
She spent a long time examining the program overview, and the representative didn’t rush her. Instead, he had a cup of hot tea brought in and gave her time to think about it.
After much thought, Qiu Miao found the representative presenting the contract. Seeing a change in her expression, he asked, “What are your thoughts? This is the copyright contract. If you have concerns about the terms, you can consult a lawyer.”
“No… it’s not necessary.” Before coming, Qiu Miao had consulted a friend with legal knowledge. Following the friend’s advice, she scrutinized the contract and found that Huihua hadn’t misled her. In fact, the conditions offered were superior to those of other companies. After confirming everything was in order, she signed her name and then asked, “Can you provide more details about the screenwriter development program you mentioned?”
The representative smiled at her request, saying, “Of course.”
-*
The next day, Zhao Changshuo only heard about what happened in the company when he arrived. He paused slightly and asked, “Zhao Qizhen went home?”
The secretary witnessed everything that happened earlier outside Zhao Zhikai’s office. “Yes, he had a quarrel with Mr. Zhao, and after that, things escalated. Then they fell out and he left.”
During this period, Zhao Qizhen had been keeping a low profile in the company, dealing with setbacks because of the Bai Chengxue incident. Even his previous irritable temperament had settled down. But today, he went straight to Zhao Zhikai’s office and caused quite a stir, with many people witnessing the commotion.
Zhao Changshuo was somewhat surprised after hearing this. “What has he been up to these days? Why did they suddenly get into an argument?”
The secretary hesitated before speaking, “Last night, the bodyguard who stayed near San Shao’s1 Community mentioned that around eight o’clock, Si Shao came out from San Shao’s place. Si Shao2 probably met with San Shao last night.”
So, what exactly did Zhao Yao say to Zhao Qizhen…
The secretary asked, “Do we need to inform San Shao about this?”
“No need. It’s a good thing that Zhao Qizhen is causing trouble. Have people keep a close eye on Zhao Qizhen. If Zhao Zhikai lays hands on him, make sure he’s protected.” Zhao Changshuo didn’t know what Zhao Yao had said to Zhao Qizhen, but this outcome wasn’t bad. It’s just that given Zhao Zhikai’s personality, once things deviate from his plan, he might resort to physical force against Zhao Qizhen.
—
When Zhao Yao received the message from Zhao Changshuo, he was at the location of the new house, checking on the renovation progress. The construction team hired by the team worked quickly, and the design plans had been delivered to him a couple of days ago. With some free time on his hands, he decided to come and see how the transformation was going.
“The gym could use some adjustments,” Zhao Yao thought, considering that Pei Mingzhan had been slacking off in terms of fitness lately. Thinking about their future health and daily routines, the gym area needed a bit more attention. “Also, the kitchen – let’s reconsider the layout of the cooking counter.”
The person in charge nodded, carefully noting down the areas Zhao Yao mentioned. “Alright, we’ll come up with new plans for these.”
Today, Yao Bai had other work to do, so accompanying Zhao Yao was another newcomer from the team.
In his past life, this person was a member of his team, but in this life stage, he was a newcomer who had just entered the workplace for two years. After joining Zhao Yao’s team, he found himself surrounded by other veterans. During this period, he was assigned to handle miscellaneous tasks. When he heard that Mr. Zhao was going to the new house today, Yao Bai arranged for him to follow Zhao Yao.
There wasn’t much space to move around in the house under renovation, so Zhao Yao didn’t stay long before heading out. The new assistant, Xiao Wang, followed the representative after finalizing the details and confirming the time for the new plans. Later, he accompanied Mr. Zhao to a nearby supermarket, where they bought different small household items and some dried snacks.
Xiao Wang asked, “Zhao Zong, where are we heading next?”
Zhao Yao had just finished buying dried fruits for cake decoration when he noticed the follow-up messages from Zhao Changshuo on his phone. Today, it seemed Zhao Qizhen had indeed caused a scene at the group headquarters, cleverly making a public display of it.
Zhao Zhikai wanted to protect Zhao Qizhen, but the more Zhao Qizhen tried to consider Bai Chengxue’s feelings, the more disappointing it would appear to others in the group. It made Zhao Zhikai’s task of supporting this kind of Zhao Qizhen even more challenging.
According to Zhao Zhikai’s plan, he aimed to remove Zhao Qizhen from the Bai Chengxue incident and then associate Zhao Qizhen’s name with other project activities. The intention was to create an impression that Zhao Qizhen possessed more talent than Zhao Changshuo. This way, it would be easier to support him for a higher position in the later stages. But if Zhao Qizhen turned out to be incompetent, advocating for his promotion against popular opinion would become much more challenging.
After sending a few brief messages to Zhao Changshuo, he then turned to Xiao Wang and said, “Get in touch with the driver. We’re heading to Huihua.”
It wasn’t easy to park near the supermarket, so the driver parked the car in a nearby parking lot a bit earlier.
Xiao Wang quickly went to the other side to contact the driver, while Zhao Yao stood at the supermarket entrance, waiting for the car.
There were many people coming and going outside the supermarket, and Zhao Yao’s presence blended into the crowd, attracting only occasional glances.
Zhao Yao glanced to the side, noticing a few people on the square outside who seemed to be moving somewhat suspiciously.
After finishing the call, Xiao Wang came over. “Zhao Zong, the other road is congested. The driver says it’ll take about five minutes to arrive.”
Zhao Yao caught a glimpse of another area and observed two figures standing behind a fountain sculpture on the square ahead. Their eyes seemed fixed in his direction. “Alright, let’s go in for now.”
He was being followed.
Xiao Wang took the items from Mr. Zhao’s hands as they reentered the supermarket. He overheard Mr. Zhao saying, “Call the driver, tell him not to use the west exit.”
Zhao Yao glanced at the exit signs and the directions, saying, “Tell the driver to use the east exit of the supermarket. We’ll exit from there later, and he can park by the side when it’s time.”
They were currently at the west exit, and the east exit was a distance away.
Xiao Wang responded, “Alright.”
He had to contact the driver again. Although he didn’t know Mr. Zhao’s exact intentions, as an assistant, he needed to quickly carry out his superior’s instructions in the shortest possible time.
Zhao Yao glanced at the people standing not far away in the corner of his eyes. As soon as they entered the supermarket, these two individuals shifted their positions from where they were originally standing, obviously adjusting their locations based on the movements of Zhao Yao and Xiao Wang. And now, they are closer than before.
There were occasional instances of people tracking him when he had just left Zhao Group, but they only followed and observed him without any extreme actions. However, with Zhao Changshuo and him pressuring Zhao Zhikai, and Zhao Qizhen causing a scene in the group this morning, it might have irritated Zhao Zhikai. This time, the individuals tracking him seemed more urgent and their behavior more intense compared to the previous ones. It was likely that their motives were different, and it might not be a simple case of surveillance.
Yesterday, Zhao Qizhen didn’t conceal much when he came over. Or rather, it wasn’t certain that Zhao Qizhen’s sudden outburst was solely his doing. Now, it was starting to feel unsafe outside. He hadn’t thought much about going out today, and his bodyguard, who was also the driver, would take another five minutes to arrive. His only companion at the moment was the assistant, Xiao Wang.
After finishing the call, Xiao Wang walked over and asked, “Zhao Zong, the driver has confirmed, and we should be there in about a minute. Should we go now?”
Zhao Yao glanced at the nearby storage cabinet, “Put the things in there, grab a shopping cart, and follow me.”
Xiao Wang quickly followed Zhao Yao’s instructions and returned to see him entering the supermarket ahead of him. He had no choice but to catch up immediately. Just as he reached Mr. Zhao’s side, he heard him say, “We are being followed. Get in the car as soon as we leave.”
“Got it.” Xiao Wang immediately became tense. This was his first time encountering such a situation.
Xiao Wang’s boxing and kicking skills were only learned during his college days and in club activities, and they might not necessarily come in handy. Following the typical plot twists in TV dramas, once those pursuing thugs realize they’ve lost track, they are likely to catch up and continue tailing them. Given their current situation with no one else around to protect them, facing these people head-on might not be a guaranteed success.
At least when Yao Zhuo recruited him as Mr. Zhao’s assistant for fieldwork, Yao Zhu3 didn’t warn him that being an assistant also meant dealing with tracking, and maybe even confronting criminals in the near future.
Originally, this is what he thought. The supermarket had three exits, but Mr. Zhao chose the one farthest from their original location. The logical choice for evading those tracking them would be to choose a closer exit. Why did Mr. Zhao chose for the farthest one?
But once they entered the supermarket, he abandoned this thought. The area ahead likely contained daily necessities, and since it was a workday, there weren’t many people moving between the shelves. It was only when they passed by other exits that he realized those exits were spacious. If they had chosen a closer exit, the people trailing them might have immediately caught up before they even exited.
And now, Mr. Zhao’s steps leading him inside were very decisive. Despite the fact that it was a supermarket he hadn’t visited much before, he was able to navigate with ease, relying on a few sections of merchandise as guides. He even guided him into the midst of the crowd. They stopped by a shelf, and suddenly, two individuals entered from the entrance. After they came in, they scanned the surroundings and then headed straight toward them, as if searching for someone.
“Huang Wenjun?” Zhao Yao furrowed his brow slightly. “We need to leave quickly.”
He didn’t inform anyone about today’s outing, and the information about the house renovation was only known to his team, specifically Huang Wenjun, who was associated with Zhao Zhikai.
Xiao Wang hadn’t fully understood the situation but asked, “Zhao Zong, how should we handle this now?”
Faced with the threat of being followed, and considering the aggressive approach of the two individuals, it was unclear whether they were armed or not.
“We can’t stay too long,” Zhao Yao quickly looked around the surroundings, caught a glimpse of the guidance signs on the shelves above, and said, “Follow me.”
Xiao Wang swallowed hard and immediately followed Mr. Zhao’s pace. At that moment, Mr. Zhao’s phone suddenly rang. Xiao Wang saw him dismiss the call without even looking at it and continue walking forward.
As the noon hour approached, the supermarket became more crowded. Xiao Wang closely followed Mr. Zhao, and soon they spotted the signs indicating the exit to the east.
This area was all about vegetables and fresh meat, drawing people from nearby neighborhoods for their grocery shopping.
He glanced back slightly and noticed some commotion behind them. Not far away, there seemed to be other sounds coming from behind the shelves.
Could those people have followed them?
He immediately became nervous.
Xiao Wang took a step back to protect Zhao Yao and escorted him through the crowded supermarket, occasionally glancing back from time to time to check the situation.
The supermarket shelves were divided into different sections with reminders. Zhao Yao often comes to the supermarket with Pei Mingzhan recently. Occasionally they would encounter fans or paparazzi. Pei Mingzhan had shared a few ways to shake off people. Unexpectedly, he was putting them into action now. Knowing that anyone waiting outside would likely notice their disappearance from the supermarket entrance and come in to find them quickly, they had to leave from a different location as soon as possible.
Even though it was still morning, the vegetable section of the supermarket became busy around ten o’clock. Zhao Yao had noticed while checking the route guidance that the area around the east exit mainly had the fresh meat and vegetable sections. At this time, more people would be around, making it the best location for a quick escape.
As the two reached the vegetable section, Zhao Yao’s phone rang again. He quickly silenced it, and Xiao Wang let go of the shopping cart, following Zhao Yao towards the exit.
Xiao Wang said, “Zhao Zong, it seems like those people from behind have caught up.”
The noise behind them suddenly became louder, sounding like a dispute triggered by someone colliding with the shelves.
“Keep walking. They won’t make a move here.” Zhao Yao didn’t look back. As soon as they exited the supermarket, he spotted his driver standing not far away from the green area outside the supermarket. With a long stride, he walked past the greenery.
The driver understood the situation after seeing them and immediately opened the back door for the two to get in. Seeing the two individuals who had just rushed out of the supermarket still trying to figure out their direction, he decisively pressed on the gas pedal, leaving without hesitation.
As Xiao Wang got into the car, he was still recovering from the shock. The driver spoke up, “Zhao Zong, are those the same people from before?”
Zhao Yao glanced slightly toward the window, “Yes, let’s lose them for now.”
This area was still a supermarket, and causing a scene here would attract attention. Especially after being noticed, those people might take more impulsive actions. Given the current situation, they couldn’t afford to take any risks.
The driver said, “There’s a car following us.”
Zhao Yao hesitated for a moment, “Can we shake them off?”
The driver glanced at the rearview mirror, “No problem. The city roads are intricate. We can lose them by taking a few more turns.”
After saying that, he added, “Zhao Zong, this time the people are a bit different from last time.”
During this period, the driver had been accompanying Zhao Yao, and both of them were aware of the surveillance. But the previous individuals only tracked them without resorting to any extreme measures. Zhao Yao had allowed them to act, saying it was convenient for conveying messages to the people behind them.
However, the current situation indicated that this group of people obviously had more follow-up measures. The driver, realizing this, felt a bit uneasy. Fortunately, they were in a supermarket. If they were elsewhere with only Mr. Zhao and his assistant might have encountered different situations.
On the other side, Xiao Wang observed Mr. Zhao’s calm expression, as if being followed wasn’t something he took seriously.
Zhao Yao sent a message to his subordinate on his phone and then said to the driver, “Drive steadily. On the main roads in the city, they won’t do anything else. I’ll handle any other issues.”
At this moment, he glanced at his phone again and only then noticed that the two calls he had dismissed in the supermarket were from Pei Mingzhan. At this hour, it was probably to ask him about whether they should go out for lunch.
Xiao Wang wanted to ask Mr. Zhao if there was anything he could do when he saw the typically expressionless Zhao Yao furrowing his brow while looking at his phone, appearing very troubled.
The words on the tip of his tongue was stuck in his throat, leaving him a bit dazed.
How should I handle the leader’s mood after being tracked during the first business trip as an assistant?
Zhao Yao looked at the two missed calls in his cell phone, but in his heart he thought of something else. In the forum, users mentioned in the topic of #How to manage a relationship# that it is a very serious problem to hang up your partner’s phone casually. He now hung up Pei Mingzhan two phone calls, how to call Pei Mingzhan to explain this matter?
Before he could figure out the right words, Pei Mingzhan’s name suddenly popped up on his phone—
It was the third call from Pei Mingzhan.
In the quiet and somewhat tense car, the phone rang for seven or eight seconds.
The driver glanced at the interior mirror, and Xiao Wang sitting next to Zhao Yao nervously looked at him.
Under the gaze of the two, Zhao Yao took a moment before answering the call. But, before he could say anything Pei Mingzhan’s slightly anxious voice came through. “Where are you now? Are you safe?”
Zhao Yao paused for a moment. The carefully chosen words he had just prepared had no room to be used under the successive questioning. He had no choice but to say, “I’m fine, and I’m safe now.”
The author has something to say:
Xiao Wang: I’m quite anxious, but the boss doesn’t seem too bothered.
The matter of the group is coming to an end, and Zhao Zhikai is in the middle of it —
Chapter 90! 12 more chapters till the end of main story. If you guys haven’t noticed it yet, FLBOT’s one chapter is equivalent to 2-3 chapters on other novels. So at some point I just got frustrated and stopped tling (｡>\<) But when I finally finished 112th chapter IT MADE ME FEEL GOOD ヾ( ˃ᴗ˂ )◞ • *✰ Then I remembered the extras QAQ TT
Please buy the raws to support the author if you can.
If there are any mistakes/error, feel free to comment it down below.
9