FLBOTCP Chapter 96
Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path Chapter 96
Recently, Brother Lao directed his focus on the studio’s new artists. But he wasn’t in the mood to personally bring the newcomers or arrange the studio’s resources. The most surprising thing is that Pei Mingzhan has been relatively worry-free lately. Since the last Weibo incident, the two of them haven’t been active on Weibo, let alone going out for fun.
Brother Lao is still a little sensitive seeing the recent uproar surrounding the Zhao Group in the news these days. Although Mr. Zhao already withdrew from the group, it ultimately involves their family’s industry, so there will still be some impact. Brother Lao guessed that this might be one of the reasons why, Otherwise, with Pei Mingzhan’s personality, how could he endure until now?
“Lao Ge, Mr. Chen sent a few invitations over, saying there’s a new drama. He’s asking if our artists are interested in auditioning,” Lele inquired.
When he heard this, Brother Lao replied, “Is it from Huihua? Then pass the information to other agents and let them send suitable candidates over.”
Inside the studio, the others were quietly working. Ater Lele forwarded the information, another staff member suddenly asked, “Lele, has Pei Ge’s schedule been reported today?”
Lele paused, “What schedule?”
The staff member showed him the Weibo they had just found, “It’s about the pedestrian street area. Some passersby said they saw Pei Ge at a popular internet-famous store.”
Lele thought, “This isn’t good,” and immediately went online to check the situation. As expected, news of the encounter had already been posted, and fans even captured a few photos. Although the trending speed was not as fast as before, Pei Mingzhan’s popularity had dropped significantly compared to the airing period of “Mi Yings,” but when Lele saw this Weibo, he felt it might become a hot topic soon.
It’s almost noon. The pedestrian is usually crowded with people and even more crowded especially the area around the internet-famous shop that has long queues each day. The posted photos captured were often blurry profiles or back views. There was no front view photo, but Lele could still see at a glance it was his Pei Ge and Mr. Zhao.
“Hurry up and talk to a few marketing accounts,” Lele instructed the staff. If marketing accounts repost and ride the trend in a while, it’s guaranteed to be a hot search. After giving these instructions, he hurriedly went to Brother Lao and said, “It’s not good, Lao Ge. Pei Ge was photographed again.”
Brother Lao was on the phone thanking Chen Xi. Recently, there’s a new project at Huihua, and Chen Xi, being a good friend, immediately sent him a script invitation. Brother Lao was thinking of scheduling a meal to thank Chen Xi. In the past if he heard what Lele said, he might have directly called to ask. But now, he felt an unexpected calmness, a sense of “just as expected.”
Lele finished speaking and saw Brother Lao still looking composed, so he asked, “Lao Ge, why aren’t you nervous?”
Brother Lao finished his call with Chen Xi on the other end before saying to Lele, “It’s not the first time fans have spotted Lao Pei. In the end, fans will just marvel at their good relationship. I’m tired, let Pei Mingzhan make a fuss if he wants.”
Anyway, it won’t cause a big problem anyway…
Chen Xi heard some commotion on the phone and asked, “What’s going on? Your artists are not behaving themselves again?”
“My new artists are well-behaved. It’s Pei Mingzhan who’s not behaving. He got photographed again while out with Zhao Zong,” Brother Lao said with a hint of disdain. Then he turned to Lele and asked, “Where did they get photographed this time?”
Lele responded with an “Oh,” saying, “In the pedestrian street area, at a popular internet-famous store.”
Brother Lao relayed the information to Chen Xi, saying, “You see, isn’t he idle and looking for trouble? Going to a popular internet-famous store at this hour, he’s deliberately stirring things up.” After saying this, he felt something was off and asked Lele again, “Wait, which internet-famous store did you say?”
“The one that’s been trending a lot online recently, in the pedestrian street area. Pei Ge and Zhao Zong were found in the store, and many passersby took pictures and posted them online,” Lele briefly explained to him about the situation.
“He ran away!?” Brother Lao was puzzled, “Why did he run? He never ran away when he got photographed before!”
“I don’t know, but it seems like the fans didn’t catch up. The photos are all from inside the store,” Lele handed his phone to Laoge and continued, “The official Weibo account of that internet-famous store even reposted the Weibo. Now many people knows about it.”
Brother Lao was so frustrated that his hand trembled. Pei Mingzhan being photographed was one thing, but now he made things more difficult for him.
Chen Xi heard the commotion, so he said, “Suppress the trending topic. I’ll have someone help you on my end.”
This involves Mr. Zhao. If anything negative comes out, it won’t be good. It must be handled.
“Now the trending topic hasn’t started yet, we can still manage to suppress it,” Brother Lao continued to scroll through Weibo. Suddenly, he saw a notification. Mr. Zhao’s alternate account was online and had reposted a Weibo. “Wait a minute…”
When he clicked on it, he found that Mr. Zhao reposted a Weibo post from a random blogger. Brother Lao breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Mr. Zhao probably came across something interesting while browsing online. But when he took a closer look—
Hmm???
The people in the photo looked somewhat familiar.
Brother Lao refreshed the page, but suddenly, he couldn’t load Weibo.
After learning about the situation, Chen Xi had already arranged for people to prepare. When he opened the webpage to check the trending topics, he heard an excited voice on the other end of the phone. He paused slightly and said, “What’s going on? It seems like there’s not much activity on the trending topics…”
Inside the studio, Lele looked at Brother Lao, who was silent while holding his phone. It seemed like he could see calmness before a storm.
#ZhaoYao Instant Deletion#
#PeiMingzhan#
For fans of Zhao Yao, Mr. Zhao Zong is a ruthless man. In the past, he said he didn’t have a Weibo account, only to secretly create a small account. When this small account was discovered, he went offline for two weeks, leaving fans unable to find him.
Until today, Zhao fans, who were slacking off at work and waiting for the end of the day, finally caught Mr. Zhao online. Just when they thought Mr. Zhao was casually checking in, they saw him reposting a series of scenic pictures. The pictures captured two young people flying kites, surrounded by a few children, creating a happy and playful scene.
Zhao fans quickly flooded Mr. Zhao’s Weibo with comments. Before they could understand the purpose behind the kite pictures, the page notified them that the Weibo had been deleted. This left Zhao fans puzzled. Some immediately realized the situation and, based on the repost notifications, found the original blogger’s Weibo.
【Deleted in seconds, Xiao Zhao is unbelievable!】
【I originally thought he was reposting some recipes. Just as I was about to compliment him for a change in topic, he deleted it!!】
【This man is too much, he doesn’t even let us see the reposted Weibo!】
【Huh???】
【The blogger’s name is Xing Feng in the world, a very famous boss in the photography circle! You can still find the original Weibo if you climb over.】
【Is the focus on the reposted Weibo!! Didn’t any of you think about why Xiao Zhao reposted this set of pictures?】
【Is there something in the pictures? I’ll go take a look.】
【Damn, do I have to study photography now just to chase a CEO?】
Zhao fans reluctantly climbed back to browse Weibo, using keywords based on other people’s hints. Soon, they found the Weibo post. Thanks to deliberate reminders, the fans quickly shifted their attention to the two young men in the photos. They were dressed in similar-colored clothes, one holding a kite reel and the other holding a kite in front.
【Is it what I whink?】
【It should be just as we thought.】
【I feel like I’ve seen these outfits somewhere!】
【Shoot, aren’t the two people in the photo Zhao Zong and Lao Pei?】
【I, I, I, I, I recognized them! My god, no wonder he deleted it instantly!】
【This picture is so beautifully taken!】
Later, the kite took off, and the young man standing at a distance ran towards the one holding the kite reel. In the hands of the renowned photographer Xing Feng, this simple scene turned into a picturesque landscape full of stories.
【Xing Feng is amazing!】
【Oh my god, seriously, just looking at this set of pictures, I’ve already mentally composed a 100,000-word novel!】
【Today, I’m also moved by the friendship of these immortals!】
【I just checked the Weibo timestamps and it seems like these photos were taken around the Chinese New Year.】
【During that time, weren’t the two of them frequently hanging out together? Every time I think about them going out and having a lot of material I haven’t seen, it makes me want to cry.】
【This isn’t immortal friendship! Clearly, it’s a love story!!!】
【Oh my god, for some reason, I really want to see the two of them having fun, like in “Youxian,” or even a travel variety show. I could watch it for a lifetime!】
【It’s impossible. Lao Pei doesn’t want to be in the entertainment industry, and think about Zhao Zong’s family and business…】
After treating two girls to bubble tea, Zhao Yao left the pedestrian street. At this moment, he was sitting in the car, listening to Pei Mingzhan answering a call from his agent. The voice on the other end was so loud that even Zhao Yao, sitting beside Pei Mingzhan, could hear a bit of it. It was clear that Brother Lao was upset about the incident where the two were spotted by passersby while having a meal.
Not sure if it’s because of spending a long time with Pei Mingzhan, but Zhao Yao felt that the need for secrecy when they went out together was quite depressing. Originally, they could have finished their meal and leisurely strolled around the area.
“Just suppress the hot searches. Let them discuss whatever they want. It’s not a big deal,” Pei Mingzhan said calmly. After all, they hadn’t done anything inappropriate, and being photographed during outings was already a common occurrence. There wasn’t much to worry about.
Nowadays, internet news updates very quickly. Such news will be forgotten in about half a month.
“Brother, I’ve helped you suppress hot searches many times. The frequency of you two trending is too high. Even if the public’s acceptance is high right now, the situation isn’t that simple. In terms of overall interests, both of you will definitely be affected after going public… It’s not that I’m trying to stop you two from being together, but the current online environment isn’t that straightforward,” Laoge advised.
“Sometimes, rumors can be harmful. Netizens are a group that easily spreads information. I know you don’t care about anything, and going public is just a matter of time. But these are irreversible damages, and you still need to consider carefully…” Brother Lao has genuinely considered that even though same-sex marriage is legal in the country now, the public acceptance isn’t as high as one might think.
Pei Mingzhan glanced at Zhao Yao, who was currently scrolling through his phone gallery, looking at the photos he had just saved.
He withdrew his gaze and said to Brother Lao, “Actually, it’s best to let things flow naturally. Don’t worry too much. If netizens want to think like that, let them. Zhao Yao and I don’t really care about the opinions of the outside world. Whether we go public or not, we’ll just go with the flow.”
On the other end of the phone, after hearing Pei Mingzhan’s words, Brother Lao became even more convinced that this old dog was deliberately boiling the netizens in warm water. He was determined not to close this cabinet door. “I think if you post a Weibo saying you’re together, it might happen even faster. I haven’t seen any artist bolder than you.”
“Is that so? Should I post it then?” Pei Mingzhan smiled.
“I give up, please spare me.” Brother Lao said.
“Just kidding,” Pei Mingzhan reassured his agent and then chatted for a while before hanging up the phone. Seeing Zhao Yao scrolling through Weibo again, he asked, “What are you looking at?”
“I’m reading what the netizens are saying. They’re quite interesting,” Zhao Yao first noticed the trending topic sent by the team, and Yao Bai asked if they should suppress it. He clicked into the trending topic to see the situation. Realizing the netizens had quite a strong ability to uncover information, he commented, “We didn’t say much, but they could deduce that it was us. I actually didn’t need to delete it just now.”
“Actually, fans are quite adorable, so you don’t need to resist posting on Weibo too much,” Pei Mingzhan explained to him. “Look at today’s situation. Even though passersby discussed it, the team can easily control and suppress it. When we first started trending, they might have found it novel, but as it happened more frequently, they got used to it. Except for a few extreme fans, most won’t disturb your life. Like those two girls just now, they knew how to keep their distance.”
“Because they really like you, they anticipate everything you do. Look at today, you accidentally reposted the wrong Weibo, and they didn’t say anything negative. In fact, they even associated many things with your small action,” Pei Mingzhan said. “You don’t have to be too concerned about my affairs. It’s your Weibo. You can post, like, and comment however you want.”
“Really?” Zhao Yao looked at his Weibo. “It does seem that way.”
“Do you want to repost it again?” Pei Mingzhan asked.
Zhao Yao looked at him, surprised at his words. “Your agent just told you. Pei Mingzhan, I think sometimes you need to consider the urgency and current impact of things.”
Pei Mingzhan reached out and pinched his neck. Seeing Zhao Yao slightly shrink because of the itch, he directly pulled him closer, leaned down, and kissed him on the corner of his mouth. After the kiss, he said, “When it comes to matters with a boyfriend, there’s no need to consider urgency. Just do whatever you want.”
-*
Yao Bai instructed the team to keep an eye on the negative aspects. He didn’t do anything his brother didn’t mention. After finishing up with this matter, he suddenly noticed another person joining the three-person group chat with Brother Lao and Lele. The revolutionary comrades increased by one.
Don’t want to go on a blind date today: Hey, Mr. Chen is here too?
Huihua-Chen Xi: Yao Zhu1 is here too?
Hardworking Manager: Just finished a call with Old Dog Pei, he really irritated me.
Hardworking Manager: Comrades, help me suppress the trending topic. @Don’t want to go on a blind date today, Xiaobai, what’s Zhao Zong’s attitude?
Don’t want to go on a blind date today: Huh? My brother didn’t say much. We’re keeping an eye on the trending topic. Actually, it’s not a big deal, just a few photos. I think you guys are overreacting a bit.
Seeing this situation, Yao Bai felt that Brother Lao was overthinking things, but when he saw Chen Xi also getting involved, he couldn’t quite understand what Chen Xi was thinking. His brother and Pei Mingzhan were in a free and open relationship. One was planning to retire from the entertainment industry, and the other spent most of his time at home. Finally having some time to date and go shopping shouldn’t be a big deal. Netizens didn’t seem to be thinking in that direction either.
Huihua-Chen Xi: Yao Zhu, if you look at this issue from a different perspective, it’s not the same.
Hardworking Manager: Now is a semi-critical period. “Mi Ying” is likely to be nominated for awards, and there seems to be something going on with Zhao Zong’s Group. Spreading rumors and gossip at this stage isn’t good for their reputations.
Huihua-Chen Xi: Yes, we also need to consider the potential impacts…
Yao Bai sat in front of the computer, watching the two of them suddenly discussing and analyzing the various impacts of the public announcement from multiple perspectives. Some of these issues had been raised by the team during the evaluation of public opinion impact. But when he mentioned them to Brother Yao, Zhao Yao dismissed them. Why did it suddenly become so serious when discussed in front of these two???
Don’t want to go on a blind date today: Huh? Is that so…
Yao Bai was watching the discussion in the group, finding it more convincing as he read. At that moment, someone knocked on the office door, and it turned out to be Xiao Wang, the assistant who had accompanied him and Brother Yao on their recent outing. Because of Xiao Wang’s reliability in handling tasks over the past few days, Brother Yao had given him some of his workload.
After Xiao Wang came in, he said, “Yao Zhu, there’s a Mr. Feng who would like to meet with Zhao Zong.”
“Surname Feng?” Yao Bai came back ot his sense, “Which company is he from?”
“I checked. This person is Feng Mu, the Technical Director of Lemon Platform. Currently, he’s on a business trip in S City,” Xiao Wang continued, “Lemon Platform is one of the competing companies of the Zhajiang Mian APP, a collaboration of Zhao Zong. This Mr. Feng is requesting a private meeting.”
A private meeting? Surname Feng? And from a rival company?
Yao Bai hesitated, “Why does he suddenly want to meet with Zhao Zong?”
Xiao Wang said, “This gentleman is interested in the recent technical interview with President Gu. When he called, he mentioned a few technical risk issues, and it seems that he had a chance encounter with Mr. Zhao on the pedestrian street around noon. I’ve checked some of his information, and what he mentioned is mostly true.”
Yao Bai nodded, “Alright, if everything checks out, then confirm the time with Zhao Zong.”
Xiao Wang nodded and then went out to do his tasks.
Yao Bai found it a bit strange. How did his brother end up with so much happening around noon? From getting on the hot search list with Film Emperor Pei and meeting the Technical Director of Lemon Platform? It was puzzling, especially considering that the Technical Director of Lemon Platform should have first approached the Zhajiang Mian platform regarding matters related to the live broadcast platform. The fact that he chose to meet privately…
Yao Bai decided it would be wise to have Xiao Wang pay more attention to these developments.
Just as the online discussions about the commotion between Zhao Yao and Pei Mingzhan were heating up, the temporary meeting at Zhao Group concluded. Zhao Zhikai’s actions during Zhao Changshuo’s overseas absence had already displeased the top executives of the group. Coupled with the public sentiment online, where opinions were leaning against him, Zhao Zhikai was suspected of accessing confidential documents, accepting bribes, and engaging in activities that seriously violated the group’s internal rules. After that, all matters involving the group’s interests would be transferred to the legal department to undergo judicial proceedings.
While Zhao fans were still enjoying the sweetness of the street encounter and kite photos, the announcement about the temporary issues within Zhao Group had already stirred up other circles. Some people who weren’t particularly interested in the entertainment industry found themselves curious about such a large corporation facing internal corruption problems. Especially considering that Zhao Zhikai was a well-known figure within the Zhao Group, the emergence of such significant news was unexpected.
【I’m a bit confused. Can someone analyze this for me?】
【It’s quite easy to understand. Chairman Zhao passed away because of illness some time ago. For a conglomerate like Zhao Group, which is covered by various branches of the family, you can imagine it’s an internal struggle within an affluent family. Zhao Zhikai, the person in question, is the younger brother of the deceased chairman. Initially, he temporarily managed the group alongside the young master of the Zhao family. Now, he’s exposed to various problems such as corruption…】
【His recent actions have been quite confusing too. It’s said that he replaced key personnel in important departments with his trusted aides. You have to understand that going through such procedures actually takes a long time. What he did has already caused significant fluctuations in Zhao Group’s stock prices, not to mention the dissatisfaction among the employees and the upper management.】
【So who’s in charge of Zhao Group now?】
【Who else could it be? It should be the young master of the Zhao family, Zhao Changshuo.】
【This family feud is quite fascinating. If you’ve been paying attention, there were already signs last year. First, the third young master of the Zhao family, Zhao Yao, left the group. Then, the main wife, Bai Chengxue, was taken away for investigation, and the fourth son, Zhao Qizhen, is nowhere to be found. Now, Zhao Zhikai has exposed all these issues…】
【So is Zhao Changshuo the winner in life?】
【Insider information, I heard that Zhao Yao is helping Zhao Changshuo stabilize the domestic situation. Otherwise, Zhao Zhikai wouldn’t have had such a major mishap at this critical juncture.】
Zhao fans are busy enjoying the sugar and have some knowledge about the family conflict among the elite, but since someone reassured them not to worry too much about Mr. Zhao, they haven’t paid much attention to the affairs of the group. Now, seeing such rumors has left them confused. So, what does it mean?
Wasn’t it said a while ago that Mr. Zhao left the group? Does this internal strife have nothing to do with him?
How come they’re now saying thanks to Zhao Yao, Zhao Zhikai didn’t successfully take over???
Because of the diversion of attention caused by the incidents on the pedestrian street and the kite pictures, discussions on this matter are not widespread. Only a small number of career fans are talking about this issue.
【So, what does this mean?】
【The relationship between the eldest young master of the Zhao family and Xiao Zhao seems pretty good. I saw that the young master is following Xiao Zhao on Weibo.】
【I didn’t quite understand, but from the situation, it seems like Xiao Zhao also did something in this internal struggle.】
Among Zhao Yao’s fans, there are quite a few wealthy individuals. Faced with the situation of Zhao fans, one usually low-key but wealthy individual briefly explained this matter in the discussion group.
【In fact, you can see this matter from a very superficial perspective. From the analysis of the information within the group, currently, besides the eldest young master Zhao Changshuo, Xiao Zhao’s situation seems to be the best. Leaving aside the details of the whole situation and the factions involved, which we outsiders may not fully understand, looking at the results, it’s unlikely that Xiao Zhao remained completely uninvolved from start to finish. Conflicts among brothers within a prestigious family are not uncommon, especially in a complex family like the Zhao family, with the former chairman having three wives. Delving into the details would be even more intriguing than a novel.】
【Listening to the big shot’s analysis, during the time when the group was in trouble a while back, there was much less news about Zhao Zong… Even the official account of Huihua didn’t mention Zhao Zong much.】
【Wait a moment, this is getting scarier the more I think about it.】
【In a normal situation, with Zhao Group facing the storm of internal strife, if I were part of the Zhao family, I would definitely keep a low profile and weather this period out first…】
【I used to think that once Zhao Zong left the group, everything would be fine. But now, seeing what you guys are saying, I suddenly feel that Xiao Zhao is not that simple.】
【Suddenly, I feel like Xiao Zhao is quite impressive. While the Zhao Group is in turmoil because of internal conflicts, just when things have finally stabilized, the news about Xiao Zhao and Old Pei strolling in the pedestrian street and eating at the popular restaurant is spreading like wildfire…】
After the Zhao fans and career fans reexamined the situation, looking back at the gossip about the pedestrian street suddenly felt completely different. Most Zhao fans were still delighted with the material about Mr. Zhao, even discussing the trending topics about his quick deletions. A small portion of career fans suddenly felt that the big shot they admired didn’t seem as simple as rumored. They thought that what they considered serious matters didn’t seem important to the big shot, who even had the leisure to go out for dinner with friends.
This small piece of information quickly circulated within the Pei fans. The relationship between Zhao fans and Pei fans was close, and today was another day for collective entertainment. When Pei fans noticed this analysis, looking back at the trending topic, the more they felt something was wrong.
On the other side, Pei Mingzhan decided to take Zhao Yao to the farmhouse they had previously visited for dinner again that night. The driver was driving slowly and Pei Mingzhan would occasionally answered calls from the studio, while Zhao Yao was immersed in his phone. When Pei Mingzhan finished dealing with the studio’s nagging, he noticed that Zhao Yao was frowning at his phone.
Pei Mingzhan leaned over slightly to look at his phone. “What’s wrong?”
The phone displayed Zhao Yao’s Weibo, accompanied by a relevant tag. It didn’t look like a super topic.
Pei Mingzhan knew that Zhao Yao enjoyed checking his super topic. Occasionally, he would send him some attractive fan art or stills from the topic, but Zhao Yao usually only showed interest in the images. Pei Mingzhan thought that today’s super topic content should be about the trending topic involving the two of them. But what content made Zhao Yao look so serious?
Out of habit, Zhao Yao clicked into Pei Mingzhan’s super topic to check Weibo and was immediately drawn to a new post sandwiched in the midst of the trending discussions. The post mentioned a few things about the Zhao family group and then discussed the events of the day. While it seemed reasonable at first glance, it leaned more towards imaginative speculation. After reading it, he remarked, “Your fans say you’re sweet but a bit clueless.”
Pei Mingzhan paused, “Clueless and sweet? Me?”
Zhao Yao looked at the content on his phone and continued, “They say I manipulated you, that today’s outing was meticulously planned by me, and every action on Weibo was intentional. And you’re just…”
“Just what?” Pei Mingzhan frowned when he heard this.
Zhao Yao handed him the phone and simply said, “Just a tool.”
After saying this, he looked at Pei Mingzhan and added, “I think they’re talking nonsense.”
⊹˚. ♡
The author has something to say: Irresponsible Little Theater:
Brother Yao: They’re talking nonsense.
Pei Pei: En, en.
Lao Ge: Who is the real tool man???
Chen Xi: Stay calm, stay calm.
I can’t believe the main story is about to end 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.
8
- Assistant Yao [↩]