FLBOTCP Chapter 40
Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path Chapter 40
Pei Mingzhan’s habit of calling Zhao Yao started after they went to the amusement park. Initially, it was because Zhao Yao was slow to reply to messages on WeChat1, but later it became natural for them to talk on the phone every night. Pei Mingzhan inquired about the situation with Uncle Wang and learned that Zhao Yao’s sleep quality had been decent recently, and instances of staying up until three or four in the morning, like before, were rare.
Since he started taking this matter seriously, Pei Mingzhan had been discussing the causes of insomnia with doctors. Although he couldn’t directly ask Zhao Yao’s psychologist about the situation, he had a general understanding of the various factors that could lead to insomnia. However, most of the reasons that applied to Zhao Yao seemed contradictory, to the point that Pei Mingzhan still didn’t know the exact cause of his frequent insomnia.
Although Zhao Yao seemed easy to get along with, he was actually more psychologically guarded than anyone else. Pei Mingzhan had never seen a young person a few years younger than him with such a guarded mentality, as if he didn’t trust anyone and had to question every act of goodwill. While Zhao Yao’s relationship with him had been improving, Pei Mingzhan still felt there was an invisible wall between them, and he couldn’t forcefully break through it. He could only let Zhao Yao come out from behind the wall on his own.
As soon as the call connected, Pei Mingzhan heard Zhao Yao’s slightly weary voice, and there was no sound of the TV playing in the background, making it very quiet.
“Are you already asleep?” Pei Mingzhan hesitated slightly, glancing at his watch. It was just past half past eleven, an hour earlier than the time Zhao Yao usually rested.
The room was quiet, not even a single light was turned on.
“No, what’s the matter?” Zhao Yao replied with tiredness in his voice, yet it remained calm.
Pei Mingzhan could tell from the tone of his voice that Zhao Yao wasn’t in a great mood, to the point of being somewhat unusual. “Your voice sounds quite tired. Are you feeling unwell?”
Zhao Yao gathered some energy and responded, “No.”
Pei Mingzhan felt that something was off. Recently, when he called, Zhao Yao would occasionally take the initiative to talk about weekend plans or point out discrepancies in certain theories mentioned in books. But today, not only did Zhao Yao sound tired, but he also showed no interest in continuing the conversation. “You sound really sleepy. Maybe you should rest early?”
The room was too quiet. Just now, when he answered the call, Pei Mingzhan noticed that it was already close to half past eleven, which meant that nearly an hour had passed since Zhao Changshuo left.
He was well aware of this situation. If it weren’t for this call from Pei Mingzhan, he would probably have fallen into a state of insomnia tonight due to overthinking, gradually overlapping with a certain habit from his previous life.
This was the predicament he desperately wanted to break free from.
Zhao Yao remained silent for a moment. “Pei Mingzhan, can you talk to me for a bit, about anything?”
“Sure, hold on.” Pei Mingzhan paused and then turned back to his office under the gaze of his manager.
Inside the company, only the motion-sensing lights in the corridor remained, and the sound of footsteps echoed in the empty hallway.
The manager looked confused. Seeing Pei Mingzhan’s tense expression, he thought something major had happened. “What’s wrong, Lao Pei2? Why do you look so pale?”
Didn’t the overtime just end? Why did Pei Mingzhan go back again?
Once back in his office, Pei Mingzhan immediately turned on his computer. He had previously added Uncle Wang on WeChat because of the recipe in H City, but now his phone was occupied with the ongoing call. He had to use the PC to inquire about the situation. As soon as he logged into WeChat on the PC, the manager cautiously stuck his head in to see what was happening. “You better explain clearly. Your expression made me think the company was going bankrupt.”
The manager finished speaking but Pei Mingzhan remained silent. “Could it be?”
Pei Mingzhan glanced at him, his eyes seemingly looking at a fool, and he briefly said, “I have something to attend to. You can leave first.”
The manager, sensing the disdain in Pei Mingzhan’s gaze, became annoyed. It finally occurred to him that Pei Mingzhan seemed to have been talking to Zhao Yao just now. He glared at Pei Mingzhan and then turned around and left.
What does it have to do with this single dog when others are pursuing relationships and causing some friction? It’s a waste of emotions!
Pei Mingzhan’s conversation with his manager didn’t avoid Zhao Yao and the microphone picked up the conversation.
“You’re still at the company?” Zhao Yao knew that Pei Mingzhan occasionally had to work overtime recently. The early stages of a company could indeed be challenging, and in his previous life, when he was in the Zhao family, he also worked overtime frequently. He could understand that Pei Mingzhan was busy with work. “If you’re busy, then I’ll hang up for now.”
Pei Mingzhan replied, “It’s okay, just some routine checks. I wanted to talk to you.”
He typed a WeChat message to Uncle Wang, intending to have him confirm Zhao Yao’s current situation.
Zhao Yao was currently very tired, but his mind was clear. It was as if his body was holding him back, dragging him deeper into a sinking feeling. This sensation was even more pronounced when he was seriously ill in his previous life. It felt like standing on the edge of a cliff every day, just a step away from the taut string snapping and falling straight down.
Since his rebirth, this was the first time he had encountered such a strong situation. Previously, when considering the matters of Huihua and the Zhao family group, at most, it made it difficult for him to sleep due to excessive thinking. However, the sudden turn of events with Zhao Ruihong returning to the country this time was completely different from his previous life. He even started to consider whether his excessive interference in this life’s events was a factor in the situation. Once he entered this cycle of thought, he couldn’t control himself from recalling the helpless feeling he had when he was seriously ill in his previous life.
This is the first time since his rebirth that he has encountered such a strong situation. Previously, when considering Huihua and the Zhao Group, it only led to him thinking about things and having trouble falling asleep. But this time, the sudden return of Zhao Ruihong to the country is completely different from his previous life. He even started to consider whether his excessive interference may be a reason for the development of events in this life. Once he enters into this cycle of thinking, he can’t help but recall the feeling of helplessness during his serious illness in his previous life.
There was no sound coming from the other end of the phone, so Pei Mingzhan asked proactively, “Are you thinking about something?”
Zhao Yao snapped back to reality, “How did you know?”
“I could tell.” Pei Mingzhan thought for a moment and said, “Your voice sounds tired but you haven’t fallen asleep yet. I guess you might be anxious about something.”
He pulled out the insomnia survey report sandwiched in the documents and folded the page on anxiety-related insomnia.
He thought that anxiety might be the main cause.
“If you feel that this matter is difficult to solve, why not tell me and let me think of a solution for you?” Pei Mingzhan pondered and decided to maintain this attitude and probe Zhao Yao. Based on his observations during this period, it was highly unlikely for Zhao Yao, who was extremely self-disciplined, to suffer from insomnia. It was like a highly self-demanding person would not tolerate any uncontrollable variables in themselves.
That left another possibility—Zhao Yao was also troubled by this issue, but he hadn’t told anyone.
Zhao Yao was slightly surprised by Pei Mingzhan’s insight, but it was only a momentary surprise. Somehow, he felt his guard soften a bit towards Pei Mingzhan, and even felt that it was fine for him to know about this matter.
However, this thought flashed through his mind for only an instant, and Zhao Yao quickly returned to his usual state, asking, “If there is something that has nothing to do with you, but every day you suddenly find it going in a completely opposite direction, what would you think?”
This question was too vague, and Pei Mingzhan couldn’t infer what Zhao Yao was actually considering from it.
Pei Mingzhan realized that Zhao Yao still had some guard up against him, but there was one good thing. Zhao Yao was willing to talk about this matter with him.
While waiting for Uncle Wang’s response on WeChat, Pei Mingzhan pondered for a moment before replying, “Is it something completely unrelated to you?”
Zhao Yao paused for a moment and said, “Well, it’s not completely unrelated, but it doesn’t have a big impact on me.”
“If you’re considering something that has little impact on you, then there’s no need to waste too much time on it,” Pei Mingzhan explained. “Think about it carefully. If this matter is already determined to have nothing to do with you, the potential benefits after you figure it out may not be for your own gain. If you consider it using your usual mindset, then the time and energy you invest in it will not be equal to the returns. So, there’s no need to think about it.”
Zhao Yao fell into slight silence. “But if it goes against the direction you speculated, even if it doesn’t have a significant impact now, in a few days, months, or even years from now, if it possesses such hidden dangers, then avoiding its impact would be the best course of action.”
Upon hearing this, Pei Mingzhan chuckled, “Are you saying that you’re considering something that currently has no impact on you but may have an impact on you in the future?”
Zhao Yao paused and said, “You can understand it that way.”
“Your thinking is correct. In the presence of potential risks, I would also consider the future impact,” Pei Mingzhan paused for a moment. “But Zhao Yao, if you feel anxious today over something that hasn’t happened yet, then tomorrow it could be one thing, the day after tomorrow could be two… As time goes on, you’ll face more trivial matters, some of which may not seem significant, but may have potential future impacts. Do you have to think through each and every one of them?”
Zhao Yao suddenly blanked out. “Well, maybe not. It depends on the situation.”
“But you’ll still think about them, right?” Pei Mingzhan said. “Do you remember what I told you when we were on the set? I said being cautious is a good thing, but being overly cautious will make your life exhausting.”
Zhao Yao knew the truth that being cautious can be tiring, but the thinking pattern ingrained in him couldn’t be changed. After his rebirth, he made efforts, such as resigning from the high-intensity work environment at Zhao Group and taking a step back after investing in Huihua. He had been undergoing insomnia treatment while reducing work-related anxieties, but other things would always come up.
The root cause was not in his work but in his life, which he could no longer reverse.
“It’s difficult for a person to abandon thinking, Pei Mingzhan. There are some things that cannot be controlled,” Zhao Yao’s voice gradually turned cold, even carrying an indescribable weariness. “Perhaps you’re right that I don’t need to be anxious about future matters, but I can’t completely stop thinking.”
Pei Mingzhan noticed the helplessness in Zhao Yao’s tone and remained silent for a moment. “Then set a boundary for yourself,” he suggested.
Zhao Yao was taken aback. “Boundary?”
“It can also be seen as a timeframe,” Pei Mingzhan said. “We can’t completely avoid the panic about the future, but there are certain things that you don’t need to consider at the moment, so you can temporarily put them aside. For example, a thirty-year-old man may consider marriage, while a young graduate only thinks about making money and buying a house.”
“You can consider what to eat tomorrow, where to go for the weekend, but there’s no need to contemplate when you might face a work crisis, fall ill, or encounter death,” Pei Mingzhan smiled. “Zhao Yao, you say thinking is inevitable, but from what I can gather from your words, your concerns are not what young people should be concerned about.”
Zhao Yao paused upon hearing this. “What should I think about?”
There was a hint of confusion in his words, and he suddenly felt that he had fallen into a misconception since his rebirth.
The computer made a sound, and Uncle Wang replied to Pei Mingzhan’s message.
Pei Mingzhan read the message, in which Uncle Wang explained that there was a guest visiting tonight, then Zhao Yao immediately returned to his room to rest afterward.
Uncle Wang didn’t mention who the visiting guest was, but Pei Mingzhan instinctively felt that Zhao Yao’s state of mind might be related to this visitor.
He typed: “Send him a cup of hot milk.”
“You’re only twenty-three, soon to be twenty-four,” Pei Mingzhan said after sending the message. “You have more things to consider than someone several years older than you. No matter how far-reaching these matters may seem, which one do you think is the most significant in your life?”
Almost instinctively, Zhao Yao blurted out, “Death.”
Pei Mingzhan chuckled, “Well, that’s still a long way off, so don’t think about it.”
“But death is full of uncertainties,” Zhao Yao unusually disagreed with Pei Mingzhan. “I may fall ill, or encounter other accidents. According to your logic, I should wait until I’m seventy or eighty to consider these things…”
Pei Mingzhan interrupted, “But Zhao Yao, these are things that everyone experiences. Everyone falls ill and encounters accidents, but these are things that you can’t figure out no matter how hard you try. Just like how you can’t predict your own death, there’s no need to consider these things at this stage.”
You can’t predict your own death.
Zhao Yao was taken aback. No one can predict their own death. In his previous life, he never anticipated the shortness of his life until he reached the final stages of a serious illness. So, when he returned to this young and healthy body, he wanted to escape the fate of being worn down by illness and death.
He never expected that after living two lifetimes, he was less insightful than a young person in his twenties when it came to contemplating this question. Zhao Yao suddenly had a feeling that he was regressing the more he lived, becoming overly stubborn about certain issues.
Suddenly, a knock came from outside the door, and Zhao Yao snapped back to attention. “Come in.”
Uncle Wang walked in with a cup of hot milk. “Young Master, have a cup of hot milk before bed.”
He placed the milk on the bedside table and noticed the pills placed on the table.
“I’ll go get you some warm water,” Uncle Wang paused, preparing to turn around and fetch warm water.
Zhao Yao shook his head. “No need to trouble yourself. I’m ready to rest.”
Uncle Wang was somewhat surprised. He looked at his young master, who was still on a phone call, and realized that it wasn’t a good time to disturb him. He left the milk on the table and walked out.
Pei Mingzhan waited until the noise inside subsided before saying, “Are you going to rest?”
“Just keep talking to me,” Zhao Yao suddenly realized that when he was talking to Pei Mingzhan, he wouldn’t think about other things. The person on the other end of the phone call could effortlessly shift his attention to other matters. “Just say anything.”
Pei Mingzhan paused upon hearing this, catching a glimpse of the message Uncle Wang had sent on WeChat. Then he replied simply, “This statement of yours is not much different from coaxing you to sleep, Mr. Zhao. My time is precious.”
“Oh,” Zhao Yao paused, about to hang up the phone.
Pei Mingzhan continued, “I’m just joking. I’m getting off work now.”
Zhao Yao asked, “Do you need any help with your company?”
Pei Mingzhan had never asked him for help before. The foundation of the Pei family was in City H, and Pei Mingzhan’s attempt to develop in City S was not as free as in City H. However, he had never mentioned asking for help from Zhao Yao.
Pei Mingzhan didn’t expect him to bring up this matter. “Not at the moment. Mr. Zhao, are you planning to financially support me?”
During this period of time, Zhao Yao had caused a lot of trouble for Pei Mingzhan, but Pei Mingzhan had never made any demands. He replied simply, “You don’t need to be so polite between us.”
Pei Mingzhan chuckled slightly as he flipped through the page of the report on insomnia and anxiety. “If you want to financially support me, I can consider it, but as for other matters, Zhao Yao, just as you said, we don’t need to be polite between us.”
The room remained quiet, and Zhao Yao’s state of mind was completely different from before. He didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt relaxed.
Pei Mingzhan was always able to make things sound extremely easy, but when the matter was actually in front of him, it could indeed become simple.
It was clearly a very simple matter…
Zhao Yao knew that the suggestion of financial support was a joke. Pei Mingzhan politely declined his help. “Are we friends?”
“Why wouldn’t we be?” Pei Mingzhan replied while flipping through the report. He sounded casual, but his brows were already tightly furrowed as he read the contents of the report. “How would you define friendship in your eyes?”
Zhao Yao replied, “Maybe I’m taking it too seriously.”
Suddenly, Pei Mingzhan remembered Zhao Yao’s recent research on romantic relationships, including their inexplicable conversation tonight. He felt like he had overlooked something important.
“It’s not about being serious, but about not fully letting go,” Pei Mingzhan replied. “If you truly make friends with someone, you won’t try to capitalize on every little thing. For example, I’m willing to free up my weekends to spend time with friends, but I won’t expect my friends to give something in return.”
Pei Mingzhan continued to express his thoughts while still talking to Zhao Yao, “We may call exchanges of interests as acquaintances, but we reserve the term ‘close friends’ for those who become lifelong confidants. Zhao Yao, that’s the difference between regular friends and good friends.”
As Zhao Yao listened to the voice on the other end of the phone, he gradually grew tired. Suddenly, he remembered something, “What were you wearing at the oceanarium that day?”
Pei Mingzhan’s hand, flipping through the report, paused slightly. “I was wearing gray.”
“Alright,” Zhao Yao understood. With gray clothes… black or white hats would go well with them.
The topic changed abruptly, and Pei Mingzhan didn’t understand why Zhao Yao suddenly asked him that question. But Zhao Yao didn’t say anything strange afterward. He casually brought up the topic of the oceanarium, as if the earlier question was just a passing remark.
As Zhao Yao spoke intermittently, Pei Mingzhan conversed with him, but in his mind, he became increasingly uneasy due to the previous question. The corners of the insomnia report were wrinkled from his absentminded rubbing. He said distractedly, “I’ve organized the itinerary for the oceanarium. If you want to thoroughly enjoy it, it’s impossible to visit all the attractions. Tomorrow, choose a few places you like…”
Mid-sentence, he suddenly realized that there had been no response from the other end of the line for a long time.
“Zhao Yao?” Pei Mingzhan asked.
The clock in the bottom right corner of his office computer showed that it was past midnight. Pei Mingzhan snapped out of his daze and realized that he had been on the phone with Zhao Yao for almost an hour, the longest conversation they had had during this period. There was silence on the other end of the phone. Pei Mingzhan silently closed the insomnia report, picked up his coat, and headed outside.
The company’s corridor was quiet, but he could hear soft and heavy breathing on the other end of the phone.
The elevator arrived, illuminating the darkness with its bright light.
Zhao Yao had fallen asleep.
-*
The weekend came quickly for the trip to the ceanarium. Since they had arranged to meet early, Zhao Yao had made preparations and got ready to go out early. Uncle Wang had prepared many things for him before he left, including the health tea that Zhao Yao always carried with him and the hat he had purchased online a couple of days ago.
Pei Mingzhan came to pick him up in his car and saw Zhao Yao walking over as soon as he arrived. It was different from their usual simple outings. Today, Zhao Yao was carrying a backpack. Pei Mingzhan got out of the car and opened the door for him, and Zhao Yao casually handed him a hat.
Pei Mingzhan was surprised and asked, “Is this for me?”
Zhao Yao nodded and said, “Try it on.”
Not far away, Yao Bai, who had stayed up late reading novels, was sitting in the car of Pei Mingzhan’s manager, Brother Lao, yawning and observing the two people standing close to the front passenger seat.
Brother Lao slapped his thigh in surprise and exclaimed, “There is even a hat delivered?!”
Yao Bai yawned and replied, “My brother bought it online. He specifically chose an affordable product, afraid of being recognized by the Movie Emperor Pei’s fans.”
Brother Lao thought to himself that Pei Mingzhan had probably bought countless hats online recently, making it necessary for him and Mr. Zhao to wear different couple hats every time they went out. He originally thought this was Pei Mingzhan’s clumsy and covert way of pursuing someone, but now it seemed that this method wasn’t without its merits…
Brother Lao clicked his tongue twice and said, “Tactics, it’s all tactics.”
Yao Bai was too sleepy to pay attention to what Brother Lao had said. In order to wake himself up, he started playing with his phone. Just as he opened WeChat, he saw a forwarded Weibo message from someone in the project team.
“What? Overtime on the weekend?” Yao Bai suddenly became alert.
Lao Ge curiously asked, “Overtime? What’s going on?”
Yao Bai scrolled through the group chat messages of the “Li Meng” project team. As Zhao Yao’s appointed special envoy to the project, the project team leader always contacted him directly to report and seek his opinions. He quickly read through the chat history and said, “Why does this Lu Zishi always stir up trouble?”
Lao Ge was also well-informed about the entertainment industry, so when he heard the name “Lu Zishi,” he asked, “Isn’t he a popular traffic recently? Why does your overtime work have something to do with him?”
Yao Bai had been annoyed by Lu Zishi lately, so he briefly explained the shady operations of Lu Zishi’s studio. “I don’t know if this person has a brain or not. Last night, there were internet trolls exposing the actor who played Su Li Guang, and it turned out to be the work of Lu Zishi’s studio. Doesn’t he understand that the investors are the ones in charge? Isn’t he afraid of offending Huihua? I’ve never seen someone so oblivious to the big picture.”
Lao Ge understood the situation as soon as he heard it. “This is common in the industry. Don’t be fooled by Lu Zishi’s recent rise in popularity. Before that, he has stepped on numerous small-time actors and actresses. He’s all about marketing. He gained a lot of fans by building a certain image on a few variety shows. A newcomer from Pei’s studio was also manipulated by him for marketing purposes a couple of years ago. I warned him back then, and he learned his lesson. Recently, Lu Zishi has been endorsing a lot of products and doing well in sales, so the investors pamper him. That indirectly affects how people in the industry treat him. It’s like he’s getting ahead of himself.”
Yao Bai finished reading the message and decided to have the project team prepare for potential public relations issues, so as not to be influenced by online public opinion. “We’ve slapped him in the face multiple times recently, but he seems unfazed. I’m amazed at how he can still thrive without any substantial talent or skills.”
“Lu Zishi’s company behind the scenes is also quite peculiar. The boss and the vice president are constantly at odds, and the decision-makers are unreliable. Who knows what other trouble might arise from this situation. Don’t worry about it. With what you guys did recently, it won’t be long before everyone in the industry knows that Huihua has blacklisted Lu Zishi. Zhao Yao’s move was decisive. Many companies are already planning to establish good relations with Huihua. While Lu Zishi might enjoy the attention temporarily, once the news spreads, who would be willing to offend Huihua to support him?”
Lao Ge saw that the two people in front had already gotten into the car and were ready to leave, so he said, “He’s just a bully hiding behind a mask. Eventually, he’ll be taught a lesson about how to behave.”
The author has something to say:
Peipei: How about considering adoption? (Hint)
Yao Ge: Oh.
Lao Ge, who was frantically taking notes: It’s all a strategy. It’s always a strategy.
TN: 4/4 And that’s it for the missed chapters for the past weeks! Then we’ll be back to updating weekly which is every Friday 5:30 +4GMT. Comment down below your thoughts!
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