FLBOTCP Chapter 44

Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path Chapter 44

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Over the weekend, Pei Mingzhan’s Studio and Huihua joined together.

Originally, Chen Xi was eagerly looking at the list sent by Xingchen. However, he received a threatening call from Dingfeng Agency, and his good mood vanished instantly. On the other end of the phone, Dingfeng Agency constantly reiterated the wishes of a certain Mr. Lin, making Chen Xi realize his own limitations.

“You can rest assured about this, Mr. Lin,” Chen Xi showed no fear of the threats. “We will use Zhang Qi as the male lead in Huihua, and I guarantee it will ‘satisfy’ Mr. Lin.”

The boss from Dingfeng was so infuriated that he felt like spitting blood. “Chen Xi, you don’t know how to appreciate opportunities! Isn’t it just relying on Zhao Yao? What can he, a fallen second-generation rich kid from the Zhao family’s group, do? Don’t you know how important connections are in this industry? Huihua has offended Mr. Lin. You can forget about making it in the domestic entertainment circle.”

Chen Xi was used to such threats and had even prepared himself when Mr. Zhao wanted to sign Zhang Qi. “Hey, don’t speak so harshly. Zhang Qi was signed by me from your side. If Mr. Lin wants trouble, he’ll come to you first. If you release the contract, can you blame us for promoting someone?”

“You!” The boss from Dingfeng was furious.

Chen Xi was nonchalant. “Hanging up.”

He hung up the phone without another word.

“It’s toxic. So many companies have tried to mess with us at Huihua before, but Mr. Lin does have a big reputation. However, in this industry, besides connections, we also look at interests,” Chen Xi thought of his boss, who was both indifferent and formidable. “With my boss’s influence, who would dare to touch Huihua?”

“Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen!”

The secretary hurriedly reported.

Chen Xi asked, “What’s going on? What big thing could happen on a weekend? Did Dingfeng release a press release to smear Zhang Qi?”

The secretary shook their head. “No, it’s about Mr. Zhao.”

Chen Xi didn’t understand. “What could be a big deal with Mr. Zhao??”

The secretary handed over the phone. “Well… There’s a trending rumor about Mr. Zhao being involved with Emperor Pei.”

Chen Xi snatched the phone in disbelief. “?????”

Pei Mingzhan’s agent, Brother Lao, had been shrewd for seven or eight years, but he never expected to be defeated by his own long-standing habit. After regaining his composure, all he wanted to do was burn the pile of checkered shirts at home.

Lele, who was busy directing others to suppress the trending topics, finally found a moment to speak to Brother Lao. “Actually, it’s not a big deal. We can just deny it if necessary. After all, they haven’t captured any clear faces. It’s fine, it’s fine.”

Brother Lao responded, “Don’t you understand the concept of tacit understanding? What you deny and what the fans see are completely different. Although Pei doesn’t care about retiring from the industry, having these two men trend as close friends is a whole different situation. This…??” It was a situation he had never encountered during all his years as Pei Mingzhan’s agent. He used to be proud, thinking that he didn’t need to suppress any scandals for Pei Mingzhan, but now it turned out to be a major issue.

Yao Bai, who was standing by, saw the situation and had already called his brother. However, the call had been unanswered for quite a while.

“Well, should we ask Mr. Pei for help?” Lele thought of Pei Mingzhan’s elder brother. “It’s strange. Last time, when there was a scandal involving Pei Ge, it was quickly suppressed. Why is the PR team from the Pei family so slow this time?”

“Forget about the Pei family. Let’s focus on suppressing the situation for now. Let the fans speculate, but just ignore them,” Brother Lao sighed, rubbing his temples. “Has Mr. Pei’s call connected yet?”

“No, it hasn’t,” Lele replied.

Yao Bai added, “My brother’s call hasn’t connected either.”

Brother Lao couldn’t help but let out a curse in frustration.

-*

After Pei Mingzhan returned home, he took out the documents and handed them to Zhao Yao. The two of them then made a brief summary of the live streaming platform. Zhao Yao’s understanding of the market situation for live streaming platforms was based on a few years later when he was preparing to explore entertainment projects. At that time, the main data available was from three to five years ago. The data provided by Pei Mingzhan was more up-to-date than what he knew.

It turned out that the current situation in the country had not developed as rapidly as expected. Even the companies benefiting from the dividend were only a few, and even the major players in the industry had not yet started to enter this market. It was truly a good period for establishing and developing a presence.

Pei Mingzhan poured a glass of warm water for Zhao Yao. As he walked over, he noticed that Zhao Yao had already created a new file with charts on his computer. He put down the warm water and saw the detailed points listed in Zhao Yao’s charts. This immediately caught his attention. Based on the recent details, Zhao Yao listed the domestic market situation as well as the potential risks, commonly referred to as “risks,” that the live streaming market would face.

Every industry has its risks, especially for a new industry that is just starting out and has not been fully explored. These risks have a high possibility of impacting a previously well-established company. In some cases, the company may experience a period of decline, while in more severe cases, it may go bankrupt and close down. Therefore, assessing risks is always done in advance, but it is impossible to be absolutely accurate. Any potential risk before implementation is considered as an informational point.

Pei Mingzhan thought that the evaluation he and his friend had conducted over the past six months had already covered a broad range. However, the new points raised by Zhao Yao now caught him off guard. If these assumptions proved to be true, the future market competition they would face would be enormous.

Zhao Yao had only completed half of the charts when he said to Pei Mingzhan, “You can see the future prospects of the live streaming platform, but others with foresight can see the same things. In a similar starting position, the key is how to maximize our own advantages. The live streaming industry is just beginning, and the potential audience it can attract is unimaginable. Therefore, there needs to be a clear regulatory system in place for platform content, contracted anchors, and other issues, along with a clear market positioning to determine the problems.”

Looking at the information at this current point in time, Pei Mingzhan realized it was indeed excellent. Zhao Yao imagined that it would be difficult for most people to conduct such comprehensive analysis at this stage. However, comprehensive analysis does not guarantee avoiding pitfalls in the future, especially for a new industry where the potential risks are significant. But some risks are unforeseeable yet can be minimized, and that is something particularly important to consider in the early stages.

“You’ve done a great job with your preliminary research, and your vision is far-reaching,” Zhao Yao couldn’t help but praise. Figures like Pei Mingzhan and his friend would be immeasurable in the future. It’s just a pity that Pei Mingzhan had an unexpected accident in his previous life. Otherwise, how could the names of outstanding entrepreneurs in the country not include his?

After finishing reading the half-written proposal by Zhao Yao, Pei Mingzhan suddenly said, “I just thought of something. It’s a good thing that you agreed to join us. Otherwise, if our platform encounters competitors like you in the future, what should we do?”

Zhao Yao paused, knowing that his situation couldn’t be compared to present circumstances. “What can we do? The market is so big, and you will encounter more competitors than just me.”

“Zhao Yao, didn’t you realize that I was praising you?” Pei Mingzhan picked up the warm water placed beside him and looked at Zhao Yao with a touch of helplessness. “Have a drink.”

Praising him?

“Is it?” Zhao Yao hadn’t thought about that question. He took the warm water unexpectedly and took a small sip.

“Since you’ve started writing the proposal for me, you can’t back out now.” Pei Mingzhan tidied up the scattered documents on the table. “Do you have time next week? I’ll take you to meet my friend.”

“Okay.” Zhao Yao felt a bit unsatisfied. He had many ideas in his mind about the development plan for the live streaming platform. These were ideas he couldn’t realize in his previous life, including investing in entertainment companies and preparing for a live streaming platform, and so on… But as he thought about it, he suddenly snapped back to reality. Why was he involuntarily thinking about work again? He looked at the proposal he had just written on the computer screen, and that strange feeling resurfaced. “But I…”

Pei Mingzhan looked at Zhao Yao and noticed that his complexion was a bit pale. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Zhao Yao hesitated for a moment. “Pei Mingzhan, I don’t want work to consume the majority of my life. I don’t really enjoy working. So, I might only provide some ideas for this matter. The specific tasks may need to be handled by your friend.” He decided to set boundaries. Investing too much energy into a project would be overwhelming, and his mental state wasn’t suitable for a high-pressure work environment.

Pei Mingzhan noticed the change in Zhao Yao’s mood. “Did you misunderstand something? When I invited you to join this project, it wasn’t to hire you as an employee. If you don’t want to take on too much work, those tasks can be handled by my friend. Zhao Yao, you’re an investor, and I don’t have the time or energy to start a new company from scratch.”

Zhao Yao chuckled. “I had it all mixed up.”

He continued, “Let’s set a date as soon as possible then. I have a few things to take care of at the beginning of the month.”

Pei Mingzhan saved the proposal. “To be honest, I wasn’t really eager to introduce you to him. He’s a bit crazy and tends to get immersed in topics he finds interesting. He was the one who initially came up with this project. Can you imagine? Even before he proposed it to me, he had been doing the preliminary preparations for two years. If he finds out about all the things you’ve brought up that he hadn’t considered, he’ll probably drag you in for a long conversation.”

Zhao Yao became interested upon hearing about Pei Mingzhan’s friend. After all, there aren’t many people in this restless society who can calm down and do preliminary preparations, let alone preparing for two years. “You haven’t mentioned the name of this friend to me before.”

“Gu Sui,” Pei Mingzhan said. “You probably don’t know him.”

Zhao Yao paused for a moment and then chuckled. “Yes, I don’t know him now.”

Gu Sui, the future leader of the live streaming industry, even rising to the top during the market fluctuations. Most of the data he had analyzed came from studying Gu Sui’s case. It was surprising that at this moment, he had just started his preparations.

Pei Mingzhan wasn’t wrong. If it was Gu Sui, then this investment would be a guaranteed success.

“It’s already late. How about resting here for the night?” Pei Mingzhan suggested.

Only then did Zhao Yao notice that it was already dark outside. The clock in the room had already reached 8:30 in the evening. He checked his phone and discovered several missed calls, including around ten from Yao Bai. He frowned slightly. “I need to let Uncle Wang know.”

Pei Mingzhan nodded. “I’ll go prepare dinner then. What would you like to eat?”

“Anything is fine,” Zhao Yao replied.

After informing Uncle Wang through a phone call, Zhao Yao called Yao Bai. The phone only rang a few times before it was answered.

Yao Bai’s tired voice came through the phone. “My goodness, Zhao Ge, you finally answered the phone. If you didn’t, I might have ended up staying overnight with Lao Ge.”

Zhao Yao frowned. “What happened?”

“It’s a big deal. You and Pei Ge are trending on the hot search…” Yao Bai didn’t dare to mention the incident of him and Brother Lao following them earlier. He delicately explained the situation, “You two were recognized by netizens when you went to the oceanarium. Now, everyone is speculating about your relationship. I’m helping Lao Ge monitor the hot search, but the attention is quite intense, and it might be hard to explain.”

Brother Lao sighed deeply when he saw Yao Bai answering the phone. It was all because of his own mistake.

Zhao Yao believed that he and Pei Mingzhan had disguised themselves well. The only people he could think of were those who had approached him earlier in the afternoon. While talking to Yao Bai to gather more information, he opened his computer and checked the hot search on Weibo to check the situation.

Zhao Yao leaned back on the soft couch with his laptop on his lap. The first thing that caught his eye was the most revealing photo and the grid-patterned shirt mentioned by netizens.

Yao Bai stammered over the phone, “That guy, Lao Ge, happened to go to the oceanarium today and was recognized by fans.”

Zhao Yao glanced up slightly. “Yao Bai, the guy in the blue and white shirt standing next to the grid-patterned shirt has a lot of style.”

Yao Bai chuckled, “Really? That blue and white shirt is a limited edition. I had to fight for it for a long time…” His voice gradually faded away.

Looking at the trending topics, Zhao Yao couldn’t help but burst into laughter from Yao Bai’s words. “So, the reason this incident was exposed is actually because Pei Mingzhan’s agent was exposed, and netizens confirmed that I was present. So they concluded that the person accompanying me was Pei Mingzhan?”

Yao Bai nodded like a pecking chicken and timidly said, “More or less, more or less.”

Zhao Yao asked, “Then how are you going to handle it now?”

Yao Bai replied, “It’s not easy to suppress it. If we try to suppress it, it might easily confirm the rumors…”

Zhao Yao didn’t understand why they were spending so much time dealing with such a trivial matter. “Confirm what rumors?”

Yao Bai’s voice became even softer. “The rumor that Actor Pei is your boyfriend from outside the entertainment circle…”

Zhao Yao: “…”

Meanwhile, Pei Mingzhan prepared a few simple dishes. He usually lived alone, and with the long working hours, there weren’t many fresh ingredients in his fridge. Fortunately, Zhao Yao liked simple food. He cooked some soup and made a porridge. When he came out, he happened to see Zhao Yao sitting on the couch, looking at his laptop, with a phone placed nearby displaying Yao Bai’s name.

However, there was no sound coming from the phone, only intermittent noise.

Pei Mingzhan approached and saw Zhao Yao’s serious expression. “What’s wrong?”

Zhao Yao handed him the laptop directly. “It’s the hot search.”

Pei Mingzhan glanced at it and immediately noticed the crucial point. He had no idea where his own phone was lying around. Seeing the situation, he hadn’t anticipated it for a while. “They followed us to the oceanarium today?”

On the other end of the phone, Yao Bai and Brother Lao dared not speak out, “…”

Zhao Yao nodded. “We need to address this issue now. I don’t really care, but I’m more concerned about your reputation.” He didn’t expect that going out with Pei Mingzhan would lead to such a hot search. Their intention to be cautious around fans was merely to avoid any unpleasant encounters, but they didn’t anticipate that even a glimpse of their backs could spark such speculation.

“What reputation do I have to worry about?” Pei Mingzhan scrolled through the trending topics on the laptop. “I’m already semi-retired, so this won’t have much impact on me.”

At this moment, Yao Bai whispered on the other end of the phone, “But it has a significant impact on others.”

Zhao Yao frowned. “Personally, I think we should just suppress the trending topic and be done with it. But they say that doing so would only draw more attention and confirm the rumors.”

Pei Mingzhan sat down next to Zhao Yao. “Confirm what?”

Zhao Yao also found it ridiculous. “They’re overreacting. It’s inevitable to be photographed during private outings, especially as public figures. But to assume so much from just one photo is going too far.”

Pei Mingzhan said, “Hmm, we can issue a clarification.”

“I’ll release a statement through Huihua’s official account, and you can have your studio repost it,” Zhao Yao planned to draft the content.

However, Pei Mingzhan stopped him. “Such a formal statement would appear too serious. In the entertainment industry, it’s not effective to address such rumors with an official and serious tone.”

Zhao Yao looked at him confused. “Then how should we clarify it?”

“Some things can’t be resolved by hiding. Do we have to go through all this trouble every time we go out?” Pei Mingzhan retrieved his phone, which he found lying in the couch at some point, and switched it to silent mode. Then he said, “Since it’s a baseless rumor, let’s just admit that we went out together. Friends going out privately is not a big deal.”

Pei Mingzhan said, “Let me post it on my Weibo.”

On the other end of the phone, Yao Bai was puzzled, “…?”

Brother Lao: “?!”

-*

In the evening, the hot search on Weibo was full of gossip. Pei Mingzhan, who had already been out of the news, suddenly became a hot topic, with rumors of a private trip with Mr. Zhao, showing intimacy, and staff members following them.

Mr. Zhao’s fans were as excited like the New Year’s Eve. Some were watching interviews from Xiao Ji, while others were busy creating small skits online based on the rumors.

【Pei Mingzhan: Didn’t expect this, I have all the qualities you like.】

【Unbelievable! I never expected that the refined and elegant Pei Mingzhan would dress like a little wolf dog during private outings.】

【This is so fun! Their brotherly affection is awe-inspiring.】

【Hahaha, the hot search hasn’t been suppressed yet. I bet Laoge is going bald from all this.】

【Laoge: Unexpected, the artist’s scandal started with me.】

@Pei Mingzhan: Mr. Zhao said we are friends. Everyone can relax. [Photo]

The photo showed Pei Mingzhan taking a selfie with a messy table in the background, with a few stacks of simple dishes and porridge. There were also partially blurred documents next to them. Mr. Zhao sat on the sofa with an expressionless face, looking at the camera. Both of them were dressed casually, but it was clearly the same outfit as the photo taken by netizens at the oceanarium during the day.

【What the hell???】

【Oh my, the blogger you follow just updated!】

【Pei Pei, if you know how to dress, wear more like this. Mom allows you to dress like this every day in the future!】

【I can’t stop laughing. Pei Mingzhan and Mr. Zhao were caught on a private trip, and after the rumors spread, he posted on Weibo to clarify. This is the first time in five years of following Pei Mingzhan that I’ve seen a clarification with a group photo.】

【It’s normal for friends to go out and play together. I think shipping them is a bit exaggerated.】

【The trend of shipping can stop now. We’ve already forced Lao Pei and Mr. Zhao to clarify with a Weibo post.】

【Hahaha, okay, we know they are friends.】

【Next time you go out, don’t be so secretive. Dress like this and take more photos.】

Mr. Zhao’s fans arrived upon hearing the news.

【Wuwuwu, Mr. Zhao’s cool face.】

【I still can’t get over that photo with the Coke. Why can some men combine coolness and cuteness so well?】

【Mr. Zhao: We are friends, everyone can relax. This tone, it’s undoubtedly him.】

【Why did you use Pei Mingzhan’s Weibo to make the announcement? Couldn’t you create a separate Weibo account?】

【I finally got a taste of what Mr. Zhao likes. I can afford the food he eats too!】

【So relaxing, just like two friends going out, having dinner and playing games at home. Isn’t this how normal people live?】

【Hey, Mr. Zhao, are you there? Wanna play games? We need two more players for a four-player team. How about joining as two water friends?】

On the Huihua side, they were originally waiting for a decision from Pei Mingzhan’s studio, but unexpectedly, they received a Weibo post directly from Pei Mingzhan, which drew most of the attention. Pei Mingzhan truly lived up to his reputation as the most popular young actor in the industry. Despite the intense rumors of his retirement, he effortlessly shook up the trending topics when he made the Weibo post.

Chen Xi felt relieved when he saw this response. “Actor Pei’s studio is probably worried about the potential impact, so they took some time to consider. Directly suppressing the trending topics or issuing an official statement would appear too formal and could easily invite further speculation and rumors. Although most netizens approach the issue rationally, in our industry, things can become true as they circulate. By openly admitting and posting on Weibo, as long as it’s done in a straightforward manner, it can prove that the two of them have a strong friendship in their daily lives. We need to learn from this. Crisis management is an art.”

The secretary nodded, “Understood.”

Chen Xi could finally leave work. He noticed that the team working on the “Li Meng” project was still busy and said, “Let them go home early.”

-*

The direction of the netizens’ discussion was diverted to Pei Mingzhan.

Brother Lao felt helpless and believed that all the explanations now seemed pale. Fortunately, Pei Mingzhan’s Weibo post dispersed the heat generated by the oceanarium photo, and most fans flocked to Pei Mingzhan’s Weibo, partially alleviating the awkwardness. Now, they could only claim to be friends, no matter what situation they encountered in the future. Lao Ge looked at the trending topics above with a lamenting expression and let out a long sigh.

Yao Bai was already planning to leave; his mind was completely numb. Seeing this, he asked, “Lao Ge, isn’t this easily resolved? It saved the effort of issuing an official statement. You overcomplicated the problem by overthinking.”

Brother Lao sighed, “Is that so? The compromises we make now will be torment in the future. I underestimated Pei Mingzhan.”

That man knew how to take advantage of the timing, situation, and people. He appeared calm on the surface but had layers of strategies, effortlessly achieving his goals.

“Yao Bai, we will be tormented from now on.” Brother Lao looked at Yao Bai. “Be prepared to work overtime at any time.”

Yao Bai thought Brother Lao was exaggerating. The situation wasn’t as severe as he imagined. “I’m going home for now. It’s already late, and I need to catch up on sleep. I have work tomorrow.”

“Go ahead,” Brother Lao said. “I’ll treat you to a meal later to establish our revolutionary friendship in advance.”

Other people in the studio: “…” This person must have gone crazy from the stress.

At that moment, Lele, who was eating a late-night snack at his desk and keeping an eye on the trending topics, suddenly noticed another trending topic being introduced amidst the commotion. He widened his eyes and quickly called out to Yao Bai, “Wait, Yao Ge!”

Yao Bai, looking tired, asked, “Huh? What’s wrong?”

Lele quickly swallowed his food and clicked on the trending topic to see what was happening. Their previous concerns had indeed materialized.

He hurriedly said, “Quick, look at the trending topic. Someone bought the trending topic to push Zhang Qi up.”

Yao Bai’s expression immediately changed, and he walked over to Lele to see what was happening.

Sure enough, at the top of the trending topics, there was a new trending topic with relatively low engagement.

#Zhang Qi#

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The author has something to say:

Pei Family’s PR: Boss Pei, Second Young Master, and Zhao Yao are trending.

Pei Family’s eldest brother: Oh, it’s about Zhao Yao. Don’t suppress it.

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Happy birthday to me! So extra chapter for both novels! And I just realized for a few weeks now I’ve been uploading 5:30 PM every friday for this novel when it was supposed to be 4:30 O.o 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.

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