FLBOTCP Chapter 46

Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path Chapter 46

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The party organized by RH was held at a private villa in S City, attended by prominent figures in the domestic entertainment industry.

On the way there, Yao Bai had already skimmed through the information on various bigshots. Now, upon arriving and seeing the relaxed atmosphere of the party, he couldn’t help but think that RH’s influence was truly formidable. He remarked, “This RH Big Boss’s¹ power is not to be underestimated. They managed to invite so many influential figures at once.”

The manager said, “RH has significant international influence, and I heard that the Big Boss also wields power domestically. Throughout RH’s growth, there have always been influential backers supporting them. Although we don’t know which forces are behind them, with such status and achievements, naturally, there are people willing to attend and show their support.”

Furthermore, considering RH’s significant influence in the fashion industry, as long as one can establish connections with RH, their artists will have more opportunities and exposure in other fashion events. So, the attendees were all there with the purpose of expanding their networks. The true enjoyment of the party, it seemed, was reserved for those bigshots who had no shortage of resources.

Yao Bai had been busy with other matters in recent days and hadn’t taken the time to delve into RH’s details. However, seeing his brother’s calm demeanor, he inexplicably gained some confidence. Moreover, he couldn’t pinpoint why, but whenever he saw the Big Boss’s photo, he felt a sense of familiarity, although he couldn’t place where that familiarity came from.

“Hey, do you know what the Big Boss’s real name is? In the photos, they appear to be Chinese, but they only have an English name,” the manager said, surveying the surroundings. He noticed that people from other companies were already engaged in conversations, while their boss, Mr. Zhao, stood near the second-floor window ledge, holding a glass of wine without taking a sip or interacting with others.

By this time, most of the guests had arrived, and many people from different companies began scanning the surroundings with purpose. As most of them were industry insiders who had encountered each other to some extent in other settings, discussions about unfamiliar faces quickly arose.

“Hey, look, Huihua didn’t come with the Chen family?”

“It seems so. Just now, when I saw them delivering the invitations, it appeared that Huihua’s people were separate.”

“Who is that person standing by the window? Isn’t he Huihua’s representative? I just saw him arrive with Huihua’s people.”

The subtle discussions of others quickly caught the attention of observant individuals. Zhao Yao’s recent surge in popularity had not gone unnoticed, and some people present had seen him a few times before.

“Don’t you know? That person is Zhao Yao from the Zhao Group, the current top boss of Huihua. It’s not surprising to see him arrive with Huihua.”

“So, that’s Zhao Yao?”

“He looks quite young. I heard that recently, all of Huihua’s actions are being guided by him. It seems he is an ambitious young man.”

…

Soon, the party officially began.

Amidst the crowd, a woman in a red gown descended from the third floor. With her exquisite makeup and unique aura, she captured the attention of most people. Many raised their glasses to welcome her, and the woman simply nodded in acknowledgement before heading straight to where the RH executives were gathered.

“Is that the Great Demon King, Edith?” Yao Bai quietly approached his brother. “She looks so beautiful.”

Zhao Yao raised his eyes slightly towards the location where Zhao Ruihong was, “She has always been beautiful.”

Yao Bai rarely heard his brother praise someone like this, and he became curious, “Brother, do you like this type?”

Zhao Yao didn’t respond, “The purpose of this party is not as magical as people outside speculate. Did you see the people around Zhao Ruihong²?”

Yao Bai took a quick look and quickly matched it with the information he just read in his mind, “I see. They seem to be RH executives.”

“Cooperating with RH is not just about establishing connections with her. The people she invited are prominent figures in the industry. On one hand, it’s to expand RH’s position and influence, and on the other hand, it’s to provide opportunities for these individuals.”

Zhao Yao calmly said, “There are other brands in the domestic market, while RH’s main influence lies overseas. The people coming here are mostly for networking. It’s not easy to gather so many industry professionals in one place. You can take this opportunity to mingle with them and expand your network by accompanying Manager Liao.”

Yao Bai understood that his brother was just giving him some advice. Playing around casually was not meant to be taken literally, but rather to engage in social interactions in this seemingly simple yet tense atmosphere. “Okay, thank you, brother.”

Zhao Yao’s gaze quickly shifted to another man in a black suit not far from Zhao Ruihong’s side. There were many people surrounding him, even though he was in unfamiliar territory. He had seen the information on this person before—Lin, the boss of Shiyang Film Production, and also the financial backer whom Zhang Qi had offended.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the person standing next to Boss Lin, briefly taking note before shifting his gaze away.

At that moment, there was a sudden noise in the venue, catching the attention of others.

Someone was stopped by the staff and accidentally knocked something over.

Zhao Yao’s attention was drawn to the commotion, and as he looked over, he saw someone familiar. It was Lu Zishi, who had been causing trouble for the “Li Meng” project recently.

Lu Zishi had entered the event using Mr. Wang’s reputation. As soon as he entered the venue, he saw many industry bigwigs, including the investors he had worked with and even his own boss. He glanced at his boss from a distance and received a disdainful look, leaving him feeling frustrated.

He hadn’t forgotten the purpose of coming to the party. When he saw Zhao Ruihong come out, his gaze was fixed on her. This industry had its fair share of unsavory dealings. When he had previously connected with Mr. Wang, he had encountered many people involved in shady transactions behind the scenes. Some things he had already grown accustomed to. So when he was tasked with getting close to the great demoness, he had long ago inquired about her preferences.

Even his attire today was tailored to cater to the great demoness’s taste. He heard that she liked the fresh and natural look of young boys.

However, just as he approached a few steps, he was stopped by the staff, and in a moment of carelessness, he accidentally brushed against the champagne on a nearby tray, causing a commotion.

“Who is this person? So rude!”

“Is he leaving? Weren’t he trying to go straight to Edith?”

“Where did this little celebrity come from? He really has no manners.”

Upon seeing the situation, the boss of Lu Zishi’s company’s face turned dark. Mr. Wang quickly leaned in and said a few words to Boss Lin.

Boss Lin chuckled at his words and said, “Where did this party pooper come from? Can’t he see that Edith is busy?”

Zhao Ruihong turned her head slightly, showing some interest when she looked at Lu Zishi.

Mr. Wang, standing next to Boss Lin, added, “This is Lu Zishi, an up-and-coming artist who has been gaining momentum recently.”

Boss Lin suddenly realized, “Oh, he’s an artist.”

Lu Zishi, seeing Mr. Wang speaking up for him, straightened his back and approached Zhao Ruihong with a gentlemanly demeanor, apologizing, “Madam, I’m sorry…”

Zhao Ruihong raised an eyebrow slightly, “Lu Zishi?”

Lu Zishi was pleasantly surprised, “You know me?”

“Of course,” Zhao Ruihong looked at him seriously, “I’ve been browsing the internet lately and have read quite a few news articles about you.”

Lu Zishi thought she was referring to the online praise and humbly said, “I didn’t expect you to…”

“I heard that you failed the audition for the male lead, so you found someone to create controversy and boost your popularity. You even bought negative articles to tarnish your rival’s reputation,” Zhao Ruihong smiled faintly, “Who allowed you to come in?”

Lu Zishi was stunned upon hearing her words. “Most of those things online are just fabricated scandals. How could you believe them?”

Zhao Ruihong’s voice turned cold as she asked, “Who let you in?”

Mr. Wang stepped forward at this moment, “I’m sorry, Edith. I brought this young man in. He has been through a lot recently. Due to some hidden rules in the industry, Huihua has been trying to suppress him. He asked for my help to meet his company’s boss, but he didn’t intend to offend you. I will have someone escort him out immediately.”

The people present were all insiders of the entertainment industry and were quite familiar with Lu Zishi’s situation, including his recent issues with the Huihua-owned drama crew. Huihua didn’t explicitly state that they wanted to suppress Lu Zishi, but companies in the industry who were considering working with them didn’t want to risk any trouble and generally avoided Lu Zishi. Initially, this matter would have been casually discussed within the industry, but when Mr. Wang brought it up in this setting, everyone understood what was going on.

RH, the entertainment industry’s Great Demon King, rarely appeared in the domestic entertainment circle, but everyone knew that Edith, the Great Demon King, despised these underlying industry rules. Now that this young star had barged in, it was a small matter. However, Mr. Wang bringing up the issue of these hidden rules was a big deal. His intention was to expose Huihua’s actions right in front of Zhao Ruihong.

Edith hated hidden rules, and Huihua was engaging in them.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruihong frowned slightly and then looked towards Zhao Yao, who was standing by the window.

Yao Bai and Manager Liao’s expressions immediately changed upon hearing this, and they looked towards Zhao Yao, who was not far away.

Surrounded by scrutinizing gazes, Zhao Yao was accustomed to such situations. Everyone present was influential and astute in the industry. Initially, he had wondered how they could have let someone like Lu Zishi in. But now he realized that while Lu Zishi was just the trigger, the real purpose was to sever Huihua’s competition in this particular resource.

“That’s quite interesting,” Zhao Yao approached a few steps closer. “I’m curious, where did the rumors about Huihua’s hidden rules towards Mr. Lu come from?”

Lu Zishi immediately responded, “Are you saying there were none? They were so kind and friendly when they offered us the audition opportunity, but then they replaced me with Zhang Qi. Initially, your crew planned to discuss publicity matters with me, but then they turned around and sabotaged me. Even our boss had to consider terminating the contract with the studio. Are you saying Huihua had nothing to do with all of this?”

Lu Zishi’s former boss from his original company heard his words and quickly replied, “The company decided not to renew your contract because it was about to expire. It had nothing to do with Huihua. What’s the connection?”

Through gritted teeth, Lu Zishi, as if emboldened by someone backing him up, said, “What about the previous incidents? They took resources that belonged to me and gave them to other artists.”

Zhao Ruihong furrowed her brows and looked thoughtfully at Mr. Wang, who had brought Lu Zishi in, and Boss Lin, who stood beside him. Considering the situation and the people present, she could probably piece together what had happened. Goodness, did Zhao Yao manage to make so many enemies as soon as he entered the entertainment industry?

Manager Liao, who had come with Zhao Yao, was completely dumbfounded. Before he came here, Chen Xi had specifically emphasized the importance of this party. It wouldn’t have mattered if he hadn’t had a chance to speak to the Great Demon King, and there were quite a few fashion industry people at the party, so it would have been beneficial to make some connections.

But now, just shortly after the party started, this fool Lu Zishi had made a mess of things.

Mr. Wang looked at Zhao Yao and said, “Isn’t this Zhao from Huihua? Nice to meet you.”

Zhao Yao calmly replied, “No need for introductions.”

The surrounding crowd began to discuss, and Mr. Wang’s face immediately turned sour. “You’re quite audacious, Mr. Zhao.”

The onlookers made way for Zhao Yao, observing his tall figure in a suit. Although he was a CEO of an entertainment company, he exuded an undeniable presence that even the artists in the industry might not possess naturally.

Zhao Yao said, “Mr. Wang, you’re mistaken.”

Mr. Wang, taken aback by Zhao Yao’s lack of courtesy, furrowed his brows and asked, “How am I mistaken?”

“Huihua has never mentioned any hidden rules regarding Mr. Lu Zishi. We maintain high standards at Huihua,” Zhao Yao calmly placed his wine glass on a nearby table and continued, “As for Mr. Lu Zishi, we have always been clear. There’s no need for hidden rules. I’m here today to make that clear.”

“In the future, wherever Huihua is, Lu Zishi won’t be. This isn’t a hidden rule. It’s simply that Huihua doesn’t want to associate with him. But the rest of you are free to decide.”

This statement shocked the entire audience. It was one thing to talk about hidden rules and explain it as a naive rumor spread by a minor celebrity. But for someone like Zhao Yao to say it directly in front of everyone, and in the presence of Edith, who was rumored to despise hidden rules, Huihua must have gone mad. They deliberately attended this party and openly disregarded the Great Demon King’s face.

Manager Liao, pale-faced, trembled as he leaned on Yao Bai’s shoulder and asked, “How do I explain this to Director Chen?”

“Just explain it however you can. This person openly challenged my brother’s authority in front of so many people. It makes my fists itch just listening to it,” Yao Bai said. He had witnessed much larger scenes and was no longer the person who trembled at the sight of his brother’s dominance at the Qichen Conference. In this party, a small artist dared to challenge his brother and their company.

Mr. Wang chuckled upon hearing this and said, “Mr. Zhao, you certainly have a grand way of speaking.”

Zhao Yao looked at Mr. Wang and glanced at Boss Lin, saying, “Well, at least I’m being straightforward. I’m more upright than those who resort to covert methods to blacklist others.”

Boss Lin remained expressionless, but Mr. Wang noticed the slight twitch of his lips and knew that he was angry.

Suddenly, Zhao Ruihong laughed out loud and said, “Mr. Zhao has great spirit. Truly worthy of the Zhao family. The prevailing culture of hidden rules in the industry is truly infuriating. Just do things openly and honestly, there’s no need for sneaky tactics.”

She looked at Mr. Wang and continued, “For example, bringing such a disreputable artist to my party and then shifting the blame onto me. Mr. Wang, your methods are not bad.”

“Edith,” Mr. Wang suddenly said.

Zhao Ruihong responded, “Please escort Mr. Lu out. We don’t welcome him here.”

Lu Zishi looked stunned and was about to say something, but he was quickly escorted out of the party venue by the security guards.

Before leaving, he shouted a few words at Mr. Wang, who completely ignored him.

The commotion quickly subsided, and the venue fell into a brief silence. Then, the onlookers began whispering among themselves.

Boss Lin unexpectedly glanced at Zhao Ruihong.

Mr. Wang realized that it was not appropriate to continue speaking in this situation. Seeing that Boss Lin remained silent, he also fell silent.

The surrounding people were engaged in lively discussions about Zhao Yao’s bold statements, each with their own opinions. However, what they didn’t expect was that the Great Demon King didn’t get angry. Instead, he even helped Zhao Yao by speaking up. Wasn’t it rumored that Edith despised the hidden rules in the industry? Could it be because Lu Zishi had gone overboard with his marketing recently, which caused Edith to have a negative impression of him?

Some people had already turned their attention to Mr. Wang and Boss Lin. They were the ones who started this whole situation, and now that the Great Demon King handled it in such a manner, the way people looked at them had changed. Boss Lin remained silent, but his expression had turned sour. It seemed that he harbored strong resentment towards Huihua due to the incident involving Zhang Qi.

Zhao Ruihong withdrew her gaze and looked at Zhao Yao. “Mr. Zhao, care for a drink?” She lifted her glass.

Zhao Yao glanced at her and spoke frankly, “Drinking is harmful to the body.”

Zhao Ruihong chuckled at his words and had the staff bring two cups of warm tea. “Mr. Zhao, please?”

Zhao Yao took the tea cup from the tray and raised it to toast Zhao Ruihong.

Meanwhile, Manager Liao was already confused. Yao Bai patted his shoulder and said, “Manager Liao, didn’t you say you wanted to talk to Director Zhang? Shall we go now?”

Manager Liao snapped back to reality. “Does Mr. Zhao and the Great Demon King know each other? They seem to have a good relationship!”

Yao Bai said, “I don’t know. My brother didn’t mention it.”

After exchanging a few words with Zhao Yao, Zhao Ruihong went upstairs. But the people at the party already knew what had happened. The Great Demon King, Edith, didn’t dislike Zhao Yao from Huihua, and one could even say that he favored him.

Shortly after she left, a staff member in a tailcoat approached Zhao Yao.

“Mr. Zhao, our boss would like to see you,” the staff member respectfully said.

Zhao Yao glanced at him. “Lead the way.”

The staff member guided him to the third floor, which was the temporary resting place of Edith, the Great Demon King, who hosted the party at the villa.

Yao Bai and Manager Liao were engaged in conversation. Manager Liao had already planned to talk to a few familiar people and inquire about the recent happenings in the industry. Yao Bai, with sharp eyes, noticed his brother following the staff member towards the staircase, seemingly intending to go upstairs.

Many people around took notice of this situation and cast their gazes in that direction.

“What’s going on? Is he going upstairs?”

“When I arrived earlier, I saw him handing over another invitation letter. It seemed like the Great Demon King personally invited him.”

“No way! What’s the relationship between Zhao Yao and RH? Why would the Great Demon King specially invite him?”

“At this party, the specially invited guests are all influential figures. Hasn’t Zhao Yao just entered the entertainment industry recently?”

“Didn’t you see how the Great Demon King treated him earlier? It’s obvious that he wants to get closer to Zhao Yao.”

People who attended the party were generally aware of who Zhao Yao from Huihua was. It could be said that rumors about him had already spread throughout the industry when he took over Huihua.

At first, people in the industry called Zhao Yao foolish. They believed that Huihua, being in such a sorry state, was a result of his ignorant meddling due to being a second-generation wealthy individual who didn’t understand the industry. Then, when Huihua’s top management fled, these people eagerly watched Huihua’s downfall and the failure of its investments. They only changed their tune when the Chen family, led by Zhao Yao, secured several time slots and the company’s reputation steadily climbed. Even a randomly signed small artist seemed to be gaining significant popularity. This finally caught everyone’s attention.

“Huihua is not simple. Wasn’t Zhao Yao the person kicked out by the Zhao family’s conglomerate?”

“Can this Huihua compare to the previous one? Zhao Yao was kicked out by the Zhao family’s conglomerate? If he was kicked out, would Zhao Changshuo still present Xingchen to him?”

“Moreover, isn’t Zhao Yao’s mother a remarkable figure? His maternal family has a high status in H City. They have declined in recent years, but they are still a well-known prestigious family.”

Huihua was no longer the same as before.

Without Manager Liao actively seeking conversations, many people had already come over to inquire about the situation. The manager was confused. He knew the purpose of this party, but he hadn’t considered the relationship between Mr. Zhao and the Great Demon King. In fact, he knew nothing about it. However, in such a situation, he knew what to say and what not to say. Faced with others’ probing questions, he only responded to unimportant aspects.

In private, he asked Yao Bai, “Does Mr. Zhao really have no connection with Edith? Otherwise, why would he be invited to go upstairs?”

Yao Bai also didn’t know, but his brother wouldn’t do something uncertain.

He suddenly thought of his brother’s relaxed attitude earlier, even telling him not to be nervous and to enjoy himself. “I’m not quite sure either. Maybe they are friends?”

But that didn’t seem right. If they were friends, why would they make it so secretive? Their meeting seemed more like strangers meeting.

Did all the big shots play these kinds of games?

-*

Zhao Yao went upstairs and was soon led into a separate living room. He recognized the familiar decorations and style, identical to the living room in the Zhao family’s old mansion. He knew that this place was Zhao Ruihong’s private villa.

Shortly after the staff left, someone pushed the door open and walked in. With a calm expression, she looked at Zhao Yao and smiled, “I thought you would come to see me on your own after returning to the country. I didn’t expect to have to send you an invitation letter to invite you over.”

Zhao Yao remained calm when he saw Zhao Ruihong. “I only found out about your return a few days ago. Big brother kept your news tightly concealed.”

Zhao Ruihong knew that Zhao Changshuo sometimes made a big fuss out of trivial matters, but not many people knew about her return to the country. She said, “You don’t seem surprised? I thought when you saw me downstairs just now, you would come up and say hello. It’s been so many years, and I feel like you have changed a lot.”

She had expected the RH matter to surprise Zhao Yao, but she didn’t expect him to be so calm.

“I know you’re the one behind RH,” Zhao Yao said, looking her up and down.

Zhao Ruihong appeared younger, more energetic than when he last saw her in his previous life. At this moment, she resembled the Zhao Ruihong he remembered from his childhood — straightforward, frank, and carefree. He had accurately assessed her character, which allowed him to speak so frankly in the previous setting. After all, this was the host’s domain, and even though they were siblings, he had to consider giving face to the host.

But for Zhao Ruihong, those considerations were not important because she had never cared about such things.

Zhao Ruihong was surprised to hear this. Only Zhao Changshuo knew about the RH matter, and the rest of the Zhao family had no idea.

During the years when Zhao Changshuo managed Zhao Group, they had shielded her, including her identity as the second Miss Zhao, from outsiders. But she didn’t expect Zhao Yao to know about it. It was evident that Zhao Yao knew more than she had imagined. No wonder Zhao Changshuo had said that Zhao Yao had changed during this period…

Someone brought fruits and tea. Zhao Ruihong said, “Zhao Changshuo told me that you’ve been taking care of your health lately, so I had some herbal tea brewed. Would you like to try it?”

“After you returned to the country, have you been staying at the old mansion?” Zhao Yao held the teacup, which had the perfect temperature.

“Seems like you’ve caused quite a stir recently, haven’t you? I heard that Zhao Changshuo has been cleaning up the mess for you, so I became interested in following your affairs,” Zhao Ruihong continued. “I didn’t expect that upon closer inspection, I would actually discover quite a lot. I thought with your methods, these things would have been suppressed long before they happened. Later, I heard that you hardly intervened in Huihua and let Chen Xi handle everything.”

Zhao Yao took a few sips of tea. “I only invested in Huihua, and I didn’t want to get too involved in its affairs.”

As long as it didn’t affect his profits, he left the rest to Chen Xi to arrange.

“When they said you willingly left Zhao Group, I didn’t believe it at first. With your previous work ethic, I thought you and Zhao Changshuo would eventually clash,” Zhao Ruihong said with a smile. “But now I believe it. You’ve become a salted fish.'”

Zhao Yao paused. “Salted fish?”

“Forget it. It’s surprising that you’ve come to realize it’s not worth working at that place and being taken advantage of,” Zhao Ruihong raised an eyebrow. “Since you’ve entered this industry, why didn’t you reach out to me?”

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The author has something to say:

At the headquarters of the corporation:

Secretary’s routine report: Boss, the Second Miss and the Third Young Master are hosting a party.

Zhao Changshuo, who was working, furrowed his brows and looked up: Why wasn’t I informed?

The secretary remained expressionless: The Second Miss didn’t send you an invitation.

Zhao Changshuo: …

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1. In other chapter they also call the big boss Great Demon King lol [↩]
2. Plot hole tbh; YB and the manager still did not know that Edith is ZR [↩]