FLBOTCP Chapter 66
Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path Chapter 66
The joke among fans hadn’t spread widely yet. But because of Zhao Yao’s hot search on Weibo, it quickly caught the attention of the official personnel from Huihua and the Zhajiang Mian platform. Huihua was currently cooperating with the Zhajiang Mian platform. Although this was just a playful interaction among fans, as two companies under Mr. Zhao’s name, there was always some hope of achieving higher visibility for their respective companies.
The people handling the publicity from the Zhajiang Mian platform were quite good themselves. After reporting to their leader, they posted an image of their studio meeting, conveniently featuring Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao. They sum it up as a company leadership meeting but in reality, it was actually just taking advantage of Mr. Zhao’s hot search.
The official social media account was also thinking that it wasn’t just Huihua. They also have records of Mr. Zhao’s meetings too!
Originally, Zhao Yao was already in hot search trending, but with the Zhajiang Mian platform releasing this promotional image featuring Pei Mingzhan, the popularity suddenly increased.
【Zhajiang Mian platform, I have high hopes for you. As long as you keep posting pictures, I will treat you as the prince.】
【This is hilarious! Isn’t this just following the old path of Huihua’s official account?】
【Agreed, Huihua hasn’t been doing well lately. They can’t even produce a few fresh pictures!】
【@Huihua, you need to step up your game!】
The official Weibo account, driven by its promotional duty, also shared some long-hidden photos when they saw the Zhajiang Mian platform’s post. Originally, these photos were intended to be used to gain popularity on the day of the “Mi Ying.” Unexpectedly, today’s trend came out of nowhere, and they were forced to cooperate with the production company for promotion.
【XSW1 ! Even Huihua’s blog joined in.】
【Hahahaha, keep it going, Zhao fans are loving it!】
【Hmph, what’s wrong with our Tu Gou platform2? They may have two powerful backers, but Huihua only has one.】
【Is it the time of showing off one’s parents?】
【Pei fan quietly peeking.jpg. Zhajiang Mian, do you understand what I mean?】
Chen Xi held his tablet, scrolling through the comments under Huihua’s official account, and expressed praise to the publicity department, “Very good, keep up this trend, take more pictures next time Mr. Zhao comes over.”
The head of the publicity department had just settled the matter with the Zhajiang Mian platform. Both sides had successfully gained some popularity through this cooperation. But why did he feel that Mr. Chen was a little proud when he came to report? Clearly, on previous occasions he asked for materials, Mr. Chen didn’t pay much attention. Why was he so enthusiastic this time?
And he felt that Mr. Chen seemed to have some subtle intentions?
No, isn’t this mutual assistance in publicity?
The more Chen Xi looked at it, the more satisfied he became. Everything had to follow a certain order. Obviously, Huihua was Mr. Zhao’s biological son. Why did this Zhajiang Mian platform suddenly competing for favor? Chen Xi was just thinking about these matters when he refreshed the page and found that the Zhajiang Mian platform had edited their Weibo. One promotional image had become two.
Chen Xi was shocked, “Why do they have so many photos?”
The head of the publicity department was puzzled, “We had quite a few before too.”
Chen Xi asked, “What about the picture?”
The head of the publicity department: “Didn’t we already posted everything…”
-*
When Pei Mingzhan went to work, Zhao Yao was unusually bored.
After having breakfast, he started browsing the internet for game guides. While on WeChat, he received a cute cartoon cat-and-dog image from Yao Bai. Zhao Yao didn’t quite understand what Yao Bai was up to, so Yao Bai explained the online situation to him and jokingly asked who was his favorite ‘crown prince?’
Zhao Yao had a Weibo account but rarely paid attention to these matters, and would only occasionally reposting announcements from Huihua.
Upon seeing Yao Bai’s message on WeChat, he went to check Weibo for the situation. As expected, he found a trending topic hovering around the 10th position, filled with various fan-created images. Some bloggers wrote articles, while others shared artwork. When he clicked on the popular posts, he noticed that initially, the content seemed quite serious, but as he scrolled further, it turned into a battle between fans from both sides.
Zhao Yao didn’t object to Chen Xi using his photos for promotion. He had done similar promotional shoots countless times when he was at Zhao Group. But he didn’t expect it would trigger such a big discussion. He suddenly felt that Chen Xi had quite an eye for this type of marketing. This hot search, initiated by a marketing account, had turned into this.
Zhao Yao started browsing casually but ended up spending half an hour scrolling through the content. Along the way, he saved several fan-created images featuring himself and Pei Mingzhan. He planned to show them to Pei Mingzhan when he returned from work in the evening. The artwork was quite lifelike.
During this time, Zhao Yao noticed a few fans repeatedly mentioning his and Pei Mingzhan’s names. To be honest, during this period Zhao Yao preferred watching Peri Mingzhan’s content rather than his own. He had just started following Pei Mingzhan’s super topic yesterday, and his phone was already filled with numerous images, some even better than the ones he took himself.
When he dropped in, he received a batch of Amway, and Zhao Yao unexpectedly discovered a fanfic between him and Pei Mingzhan.
Meanwhile, when Pei Mingzhan was at work, he wondered how Zhao Yao was doing at the hotel. Before noon arrived, he asked his secretary to order lunch at a famous restaurant in Y City, and then send it to Zhao Yao later. When the branch manager saw this, he visited Pei Mingzhan’s office during his break to inquire about the situation. They had known each other for a long time. When he heard that Pei Mingzhan was starting his own business, he gave up his job at the Pei family’s company to join him. It was he, who had watched this rebellious young man grow into the composed individual he was today.
When Pei Mingzhan was a teenager, he suddenly told his family that he wanted to act which caused a stir in the Pei family. Later, it was his mother who relented, allowing Pei Mingzhan to enter the entertainment industry after completing his studies. This act of rebellion was rare for the Pei family, and looking at Pei Mingzhan now, no one could imagine that this composed and reliable individual had once decided to give up the family business and enter the entertainment industry.
“Mr. Pei, this is the first time I’ve seen you like this,” the branch manager asked. “You’re quite well-prepared.”
Pei Mingzhan looked up at him and replied, “Uncle Cheng, when you have some free time, how about coming to my place?”
Uncle Cheng smiled, “You chose this restaurant, but there are several better ones in Y City. I’ll recommend some to you later.”
Pei Mingzhan knew his enthusiasm and smiled, “En. Thank you very much.”
The two of them continued discussing work-related matters. This time Pei Mingzhan came over because there was a temporary problem with a project. Now that the problem was nearly resolved, only some final touches remained, and it should be completely resolved within the next day or two.
Uncle Cheng heard that Pei Mingzhan planned to stay in Y City for a few more days, so he recommended several places to him. Pei Mingzhan noted down these recommendations. He originally intended to inquire about local attractions in Y City, having only a basic understanding. But he hadn’t expected Zhao Yao to come visit him.
After finishing up his work, Pei Mingzhan took a lunch break. To his surprise, he received a bunch of fan-made images from Zhao Yao. During work hours, Zhao Yao never called him, everything was communicated through WeChat. Pei Mingzhan was a bit surprised by these fan-made images, which featured him and Zhao Yao. He recognized them as fanfiction artwork.
Pei Mingzhan dialed Zhao Yao’s number and asked,”Why did you send me these?”
Zhao Yao was eating. Initially, he planned to call room service, but Pei Mingzhan’s secretary delivered the meal to his door. “I saw it online and thought it looked like you, so I’m sharing it with you.”
“Is the hotel too boring? Why not come to the office?” Pei Mingzhan asked.
Zhao Yao didn’t think it was necessary. He didn’t used to like being online, but recently, he often looked for strategies online and gradually became a bit addicted. He had collected quite a few fan art and fanfiction that morning and planned to enjoy them in the hotel in the afternoon. “Just focus on your work and work hard. If there’s anything, we can talk after work.”
Pei Mingzhan laughed at his words, “I’m calling you while I’m at work, and you’re just thinking about urging me to work?”
Zhao Yao was stunned when he heard this, “I didn’t mean that, it’s just…”
“Just kidding,” Pei Mingzhan quickly changed the subject, asking him if the food was good and where he wanted to go for sightseeing. Zhao Yao answered one by one, and they chatted for over half an hour before ending the call. As soon as he hung up, Zhao Yao realized that Pei Mingzhan’s words just now were a bit strange.
Zhao Yao found it hard to enjoy his meal and ended up calling Chen Xi to ask about the situation.
Inside Huihua’s office in S City.
During the lunch break, Chen Xi was busy browsing the net for hot reviews online when he unexpectedly received a call from Zhao Yao. He answered the phone in surprise, “Mr. Zhao? Why are you calling at this time?”
Could it be that Mr. Zhao heard about the morning’s trending topic with Zhajiang Mian Platform?
However, Zhao Yao didn’t mention that matter. Instead, he asked about something else.
At first, Chen Xi was quite serious but Zhao Yao’s question caught him off guard. He was momentarily stunned when he heard this.
Zhao Yao asked, “Are you listening?”
“Yes, yes, I’m listening,” Chen Xi came back to his senses. “So, what you’re saying is that your girlfriend3 called you at work, and then you scolded her?”
Zhao Yao confirmed, “I told him to work hard.”
“While it’s not ideal to slack off at work, making a call or two during the lunch break isn’t really a big issue. Lunchtime can be considered as a break. Maybe you could try coaxing her?” Chen Xi suggested carefully.
“How to coax?” Zhao Yao had made this call specifically for this matter. And since Pei Mingzhan didn’t say anything, it is giving him a headache. He knew that effective coaxing requires understanding the person’s preferences, but if he were to ask Pei Mingzhan directly, he would probably just brush it off as a joke, just like he did at lunch.
Chen Xi has been in relationship before, so he should have some experience in coaxing people.
“If this is for work, how about you…” Chen Xi explained patiently.
After Zhao Yao listened to Chen Xi’s advice and hung up the phone, Chen Xi felt a subtle sense of pride, as if he and Zhao Yao were friends who shared a little secret. This was much better than Gu Sui from the Zhajiang Mian Platform.
Wait a minute? Wasn’t Zhao Yao supposed to be in Y City? Chen Xi suddenly realized that Zhao Yao and his girlfriend were in a long-distance relationship. That’s probably why he hadn’t heard about it before.
“Mr. Chen, Mr. Lao is here,” The secretary knocked on the door and came in.
Chen Xi is still wondering what kind of celestial being Mr. Zhao’s girlfriend could be, so that she can be deeply loved by such a rich and handsome boss like Mr. Zhao.
“Let him come to my office.” Chen Xi responded.
Soon, Brother Lao arrived. He had called Pei Mingzhan again today, trying to gauge his attitude, but Pei Mingzhan remained unresponsive and on the grounds that he had to work ended the phone call.
Brother Lao had heard about the girlfriend situation from Chen Xi. He couldn’t understand how Pei Mingzhan could be so calm about it. Maybe there was some hidden story he didn’t know about? He couldn’t figure it out, so he decided to ask Chen Xi for information during this lunch break.
“Who told you about Zhao Yao’s girlfriend?” Chen Xi asked, surprised. “This isn’t something that can be faked. I heard it directly from Zhao Yao. Brother, aren’t you worried about the situation with Film Emperor Pei Mingzhan and Mr. Zhao these past few days? Mr. Zhao and Mr. Pei are close friends. So, you don’t need to worry about this.”
“But can I not worry? Right now, Pei Mingzhan is on a business trip to Y City, and Zhao Yao is there too…” Brother Lao looked at Chen Xi with a touch of despair. Initially, he had only been concerned about the relationship between Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao turning sour, but now Pei Mingzhan’s attitude was making him even more worried.
“What? Y City?” Chen Xi was surprised. “That’s quite a coincidence.”
“What’s so coincidental about it? This has been all over the hot searches. Did you not tell me anything?” Brother Lao asked in frustration. He had been worried about the situation between Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao for a while, and now with Pei Mingzhan’s recent behavior, he was even more concerned.
“En? Y City?” Chen Xi exclaimed. “What a coincidence?”
“What’s so coincidental about it? This has been all over the hot searches.” Brother Lao asked, ”Is there something you are not telling me?”
Chen Xi, “I know that Mr. Zhao went to Y City. That’s because Mr. Zhao’s girlfriend is in Y City…”
Brother Lao was shocked. “What? His girlfriend is also in Y City???”
Chen Xi wondered, “Yeah, so what’s strange about it?”
Brother Lao shook his head, “You don’t understand. Right now, Y City is a top Shura battlefield!”
-*
Outside the branch office, a delivery guy in a yellow work uniform took the elevator to the front desk. He saw the logo hanging behind the front desk and made sure he hadn’t come to the wrong place before approaching the two girls at the front desk and asking, “Hello, is there a Mr. Pei Mingzhan here?”
This delivery guy had delivered plenty of takeout orders and had even encountered customers using the name Pei Mingzhan before, but it was the first time he had been instructed to deliver to the top floor of a commercial building. When he had called the recipient earlier, they had asked him to come straight up, and he couldn’t help but notice the many curious glances he received along the way.
The girls at the front desk, upon hearing Pei Mingzhan’s name, immediately became nervous. The company’s employees had recently been trained by their boss and were aware that there might be fans or paparazzi trying to inquire about Pei Mingzhan. She wanted to be cautious, so she asked the food delivery guy, “Hello, have you called to confirm?”
The delivery guy was confused, “I did call, and they told me to deliver directly upstairs.”
He showed the address to the girls at the front desk, “Is this your address? Someone placed an order for delivery here, and I’m delivering it for the first time.”
The girl were cautious, “Please wait a moment.”
Usually, if Pei Mingzhan wants to order a takeout, he asks the secretary to handle it. So, it was surprising that they let the delivery guy come directly. The girl was about to call the internal line to confirm the situation when she saw President Pei’s secretary hastily walking over.
Pei Mingzhan’s secretary had come with him from S City, and he held considerable authority in their office. He quickly approached the delivery guy and said, “Hello, are you the one who just called to deliver the bubble milk tea?”
The delivery guy looked at the person in front of him and said, “Yes, that’s right, for Pei Mingzhan.”
The secretary took the bubble milk tea with a smile, “Yes, that’s right. I’m here to pick up the delivery for Mr. Pei.”
The delivery guy checked the phone number with the secretary and ensured everything was fine before handing the milk tea. Before leaving, the delivery guy added, “Please remember to tell your friend next time not to order under the name Pei Mingzhan.”
“Sure, please excuse me.” The secretary politely replied and then glanced at the note on the order. The person who placed the order had the last name Zhao.
After receiving the bubble tea, he turned and walked inside.
The two front desk girls looked at each other in surprise. Was this really ordered by Pei Mingzhan??
One of the girls said, “Who sent this? They actually ordered bubble milk tea for Mr. Pei??”
“I saw Mr. Pei’s secretary coming out, and I was stunned. I thought it was some fan sending it to Mr. Pei. Aren’t there often fans harassing actors in the entertainment industry by sending them things?” The girl sighed in relief. “I was even thinking of calling security.”
“The key question now is…” the girl looked at her companion. “Who bought bubble milk tea for Mr. Pei?”
In the afternoon, Pei Mingzhan was working on wrapping things up. Most of the work was done, and he was waiting for some textual materials from other departments to finalize everything. It was at this time that he received a call informing him that someone with the last name Zhao had ordered takeout, but the building’s security didn’t allow the delivery person to come upstairs.
Hearing the surname Zhao, he could guess the situation. He asked his secretary to go downstairs and get the delivery. When the secretary came back and placed the bubble milk tea on the table, Pei Mingzhan said, “Alright, sorry for the trouble.”
The secretary gently reminded him, “Would you like to ask Mr. Zhao about it?”
The bubble milk tea passed through his hands, making him a bit worried about its safety.
Pei Mingzhan nodded, and his secretary left to attend to work.
He took the milk tea and looked at it. Indeed, he didn’t expect Zhao Yao to order this. He knew Zhao Yao didn’t like it because during the previous shoot, Zhao Yao seemed to not enjoy milk tea.
Pei Mingzhan looked at the note on the takeout receipt, which was clearly written in Zhao Yao’s style of speaking. He dialed Zhao Yao’s number, and Zhao Yao quickly answered.
“Did you receive the bubble milk tea?” Zhao Yao asked.
Pei Mingzhan smiled and replied, “Why did you suddenly want to send me bubble milk tea?”
I remember you used to like it,” Zhao Yao told Chen Xi over the phone. Chen Xi suggested that if his girlfriend’s company didn’t mind food delivery, he could consider ordering some afternoon tea.
He thought about it carefully and realized he didn’t know much about Y City. In the end, he decided to send milk tea.
“En, I like it very much,” Pei Mingzhan said, looking at the bubble milk tea in his hand. He said softly, “Thank you, boyfriend.”
Zhao Yao didn’t feel much at first, but when he heard Pei Mingzhan say “boyfriend,” he felt a slight discomfort. However, after some thought, he realized that addressing each other as boyfriend and girlfriend was a normal part of being in a relationship. He didn’t have any problem with both of them calling each other “boyfriend.”
At first, Zhao Yao didn’t think much of it, but when he heard Pei Mingzhan referring to him as “boyfriend,” he felt a bit uncomfortable. But on further thought, he realized that addressing each other as “boyfriend” was a normal part of being in a relationship. So, he replied, “What would you like to eat tonight?”
“What would you like to eat tonight?” Zhao Yao asked.
“Are you going to cook for me?” Pei Mingzhan asked with a smile.
Zhao Yao could only prepare a few home-cooked dishes, so he replied, “I’ll order takeout in advance.”
……
In the office, the employees who were supposed to be working were already privately discussing who had sent bubble milk tea to Mr. Pei. The act of sending bubble milk tea seemed quite intimate, especially since it was delivered to the office, arousing the curiosity of the employees.
“I’m thinking, maybe Pei Pei has a girlfriend now?”
“He should have a girlfriend by now. He hasn’t had any rumors for years, and he’s almost thirty.”
“Whether he has a girlfriend or not doesn’t matter. I’m just curious about what kind of girl could melt Old Pei’s iron heart.”
“You guys are overthinking it. What if it was just a gift from a friend?”
“Could it be the friend who visited the office yesterday wearing a mask?”
“My friend also wanted to treat me to some milk tea a while ago, but it wasn’t convenient at my office, so I refused.”
“I’m so curious. the Film Emperor doesn’t seem like someone who loves milk tea!”
-*
At the Zhao family’s old residence, Bai Chengxue looked at the message on her phone, and her expression immediately turned ugly. Beside her were her girlfriends gathered for a meeting, and upon seeing her expression, they asked if something was wrong.
Bai Chengxue smiled apologetically and said she needed to rest in her room, letting them continue without her. Once she was in her room, she immediately dialed Zhao Qizhen and said, “You’re only telling me this important news now?”
Zhao Qizhen’s tone wasn’t much better, “Didn’t you say you had people tailing Dad earlier? How come you didn’t get this news? Now that I’m telling you, you’re still getting mad at me.”
Bai Chengxue knew she had been too anxious, “But what about your second uncle? Is he just going to let Zhao Changshuo take over? Then we won’t have a chance?”
Zhao Qizhen only found out about this a couple of days ago and had spent some time dealing with Zhao Zhikai’s people to clarify the situation. He explained, “When Zhao Zhikai approached me, he only mentioned that Dad might not have much time left, and he didn’t give me any advice. I had to inquire with others to find out more.”
Bai Chengxue asked, “What’s the matter?”
Zhao Qizhen sneered, “Isn’t it because of Zhao Yao? Earlier, Zhao Zhikai prevented me from acting against him, saying it would upset others within the group. Now I’ve heard that Zhao Yao’s departure from the group was just a facade. In reality, he’s secretly cooperating with Zhao Changshuo.”
He remembered that something felt off when Zhao Yao gave up his inheritance to Zhao Changshuo in the beginning. As expected, Zhao Yao pretended to leave the group, but in reality, he teamed up with Zhao Changshuo behind the scenes.
Bai Chengxue frowned, “So the previous confrontations they had before were just an act? Isn’t Zhao Yao still supposed to fight for the family fortune against Zhao Changshuo? How could he willingly cooperate with him? Something doesn’t seem right.”
“I need to figure out a way. Zhao Zhikai is moving too slowly. I can see Zhao Changshuo’s influence growing within the company, and Zhao Zhikai hasn’t made a move at all.” Zhao Qizhen was determined to uncover the mystery behind their cooperation. Now that his father was critically ill, it meant that there would be major changes within the company.
He had been by Zhao Zhikai’s side for quite some time, but Zhao Zhikai hadn’t taken any significant actions. He only assigned him minor projects. Since Zhao Zhikai couldn’t be relied upon, Zhao Qizhen couldn’t allow Zhao Changshuo and Zhao Yao to cooperate so easily.
Bai Chengxue was also getting impatient, “So what’s your plan?”
“Wasn’t Zhao Yao competing against Zhao Changshuo before? Their relationship can’t be that strong,” Zhao Qizhen said, “Zhao Yao’s survival outside the group still depends on the group’s influence. I’ll think of a way. I refuse to believe that Zhao Changshuo would willingly cooperate with him if he knew Zhao Yao was up to no good.”
Bai Chengxue understood Zhao Qizhen’s plan, “Are you suggesting you’ll try to sow discord between them?”
Hearing about Zhao Yao’s actions infuriated Zhao Qizhen. Zhao Changshuo had been groomed by their father as the heir, but Zhao Yao hadn’t received the same treatment. Neither had he, Zhao Qizhen. Why should Zhao Yao have the upper hand within the company, pressing down on him at every turn?
Zhao Qizhen said fiercely, “I don’t care if they cooperate or not. I just can’t stand Zhao Yao. Why should he suppress me within the company and act so arrogantly outside? Without Zhao Changshuo, what right does Zhao Yao have to act so high and mighty?”
Please buy the raws to support the author if you can.
If there are any mistakes/error, feel free to comment it down below.
6