FLBOTCP Chapter 67
Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path Chapter 67
Zhao Changshuo has been busy dealing with Zhao Zhikai these past few days. Zhao Zhikai has shifted from his original strategy to take the initiative to attack. During this time, he not only openly contradicts Zhao Changshuo during meetings but also dragged other senior executives. To the outside world, it was just a simple disagreement, but Zhao Changshuo knew that this was a signal to start a direct war.
“Pay close attention these days,” Zhao Changshuo patiently instructed his confidant. “In addition to Zhao Zhikai, pay close attention to Zhao Qizhen’s actions as well. If there are any other problems, report them to me immediately.”
His confidant nodded, “Don’t worry about this”
After briefly discussing the matter, the confidant left. Zhao Changshuo calmed down and thought about the words Zhao Yao had spoken a few days ago. If Zhao Zhikai really intended to make Zhao Qizhen take action, he would almost push Zhao Qizhen out.
“Boss.” An elite dressed in a black suit entered the room. This person was one of Zhao Changshuo’s subordinates and could be considered a confidant. “We’ve discovered someone using San Shao’s1 name to buy the scattered shares in various places.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Changshuo paused, “Is it someone from Zhao Yao’s side?”
The subordinate shook his head, “We haven’t been able to confirm that. The other party is being very cautious.”
Zhao Changshuo thought for a moment, “Why would Zhao Yao be acquiring scattered shares at a time like this?”
The subordinate hesitated, “Boss, there’s something I’m not sure if I should mention.”
“Just say it directly. What other problems did you find?” Zhao Changshuo asked.
The subordinate thought about the close relationship between the boss and San Shao during this time, and knew that speaking out at this moment might carry some malicious speculation. But he still said bluntly, “San Shao’s initial withdrawal from the competition was somewhat unbelievable, and now he’s been giving you advice on some matters during this period. Could it be that from the beginning, San Shao had a hidden strategy? Using the excuse of withdrawing from the competition to make us lower our guard and then take a roundabout way to participate in the competition.”
If that were indeed the case, it would explain why San Shao was acquiring shares.
At this stage, the thought of Zhao Yao purchasing scattered shares under his name… Zhao Changshuo instinctively felt that it wasn’t something he would do because currently Zhao Yao lacked competitive spirit. Moreover, the advice Zhao Yao had been giving was aimed at Zhao Zhikai. If Zhao Yao was really using a delaying tactic, helping him remove the threat of Zhao Zhikai would actually make their overall plan become easier to expose.
“It’s probably not Zhao Yao. If it were Zhao Yao, he would leave Zhao Zhikai to compete with me, and ultimately he would benefit the most,” Zhao Changshuo frowned slightly. “And by helping me eliminate the hidden dangers left by Zhao Zhikai, he’s actually helping us gain more chips. If you were Zhao Yao, would you leave a formidable enemy for yourself?”
It seemed unnecessary. Right from the beginning, Zhao Yao’s attitude shows he had no intention of participating in the competition at all. So, the person acquiring shares in his name was likely not Zhao Yao. If Zhao Zhikai hadn’t shown any significant moves in this regard recently, then who could it be?
Zhao Changshuo thought of Zhao Qizhen, but did Zhao Qizhen possess such cunning strategy?
In another office of the group,
When Zhao Zhikai received the news, he showed a rare smile, “This Zhao Si might not be good at anything else, but he’s surprisingly effective when it comes to these intrigues.”
His secretary said, “Right now, everyone outside thinks it’s San Shao who’s behind these actions, but Da Shao2 hasn’t shown any signs of movement.”
Zhao Zhikai had assigned a trusted person to secretly guide Zhao Qizhen. Unexpectedly, Zhao Qizhen was quite good at handling these matters, more reliable than when he was busy with projects as usual. He continued, “Zhao Changshuo won’t be easy to convince because there’s no direct evidence pointing to Zhao Yao. But probing Zhao Changshuo and Zhao Yao’s relationship is definitely not simple. They must be colluding in some way. Pass this matter on to Huang Wenjun and see if he can do something from his end.”
The secretary nodded, “Understood.”
Zhao Qizhen was just the beginning. To make Zhao Changshuo truly trust him, they would need to take action from Zhao Yao’s side, making Zhao Changshuo genuinely believe that Zhao Yao was a scheming individual with ulterior motives. While thinking about this, Zhao Zhikai remembered another matter, “Does Zhao Yao have any other business dealings during this time? How are the two investments he made?”
The secretary had also been investigating these matters and said, “Huihua basically gained a foothold, and the popularity of the Zhajiang Mian platform has been high recently.”
Zhao Zhikai frowned slightly, “He actually managed to get it up and running?”
The secretary remained silent.
Zhao Zhikai felt that merely sowing discord between the two wasn’t enough. Zhao Yao was a smart person, and even if the scheme to drive a wedge between them worked, it wouldn’t harm him too much. He asked his secretary, “Is Zhao Changshuo still managing the follow-up affairs for Zhao Group’s Xingchen side?”
“It seems like all the employees from Xingchen have moved to Huihua. Currently, Da Shao isn’t involved in these matters anymore,” the secretary replied with a slight hesitation. “Do you need to do something about it?”
Zhao Zhikai frowned, “He and Zhao Changshuo have caused me so much trouble. I should return the favor, shouldn’t I?”
-*
After wrapping up the project-related tasks, Pei Mingzhan’s business trip finally came to an end.
Once he was done with his work, Zhao Yao and Pei Mingzhan spent four days exploring Y City. They relied on last-minute travel guides to visit several iconic attractions in Y City. There were two instances where they were almost discovered by fans, but fortunately, they kept a low profile and tried to avoid crowded places, so no trouble happened.
Both of them took the same flight back to S City, and as soon as they landed, they were greeted by Brother Lao, who had come to pick them up. Brother Lao looked considerably more weathered compared to some time ago, and there was a hint of embarrassment in his gaze when he looked at Zhao Yao and Pei Mingzhan.
Zhao Yao was always wary when it came to people’s expressions. He turned to Pei Mingzhan and asked, “Did you tell him about our relationship?”
“Not yet,” Pei Mingzhan replied with a smile. “He heard somewhere that you have a girlfriend, and he’s been advising me not to interfere in someone else’s relationship these past few days.”
“It’s probably something Chen Xi mentioned. It seems like they get along well,” Zhao Yao suddenly felt that Pei Mingzhan had a mischievous streak. “You’re quite naughty.”
Pei Mingzhan chuckled slightly, “Is that so? Well, I’ll tell him when the time is right.”
The car arrived at the Zhao residence first, and Zhao Yao got out of the car before Pei Mingzhan left. He took his luggage and returned home. When Uncle Wang heard the sound at the door, he rushed over to help with the luggage and asked if he had a good time these past few days.
Zhao Yao looked at Uncle Wang and suddenly said, “Uncle Wang, I’m in a romantic relationship.”
Uncle Wang paused for a moment, then smiled and asked, “Is it Mr. Pei?”
ZHao Yao was changing his shoes when he heard this and replied, “You don’t seem very surprised.”
Taking his coat, Uncle Wang spoke kindly, “Young Master cares a lot about Mr. Pei, and Mr. Pei is also a good person.”
“There’s something Mr. Pei asked me not to tell you,” Uncle Wang confessed. “For a while now, Mr. Pei has been very concerned about your sleep, and he even added me on WeChat to have me send you milk. Many of the recipes he recommended were said to be your favorites. He’s a very attentive person.”
Zhao Yao never heard Uncle Wang mention these things before, but hearing it now left him stunned. He had some suspicions earlier about why Pei Mingzhan’s hospital meals matched his taste so well, but once he found out Pei Mingzhan was from H City, he didn’t think much of it. But hearing Uncle Wang’s words now, he suddenly realized that Pei Mingzhan seemed to understand him quite well.
These details weren’t difficult to piece together. Uncle Wang had mentioned several times that he was learning to cook from Pei Mingzhan. Still, the reminders to send milk and the concern about his sleep… These things took him by surprise and felt strange. Knowing these things didn’t make him angry. Instead, he felt a sense of being cared for.
Pei Mingzhan seemed to have always been very kind to him, right from the beginning when they were just friends. He had always shown genuine concern for him.
Uncle Wang asked, “Young Master, have you and Mr. Pei met before?”
Zhao Yao remained silent for a moment and replied, “Maybe we have met, but I can’t remember…”
Uncle Wang suggested, “Why don’t you ask him?”
Zhao Yao shook his head and said, “That wouldn’t be fair.”
-*
Zhao Yao’s team’s office area was on the floor above the office building where Huihua was located. When Yao Bai left the “Li Meng” project team to check out his team’s situation, he noticed Huang Wenjun standing in a corner near the elevator, talking on the phone. He didn’t make a sound but quietly approached the intersection to eavesdrop on his conversation.
“It’s a bit difficult. The team is just getting started, and we’re all being closely monitored,” Huang Wenjun whispered, “I can only do my best to find opportunities.”
Yao Bai thought to himself that his brother indeed knew what was going on. This Huang Wenjun was indeed communicating with people outside the team. He didn’t let Huang Wenjun notice him and quietly returned to his office to call Zhao Yao and inform him of the situation.
When he made the call, Zhao Yao was flipping through a photo album. He paused slightly at Yao Bai’s words and said, “Is that so? Zhao Zhikai moves pretty fast.”
Just two days ago, while he was still in Y City, he received a message from his confidant, informing him that someone was purchasing scattered shares of Zhao Group in his name. He didn’t need to think too hard to realize that this was Zhao Zhikai’s doing. It seemed that Zhao Zhikai believed he had a connection with Zhao Changshuo and was using a strategy to sow discord between them.
It’s a pity. He had overlooked one thing. He and Zhao Changshuo didn’t have a particularly close working relationship.
Yao Bai asked, “Brother, how do you plan to handle Huang Wenjun? Didn’t you suspect him in the beginning? Why did you let him in?”
“Letting him go directly would be too easy,” Zhao Yao replied calmly. “If you let go of one Huang Wenjun today, you’ll have another Li Wenjun tomorrow. It’s better to keep someone who knows the situation well so that we can use him as bait in the future.”
Yao Bai said, “That makes sense. Should we keep an eye on him from our end?”
“En. When necessary, we can make things a bit easier for him, and then we’ll know what he’s up to,” Zhao Yao continued to flip through his childhood photo album and then picked up another one to continue searching. “Besides, keeping him has its uses. Do you know the saying, ‘Kill the chicken to scare the monkey?'”
Yao Bai thought for a moment and after hearing that his brother seemed to be busy with something else, ended the call to attend to other matters.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yao flipped through two photo albums, confirming that there were no photos of Pei Mingzhan. He wondered if something had been overlooked.
When Uncle Wang approached, he asked, “Young Master, the Chinese New Year3 is coming in half a month. How do you plan to arrange it this year?”
Zhao Yao doesn’t like going to the Zhao family’s old residence, but during the Chinese New Year, it’s only right and proper to make a visit. But this year, he was thinking of skipping it. He remembered that he had mentioned visiting the Zheng family a while ago, so he informed Uncle Wang in advance and informed the Zheng family in advance.
Uncle Wang said, “Xiao Bai’s mother also asked me about this a couple of days ago and said we should visit them during the New Year.”
Zhao Yao knew that Mrs. Yao meant well, and celebrating the New Year together would be lively, so he said, “Then let’s go to H City in advance. It shouldn’t take too long.”
Uncle Wang went about making the arrangements.
After he left, Zhao Yao set the two photo albums aside and wondered where he might have seen Pei Mingzhan before. Just then, his phone received a push notification from Weibo, recommending content4 related to Pei Mingzhan’s account.
Interestingly, this newfound interest in following Pei Mingzhan’s Weibo account was thanks to a suggestion of netizens.
He found that the romantic advice he received from his relationship with Pei Mingzhan didn’t quite apply to other strategies. In these past few days, he increasingly felt this way. There was a section on the XShui forum5, a public forum gathering many experienced internet users, specifically for users to discuss casual topics. So, Zhao Yao posted a question there – a friendly discussion – how does everyone communicate their emotions with their boyfriends?
Before posting, Zhao Yao observed the format used by other thread creators on the forum and noticed that discussion threads like these typically began with an introduction of the poster’s own situation. So, he followed the format used by online users and provided a brief introduction of his sexual orientation and relationship status in the main post.
As a result, he immediately attracted the attention of veteran divers who had been lurking.
【Wait a minute6? I remember the poster’s ID. Weren’t you active in the Newbie Love section not too long ago? I thought you were a girl.】
【I recognize the poster. He was really serious about seeking advice a while ago!】
【Check out XShui Forum – Hidden Garden section. They discuss this topic a lot there. But I suggest the poster not go there. It’s not very reliable.】
【???? You’re actually a guy?】
【Ah ah, I just chatted with the poster a couple of days ago. I thought the poster was passionate about studying theories and left a message…】
【Don’t pretend, poster. How can someone as cute as you possibly be a boy?】
After Zhao Yao posted the thread and saw that people were more interested in discussing whether he was a male or female, he wondered if he had made a mistake in the formatting of his post. He double-checked his post to make sure everything was correct and then asked the question again within the thread.
Later, netizens did not hesitate to advise him to get to know his boyfriend better, emphasizing that mutual understanding was a key factor in strengthening a relationship. This made him think about following Pei Mingzhan’s Weibo account to learn more about his past.
Pei Mingzhan’s Weibo had detailed tutorials for new fans, so Zhao Yao followed the instructions provided there and began to repost and read through each introduction step by step on his own Weibo.
Meanwhile, Yao Bai finished his work and returned to his office. As he was scrolling through Weibo during his break, he noticed that his brother’s alternate Weibo account had reposted several pieces of information related to Pei Mingzhan. Curious, Yao Bai clicked on Zhao Yao’s Weibo and was surprised to see that his brother, who had not been active for a few days, was suddenly flooded with information about Pei Mingzhan.
He was confused for a moment. He knew his brother might have been a fan of Pei Mingzhan in the past, but then they became close friends. He hadn’t realized his brother was still so dedicated to star chasing and being a fan even after becoming friends.
Yao Bai’s brother’s usual emotional and financial Weibo posts had been pushed aside, and his homepage was flooded with content related to Pei Mingzhan’s Weibo. There were even some fans of Pei Mingzhan who popped up, asking if the blogger had recently become a fan of Pei Mingzhan. They even asked, why wasn’t he posting market analysis anymore?
Some of Pei Mingzhan’s fans reached out to offer guidance to Zhao Yao on how new fans could get to know Pei Mingzhan better. His brother politely replied with a “thank you.”
“Assistant Yao, Mr. Chen is looking for you.” Someone came to the door and knocked. Yao Bai hastily picked up some documents and walked out, all the while thinking about the matter.
The countdown to the premiere of Mi Ying has begun, and Chen Xi is looking for Yao Bai regarding this matter. As the only project invested in by both Huihua and Xingchen, Mi Ying was a web drama that had consumed the efforts of many people. Even Director Cheng had been running back and forth between the companies, handling promotion on one side and managing the actors on the other.
In the past few weeks, they had traveled to several cities for promotions.But the Mi Ying production team consisted mainly of newcomers, and it was a project that Director Cheng had been preparing for years after his comeback. It required careful attention to detail.
After discussing the situation, Chen Xi continued, “We need to assign two people from your project team to help out with ‘Mi Ying.’ Your team has more experienced members, and we need to keep a close eye on this. Also, Director Cheng intends to sign a contract with our company, and the contract is already being drafted.”
Borrowing team members wasn’t a big issue, and their project team didn’t currently focus on public promotion. Yao Bai asked, “Isn’t it a good thing that Director Cheng is coming over?” Director Cheng might not be the type of director who frequently won awards in the industry, but he still held some prestige, and he had promoted many newcomers. His works had also been received well.
Huihua had been cautious in its recent recruitment efforts, considering the principle of quality over quantity. Whether it was in artist management or project screening, they had strict standards. Directors as talented as Director Cheng coming to Huihua was indeed a great development. Yao Bai had heard that many other companies were trying to recruit Director Cheng as well.
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing. Isn’t this about considering the next project director?” Chen Xi had originally planned for another director to lead the project, but now that Director Cheng was coming over, there was a more talented director available. “Well, let’s save this discussion for an internal meeting. It’s almost the Chinese New Year, and who knows, your ‘Li Meng’ might be broadcasted during winter break.”
The project team was also considering the final schedule. Yao Bai added, “We need to keep improving. Hopefully, we can get the project approved before the New Year, so we can plan our time accordingly. Is there anything else? If not, I’ll get back to work. I still have a few unfinished tasks.”
After a brief pause, Chen Xi finally brought up another matter, “It’s about Mr. Zhao. Do you have…”
-*
It was quiet inside the Zhao family’s old mansion. Bai Chengxue brought a bowl of soup from the kitchen and said to Zhao Qizhen, who was playing on his phone, “Drink more soup. Don’t get sick from overworking during this time. How’s your big brother’s situation?”
Zhao Qizhen watched the rumors spreading outside and thought that the plan should be effective. He had seen a lot of people going in and out of Zhao Changshuo’s office these past few days, perhaps because of this matter. “Don’t worry. My people are taking care of it.”
“Do you have enough money?” Bai Chengxue looked at Zhao Qizhen’s determined actions and expressed some concern. “If your big brother doesn’t fall for this, won’t all this effort be in vain?”
Zhao Qizhen replied, “If it’s not enough, don’t you have some funds to spare? Trust me, I’ve noticed that Zhao Changshuo seems a bit anxious these days. He should notice Zhao Yao’s side soon.”
Bai Chengxue was aware of Zhao Qizhen’s plan. He even sought advice from some of the elders within the group, who were in favor of him taking the lead. There was no need to deceive their own people. “Does Zhao Zhikai know about this?”
“He knows. He asked me about it today,” Zhao Qizhen said. “But I didn’t clarify things with him. After all, we’re just using him.”
However, to make Zhao Changshuo doubt Zhao Yao, he needed to create a bigger distraction so that Zhao Yao would be unable to react quickly. Otherwise, using this plan to drive a wedge between them would be too advantageous for Zhao Yao.
Zhao Qizhen said, “Give it a few more days, and I’ll have others escalate the situation. I don’t believe Zhao Changshuo won’t become suspicious.”
Bai Chengxue asked, “What if your big brother directly goes to Zhao Yao to ask? If they have cooperation, won’t this relationship become clear with one question?”
“That’s impossible. People like them always tend to doubt each other. Otherwise, were their previous confrontations just an act?” Zhao Qizhen continued, “Zhao Yao is also a person with his own secrets. Even if he tells Zhao Changshuo the truth, he might not believe it. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”
Bai Chengxue finally felt relieved and said, “Now, drink your tonic soup quickly.”
“Mom, I don’t think we should let Zhao Yao off too easily,” Zhao Qizhen said as he sipped the soup. “I heard Zhao Zhikai talking about Zhao Yao today at work. He said that since Zhao Yao left the group, he’s been doing quite well, making a lot of money on several projects.”
Bai Chengxue patiently reassured him, “Their projects might make a lot of money, but they also require significant investments. When you compare it to the overall profit of the group, it’s not that impressive. Just let him enjoy himself for a couple of years. Once you take over the group, Zhao Yao will be suppressed by you.”
“That’s true,” Zhao Qizhen said, feeling pleased when he thought in the future he would take over the group. “But I don’t want to let him off too easily. It annoys me when I hear Zhao Zhikai praising him, and it feels like I’m just Zhao Yao’s backup whenever I work with Zhao Zhikai. Mom, think of a way to cause some trouble for Zhao Yao.”
Bai Chengxue nodded and said, “I’ll think of something.”
-*
The day of the premiere of Mi Ying arrived.
On this day, fans of Pei Mingzhan were eagerly waiting in front of the platform, just to catch a glimpse of Pei Mingzhan in his new role. When they saw the promotional photos earlier, they were very curious about the details of his character. However, since the storyline is based on an original script, all plot developments are only revealed through the official synopsis. They would have to watch the show to see how the story unfolds.
Pei fans rarely saw Pei Mingzhan play characters in this age range, but his mature appearance did not cover up his charisma. Instead, it highlighted his mature charm, bringing a fresh feeling to his fans.
The male and female leads of “Mi Ying” are newcomers, and the director is Director Cheng. This has led to mixed opinions among many film critics even before the show aired. Some say that a newcomer team can easily ruin a script, while others argue that Director Cheng excels at utilizing newcomers and should be able to create a different effect.
Zhao Yao wasn’t interested in online discussions about it. On the day of the premier of “Mi Ying”, his home unexpectedly turned into a small-scale viewing party. Originally, he had invited Pei Mingzhan over for dinner to see the audience’s reaction to the new drama. However, he didn’t expect Yao Bai and Lao Ge to also show up, and suddenly, the living room became lively.
Uncle Wang loves lively gatherings. Seeing such a lively situation, he had already gone to the kitchen to prepare food. The remaining four people sat in the living room, waiting for the drama to start on the screen.
Zhao Yao had been casually leaning on Pei Mingzhan while playing with his phone. But he soon noticed that there were other eyes on him and turned to see Brother Lao looking at him. Feeling curious, he asked Pei Mingzhan, “You haven’t told him yet?”
Sorry for the error QAQ Happy reading ~~
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