FLBOTCP Chapter 69
Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path Chapter 69
The furnishings in the psychological clinic were simple and elegant, and there were soothing green plants in the corridor.
Zhao Yao pushed open the glass door, and the wind chimes by the window jingled.
The doctor, who was watering plants, turned to look and smiled faintly, “Mr. Zhao.”
Zhao Yao nodded slightly, “Dr. Jiang.”
The attending physician’s surname was Jiang. He appeared young but had extensive experience as a psychiatrist.
Dr. Jiang asked, “Mr. Zhao, you seem to be in a good mood today. Did something happy happen?”
“It’s okay,” Zhao Yao didn’t have much awareness of his own mood. He even felt that his emotions today were no different from usual. He wasn’t sure how Dr. Jiang could tell he was in a good mood.
Dr. Jiang brought up Zhao Yao’s recent trip to Y City and asked about some of the interesting things about the journey. Zhao Yao answered where necessary, but his responses were brief. It was only when the doctor tactfully asked, “The person accompanying you today is not Mr. Wang as before.”
Zhao Yao looked at him.
Dr. Jiang took the initiative to explain, “When you were talking to me, you frequently looked towards the waiting area outside. You seemed very concerned about the friend who accompanied you.”
Zhao Yao continued, “My insomnia has improved recently.”
Dr. Jiang remained calm on the surface as he asked Zhao Yao about the recent events, but internally, he was a bit surprised. He had been treating Zhao Yao for quite some time. Originally, Zhao Yao’s unique case of insomnia had caught him off guard. Typically, insomnia symptoms worsen gradually due to various reasons, but with someone like Zhao Yao, who had no history of chronic insomnia at his age, how could someone like him suddenly experience such severe insomnia?
During this period, Dr. Jiang had been providing guidance to Zhao Yao while also helping him find ways to cope. In the first couple of months, Zhao Yao’s insomnia had shown signs of getting worse rather than improving. Dr. Jiang had suggested that Zhao Yao spend time in beautiful places to soothe his mood and consider confiding in someone he trusted.
As time passed, Zhao Yao came for weekly check-ups, and although he was still taking the same medication, there had been significant progress from the initial difficulty falling asleep. He could now fall asleep within the prescribed timeframe with the help of the medication, But still Zhao Yao never mentioned any improvement in his condition until today.
Dr. Jiang was surprised by this, knowing Zhao Yao to be a person who lives on his thoughts.
Pei Mingzhan knew about this clinic. Zhao Yao had recommended the psychiatrist here to him during their time on set, and he had also inquired about it several times. But today was his first time accompanying Zhao Yao to visit this place. Simple insomnia issues shouldn’t require the attention of a psychiatrist to this extent. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something he had overlooked.
He didn’t go to work today and was waiting in the reception area with his notebook while Zhao Yao had his appointment.
When the nurse from the psychological clinic brought tea, she noticed that the young and handsome man had his gaze fixed on a specific room to the right. This clinic had served many well-off patients, and encountering a star like Pei Mingzhan wasn’t unusual for them. She had seen him twice before, but this time, she noticed him accompanying Zhao Yao.
“Here’s your tea,” she said as she placed the tea and snacks on the glass table in front of Pei Mingzhan.
He nodded in thanks.
As time ticked by, when the wind chime rang again, he saw Zhao Yao coming out of the room.
Pei Mingzhan closed his laptop and walked over to ask, “How did it go?”
Zhao Yao hesitated for a moment and then said, “Nothing major.”
They had to wait for the nurse to bring the medication, so they sat in the waiting area for a while. Zhao Yao watched Pei Mingzhan working on his computer beside him. Even though it was just a routine check-up, this man was so busy with work, yet he accompanied him here…
In the past, Zhao Yao didn’t approve of actions that disrupted work for personal matters. Not only did it affect work efficiency, but such behavior also made it difficult to establish a good leadership image among company employees. But seeing the situation now, he inexplicably felt that Pei Mingzhan could handle both personal and professional matters well. He knew that Pei Mingzhan’s capabilities were more than sufficient.
“I suddenly realized that being in a relationship can easily make people selfish,” Zhao Yao suddenly said.
Pei Mingzhan glanced at him upon hearing this and, with a slight smile, “Mr. Zhao, in this world, there are hardly any selfless people, you know?”
Zhao Yao paused and replied, “You’re right.”
At this moment, Zhao Yao’s phone vibrated twice, and he saw a call notification. He frowned and told Pei Mingzhan, then walked to the window to answer the call.
The call was from EV. As soon as Zhao Yao picked up, EV asked, “Brother, why didn’t you reply to my WeChat? It’s urgent.”
Zhao Yao and EV usually communicated through WeChat, and he knew that EV wouldn’t call unless it was something important. “What’s going on?” Zhao Yao asked.
EV’s side was noisy, and he said straightforwardly, “Didn’t you say your stepmother, Bai Chengxue, was causing trouble before? She’s been buying up scattered stocks in your name. Do you know about this?”
“I know,” Zhao Yao responded. “Is there something else you want to tell me?”
EV, “One of my buddies was looking into things for a client and noticed something about your stepmother, Bai Chengxue. In these years, she took out some profits from the Zhao Group and set up a company on the side. It’s not under her name, but she has a close relationship with a guy in that company.”
Zhao Yao frowned slightly and asked, “So you mean she started her own company?”
“Yes,” EV continued, “My buddy, who’s a paparazzi, accidentally spotted Bai Chengxue meeting that guy while tailing celebrities. He took a few photos and sent them to me. You didn’t know about this, did you?”
“I had no idea,” Zhao Yao admitted. When he had sent Bai Chengxue to prison in his previous life, he wasn’t aware of her having a separate company, nor did he know about any other man visiting her. “This is quite unusual.”
“It’s not just this unusual thing,” EV chuckled. “It seems like Bai Chengxue got involved with that guy because of you. He has some reputation in certain circles. I heard he’s been asking around about your relationship with Huihua.”
“Huihua?” Zhao Yao frowned.
EV explained, “Originally, they were looking into theZhajiang Mian platform, but when they found out that there was also the Pei family behind it, they retreated and shifted their focus to something softer. After all, Huihua is solely owned by you. Bai Chengxue must have said something to him, making him think you’re an easy target. Now, he’s looking for people to target Huihua.”
Zhao Yao realized Bai Chengxue’s intentions in this matter and how she might be trying to help Zhao Qizhen. “He seems quite gullible.”
“There are also rumors about you buying up scattered stocks in the market,” EV added. “People who know about this are probably spreading word that your relationship with Zhao Changshuo isn’t strong anymore.” EV chuckled. “In any case, just keep an eye out for any other moves. That guy may not be part of the entertainment industry, but he has some money. Money can make things happen, so be careful not to get played.”
Zhao Yao did not take this matter to heart. He was more focused on Bai Chengxue having her own company, a situation that didn’t exist in his previous life. Or perhaps it had, but that man had never come forward to help Bai Chengxue until she fell into trouble.
“Have you finished the call?”
A voice behind him brought Zhao Yao back to the present moment as he was lost in thought.
“En.” Zhao Yao replied, turning to look at Pei Mingzhan. He noticed that Pei Mingzhan already had the medication in his hand.
“Shall we go then? Or would you like to come to my company for a while?” Pei Mingzhan approached with the medication, seeing Zhao Yao standing by the window lost in thought. He had a feeling that Zhao Yao had something on his mind.
Zhao Yao nodded and asked, “You don’t have any other urgent matters today?”
Pei Mingzhan replied, “None.”
-*
Zhao Yao had been to Pei Mingzhan’s company a few times before, mostly for Zhajiang Mian platform-related matters to review documents. But this situation was different from their previous visits.
As a leader and a topic of discussion himself, Pei Mingzhan was well aware of the buzz surrounding him after the premiere of Mi Ying the previous night. Many of the fangirls within the company were privately discussing his character, Feng Shiyue. When Zhao Yao passed through the employee area, he overheard subtle discussions and caught the keyword Feng Shiyue with his keen hearing.
“Over here,” Pei Mingzhan said, thinking that Zhao Yao might be a bit tired from the morning’s clinic visit. He took Zhao Yao’s hand and led him forward.
Pei Mingzhan’s office was a bit distant from the employee area. Once they entered the office, Zhao Yao sat down on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window. The secretary had already brought in tea, and the fragrant aroma quickly filled the room.
Zhao Yao didn’t have much to do over here, but he was quite interested in EV’s phone call from earlier. He opened his VX and saw the information EV had just sent. He had kept an eye on the affairs of the Zhao Group, so he had heard a bit about the high-profile stock incident. A quick guess made it clear that it was Zhao Qizhen’s doing. However, to make so many people believe, it was likely that his man, Huang Wenjun, had also done a lot.
After all, Huang Wenjun was part of his team, and by making some adjustments to the name, it could easily be perceived as him taking action.
But Zhao Qizhen had made so many plans, and he couldn’t let his younger brother have it too easy. It just so happened that Bai Chengxue was now willingly offering herself. Mrs. Bai from the Zhao Group had close relations with an outsider and had secretly set up a company. Given her secretive actions, the foundation of this company was likely not very clean either.
Unexpectedly, in this lifetime, Bai Chengxue remained just as ignorant. In the previous life, during the power struggle, she had acted recklessly, disregarding the interests of the Zhao Group, and he had personally sent her to prison. In this lifetime, not only was she not honest, but she was also scheming to test his bottom line.
As Zhao Yao reviewed the information, he wondered if he had been too kind to people in this lifetime, leading them to believe that he could be manipulated, forcing them to come and make trouble in front of him.
“Your tea is getting cold,” Pei Mingzhan, who was working in the office, noticed Zhao Yao playing with his phone.
“Yeah,” Zhao Yao snapped back, lifting the cup of tea on the table and taking a sip.
EV was highly efficient in his work. In less than half a day, he had already uncovered Bai Chengxue’s company. As Zhao Yao reviewed the additional information sent by EV, he had already thought of a way to deal with the situation. He forwarded this information to Old Zheng, who was responsible for managing his mother’s assets, and also sent his instructions.
During his break, Pei Mingzhan noticed that Zhao Yao was sitting on the sofa, his elbow resting on the soft armrest, typing on his phone with a serious expression. The cup of tea on the table was cold, with no steam rising from it.
Pei Mingzhan had his assistant replace the cold tea with a warm cup of milk for Zhao Yao and also arranged for lunch.
“Boss,” the supervisor came in to deliver some documents. As he entered, he noticed Mr. Zhao sitting on the sofa. He nodded slightly towards Zhao Yao, but Zhao Yao’s attention was entirely focused on his phone. He didn’t even look in his direction. The supervisor originally planned to report on the project’s progress, but seeing Mr. Zhao in the office, he hesitated.
Pei Mingzhan took the documents from him, his gaze fixed on the contents of the documents, and he flipped through the pages continuously. “How is the progress of the project now?”
The supervisor reported on the project’s status honestly. But he couldn’t help but wonder, the relationship between the boss and Mr. Zhao is so good? They seemed to be discussing company confidential matters openly.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yao’s attention was not on Pei Mingzhan’s side. After briefing Old Zheng on the matter, he casually sent a message to Zhao Changshuo. He forwarded the information about Bai Chengxue and Zhao Qizhen, briefly explaining the situation to him and emphasizing that he should not be distracted by Zhao Qizhen but should focus on Zhao Zhikai.
Not long after Zhao Yao had sent his message, Zhao Changshuo called him.
Zhao Yao lifted his head and saw a middle-aged man in a suit standing in front of Pei Mingzhan’s desk, delivering a report. He walked away from the office desk and closer to the floor-to-ceiling window before answering the call.
“Hello?” Zhao Yao said.
Zhao Changshuo got straight to the point, “The company information you forwarded to me, are you sure it belongs to Bai Chengxue?”
Zhao Yao had assumed that at this hour, Zhao Changshuo wouldn’t have time to check his phone. He didn’t expect that Zhao Changshuo would call immediately after receiving the message. “Yes, it’s her. You’d better pay attention to her connections within the company. Setting up a company like this, she might have done something within the group as well.”
If it weren’t for EV’s friend happening to witness her secret meeting with someone, it might not have been so easy to uncover this company’s existence. In fact, in his previous life, Zhao Yao had never discovered any connection between Bai Chengxue and this company.
Zhao Changshuo added, “Zhao Yao, you should also keep an eye on Huang Wenjun in your team. He might be a spy planted by someone else.”
When the rumors about “stock acquisition” had started circulating in recent days, Zhao Changshuo had already begun instructing his trusted aides to look into other matters while also competing with other factions behind the scenes. He wanted to prevent any other unexpected events. But the individuals acting in Zhao Yao’s name didn’t seem to have much financial flexibility, and after several rounds of competition, there were signs of them hesitating.
If it weren’t for the news of Zhao Yao’s team meeting with other shareholders, Zhao Changshuo might not have become vigilant so quickly. He hadn’t contacted Zhao Yao earlier because he trusted him. But someone was clearly trying to sow discord between them using this opportunity.
Zhao Yao paused briefly. It seems that even Zhao Changshuo also knows about this matter. Zhao Yao simply replied, “He is Zhao Zhikai’s man. Don’t worry. I’m keeping an eye on this matter.”
Hearing this, Zhao Changshuo frowned. It seemed that Zhao Yao had known about Huang Wenjun’s involvement for a while. He couldn’t help but consider that if Zhao Yao truly harbored suspicions about him, given Zhao Yao’s cunning nature, he might have already uncovered the reasons behind these events and even calculated further.
After all, Zhao Changshuo believed that Zhao Yao would make decisive decisions based on these situations. However, Zhao Yao had not disclosed any of this information to him, despite being aware of it. Perhaps Zhao Yao was using this situation to test whether Zhao Changshuo was trustworthy. If Zhao Changshuo had any doubts, Zhao Yao might immediately draw a clear line and calculate everything meticulously.
The bustling business district lay outside the window as Zhao Yao spoke in a low voice, “You called not just because of this matter, right?”
“I couldn’t figure something out before. Zhao Qizhen couldn’t possibly have that much liquid capital at hand, and Zhao Zhikai wouldn’t help him with a stock acquisition like this. So, besides you, who else could be behind this acquisition?” Zhao Changshuo sat in his office, surrounded by computer screens displaying the data Zhao Yao had sent, as well as data collected by his trusted aides. His secretary and several loyal subordinates stood nearby.
“But if this company of Bai Chengxue is genuine, then using funds from here, Zhao Qizhen indeed has the capability,” Zhao Changshuo added.
“Zhao Qizhen’s not that clever, and he’s a bit reckless when it comes to matters involving Zhao Zhikai. It’s precisely because of this that my people noticed her other company. But there’s a possibility Zhao Zhikai is helping her behind the scenes,” Zhao Yao explained calmly. “Bai Chengxue may be somewhat cunning, but she makes mistakes when it comes to Zhao Qizhen. It’s likely that this incident was discovered by my people because she’s trying to outsmart Zhao Qizhen. Zhao Zhikai must have noticed something unusual between you and me, which is why he’s using this opportunity to test the waters. You don’t need to worry about Zhao Qizhen. Investigate Bai Chengxue’s connections within the company and send me the information.”
Zhao Changshuo paused, then asked, “What do you intend to do?”
“Big brother, I’m not a kind-hearted person. Zhao Qizhen and Bai Chengxue have caused trouble for me multiple times. Do you think I will let them off easily?” Zhao Yao replied. “I’ll handle her company, but what I truly want is for you to expose Zhao Zhikai’s leverage. Kindness won’t work. Zhao Zhikai has manipulated so many projects in the company over the years. Why would you give him a chance?”
Zhao Yao, “There’s no happy situation here. If he wanted to collaborate with you, he wouldn’t have orchestrated so many things to push you into a difficult situation. Perhaps during the Qichen Conference, you might have already lost all your opportunities.”
Zhao Changshuo remained silent for a while and then said, “Zhao Zhikai is even more cunning than we imagined. Be careful in all matters.”
“Don’t forget my information,” Zhao Yao added, not wanting to stay in the conversation. After all, he no longer had any real ties to the Zhao Group. “I’m hanging up.”
-*
Outside the office, it was almost noon. Normally, at this time, employees would be discussing which restaurant to order takeout from for lunch. But today, as lunch break approached, their conversations still revolved around the fact that both Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao had come to work.
Ever since they learned online that the two of them were good friends, both fans and onlookers were very curious about the extent of Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao’s relationship. They couldn’t see what was happening in the boss’s office from their location, but that didn’t stop their gossiping hearts.
“Actually, the boss and Mr. Zhao cooperated to set up the platform. What if they start another company in the future?”
“Both of them are young talents. If they were to start a company together, what a dynamic duo! They are matched made in heaven!”
“Hey, ‘matched made in heaven’ isn’t used in this context, you know.”
“To be honest, ever since I got used to the idea that the boss is Pei Mingzhan, I feel like he was wasting his talent in the entertainment industry before. I’m not really interested in his work anymore. Sometimes, when I watch his shows, I’m even a bit scared that he’ll bring his character into our meetings.”
“If Feng Shiyue could lead our meetings next week, I’d be over the moon.”
“I’m different. I’m a fan of Pei Pei’s career.”
As they chatted away, they noticed the boss’s secretary hastily leaving the boss’s office in their direction.
“Off-topic, but Mr. Zhao has been in the boss’s office for over two hours, hasn’t he?”
“Last time he came, he broke the record. He left after just an hour!”
“If the manager hadn’t come in, I would’ve thought they were going to put on a show in the office!”
“The manager can’t do that. He’s always disturbing their private time!”
“Looking at Mr. Zhao’s pictures before, I always thought he seemed very serious and formal, but when he’s with the boss, I inexplicably find him cute.”
A call came from the restaurant, saying that the reserved meal had been delivered.
In the morning, President Pei said he was taking a day off. The secretary had already arranged the day’s work accordingly. But then the boss returned to work, bringing Mr. Zhao along. Then, he had to reschedule meetings and tasks that had originally been postponed while everyone in the secretary’s office was busy with other matters. At lunchtime, the manager was still in the office, and he had taken on the task of picking up the takeout.
As he walked back carrying several bags of food, the receptionist at the front desk suddenly realized something and gave him an amused look. People in the employee area were also looking at him with various expressions. He wondered why these people were all still in the office at this time? When, on a normal day, they would have already gone out to eat in groups.
-*
After hanging up the phone, the room was once again filled with the manager’s voice. Zhao Yao only realized that they hadn’t finished their conversation yet. He glanced at the time and was about to ask Pei Mingzhan what they should have for lunch when another call came in.
Yao Bai answered the phone and asked, “Brother, were you on the phone with Film Emperor Pei? You’ve been on the phone for so long.
Zhao Yao heard this and gave Pei Mingzhan a glance. He thought to himself that they didn’t really need to make phone calls to each other, so he asked, “Why are you calling me at this time? Is there something you need?”
Yao Bai laughed twice and said, “Isn’t it because of the situation yesterday? I wanted to ask for more details, you know? I even gave you guys some alone time last night. Did you have a good time?”
He intentionally waited until noon to make the call, considering that this couple might still be in the honeymoon phase. Who knows, with the passion of newfound love, they might have engaged in some other activities. He didn’t want to interrupt them with a phone call.
Not to mention the strange literature he had read online, just based on what he knew about his brother during this period, he was aware that his brother was so absorbed in studying various weird love strategies. That alone suggested how urgently he wanted to be in a relationship. Moreover, his brother was now dating a national movie actor. Good guy, that piqued his curiosity even more.
“Good time?” Zhao Yao frowned slightly, not realizing what Yao Bai was getting at. He replied, “Weren’t you both watching a drama last night?”
“It’s not about that,” Yao Bai quickly realized that his brother had misunderstood him, so he clarified, “I heard that Film Emperor Pei stayed over last night. If you’ve spent the night together, it can’t just be about sleeping, right?”
Zhao Yao paused for a moment.
“Really?” Yao Bai keenly noticed something amiss. “You two just stayed under the covers and talked???”
“Not really,” Zhao Yao thought back to the night before. They hadn’t talked much. He had mostly been browsing the internet on his phone. “We went to bed early.”
The words “went to bed early” coming from night owl Zhao Yao’s mouth made Yao Bai highly skeptical. He couldn’t believe it. He questioned, “Brother, are you sure you just fell in love?”
How can people who are passionately in love go to bed early at night?
Who the hell are you two?!
The Author has something to say:
Yao Bai: Were you two just under the quilt talking???
Zhao Yao: We didn’t talk, I was playing with my phone.
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9
luna
Hello! Is it just me or is there nothing here ?
Thank you for the translations as always 🙂