Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path

The dissolution of Xingchen Agency is imminent, as there have already been some internal personnel adjustments within the company. Although these news have not yet spread outside, those within Xingchen are well aware that the Zhao Group no longer intends to invest heavily in the company.

Normal personnel transfers within the group are common, and some positions can be transferred to other companies for continued employment, while some employees face the choice of resigning and seeking reemployment. Recently, due to internal handover issues, Xingchen has been working overtime.

“It seems like someone from the headquarters came this morning?”

“Yes, they’ve been coming these days. It seems like our vice president is going to be transferred to the headquarters.”

“If only we had known earlier. The artist management team went directly to Huihua before. If I had known, I would have inquired about switching over. I heard their benefits there are pretty good now.”

“Our immediate boss is San Shao1! How could it not be good? Da Shao 2 even sent our company’s best management team over there directly.”

“Don’t you guys know? There seemed to be a small assessment within our company yesterday. I saw the vice president calling people in for discussion.”

“I heard that Huihua seems to be poaching people from our company!”

There is a sense of unease among the people within Xingchen, and time was rewinded to few days ago.

The capable female secretary in a black suit placed the documents on the desk. “This is what the boss meant. The list that was previously submitted to the headquarters has been sent over. Xingchen’s on-duty personnel can be given priority for employment. Additionally, a copy of this list has been forwarded to Huihua. Xingchen has a quota for priority recommendations. Apart from choosing to go to other subsidiary companies, you can also wait for notification from Huihua.”

The vice president was a bit surprised. “Does Huihua still need people?”

He carefully flipped through the documents and discovered that Huihua not only needed people but also showed signs of expanding its original scale.

Lately, Huihua Culture’s momentum has been growing stronger. The vice president had been in the entertainment industry for so long that he understood the situations and people involved. When Zhao San Shao left the group, many people didn’t think highly of him. They believed he was ruining his prospects by investing in Huihua, a company that seemed to be on the brink of collapse.

As a result, within a few months, Huihua made a remarkable comeback. Not only did their ongoing projects generate substantial revenue, but even their weaker artist experienced development. The vice president felt that it was only a matter of time for Huihua 3 to rise. The real highlight would be during the winter vacation period, and in any case, returning to glory would happen within the next two years.

Not only that, based on Zhao San Shao’s performance within the group for the past two years, as long as he was determined to support it, Huihua had the potential to become a major player in the industry. To be honest, witnessing this development, the vice president also felt a bit restless. When he chose to come to Xingchen e a few years ago, he had his own ambitions. Unfortunately, Star Culture’s operating model was too similar to Zhao Group’s and couldn’t withstand significant reforms. There were also many inexperienced people within the company. Every time he wanted to make significant changes, he faced resistance from some senior executives at Star Culture. As a result, there hadn’t been much progress over the past few years.

“Alright, I got it.” The vice president found the list of current employees. Although the headquarters provided the opportunity to work in other subsidiary companies, many people at Xingchen still had sentimental attachments. Suddenly changing companies and industries also came with some discomfort. He planned to recommend those who were willing to continue working in this industry.

Huihua’s reputation might not be on par with the major companies in the industry at the moment, but it was only a matter of time. With these conditions, Huihua’s future was immeasurable.

The secretary noticed that the vice president had started reading the documents, so she added, “Huihua Culture lost several high-level executives recently. The temporary management team they set up has some issues. San Shao intentionally wants to find managerial staff.”

The vice president looked at the secretary with surprise.

The secretary continued, “Da Shao asked me to tell you that if you still have the desire to continue in this industry, you can consider developing your career at Huihua Culture. He supports you.”

Upon hearing this, the vice president felt a mix of complex emotions. He knew that going to the headquarters would offer better opportunities for development, but he couldn’t let go of his ambitions. Da Shao must have known this, which is why he had the secretary come over to deliver this message personally.

He looked at the spread-out documents and made a subtle decision in his heart.

Should he work under San Shao?

It didn’t seem like a bad idea.

He would always remember the meeting at the headquarters a year ago when the company’s decision-making discussion for a new project was taking place. San Shao, with his eloquence and debating skills, fought for an additional three months of time for that project. In fact, San Shao never did anything without assurance, and that project later soared, becoming the most promising among all the major projects within Zhao Group.

But without those three months fought for by San Shao, there would be no future for that project.

San Shao always made confident and decisive choices, including that project and even leaving the group without hesitation.

-*

The team working on the “Li Meng” project at Huihua Agency was working overtime on the weekend. Yao Bai couldn’t come to the office due to some sudden personal matters. Alexander, the head of the project team, closely monitored various data fluctuations. It didn’t take much effort for Huihua to discover that the marketing account that leaked the information was affiliated with Lu Zishi Studio.

Since Lu Zishi had his familiar marketing account release this kind of suggestive exposure article, it was evident that he was targeting the “Li Meng” production team.

Industry Insider #8: [Image] Regarding the exposed silhouette of a male lead from a certain production team, everyone take a look and guess who this person is?

【Oh my, this seems even more genuine than Lu Zishi’s previous magazine photo.】

【The facial features match perfectly. There’s no other male actor in the industry who looks like this, right?】

【Who is this person? He looks a bit familiar, but I can’t remember his name.】

【Wow, this guy’s looks are not inferior to Lu Zishi’s. How come I haven’t noticed anyone in the industry with this appearance?】

【I just searched for a similar image, and it turns out this actor’s name is Zhang Qi. He has acted in several TV dramas a few years ago, and his only film role received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor…】

【Is it true? Looking at this face, I can’t help but feel that he’s just a pretty face.】

【Well, his looks are indeed impressive. As for his acting skills, it’s hard to say. If he had great acting skills, wouldn’t he have gained recognition these past few years?】

【No way! I thought Zhao Zong 4 had a good relationship with Pei Pei, so I thought maybe Pei Pei would be the male lead.】

【Forget about it. Pei, the award-winning actor, won’t take on a low-budget production like this. His appearance in the ‘Mi Ying’ web series was just a favor to Director Cheng.】

【Well, umm, I’ll go watch some of Zhang Qi’s dramas first before making a judgment. If he’s just a pretty face, we might as well have Lu Zishi instead…】

Since being blacklisted a few years ago, Zhang Qi’s reputation in the entertainment industry had plummeted. He used to be a highly sought-after male actor, but now, fewer and fewer people recognized him. However, he still had some remaining fans, but they hesitated to speak up in this intense spotlight.

When the official account released the silhouette, I was already thinking about Qi Ge (Zhang Qi)…

“I thought after Qi Ge got married, his focus shifted to his family. When everyone was unfollowing him, it caused quite a stir. But I don’t think there’s any reason to unfollow him. Qi Ge didn’t rise to fame through popularity… Can’t actors be in relationships?”

“To be honest, ‘Li Meng’ might not be suitable for Qi Ge. This IP has exploded in popularity over the past two years, and there are too many book fans paying attention to it. If Qi Ge makes a comeback and stars in this kind of high-profile IP, I’m afraid he’ll face criticism.”

“Let’s stop talking about it and be quiet for a while. We can’t decide what roles they play anyway. Let’s just look forward to the actual show.”

Zhang Qi’s fans remained quiet, but the discontented fans of Lu Zishi immediately started nitpicking Zhang Qi’s work, pretending to be fans of the novel while secretly criticizing Zhang Qi’s acting skills compared to Lu Zishi.

At this time, a prominent supporter of the “Li Meng” novel noticed the actions of Lu Zishi’s fans: You know, Zhang Qi was popular years ago, even before your beloved Lu Ge. Although he hasn’t been acting these past few years, in terms of acting skills, he surpasses Lu Zishi. Let’s not judge the ‘Li Meng’ production team’s plans, but don’t disguise yourselves as book fans to discredit him. The blame shouldn’t fall on the fans of the original novel.

【Hahaha, I’m laughing so hard. It’s true that IP adaptations have been happening in recent years, but we haven’t become so jealous and hateful as to deny everything.】

【If they can portray the effect of the original work, I’ll gladly admit defeat. I’m just not sure if Zhang Qi can portray the feeling of my beloved Su Li Guang, the male god.】

【Su Li Guang from the original work is someone who has gone through ups and downs in life. It’s hard to portray that with just a few years of life experience.】

【Casting is the production team’s responsibility, but I want to ask, will they stay true to the adaptation? If they make significant changes, even as a fan of Mr. Zhao, I’ll grab my sword and fight them.】

The PR department at Huihua was well-prepared. Adapting IPs has indeed become commonplace in China in recent years. Initially, for marketability, they considered adding a romantic subplot, but Mr. Zhao and Mr. Chen vetoed that idea. In fact, to ensure the best presentation of the original work, they even invited the novel’s author to provide guidance. So when fans mentioned this aspect, the production team already had a prepared plan to explain their intentions.

The project leader said, “We’re preparing to start filming next month, and the cast lineup is already finalized. We can start preparing the preliminary promotion for Zhang Qi.”

Zhang Qi is also a time bomb. It took a lot of effort to bring him on board, and he has offended that investor who hasn’t made a statement yet. But they could cause trouble for Huihua Culture at any time, so they need to be prepared and avoid major issues during the official announcement.

“How should we handle Lu Zishi?” another staff member asked.

“Of course, we shouldn’t let him off easily,” the project leader replied. Recently, due to Lu Zishi’s frequent overtime work, coupled with the approaching start of “Leaving Dream,” their situation has become quite challenging. In addition, there is external pressure, so they need to be extremely cautious in their decision-making. “Pay attention to the online public opinion trends. You can selectively address questions about the adaptation. Keep the negative information we collected about Lu Zishi a few days ago and release it all in a few days.”

“Oh, by the way, did you manage to reach Assistant Yao on the phone?” the project leader asked.

The staff member responsible for external communications felt a bit embarrassed and said, “Assistant Yao said he’s busy with something and asked us to handle it for now.”

-*

Yao Bai was indeed busy with something. He and Lao Ge 5 followed someone into the aquarium.

The aquarium in City S has several branches, and it’s more comprehensive than the small-scale marine exhibits in the amusement park they visited before. Since it was the weekend, the various branches of the aquarium were bustling with activity, making it easy to lose sight of people if one wasn’t careful.

At first, Yao Bai had some spare time to chat online, but in the blink of an eye, both he and Lao Ge lost sight of their target. Worried, Yao Bai began searching for them. Fortunately, they hadn’t gone far. Yao Bai and Brother Lao stationed themselves behind the seats in the dolphin exhibit, watching the two figures with black hats in front. Yao Bai asked, “I don’t see any issues so far. No fans have recognized them on our way here.”

Brother Lao leaned on his hand and pondered, “It’s still early. Even if they were wearing tattered clothes and walking on the street, they would still attract attention. Didn’t you notice several people looking their way on the left?”

He also saw a guy taking photos with his phone and remarked, “Wow, they appeal to both men and women.”

Yao Bai asked, “Should we go up and stop them?”

Lao Ge, a veteran in such situations, replied, “No need. At this angle, they’ll at most capture their backs.”

“Speaking of which, I’m curious about something. Zhao Zong doesn’t spend much time at the company. What is he busy with all day?” Lao Ge couldn’t figure it out during this period. Although Pei Mingzhan’s attitude was somewhat frustrating, as his friend for many years, he still wanted to offer him some advice. “Doesn’t he have any interests or hobbies?”

Yao Bai said, “He does, why wouldn’t he?”

He began counting, “Lately, my brother has been into watching romance reality shows and idol dramas.”

Lao Ge felt it sounded a bit unreliable after listening. “He really watches those?”

Yao Bai knew no one would believe it if he said it, “Why wouldn’t he? My brother is into theory too.”

The dolphin exhibit happened to have a dolphin science introduction today. Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao sat in a forward position, surrounded by many parents bringing their children to watch the educational show. According to Zhao Yao’s research, places like the aquarium ranked highly as romantic spots for couples, although they couldn’t rival amusement parks or cinemas in popularity. They received positive evaluations from couples.

“Strange,” Zhao Yao looked at the staff moving around the venue, puzzled. “The guidebook says that the dolphin exhibit is a good place to foster relationships, but I don’t see what’s suitable about it…”

Lately, he had been discussing these kinds of topics with Pei Mingzhan, and he didn’t hide his doubts. He directly voiced his concerns.

Pei Mingzhan asked, “Why can’t you see it?”

Zhao Yao recalled the scenes from TV dramas featuring this kind of plot. The emotions of the main characters were always joyful, but he couldn’t feel that kind of sentiment. “Do actors encounter such situations when they play romantic scenes or similar? How do you understand those emotions?”

Pei Mingzhan explained, “Situations like this usually have an emotional foundation. For example, if a guy has feelings for a girl, he would feel happy doing anything when he’s with her. If an actor faces such a scenario, they also have to consider the progress of the relationship between the couple.”

“Progress of the relationship?” Zhao Yao became interested, as it was an explanation he hadn’t seen in the guidebook. “What do you mean?”

“If they are still in the stage of secretly admiring each other, then the aquarium would be a good place for a confession. The mood would be a mix of excitement and nervousness,” Pei Mingzhan continued, “But if the relationship has already developed, and they are already a couple, coming to the aquarium together for fun, then the mood would be different.”

Zhao Yao asked, “How so?”

Pei Mingzhan pretended to ponder and said, “It’s a mix of anticipation, excitement, and happiness.”

Zhao Yao thought for a moment and asked, “Because of love?”

“Of course, it’s because of love. The state of mind when you like someone is completely different. From the initial shyness and hesitation to the later anticipation and excitement, but ultimately, it’s about cherishing the time spent together. This feeling is different from a simple friendship. For example, if I were to hook my arm around you like a friend—”

Pei Mingzhan directly reached out and hooked his arm around Zhao Yao’s neck, leaning against him. “A friend would think of this as a casual touch between friends, but from a couple’s perspective, it’s intimate contact.”

Zhao Yao slightly tilted his head as his whole person was enveloped by Pei Mingzhan’s arm. Pei Mingzhan’s left hand rested on his shoulder, looking casual and natural—

He considered himself someone who rarely had physical contact with others. Even Yao Bai didn’t dare to casually rest his hand on his shoulder. But now, when Pei Mingzhan made this contact with him, he didn’t feel any disgust. Instead, he had a strange feeling.

Zhao Yao’s mind immediately recalled a theory from a book he read recently, which also mentioned that physical contact between couples could play a role in flirtation. Whether it was a simple gesture or an accidental touch, it carried a different meaning in the eyes of the other person.

What did the book say again? When the two parties make contact, they discover unexpected sparkles, which then elevate the emotions between them…

Sparkles, huh? His gaze lingered on Pei Mingzhan’s fair and slender fingers, neatly trimmed nails that were both rounded and…

Zhao Yao slightly raised his hand and directly pinched the nail of Pei Mingzhan’s middle finger, feeling the warm sensation beneath his fingertip.

Smooth and easy to pinch.

“As for the trust you’re interested in, it actually has a time factor in the gradual development of the relationship. People naturally grow closer over time, becoming more familiar with each other, and certain feelings gradually change. Trust also naturally follows,” Pei Mingzhan explained while suddenly sensing a cold sensation on his fingertip. He turned his head and saw Zhao Yao innocently playing with his nail, his body tensing as he looked at him. “What are you doing?”

“Do you know how to play the piano?” Zhao Yao let go of his hand and suddenly asked, “I haven’t seen you play a piano role yet.”

Pei Mingzhan had a pair of hands that were very beautiful, and Zhao Yao felt it was a pity that there hadn’t been a close-up shot of those hands.

“I’ve done a piano advertisement before,” Pei Mingzhan said, still feeling the lingering cold sensation on his fingertips. Zhao Yao’s hand wasn’t warm, in fact, it was a bit cold, but that touch just now almost made him unable to resist. He couldn’t help but asked, “Zhao Yao, how do you feel when I rest my shoulder on yours?”

“I don’t feel anything,” Zhao Yao replied truthfully. “Your hands are pretty.”

But after saying those words, he suddenly felt something was off. Why was he particularly concerned about whether another man’s hands were attractive or not?

-*

Not far away, Lao Ge hammered his thigh with one hand as he watched the two people in front, their shoulders touching. “Pei Mingzhan is still impressive. I give up.”

Yao Bai didn’t understand the meaning behind his words. “What did the Film Emperor Pei do?”

“Haven’t you seen them leaning on each other?” Laoge said.

Yao Bai felt puzzled, “What’s the difference? Boys leaning on each other is a common thing, isn’t it?”

Brother Lao glanced at Yao Bai and decided to give up explaining.

Yao Bai looked ahead for a while and saw that everyone’s attention was focused on the dolphins. He then lowered his head to check his phone and realized there were several unread messages in the project group chat.

Brother Lao had just looked ahead for a moment when he noticed Yao Bai playing with his phone. He said, “Brother, you have to watch out for me. There are so many people below, and if they leave, we won’t be able to keep up.”

“No, Lao Ge, I have actual work to do,” Yao Bai replied to his WeChat messages and said, “If my brother finds out I didn’t stay with the project team and instead followed him and the Film Emperor Pei , I’ll be in trouble.”

Although his brother had been quite easygoing recently, Yao Bai still remembered his strict attitude when he worked at the Zhao Group. He couldn’t afford to be careless about work matters.

The dolphin introduction below was coming to an end. Amidst the applause, Lao Ge noticed that Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao seemed to have the intention of leaving first. He quickly picked up his phone and asked, “Is it still about that Lu Zhushi guy?”

“We don’t need to waste time on that idiot Lu Zushi. It’s about other plans,” Yao Bai said, taking charge of such a project for the first time. “‘Li Meng’ is about to start filming, and they’re discussing follow-up plans, including promotion and preparations for the production team. There are quite a few things to handle.”

Lao Ge suddenly realized, “Promotion, huh? Give me your WeChat so I can have the people from my studio help out. We’re experienced in this.”

Yao Bai was taken aback. “That wouldn’t be appropriate. It’s our company’s responsibility.”

“Why be polite when it comes to the relationship between Mr. Zhao and Old Pei? If it doesn’t involve your project, we can offer some ideas,” Lao Ge sighed. “Old Pei has been inactive recently, and the people at the studio are getting bored. It’s a good opportunity to give them something to do. Hurry up and send it, they’re about to leave. Keep a close eye on them.”

While sending his business card, Yao Bai observed the situation below and indeed saw Zhao Yao and Pei Mingzhan preparing to leave first. “If they’re really leaving, Lao Ge, let’s go through the door on the left.”

In the Huihua Conference Room, the staff saw that assistant Yao Bai had finally replied to a few messages and was about to ask about the feasibility of the proposal. However, suddenly Yao Bai went silent again.

The staff said, “Supervisor, Yao Bai hasn’t responded.”

Considering it was an impromptu overtime work today, it wouldn’t be good to trouble Yao Bai too much. The supervisor replied, “Proceed with the other tasks according to the plan. We’ll wait for Yao Bai’s final opinion on the pending proposals. Has the project schedule been sent to Director Chen’s office?”

The conference room was chaotic, and after a while, the project supervisor received a phone call.

“Hello,” the supervisor answered the call. “Alright, understood. Is this according to Yao Bai’s instructions? We will make the arrangements accordingly.”

The staff observed the supervisor after the call ended and asked, “Did Yao Bai reply?”

The supervisor’s gaze became complicated as they replied, “No reply from Yao Bai, but they sent us some assistance.”

In the industry, everyone knew that Pei Mingzhan’s studio had an impressive lineup of talents. Not to mention that their agent was the renowned industry expert, Mr. Lao, and even their public relations team was exceptional. It was unexpected for this team to call and claim that Yao Bai had requested their assistance.

-*

The brokerage companies that collaborate with the studio of Lu Zishi quickly received industry rumors. Recently, Huihua has been making significant moves. They not only have several projects lined up with good schedules, but also have variety shows and preparations for TV dramas. Their reputation in the industry has been growing.

Many companies are currently holding onto projects, and in the past, these project resources were bargaining chips exchanged among the film and television companies. During this challenging period for film and television due to the difficulty of passing censorship and intense schedule competition, many companies find themselves sitting on unused resources. Now, they have heard that Huihua has several projects ready for production, and the companies that have established a good relationship with Huihua have already started negotiating cooperation and recommendations. On the other hand, the companies that previously had minor conflicts with Huihua are being left out.

It is evident that Huihua has a strong and firm attitude, fully establishing its own foundation.

Now, other companies that have been observing the situation for a long time are starting to show some interest. Huihua Agency’s reputation is just starting to rise, and if companies establish a good relationship with Huihua in advance, they won’t have to worry about resources in the future.

“You’re saying that Lu Zishi had a falling out with Huihua over ‘Li Meng’?” A middle-aged man with a potbelly looked at his secretary with a serious expression. “Didn’t Huihua send an invitation before to invite Lu Zishi to play the lead role? If he didn’t get the role, why would he have a conflict with Huihua?”

Their company had a good relationship with Huihua in the past, and they didn’t intentionally provoke any conflicts with Huihua later on. So when they sent the audition invitation specifying Lu Zishi, Huihua approached them with a friendly attitude.

At that time, they forwarded the invitation to Lu Zishi and didn’t inquire further. Unexpectedly, when they decided to establish a good relationship with Huihua, they were shut out. They found out about this situation from Lu Zishi’s side.

“What makes him think he can go against Huihua? Doesn’t he know that the people behind Huihua are not simple?” The middle-aged man was so angry that he almost swore. “He has no brains, and his agent has no brains either?”

The secretary remained silent for a while and then said, “I heard that it was at the direction of the fu zong6… The fu zong had a good relationship with the higher-ups at Huihua. This time, he wanted to take the opportunity to vent his anger on their behalf.”

The middle-aged man angrily threw the ashtray. “What does that idiot know? Can’t he see the situation? Venting anger like this will only push our company into conflict with Huihua!”

The secretary continued, “Lu Zishi has been getting good resources lately, and many investors are supporting him. Plus, he has a good relationship with Mr. Wang.”

The middle-aged man said, “Mr. Wang? That Wang guy is just a nouveau riche. He gets arrogant as long as he can throw money around? Behind Huihua is Zhao Yao. Although Zhao Yao is not currently working within the Zhao Group, the assets left by his mother and his shares in the Zhao family are enough to make him a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. Compared to Zhao Yao, that surname Wang is nothing but a money spender…”

At that moment, the phone suddenly rang. The middle-aged man answered the call, and as he listened, his expression grew darker and darker. Finally, he smashed the phone and angrily exclaimed, “When did Lu Zishi offend the Pei Mingzhan’s Studio?”

The secretary was surprised and said, “I haven’t heard anything about him having a connection with Pei Mingzhan.”

The middle-aged man cursed, “No connection? Then why would someone from the Pei Mingzhan’s Studio specifically call and give instructions?”

His face turned gloomy. “This Lu Zishi is something. His agent didn’t even bother to inform the company about this matter. It’s obvious that he doesn’t consider us important. We don’t need to provide that luxury brand that contacted him before. Since his studio is capable enough to handle everything on their own, our contract with him is also coming to an end. When the time comes, we’ll make it clear that we have no relationship with him.”

The secretary nodded and said, “Understood.”

The middle-aged man lit a cigarette, his face full of worry. “As for Huihua, find a way to contact Mr. Zhao or Mr. Chen… We were indeed in the wrong in this matter, and we shouldn’t delay apologizing and making amends. Building a good relationship with Huihua is our top priority.”

On the other side, rumors of Zhang Qi being cast as the male lead Su Liguan in “Leaving the Dream” quickly spread. Public relations personnel from Dingfeng Agency, who happened to be paying attention to this IP, immediately noticed the problem and promptly reported it to the company’s boss.

Dingfeng was Zhang Qi’s former management company. Recently, Huihua paid a huge breach of contract fee to terminate Zhang Qi’s contract with the company. The boss of Dingfeng was quite pleased with the money earned. Zhang Qi is now considered worthless in the industry. Which project would dare to use him? Aren’t they afraid of offending that influential investor? Only companies like Huihua, being bold and fearless, would dare to sign him.

Now, the PR personnel have notified this information to the boss, who was playing golf at the moment. The person in charge of Dingfeng Agency’s face immediately changed and said, “Does Huihua really dare to use Zhang Qi? Aren’t they afraid of offending him?”

The messenger replied, “It seems that they are not afraid… The official announcement of the male lead should be true.”

-*

After leaving the dolphin exhibit, Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao avoided the crowd and walked towards another area. They planned to go to the polar bear exhibit, which was further away.

Pei Mingzhan seemed distracted as they walked, while Zhao Yao was engrossed in an e-book on his phone.

At that moment, Pei Mingzhan’s phone rang. He briefly informed Zhao Yao and then answered the call.

The person on the other end seemed to ask him an important question. Pei Mingzhan listened silently until the person finished speaking, and finally said, “I’ll consider this matter and give you a response.”

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Yao asked, “Work-related?”

Pei Mingzhan denied it, saying, “No, it’s just a friend I’ve worked with before. Recently, we’ve been discussing investment platforms.”

“Platforms?” Zhao Yao thought about the recent trends in the domestic video platform market. “The current market conditions aren’t favorable, and the major resources have been divided among other companies. It’s difficult to establish a new online platform without being suppressed by the others.”

Pei Mingzhan agreed, saying, “Indeed, it’s challenging for an online platform to stand out. But there’s a platform that has been gaining momentum recently, and he wants me to invest in a live streaming platform.”

A live streaming platform? Zhao Yao paused for a moment. In his previous life, his interest in the entertainment industry had been sparked partly by the existence of live streaming platforms. The arrival of the cultural and entertainment era signaled the rapid development of various entertainment industries in China. Emerging industries that combined with internet platforms grew at an even faster pace, with live streaming being a particularly prominent sector.

“Although the live streaming platform is still in its early stages, it has significant growth potential in the future,” Zhao Yao looked at Pei Mingzhan. “It’s something you should seriously consider.”

Pei Mingzhan glanced at Zhao Yao and asked, “You seem quite interested in this industry?”

Zhao Yao didn’t deny it. “Indeed, it has promising prospects.”

If Huihua’s future development became stable enough, he would also suggest that the Chen family align with the live streaming platform to develop other projects.

However, Pei Mingzhan said, “Would you consider partnering with us in the live streaming platform?”

-*

Recently, Chen Xi had been in high spirits, except for a few concerns about the upcoming press conference and Zhao Zong’s attendance at the Demon King’s party. Everything had been going smoothly for him lately, and it seemed that even Huihua Agency was thriving.

On the weekend, most of the staff at Huihua were off duty, with only a few project teams working overtime. Chen Xi, a workaholic by nature, passed by the meeting room and saw the members of the “Li Meng” production team working diligently. Satisfied, he instructed his secretary to bring them some afternoon tea.

As Chen Xi arrived at his office, his secretary, who had been forced to work overtime on the weekend, entered the room and handed him a document along the way.

Chen Xi looked at the document and looked at his secretary with a puzzled expression. “Is this from the HR department?”

The secretary replied expressionlessly, “That’s right, Chen Zong. These are the profiles of the individuals that Xingchen just sent over.”

Chen Xi flipped through the profiles. Not long ago, he had vented his frustrations to Zhao Yao about the company’s lack of talent agents. In addition to the two ace agents from Xingchen Agency mentioned in the document, there were also other employees that Xingchen intended to dismiss or transfer. These individuals were highly sought-after by other companies in the industry.

“…,” Chen Xi was rarely perplexed. “What does Zhao Zong mean by this?”

The secretary nodded. “Zhao Zong wants you to pick whomever you like.”

San Shao = Third Young Master[]Da Shao = Eldest Young Master[]星辰副总便觉得星辰文化起来只是时间问题，重头戏还在寒假档期，Here raw says Xingchen but Xingxhen is already disbanding so it was most likely a typo from the author-san’s part[]Zong = Mr.[]Lao Ge = Brother Lao; used interchangeably[]副总 fu zong = vice president, deputy general manager; instead of being confused of what is right between this two I went for the exact name[