Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path

On the way out of the dolphin exhibit, Yao Bai almost failed to catch up with the crowd. The aisle inside the exhibit were already difficult to navigate, and just as they started moving, the educational presentation on the other side ended, resulting in a crowded situation. By the time they walked out, a considerable distance had opened up ahead.

“It’s really crowded this weekend,” Brother Lao tiptoed and finally caught sight of two black hats ahead. “To be honest, it’s lucky that they’re dressed so distinctively. Otherwise, we would have a hard time recognizing them.”

Yao Bai was taller than Brother Lao, so his field of vision was slightly wider. He happened to notice two girls ahead of them, holding their phones as if they were taking pictures of something. “Lao Ge, look at those two in front. It seems like they’re taking pictures of Emperor Pei.”

Brother Lao was startled. “No way?!”

Zhao Yao and Pei Mingzhan were talking while walking. They had just mentioned Pei Mingzhan’s friend’s plan to start a live streaming company when they suddenly changed their minds and decided not to go to the polar bear exhibit. Before they could finish their conversation, more and more people were coming out from behind. To avoid the crowd, the two of them went to a nearby refreshment shop to sit down and rest.

Pei Mingzhan went to buy drinks, while Zhao Yao idled and played with his phone.

At this moment, a couple approached them. The guy in front took the initiative to ask, “Excuse me, are you Mr. Zhao Yao?”

Zhao Yao looked up and locked eyes with the girl standing behind the guy. He also noticed a few other people standing behind them, looking like they came as a group. He nodded slightly, “Is there something you need?”

The girl exclaimed excitedly, “Is it really Mr. Zhao? I’m your fan!”

She had noticed the two of them in the dolphin exhibit. Being a dedicated star chaser, she knew that celebrities would dress conservatively when they were out privately. Moreover, there had been rumors online recently about an encounter with Mr. Zhao, so she paid extra attention. As soon as they came out, she told her boyfriend about it, and he suggested go up and ask.

Little did she expect that upon asking, it turned out to be Mr. Zhao indeed!

Since the incident at the cinema where Zhao Yao was surrounded, he was no longer surprised by such situations. He messaged Pei Mingzhan, asking him not to come over for now, and then greeted the girl, saying, “Hello.”

The girl had a few others with her, and she hesitated slightly before asking, “Are we bothering you too much?”

Zhao Yao replied, “It’s alright. Do you have any questions?”

Zhao Yao always treated fans as he would any official matter, speaking with a businesslike demeanor. The girl felt a bit hesitant about intruding and said, “No, not at all. I’m just really excited to meet you. I didn’t expect Mr. Zhao to come to the oceanarium!”

Zhao Yao nodded and said, “I came to take a look during the weekend off.”

After speaking, he curiously looked at the two of them and asked, “Are you a couple?”

The girl shyly nodded and said, “Yes, he’s my boyfriend.”

The boyfriend awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

Seeing that the girl naturally held onto the boyfriend’s arm, Zhao Yao asked, “You seem to get along well. How long have you been together?”

The girl glanced at the boyfriend. The boyfriend didn’t expect the legendary Mr. Zhao to be so approachable and even ask about their relationship. He proudly introduced, “We were college classmates and have been together for three years. Today, we came out with some people from our club.”

The way these two interacted was very natural, and since they arrived until now, the girl’s hand had never left the boyfriend’s, showing a clear reliance on each other.

They had a great relationship and a strong mutual trust.

Not far away, Yao Bai and Brother Lao, who had just been squeezed out of the crowd nearby, saw that some fans had already approached Zhao Yao to greet him. With eager anticipation to protect his brother, Yao Bai rolled up his sleeves and was about to go over and join the conversation when Brother Lao stopped him abruptly, saying, “Hold on, Lao Pei isn’t here yet.”

Yao Bai was taken aback and replied, “They’re already talking to my brother.”

Brother Lao remained calm and composed, saying, “Don’t worry, these fans are just looking for topics to talk about. Let’s wait for Lao Pei to show up and catch them off guard.”

Yao Bai finally calmed down. He hid behind the flower bed by the roadside, listening to the two people under the shade of the awning as they engaged in a back-and-forth conversation. It didn’t seem like they were actively seeking a conversation topic. Wait a minute… these two people…

Brother Lao said, “Lao Pei can come a bit later, it’s fine. By the time he arrives, they will have left.”

Yao Bai swallowed nervously and said, “Lao Ge, you have a keen eye. Do those two look like a couple to you?”

“Definitely,” repliedBrother Lao, finding the question a bit odd. “Didn’t you see that girl holding onto the guy’s hand the whole time?”

“…” Yao Bai said, “Then it’s over.”

Brother Lao:”?”

Yao Bai: “My brother might chat until it gets dark.”

-*

Pei Mingzhan noticed Zhao Yao’s message only when he was about to scan the QR code. He slightly turned his head and saw several people standing where Zhao Yao was, seemingly engaged in a conversation with the two leading figures.

The shop owner handed the QR code forward.

Pei Mingzhan glanced in that direction, not paying attention to the QR code in front of him.

Seeing no response from Pei Mingzhan, the shop owner asked, “Young man, are you paying with QR code or cash?”

Pei Mingzhan snapped out of his thoughts and replied, “QR code.”

After completing the payment, Pei Mingzhan pulled up a chair nearby and sat down, watching Zhao Yao who was not far away talking to someone. He slightly extended his left hand, his gaze fixed on the fingernail that Zhao Yao had pinched before. “Is it that he didn’t understand, or is it me who didn’t understand?”

The hot milk in front of him was still steaming. Pei Mingzhan used one hand to push aside the lid of the iced coffee can and unintentionally glanced towards Zhao Yao in the distance.

The agent and manager of Pei Mingzhan, Brother Lao, had chosen a good spot to observe. He saw Pei Mingzhan selecting another table to sit at instead of going over to Zhao Yao’s side, and he felt relieved. “Thank goodness Pei Mingzhan didn’t go over. Everything’s fine.”

After saying that, Brother Lao asked, “What did you say just now? What’s wrong with Zhao Yao?”

Yao Bai replied, “Movie Emperor Pei is really pitiful.”

“Come on, Yao Bai, don’t you understand how things work in this industry?” Brother Lao explained rarely, “Pei Mingzhan went there and got himself into trouble. You’ll have to stay up all night working on the script with me tonight.”

Yao Bai sighed as he watched Zhao Yao happily chatting with the couple. “You don’t understand.”

Brother Lao had nothing to say, “I think it’s you who doesn’t understand.”

Zhao Yao didn’t chat with those two for long because he noticed Pei Mingzhan sitting in the distance, waiting for him. He somewhat regretfully ended the conversation about romantic history with the young couple, saying, “Sorry, I have something to attend to. I’ll leave now.”

The young man was initially proud as he spoke about their anniversary, but Zhao Yao was already preparing to leave. He had no choice but to say, “Oh no, we came over to bother you. We just saw that you have a friend, so we won’t disturb you.”

The girl tugged at the young man’s sleeve but looked in another direction. She was actually curious about the person who accompanied Zhao Yao and wondered if the figure resembled Pei Mingzhan… Suddenly, she remembered the news she saw online two weeks ago, which said that Zhao Yao and Movie Emperor Pei went to an amusement park in City S together. Could it be such a coincidence?

Zhao Yao stood up and left.

The girl’s gaze followed his departure and noticed him meeting the guy in the gray jacket they had seen at the dolphin exhibit. The guy handed him a cold drink, and then they walked together in another direction.

At that moment, her boyfriend said, “Baby, I never expected that someone as high-ranking as Zhao Yao would be so easy to talk to.”

When he approached them earlier, he thought that someone of that status might give him a cold shoulder. He didn’t expect Zhao Yao to be so approachable.

Their friend, who came with them, had been eavesdropping on their love story for a while and couldn’t help but feel jealous, saying, “I have to say, some time ago, people said that Xiao Zhao was aloof and didn’t even use Weibo, but that’s because they never talked to him! He’s so cute! He listens so attentively when people speak!”

“Yeah, I’m totally jealous. Xiao Zhao even politely listened to Li Yan bragging.”

“Enough, Xiao Zhao’s impression in my mind has deepened. He’s humble, polite, and comes from a wealthy family!”

“Hey, who is that guy walking with Zhao Yao? He looks so handsome from behind! It’s a pity we can’t see his face because he’s wearing a mask.”

The girl asked, “Do you think the guy walking with Zhao Yao resembles Pei Mingzhan? I always feel like it’s him.”

Their companion looked at the two figures moving farther away and said, “It can’t be. Last time, someone also said that Zhao Yao and Pei Pei went out together. Maybe the handsome guy is the same person as before. Perhaps Zhao Yao has friends outside the entertainment industry.”

“Yeah, it’s true that Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao have a good relationship, but it’s not as genuine as some CP fans claim. Besides, Pei Mingzhan is such a busy public figure, where would he find the time to come over…”

The sound of a chair being knocked over caught their attention, and they looked towards the source to see two suspicious-looking individuals.

The group quickly followed them, and one person stopped to fix the chair before leaving. The profile of one of the individuals resembled Lao Ge, Pei Mingzhan’s manager.

“Did I see it wrong?”

“Did I imagine things?”

“That person who knocked over the chair, the more I look, the more he resembles Pei Pei’s manager.”

“Don’t just say that, I have the same feeling.”

The girl finally convinced herself that she was overthinking, but unexpectedly, her friend started to panic, “How could it be the manager? Movie Emperor Pei just finished an event recently, right? His manager must be busy. How could he have time to come over here? If anyone were to come, it should be an assistant.”

Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao walked to a small pathway on the side. There weren’t many people in this area, and there were several tables and chairs for resting by the roadside.

Pei Mingzhan chose a spot and sat down. “Was that a fan just now?”

“I feel like she knows you. There was a girl who kept looking around,” Zhao Yao said. “I messaged you not to come over, so it wouldn’t be troublesome if she recognized you later. The oceanarium is crowded today.”

Pei Mingzhan nodded. “Yeah, I noticed.”

He looked at Zhao Yao, who was drinking hot milk, and asked, “Is the sweetness level okay? I asked for it to be made with 50% sugar.”

Zhao Yao tried the taste and said, “Hmm, it’s quite delicious.”

The temperature was just right too.

“Just now you mentioned the live streaming platform. Aren’t you busy with your new company lately?” Zhao Yao was curious about the live streaming platform. “Won’t it be too much for you?”

“No, it won’t,” Pei Mingzhan continued, “I’m not involved in the management, just as an investor. I wasn’t joking when I mentioned the partnership with you. It was originally planned, but it got delayed due to too many things happening recently.”

The live streaming platform has a promising future in the next ten years and even during the time when Zhao Yao was sick, the prospects of the live streaming industry remained immeasurable. It is a gradually rising new industry in the entertainment field. However, at this stage, the domestic live streaming industry is just getting started, and there are only a few companies operating in the country, with only one occupying the leading position.

The cake is still quite large, and the areas to be developed are just the tip of the iceberg.

To say that he wasn’t tempted would be a lie, but Zhao Yao didn’t plan to waste too much time on work. Starting a new company is much more challenging than taking over an already established one. Taking over Huihua Culture was because it had certain resources and a relatively mature operational mechanism. However, investing in a new company doesn’t have these prerequisites. It would require a sufficient management team and professionals. Moreover, as an entertainment industry, it would involve contractual systems such as signing anchors.

Without a mature team, the initial investment of time and energy would be substantial.

Zhao Yao asked, “Is your friend just lacking funding?”

“It’s still in the preparatory stage, and the biggest problem is funding,” Pei Mingzhan said simply. “My own new company has also started operating recently, and there is a significant flow of funds, so it’s been delayed for a while. I wasn’t joking before. If you’re interested in this industry, would you like to partner with us?”

He extended his hand.

It was a great temptation and a rare opportunity.

With Pei Mingzhan’s abilities and background, this invitation was entirely based on their friendship. If it was only a financial investment, the future management would fall under the management team formed by Pei Mingzhan’s friend. He would have a certain say, but there wouldn’t be too many things for him to worry about, aligning with his original intentions.

Zhao Yao had no reason to refuse.