Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path

Throughout the night, the melon field 1 continued to flourish until the next morning.

The trending topic of “Sasaeng Fan of Pei Mingzhan” seemed sensational, but due to the timely response from Huihua and Pei Mingzhan’s studio, it turned out to be a matter of little wind and rain 2. The official statement from the program team assured fans that they would address the issue during the live broadcast today to calm everyone down.

But the bigger problem was the explosive revelation that surfaced in the middle of the night. It involved Boss Lin from Shiyang Films, and it was a bombshell exposed by a retired artist.There was concrete evidence, and coupled with the promotion by the marketing account, it quickly rose to the top of the trending topics.

When netizens woke up the next day, they were left bewildered by this trending topic.

【Fuck! isn’t this my goddess?】

【Oh my god! I remember crying a lot when she retired.】

【This isn’t retirement, it’s clearly because she didn’t want to succumb to hidden rules and was forced to be hidden by the company!】

【Damn, this guy named Lin is truly garbage!】

【Oh my god, I just searched it, and I’ve actually seen some of Shi Yang’s works…】

【This is disgusting! I want to boycott Shi Yang. The boss is so trash.】

Boss Lin sat in his office with a dark expression, while the phone kept ringing outside. The secretary was busy answering calls, but he sat motionless in front of the computer, reading the online insults directed at him.

He angrily threw the ashtray to the ground, while his assistant remained silent.

Since early yesterday morning, their planned projects for the Lunar New Year had been well-prepared. But they suddenly faced strict scrutiny from relevant departments, and the projects were blocked overnight. Not only that, they received news that some of their web dramas in collaboration with Panda Platform failed the review. Even their ordinary projects were affected and required reevaluation. This morning, they received news that the ongoing projects will need further investigations.

The news quickly spread within the management of Shiyang Films, causing strong dissatisfaction among the executives, who demanded answers from Boss Lin. Not only that, the internal information leaked online and quickly spread online. As a result, their company’s shares plummeted this morning…

In just one night, their empire was crumbling, and nearly a year’s worth of planning by Shiyang Films was destroyed.

Finally, the secretary outside couldn’t withstand the pressure from other high-level executives. Some even stormed into Boss Lin’s office, demanding answers.

Boss Lin is really stupid if he can’t comprehend the situation. Yesterday, his plan to deal with Huihua had failed, and immediately after, news articles related to him and Shiyang Films’s reputation exploded. It would be strange if this had nothing to do with Huihua! It’s just he couldn’t understand why this incident, in which he deliberately avoided any involvement with Zhao Group, choosing insignificant small projects with Huihua, would lead to such a massive backlash.

Has Huihua really had such a significant background? How come I’ve never heard of it before?

At that moment, a phone call came in. Boss Lin answered and asked, “What have you found out? Who is behind all of this?”

On the other end was a high-level executive from Panda Platform, with whom Boss Lin had a good relationship. Hearing Boss Lin’s question, the executive sighed and said, “Stop asking, Lin. Our boss received a message last night and had the team work overtime. You’ve offended someone. Have you heard of the Zheng family in H City?”

“I’ve heard a bit. What does that have to do with my project?” Boss Lin asked.

The executive continued, “It’s not strange that you only hear about the Zhao family over there, but the mother of Zhao Yao, whom you recently wanted to deal with, happens to be from the Zheng family. And on our platform, there is a gentleman with deep connections to the Zheng family. I inquired about it, and that gentleman is representing the assets left by Zhao Yao’s mother. Do you understand the significance of this relationship?”

Upon hearing this, Boss Lin’s face immediately changed.

The executive went on, “Also, I asked someone about that New Year’s film project of yours. It was done by Pei Mingzhan. Don’t you know how influential Pei Mingzhan is? Why didn’t you realize that you were directly targeting him? And those scandals you have online…”

Boss Lin couldn’t process the rest of the executive’s words. He had been holding onto a glimmer of hope, but upon hearing these words, he knew that he was finished…

-*

The next day, it was still early in the morning when Pei Mingzhan woke up. He didn’t know if it was because Zhao Yao was in a daze or something else, but Zhao Yao was still holding his hand even in his sleep. 

So Pei Mingzhan had to stay in Zhao Yao’s room to rest.

He checked Zhao Yao’s forehead and realized that the fever had subsided.

Zhao Yao was quiet in his sleep, not as cautious as when he was awake. Pei Mingzhan carefully moved away from the bed, intending to tidy up the messy items on the cabinet. Suddenly, he noticed a row of other pills next to the medication prescribed by the doctor from the Pei family.

Pei Mingzhan picked up the pills and looked at them. They were not the ones prescribed last night.

As he descended the stairs, he encountered Uncle Wang, who had already woken up. Uncle Wang noticed the situation and asked, “Young Master, how are you feeling?”

“The fever has gone down. He might still feel unwell today, so when you cook porridge, make it more watery,” Pei Mingzhan said, showing Uncle Wang the pills he had brought out from the room. “I found these while tidying up the table. Were these prescribed by the show’s doctor?”

“No,” Uncle Wang, who was familiar with these pills, replied, “These are for Young Master’s sleep regulation.”

Pei Mingzhan asked further, “Has he been experiencing frequent insomnia recently?”

Uncle Wang thought for a moment and said, “It has improved a lot compared to before. His sleep is mostly stable now.”

Initially, there were times when he couldn’t sleep even with the pills, and sometimes he would go a whole night without sleeping.

Pei Mingzhan made a note of the medication name and planned to look it up later.

In the living room downstairs of the guesthouse, someone was sleeping. Brother Lao was wrapped in a blanket, sound asleep on the sofa. The laptop next to him was still on, occasionally emitting notification sounds.

Uncle Wang said, “Mr. Lao came over last night and has been busy with this matter. He only just fell asleep.”

Pei Mingzhan smiled and said, “It’s alright, please keep an eye on him upstairs. If he wakes up, let me know. I’ll go out for a bit.”

In a blink of an eye, it was already noon.

When Zhao Yao woke up, he felt a bit groggy. However, upon seeing the bright sun outside, he realized that it was probably already late. He rarely slept until this late in the day. Normally, his sleep was shallow, and he rarely would have a deep sleep.

He raised his hand slightly and glanced at the needle mark on his left hand. He carefully surveyed his surroundings as his memories slowly came back.

There was a neatly folded jacket on the nearby chair. The room was warm, and as he sat up, he felt a lingering throbbing pain on his forehead after the fever passed. After getting dressed, he walked outside and happened to encounter Uncle Wang, who had come up to check on the situation.

Uncle Wang exclaimed, “Master, why are you awake?”

Zhao Yao shook his head and replied, “I’m fine. I’m going outside to take a look.”

Downstairs in the guesthouse, Brother Lao was working in the office. He had a partially eaten lunch next to him and was on the phone. When he saw Zhao Yao coming down, he immediately fell silent. After quietly exchanging a few words with the person on the other end of the line, he greeted, “Mr. Zhao.”

Zhao Yao’s complexion was slightly pale after his illness, and he had put on a thick coat. He appeared ordinary and harmless, but Brother Lao was still a bit nervous when he saw him.

Zhao Yao nodded slightly and asked, “Where is Pei Mingzhan?”

Brother Lao pointed outside and said, “He’s live streaming with the program group.”

It was already noon, and during lunchtime, the program team decided to hold a spontaneous live broadcast. It took a while for “Youxian” to start the live stream because there were too many fans flooding in, causing the live broadcast room to be stuck.

Several guests sat together for the meal, and the camera remained fixed in one position. The staff members on-site helped convey the messages from the barrage of fans, and the guests took turns reassuring everyone. When it was Pei Mingzhan’s turn, it took a bit longer.

Pei Mingzhan said, “Well, it’s not as exaggerated as it’s being said online. You don’t need to worry too much.”

【Wuwuwuwuwu! Peipei is fine, that’s great! Why didn’t you tell us you were recording the variety show?】

【Old Pei, are you going out to enjoy the moon every night?】

【Peipei, take us for a stroll!】

“If I tell you in advance, there won’t be any surprises,” Pei Mingzhan chuckled. “The wind was strong yesterday, there was no moon to admire. As for taking you for a stroll, it might not be feasible. How about I show you around the guesthouse instead?”

There was no major issue with showing the guesthouse in this public setting. The director allowed Pei Mingzhan to improvise as he pleased. After all, this live broadcast not only served as an opportunity to clarify and explain, but also added a lot of excitement to the program. 

Pei Mingzhan rarely did public live broadcasts, so when the program staff handed him a phone after switching to mobile filming, he was still adjusting the height of the selfie stick.

“Is this okay? Can you see clearly?” Pei Mingzhan asked.

【A flourishing beauty, wuwuwu!】

【Old Pei, did you not wear much makeup? I envy your skin!】

【Please continue to roast the big face! I’m all for it.】

Pei Mingzhan adjusted the camera position and then turned it towards the director and the rest of the program team sitting neatly behind him. He briefly introduced them, saying, “This is our director.” 

The director waved to greet the fans in the barrage and said a few obligatory words. At that moment, a young man wearing a gray jacket suddenly walked out from the group behind the director. He was holding a thermos bottle and headed directly towards the director.

Pei Mingzhan noticed that the person suddenly froze, and the fans in the barrage also noticed this unexpected intruder in the live stream’s perpective!

【?】

【????】

【??????】

【Oh my god, who is that person? He looks somewhat familiar.】

Pei Mingzhan moved the camera away and explained, “Alright, next, I’ll take everyone on a tour inside the guesthouse.”

Among the fans, many were aware of the existence of the enthusiastic citizen Xiao Zhao, and there were also quite a few fans of Pei Mingzhan who were fans of Mr. Zhao as well. The short five to six seconds of footage was enough to draw the attention of the audience in the barrage to the unexpected person who walked into the camera’s view.

【Wait!!! Pei Mingzhan, put the camera back!】

【Was that person just now Mr. Zhao? Am I not mistaken?】

【I just took a screenshot! It should be him!】

【Ah ah ah ah Pei Pei, is it Mr. Zhao?】

【For the first time, I feel that the camera in the “Youxian” program is too clear. I saw it, it’s Mr. Zhao!】

Pei Mingzhan noticed the increasing calls in the barrage and realized that just now, the camera should have captured the person entirely. He helplessly said, “Are your eyes that sharp?”

【It’s God who gave me the eyes to see through everything and allowed me to see that man.】

【With Mr. Zhao’s appearance, how could I not notice him!】

【Ah ah ah ah why is Mr. Zhao at the scene!!】

【Please let Mr. Zhao do a live stream! Humble Zhao fans online begging.】

Many fans of Mr. Zhao flocked to the live stream, and the heat in the room visibly increased.

Zhao Yao came over to find the director. He couldn’t find anyone in the program team’s room and inquired about the situation, which led him here. He was a bit confused last night and couldn’t remember clearly what Pei Mingzhan had said. He originally intended to come and ask the director about the situation. But as soon as he arrived, everyone else fell silent.

Zhao Yao noticed the cameras and equipment set up in the courtyard of the guesthouse and spoke with a hoarse voice, “Are you still recording?”

The director hurriedly replied, “Mr. Zhao, they are live streaming over there. Do you have something to discuss?”

Only a few members of the production team knew about Zhao Yao’s fever yesterday, so the director felt a bit uneasy when the esteemed guest came over right after recovering. Although Zhao Yao didn’t directly scold anyone yesterday, the inevitable consequences were bound to follow, and there was no escaping that.

Live streaming? Zhao Yao quickly realized, “Is the live stream related to you?”

The director replied, “Not much.”

“In that case, I’ll come over later and talk about what happened last night,” Zhao Yao said. With his peripheral vision, he noticed Pei Mingzhan holding a camera and waved a greeting when he saw him.

Covering his mouth, Zhao Yao coughed a few times, and he was slightly taken aback when he saw Pei Mingzhan. It was only when a staff member came over to explain the situation that he learned that he had accidentally been captured by Pei Mingzhan’s camera when he walked over, and now he was recognized by the fans in the live chat.

Chen Xi had mentioned the fans on Weibo, saying that one-third of the comments under Huihua’s official account were from Zhao Yao’s fans urging for updates. Zhao Yao didn’t pay much attention to it initially since he wasn’t a celebrity and didn’t need to open a Weibo account to accumulate popularity.

But Chen Xi also mentioned that this wasn’t about accumulating popularity, but rather an organic reputation that didn’t require spending money, something that most celebrities couldn’t achieve. 

Zhao Yao didn’t take this matter to heart and even found it a bit troublesome.

A staff member brought their phone over and showed Zhao Yao the messages from the live chat. As Zhao Yao had just recovered from the fever and was still feeling a bit uncomfortable, he was momentarily overwhelmed by the colorful effects and barrage on the screen.

The staff member hadn’t expected Zhao Yao’s popularity to be so high. He cautiously suggested, “The fans in the chat are asking to see you live. Would you like to say a few words?”

The fans in the chat were eager, but Pei Mingzhan’s camera didn’t move in that direction.

【Damn! I didn’t expect this from you, Pei Mingzhan!】

【I see now, this man is in control of everything.】

【Why can’t you just kneel down and beg him? [Image: begging.jpg]】

Just when the fans thought there was no hope, Zhao Yao walked into the frame and greeted Pei Mingzhan before looking at his phone screen.

Zhao Yao greeted them briefly, “Hello, everyone.”

Pei Mingzhan didn’t expect him to come over. The camera capturing Zhao Yao was an accident, and he didn’t anticipate that Zhao Yao would come directly to find the director after waking up. Seeing that Zhao Yao seemed to be in good spirits, he didn’t ask the concerned questions he had in mind.

【It’s the real Mr. Zhao!】

【Mr. Zhao, why are you there?】

【Wasn’t “Youxian” funded by Huihua?】

【So it was funded by Huihua?】

Zhao Yao felt a bit tired looking at the barrage on the screen and turned to ask Pei Mingzhan what they were saying. After scanning the messages, Pei Mingzhan said, “They’re asking why you came here.”

That question? Zhao Yao simply replied, “To accompany my family on a vacation.”

Pei Mingzhan continued, “They’re asking how the vacation atmosphere is over there.”

Zhao Yao hesitated for a moment and said, “It’s not bad.”

Pei Mingzhan smiled at him and asked, “How’s the performance of the guests?”

Zhao Yao replied, “It’s pretty good.”

【?? Pei Mingzhan, are you hiding something?】

【What? Pei Mingzhan is actually so cunning?】

【We didn’t ask, Zhao Yao, look at me. When are you going to open a Weibo account?】

【Zhao Yao, look at the barrage, don’t listen to old Pei!】

【Zhao Yao! Look over here and post a few more pictures, please!】

Pei Mingzhan smiled and said, “So my performance is not bad.”

【What do you mean by “not bad”?】

【Why do I feel like he’s beating around the bush?】

【Pei Mingzhan, what’s gotten into you? Is this the first time you’re letting loose during a live broadcast?】

【I never knew you were like this, Pei Mingzhan.】

What do they mean by all this?

At first, Zhao Yao didn’t realize the intention behind the question and thought it was just a polite remark. It was only when he glanced at the barrage on the screen that he realized the netizens weren’t asking casually. He hadn’t paid much attention to the guests’ performances during the program recording, as it was the responsibility of the program team and didn’t concern him much. Pei Mingzhan should have known that…

Zhao Yao looked at Pei Mingzhan with some curiosity, wondering what he meant by that.

“We have other projects scheduled to be released early next year,” Zhao Yao replied, choosing to focus on the barrage. He noticed that some fans were also interested in knowing what productions Huihua would release during the winter break. “We have plans for the winter break as well. Just keep an eye on our official social media accounts for updates.”

As he responded to fans’ questions, Zhao Yao noticed a term that had been mentioned several times: “Career fans?”

“It’s a type of fan,” Pei Mingzhan explained, looking at him.

Zhao Yao raised an eyebrow slightly. “I know what career fans are.”

Pei Mingzhan chuckled. “Alright, I know.”

After spending only about five minutes, Zhao Yao left and followed the director to another room. Pei Mingzhan continued to show the fans around the guesthouse. Near the end of the livestream, he said, “Thank you all for your concern about what happened last night. Online rumors can be true or false, so everyone should learn to distinguish between right and wrong. Let’s look forward to the official release of ‘Youxian’ in two weeks. This place is indeed a great vacation spot.”

-*

While the “Li Meng” program team was on break, Zhang Qi received a call from his manager.

During this period, Zhang Qi had been immersed in the atmosphere of filming and paid little attention to online information. Usually, his manager would inform him of any important updates. Huihua had arranged a well-known industry manager for him, who was efficient and respected the actors’ personal schedules. Zhang Qi initially thought he would have other work besides acting, but after his manager asked about his preferences, he hadn’t bothered him again, hoping he could focus on his acting.

“Brother, what’s the matter?” Zhang Qi, still wearing heavy ancient costume attire, grabbed a small stool and sat outside.

The manager said, “If you have time, you should check Weibo. News about Shiyang Films has been exposed, including your former company, Dingfeng Entertainment. It’s something you should look into.”

Zhang Qi was momentarily stunned. After ending the call, he went online to see what was happening. It turned out that the dirty dealings behind Dingfeng and Shiyang Films had been exposed. He recognized one of the artists who exposed the situation, someone who had debuted around the same time as him and was inexplicably frozen by the company.

Trembling, he scrolled through the revelations, recalling the hardships he had endured over the past few years. It made him realize how much he had suffered.

For such a large-scale exposure, there was no way it could have happened without someone backing it up behind the scenes. Dingfeng and Shiyang Films had that Mr. Lin behind them… But this time, Shiyang Films hadn’t been able to suppress the trending topic in time. Very few companies in the industry would dare to confront Shiyang Films head-on, and most of the companies that had a grudge against them lacked the ability to do so.

Thinking about his manager calling specifically to let him know about the trending topic, could Huihua be involved in this?

Zhang Qi quickly found the details of the incident and had an epiphany when he saw the mention of the “Youxian” program. Only Zhao Yao would dare to do such a thing…

“Qi-ge, you can start preparing for the next scene,” a crew member called out.

“It’s here.” Zhang Qi looked at the artist’s statement and gave it a thumbs-up in satisfaction. Shiyang Films had done so many dirty deeds over the years, and it was about time they faced the consequences!

The program team was still busy.

Brother Dai contacted the company after the livestream ended. He had been apologizing to Pei Mingzhan all along, although the latter didn’t blame him openly. But Xiao Xu was his temporary assistant, so he should bear the primary responsibility. The company hadn’t said a word, as Shiyang Films was deeply embroiled in public opinion due to the exposure of their dirty secrets.

Over the years, he had worked hard for the company, but they didn’t support him in other matters. After all, the company had other newcomers who needed resources. However, he never expected that at the critical moment, the company would still scheme against him.

Brother Dai  pondered for a long time before calling a familiar lawyer. “Hello, Lawyer Zhang, yes, it’s about the matter I talked to you about before…”

-*

Brother Lao woke up feeling a bit groggy. He scrolled through the messages in the studio group and found that the situation had been mostly resolved, which put his mind at ease. Huihua had responded quite swiftly in this regard, knowing how to use the livestream to divert attention.

He lazily leaned back on the sofa when he suddenly remembered, “When was the livestream?”

At that moment, Lele walked in and saw that Brother Lao was awake. He said, “Lao-ge, you’re awake. Pei-ge just finished the livestream.”

“How was the livestream?” Brother Lao yawned. “Did the fans react well?”

Lele nodded and said, “It went pretty well. The program team had made thorough arrangements.”

He then added, “Oh, by the way, Mr. Zhao also entered the livestream.”

“Mr. Zhao???” Brother Lao, who had been reading online comments, was suddenly taken aback. “What do you mean???”

“Just that, Mr. Zhao accidentally appeared in the frame,” Lele said, trying to reassure him. “Don’t worry, Lao-ge. I read the online comments, and people didn’t really think much of it.”

Lele thought Brother Lao was overreacting. Ever since the incident at the aquarium, where there was a misunderstanding and he became overly anxious, he had been extra cautious about Brother Pei and Mr. Zhao. But in the eyes of netizens, the matter between the two friends might not be given much thought. It wasn’t a big deal.

However, Brother Lao immediately opened the link to the livestream provided by the program team and saw the discussions among netizens.

The livestream by the “Youxian” program team had achieved significant results. The fans who were initially worried when they saw their own artists appearing in the livestream had now put their minds at ease. Pei’s fans noticed that he was relaxed, contrary to the exaggerated claims made by marketing accounts.

Netizens had compiled the details from the program team’s announcement and noticed that the mentioned company in the statement overlapped with the management agency of a certain artist among the program’s guests. They inquired whether there was a connection between the private matter and that artist, but the program team did not provide a definitive response in the comments section of their official account.

【Actually, you can tell there’s something fishy just by reading that statement. The company the sasaeng fans belong to still hasn’t issued a statement, but the program team is working hard to clean up the situation.】

【True, this whole thing is a bit strange. It exploded so quickly, and when you click into it, it’s all about looking at pictures.】

【Didn’t they report it to the police? Let’s wait for the investigation results. Currently, it’s clear that there were some oversights from the program team, but they are also doing their best. Let’s wait for further updates.】

【Initially, I was quite anxious, but the program team’s actions are indeed the best way to handle the situation at this stage. Let’s all calm down a bit. Many girls have been led astray by those marketing accounts.】

Apart from these discussions about the incident, more comments shifted towards the topic of the livestream, especially after Mr. Zhao from Huihua appeared, which further boosted the excitement surrounding the livestream.

【Why are you all so worried? The financial backers behind the program team are present on-site. Do you think any troublemakers can stay?】

【I have to say, Mr. Zhao has made me feel much more at ease! Seeing him calms me down completely!】

【The radiant manner in which Lao Pei speaks reminds me of when they pretended to be ordinary passersby during the recording of the cultural tourism program hhhh.】

【There were even marketing accounts saying that the relationship between the two of them wasn’t good, but it turns out they are on good terms!】

【Wait a minute??? Are your concerns really that simple?】

【Yes, I also find it strange. With the way the two of them interacted, how come no one’s asking about it???】

【As a fan of this CP, I am extremely satisfied. I’ve already saved the clips of their interactions. Wuwuwu.】

【Sigh, didn’t any of you find it suspicious? Mr. Zhao is from S City, why would he come to H City for a vacation in the countryside? And when Pei Mingzhan asked him questions, he hesitated before answering, saying he came with ‘family’ for the vacation!】

【What?! So that’s what it is?】

【Everyone is watching the livestream, why are you so good!】

Brother Lao read through the normal comments and started to calm down, suddenly the comments from the fans shipping the CP appeared, causing his alertness to rise again. However, he noticed that while some fans were shipping the CP, others didn’t take it seriously. He felt that everything had become too bizarre! He scrolled through the comment section for a long time before realizing something…

It seemed that since the last time, Pei Mingzhan’s deliberate or unintentional lack of denial had already put fans at ease. And when he thought about Pei Mingzhan’s calm behavior… this guy! Following Pei Mingzhan’s approach, it was evident that he was slowly boiling the fans like frogs in warm water. Once fans got used to their interaction and if the truth about their relationship was revealed, not all fans might believe it.

Brother Lao tightly held his phone, sighing and shaking his head. He initially thought Pei Mingzhan’s pursuit tactics were cunning enough, but he never expected him to be so strategic in his plans!

Author’s note: Brother Lao looks up at the sky.jpg