Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path

The live stream sparked extensive discussions online. Originally, “Youxian” was already a topic of debate, but the sincere apology from the show’s program team and the patient explanations from the guests led the netizens to start paying attention to this relatively unknown small variety show. Some even went back to watch the first episode that had already aired and found that the program was straightforward, with guests enjoying a leisurely vacation-like atmosphere, except for the fact that they are responsible for their own meals.

【How should I put it? The pacing is slow, but it’s just right for relaxing.】

【Except for Dai Xuan, I don’t recognize the other regular guests, but you can feel that they are very relaxed in the program.】

【Really? After hearing Pei Pei’s introduction, I really want to give it a try…】

…

After the live stream, Pei Mingzhan filmed a few additional shots and then went to the neighboring guesthouse to find Zhao Yao. When he entered it Pei Mingzhan didn’t see Zhao but instead encountered Brother Lao, who looked quite upset.

Pei Mingzhan asked, “Did Zhao Yao not come here?”

“Don’t think I don’t know you two slept in the same bed last night,” Brother Lao said, feeling increasingly convinced that Pei Mingzhan was an unpredictable man with countless tricks and schemes hidden beneath his thick skin. “I was left at the village entrance by you, but luckily a kind-hearted old man showed me the way…”

“Are you done with work?” Pei Mingzhan inquired.

Brother Lao glanced at the work group chat on his computer and replied, “Not yet.”

He added, “Is that the point?!”

Pei Mingzhan had something on his mind and said, “Then you go ahead, I’ll come over later.”

“…”Brother Lao refrained from swearing but held back. He saw Pei Mingzhan about to leave before finally saying, “Zhao Yao took his medicine earlier and asked the doctor about his fever. The doctor said it had gone down and advised him to rest more, but he still went out. He should be at the program crew’s place…”

When Pei Mingzhan came out, Uncle Wang entrusted him with taking a thermos flask to Zhao Yao. 

As expected, Zhao Yao was indeed in the program team’s room. He was sitting in a small room that the program team had temporarily borrowed. The program manager was reading some documents nearby, and Zhao Yao was on the phone. There was a fever patch on his forehead, and he had taken off his coat and placed it on a chair nearby.

“Okay, I understand. You don’t need to worry about contacting Shi Yang. Let them go for a few days,” Zhao Yao said calmly. “As for other matters, you don’t have to handle them yourself. Someone else will take care of it.”

He noticed Pei Mingzhan entering the room and nodded slightly in acknowledgment before continuing his conversation with the person on the phone.

Since the incident yesterday happened suddenly, he had briefly instructed Chen Xi and Lao Zheng to handle it. But he didn’t know how they were progressing. Now that he felt slightly better, he called to ask about the situation. The person he just spoke with was Lao Zheng. Normally, Zhao Yao’s affairs here didn’t have much to do with the assets managed by Lao Zheng. But this time Shi Yang’s schemes had gone too far, and Zhao Yao couldn’t let Huihua bear the brunt without responding.

The boss of Panda Platform and Lao Zheng were good friends, and Zhao Yao had paid attention to various domestic video platforms during the previous busy period with live streaming. It was then that he learned about the connection between Lao Zheng and Panda. Since Shi Yang liked to use connections to suppress their Huihua’s projects, how could Zhao Yao let Huihua suffer?

Lao Zheng asked him why he didn’t consider moving Huihua’s project to the Panda Platform after hearing about the incident. But Zhao Yao had his own considerations. He arranged for Chen Xi to find a connection at Xingchen to allow him to naturally take over the previous connections and relationships from Xingchen. These trivial matters are often the things that could help the team from Xingchen to integrate with Huihua.

From a long-term perspective, Panda Platform was indeed a good platform, but he wasn’t in a rush to transfer all the projects to one platform. On the one hand, the competition between platforms could bring them many benefits, and on the other hand, the new team that had just joined Huihua still needed time to adjust and integrate.

Besides, Zhao Yao realized another issue. Chen Xi’s capability was indeed good, but he had provided too much convenience to Huihua. It might not be entirely beneficial for Huihua’s team.

Pei Mingzhan sat down beside him and without hesitation, draped his coat over Zhao Yao, then lifted his hand to check his forehead’s temperature.

Zhao Yao slightly leaned back when his forehead was touched, but when he saw that it was Pei Mingzhan, he didn’t react further. “Okay, you’ve worked hard on this matter,” he said.

After ending the call, Zhao Yao asked Pei Mingzhan, “Why did you come over?”

The program manager noticed that the two seemed to have something to discuss, so he picked up some files and went out to update the director on the situation. The room was now only left with Zhao Yao and Pei Mingzhan.

Pei Mingzhan had just checked Zhao Yao’s temperature. Although the fever had subsided, he still felt a bit warm. “Is this how you use a fever patch?” he asked.

Zhao Yao had felt a slight fever after taking the medicine at noon, so he casually put on a fever patch. “Then how should I use it?”

“Put on your clothes properly, even in a warm room. Don’t take it too lightly.” Pei Mingzhan replied as he held Zhao Yao’s hand. He noticed the needle marks from last night’s infusion on the back of Zhao Yao’s hand. “You should pay attention to your health. Taking care of your well-being is good, but during this period, you also lack exercise. When the weather changes, it’s easy to catch a cold.”

With Pei Mingzhan’s reminder, Zhao Yao realized that he had indeed overlooked this problem. Usually, he maintained a regular lifestyle at home, but he rarely did activities like morning jogs or walks, neglecting physical exercise.

His gaze caught Pei Mingzhan massaging his fingers. He had felt sore all over when he had a fever, but now being massaged, he felt a difficult-to-describe comfort. “Were you busy until late last night?”

“Not too late. Once you finished the IV, you went to rest,” Pei Mingzhan replied with a smile. “You held my hand and wouldn’t let go, then made me lie down on the bed.”

Zhao Yao was a bit dazed, he only remembered that he asked Pei Mingzhan to come up and rest with him in the middle of the night. He couldn’t recall anything else. When Pei Mingzhan mentioned the hand-holding incident, he said, “People online say that the feeling of holding hands is hard to describe. Some say they feel nothing, while others say their heartbeat quickens… When you asked me how it feels to hold hands, I didn’t understand it at the time, but now I think I have a bit of an idea.”

Pei Mingzhan looked at him unexpectedly.

Zhao Yao added, “I feel very comfortable.”

Pei Mingzhan chuckled at his response. “I thought you had figured it out?”

“I think I have,” Zhao Yao replied, looking at him.

Pei Mingzhan asked, “Is the feeling of holding hands with me the same as holding hands with others?”

Zhao Yao hadn’t held hands with anyone else, so he found the question a bit strange. “I haven’t held hands with anyone else.”

Pei Mingzhan didn’t expect him to be so serious and laughed, “What if Yao Bai holds your hand? Would you feel the same?”

Without thinking, Zhao Yao blurted out, “No, I wouldn’t.”

“Are you sure about that?” Pei Mingzhan was surprised.

Zhao Yao looked at Pei Mingzhan’s slightly moving hand. His fingers were slender and when pressing down, he could feel the strength in them, which gave him a comforting feeling. For some reason, Zhao Yao was certain that he wouldn’t experience this kind of sensation with anyone else.

Even though  Pei Mingzhan’s actions seemed casual, Zhao Yao had a strange sensation that his hand was being treasured by him.

Zhao Yao didn’t initially understand where that seemingly groundless trust in a romantic relationship came from. However, after spending time together, he seemed to grasp the different aspects of this connection.It was as if intimate interactions themselves created a unique understanding, making certain things become secrets only shared between two people, like holding hands…

“What about Shi Yang? How is it going?” Pei Mingzhan noticed his lack of response and quickly changed the topic to something else. “You were still busy dealing with things even while you were sick?”

In truth, Zhao Yao hadn’t done much. Many things were resolved by the time he woke up from his sleep. Absent-mindedly, he said, “The Lin family at Shi Yang’s side is not invincible either. After the scandals broke out, their projects were affected one after another. The higher-ups at Shi Yang just called Chen Xi to discuss a settlement.”

“But you don’t plan to settle,” Pei Mingzhan responded.

“Of course not. Shi Yang has been making significant moves in the industry for years, and people like Lin have been fawning over them. Now that trouble has come, they want to use someone as a scapegoat to pacify the situation. It’s not that simple.” Zhao Yao calmly stated, “Since they are willingly offering themselves as sheep, why not fleece them?”

Pei Mingzhan couldn’t help but be amused by Zhao Yao’s straightforward approach. “How are you going to fleece them?”

“No need to get our hands dirty,” Zhao Yao said simply. “Just let them be.”

Pei Mingzhan released Zhao Yao’s hand and then handed him the thermos he had brought earlier. He also gave Zhao Yao some throat lozenges. “After finishing the recording, do you have any other plans?”

Zhao Yao’s throat felt a bit itchy from talking too much. After drinking water and taking the lozenges, he simply said, “No, I should be staying here for a while. Uncle Wang really likes the atmosphere here, so I’ll stay a bit longer.”

“Oh, is that so? I also wanted to invite you to my home.” Pei Mingzhan smiled. “You know, I’m from H City.”

When H City was mentioned, Zhao Yao suddenly remembered that Uncle Wang had mentioned that the Pei family and his mother’s family, the Zheng family, seemed to have a good relationship. But Pei Mingzhan had never brought up this matter. Zhao Yao also realized that he hadn’t visited his uncle’s place in H City. He thought it might be best to forget about it for now. “No, I’ll visit your house some other time when I have the chance.”

“Oh, is that so?” Pei Mingzhan paused again.

Zhao Yao noticed that Pei Mingzhan’s hands were casually resting on his legs, and he felt a lingering sensation from where Pei Mingzhan had touched him. It made him feel a bit itchy inside, and he wondered why Pei Mingzhan wasn’t holding his hand anymore.

“After I return to S City, do you have time?” Zhao Yao asked, looking a bit puzzled.

“Yes, I do. Why?” Pei Mingzhan looked at him with curiosity.

Zhao Yao shifted his gaze away from Pei Mingzhan’s hand and replied, “Good, then I’ll make plans to meet you then.”

-*

The recording of the variety show “Youxian” only took three days, and soon it was completed. Pei Mingzhan left after the show finished, while Zhao Yao stayed in the countryside for a few more days before leaving. During this time, there were successive news reports about scandals involving Shiyang Films, and even the CEO of the company, Mr. Lin, was taken away by the police for investigation, allegedly related to illegal activities.

The gossip news didn’t provide detailed information, but people online were relieved to hear about the investigation.

【Unspoken rules are one thing, but being taken away for investigation might involve some other shady deals, right?】

【Shiyang Films has a significant reputation in the industry, producing numerous films and dramas every year. It’s surprising that they are now under investigation so quickly.】

【With such a big company, engaging in shady deals, it’s strange if they weren’t investigated.】

【My heart goes out to my goddess. Her youth was affected by being frozen, hoping that she will lead a happier life after leaving the circle.】

Shiyang Films is being investigated, and it turns out that behind the scenes were Zhao Yao and the Pei family. Surprisingly, a major scandal was exposed, involving a large grey industry chain, and the police are conducting a thorough investigation. Even the head of the investigation team called Chen Xi’s office to express gratitude, saying that this time it was all thanks to the enthusiastic citizens’ reports…

Chen Xi is quite puzzled. Initially, he only released the black materials that were piled up in the hands of paparazzi, but then a bunch of other black materials surfaced, with the help of many netizens. These netizens might seem like they’re just idle bystanders, but their analysis and data mining skills are impressive… However, the biggest reason was the involvement of Zhao Yao and the Pei family.

He is not very clear about the situation on Pei family’s side, so he could only call Pei Mingzhan’s studio to express his gratitude. On the Zhao family’s side, besides the familiar young master Zhao, even the Manager Liao, who went to RH for cooperation, brought condolences from the big boss. In short, Shi Yang Entertainment is likely to suffer significant losses this time, and the person with the surname Lin is probably going to be in serious trouble.

Apart from this, the company behind Xiao Xu, who was taken away earlier, is suspected of criminal activity, and the person in charge was taken away for investigation. After recording the show, Dai Xuan, who returned to the studio, also wrote a long Weibo post explaining the whole incident involving Xiao Xu, publicly apologizing, and announcing the termination of the contract with the original company.

【My goodness… I feel like there might be even more drama behind this incident.】

【Oh, oh, oh, oh! You finally terminated your contract with that trash company. I wish you all the best in the future!】

【Teacher Dai has had it tough too. He did so much work for an assistant he knew for less than half a month. Actually, the main responsibility for this incident lies with his company.】

【Teacher Dai’s contract had already expired a few years ago. Over the years, he had been working diligently for the company, helping to train new talents. It’s ironic that his reputation was damaged in the end because of the temporary assistant the company assigned to him.】

【Trash company deserves to be criticized!!】

Just as the online discussions were still ongoing, Zhang Qi finally wrapped up filming.

The project “Li Meng” went through numerous challenges from planning to completion, with the entire crew facing external pressure during the filming process. The script and actors were carefully selected and polished for this drama. Holding the flowers brought by his assistant, Zhang Qi also received a touching video from his manager, in which his daughter with a bright smile was sitting on a hospital bed, giving her father her best wishes, leaving Zhang Qi teary-eyed.

Meanwhile, when the online discussions were ongoing, Zhang Qi finally completed filming for his drama “Farewell to Dreams.” This project went through numerous challenges from planning to completion, with the entire crew facing external pressure during the filming process. The script and actors were carefully selected and polished for this drama. Zhang Qi held the flowers given by his assistant and received a video from his manager featuring his daughter’s bright smile, sitting on a hospital bed and sending her blessings to her father, which brought tears to Zhang Qi’s eyes.

To celebrate the completion of the filming, Huihua organized a wrap-up banquet, and the entire crew was in attendance and everyone from the entire crew was present.

An experienced actor placed his hand on Zhang Qi’s shoulder and said, “Our line of work isn’t easy, but you have a future ahead of you. Keep going strong.”

Zhang Qi was filled with mixed emotions as he nodded and agreed.

Completing the filming marked the end of a long period of pressure. The next steps would involve editing and seeking feedback once the actual show was aired. The entire program team took a moment to catch their breath, but they were still filled with both anticipation and anxiety about the future.

Meanwhile, Yao Bai called Zhao Yao while standing outside a restaurant.

Zhao Yao had been in the countryside for nearly half a month. At the beginning, he faced numerous issues and even had a fever. Yao Bai had thought of dropping everything and going to H City to help him. But Zhao Yao’s words pinned him to his current post, and he had been busy ever since. Zhao Yao’s morning flight to S City should have landed, and he was likely on his way from home to join Yao Bai now.

“Sure, there’s a bit of traffic at the intersection near the restaurant. Why don’t I come to pick you up?” Yao Bai asked.

Director Tang and other members of the program team stood at the restaurant’s entrance, shivering in the cold wind, waiting for Zhao Yao to arrive. When they heard that Zhao Yao was coming, they became nervous and afraid of their leader. Finally, with encouragement from Yao Bai and Director Tang, they tried to stay calm and composed.

They waited for about ten minutes until they saw a low-profile black sedan turning into the intersection. Director Tang straightened his suit and saw Zhao Yao getting out of the backseat while talking on the phone. His face remained calm as always, but the aura around him was imposing.

The others became even more nervous, but Yao Bai walked up and whispered to Zhao Yao.

“Yes, I just got back today. Are you still in H city?”Zhao Yao continued talking on the phone as he followed Yao Bai’s guidance and walked inside. “I came to see the wrap-up of ‘Li Meng’… I won’t be back late…”

Zhao Yao’s voice wasn’t loud, but everyone around could hear him.

Some people wondered who the big boss on the other end of the call could be. They found it surprising that Zhao Yao was walking and talking on the phone like this. Director Tang was closer, and as he listened to Zhao Yao’s way of speaking, he didn’t feel like he was talking to some corporate executive. Instead, it was more like a casual chat.

After ending the call, Zhao Yao nodded slightly towards everyone.

He originally hadn’t planned to come, but Yao Bai called him and invited him to visit the set during the wrap-up. “Li Meng” was a project full of twists and turns. Zhao Yao had initially considered visiting during the filming, given the immense popularity of “Li Meng” in its past life. He was curious whether they could achieve the same level of success in this life. However, due to the program team’s relocation to another city for shooting, he decided to postpone the visit.

As soon as he entered the restaurant, he saw the lead actor, Zhang Qi, standing at the entrance of the banquet hall.

It had been quite some time since Zhao Yao last saw Zhang Qi. Back then, the production had not yet started, but now the filming had wrapped up, and “Li Meng” was expected to meet the audience in two months. As the protagonist, Zhang Qi would face evaluations from all sides. The current Zhang Qi seemed a bit different from the one he had seen at the hospital. He still carried that noticeable sense of confidence, but compared to before, there was a subtle change.

Zhao Yao looked at him and said simply, “Zhang Qi, your confidence is admirable.”

Zhang Qi had been eager to see Zhao Yao again, but he had hoped to meet him after achieving some success. When he heard that Zhao Yao would attend the wrap-up banquet, he had been anxious until Zhao Yao spoke those words.

“Thank you very much for your trust.”

-*

In the Pei family in H city, Pei’s mother took out an old photo album and noticed that her youngest son was not around when she walked into the living room. She turned to Pei’s father, who was reading on the sofa, and asked, “Where did Peipei go?”

“He was just on the phone,” Pei’s father replied while reading. “I’m not sure who he was talking to. He didn’t even let me listen. He probably went to his room.”

Pei’s mother said, “I found Peipei’s childhood photo album while tidying up some things. When I was flipping through it, I noticed that several pages were missing, and I have no idea where they went. I was planning to show it to him.”

Just then, Pei’s elder brother came back from work and saw what their mother was holding, so he added, “Is that photo album still there?”

“I thought it was thrown into the utility room,” their mother replied while flipping through it.

“I thought Peipei took it. When he came back from abroad to develop in S City, he specifically came home to look through the photo album,” Pei’s elder brother continued. “I thought he took this one too. Where is he? Isn’t he coming down for dinner?”

Pei’s mother wondered why Pei Mingzhan was looking through his childhood photo album. When she went upstairs with the album to find him, she heard him talking to someone. The door to his room was open, and it seemed like he was making plans to meet someone. His tone was relaxed, not the usual serious tone he used at work.

Pei Mingzhan had been back for half a month and mostly stayed at home without going out. He either went through old things to find stuff or stayed in his room. It was because of him that their mother had to help sort through those old things, and that’s how this photo album was discovered.

Knock, knock.

Pei’s mother knocked on the door, “Who were you talking to on the phone?”

“I was talking to Zhao Yao. We’ve made plans to meet up and go back together,” Pei Mingzhan just hung up the phone.

Pei’s mother asked, “What is Xiao Yao busy with that he doesn’t come over to our house?”

Pei Mingzhan knew that she felt a bit regretful about Zhao Yao not visiting their home. She had urged him multiple times to bring Zhao Yao over. However, if Zhao Yao didn’t come, he must have his reasons, and Pei Mingzhan didn’t want to force him to come to their home as a guest. “Not many people know that he came to H City for vacation, and he didn’t visit the Zheng family either. It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to come to our place.”

Pei’s mother realized, “That makes sense. I heard he had fewer interactions with the Zheng family after his mother passed away.”

She asked again, “Did he return to S city?”

Pei Mingzhan replied, “Yes, he just returned today. His drama project under him has wrapped up, and they are having a wrap-up banquet now.”

Pei’s mother curiously inquired, “What drama is it? Why is he so dedicated to it?”

“It’s called ‘Leaving Dream.’ It should be released in a few months.” Pei Mingzhan had been here for almost twenty days now, even though he was working remotely. He couldn’t stay here for an extended period, so he added, “I’ll leave in two days and come back after the Chinese New Year.”

Pei’s mother noted down the drama’s name, thinking that she would watch it when it airs on television.

…

At the wrap-up banquet, Director Tang had a bit too much to drink and started bragging and complaining about the hard work the crew had put in over the past few months. Those who weren’t drunk pulled him aside to prevent any embarrassing remarks in front of Zhao Yao, who remained composed throughout.

At the beginning, many members of the crew wanted to toast Zhao Yao, but Yao Bai intercepted the alcohol and had the drinks replaced with tea. As a result, half of the table ended up drunk while Zhao Yao didn’t touch a drop and just sipped his tea.

Some people who wanted to use this opportunity to build connections found that whenever they approached Zhao Yao, he was engrossed in discussing the plot with Zhang Qi and showed no interest in other matters. They couldn’t even get a word in and had to stay alert to prevent Director Tang, who was drunk, from saying anything inappropriate.

Zhao Yao inquired with Zhang Qi and the producers, and with the information Yao Bai had shared earlier, he now had a good understanding of the current situation of “Li Meng.” He said, “Once the final cut is ready, send me a copy. I won’t stay here to ruin the fun. You all can enjoy yourselves.”

When he returned home, Uncle Wang had already tidied up the villa.

Uncle Wang had also prepared some sobering soup, but Zhao Yao didn’t drink alcohol, so he left the soup untouched. After being away from home for half a month,  Zhao Yao remembered what Pei Mingzhan had said about exercising and thought it was time to start working out. The unexpected fever he had experienced made him realize that besides maintaining a regular routine, he needed to improve his physical fitness as well.

“Master, the housekeeper found the photo album while tidying up this afternoon,” Uncle Wang handed a thick album to Zhao Yao. “These are all old photos taken by Madam when you were a child.”

Zhao Yao looked at the old album, feeling a sense of nostalgia. He took it and asked, “This is still here?”

“When Madam was here, she organized all the old photos. This set is from your childhood, and there are other photos from different periods in the house,” Uncle Wang remembered mentioning some details about Young Master’s childhood in H City. Seeing that Young Master seemed to be reminiscing, he had the housekeeper find these albums after Young Master returned.

Zhao Yao flipped through the album, finding his childhood pictures somewhat novel. When he came across photos of his grandparents, memories flooded back. He had very few memories of the Zheng family, and his mother had passed away early. Afterward, the Zheng family underwent changes, and his grandparents passed away, leaving all the responsibilities on his uncle’s shoulders. He stayed with the Zhao family, and the relationship between the two families gradually drifted apart.

Looking back now, he realized that in his previous life, he was a bit foolish and naive at times. Even though the Zheng family could have provided more reliable support, he believed in Zhao Zhikai’s sweet words and insisted on competing with Zhao Zhangshuo, to prove himself and establish superiority over others. This further led the relationship with the Zheng family drifted further apart.

In the beginning, his uncle would still call and greet him during festivals and special occasions. Later on, due to a conflict of interests between the Zhao family and the Zheng family, he completely disregarded face and acted on his own.  His uncle probably saw him as too wild and ruthless, and those greetings gradually became less frequent and eventually stopped altogether.

“I sometimes behave like a hypocrite,” Zhao Yao touched the old photos with his fingertips, “Isn’t the Lunar New Year coming soon?”

Uncle Wang was a bit surprised by the question, “Yes.”

Zhao Yao said calmly, “Then let’s prepare some gifts to send to the Zheng family. Although I didn’t visit them during my trip to H City this time, we shouldn’t neglect the proper etiquette.”

Uncle Wang nodded in agreement. “Understood.”

For a while, Zhao Yao remained quiet and continued looking at the photos. When he came across the photos of him wearing costumes, he paused for a moment.

Seeing this, Uncle Wang smiled and said, “When you were young, Madam loved to dress you up like this. I still remember one time when we went back with Madam, you ran out wearing a costume and held her hand, saying you didn’t want to wear it, which made Madam burst into laughter.”

“Grandma did indeed love doing those things,” Zhao Yao recalled his childhood memories and found it quite amusing.

As he turned to the next page in the album, Zhao Yao suddenly came across a certain photo.

In the photo, Zhao Yao is seen standing sideways, looking somewhat reluctant to pose for the picture. Beside him stands a buzz-cut boy holding a kite, with his arm draped over Zhao Yao’s shoulder, smiling towards the camera.

Author’s message: Peipei’s invitation to go back home is successful.