"If you work under Laila, you'd better expect her to scold you," Roy, the most experienced in receiving a scolding, proudly said, "If you make a mistake and she doesn't even mention it, that means you no longer qualify to be under her."
"Could you get fired?"
"It depends. She's not that heartless," Roy shrugged, feeling like he sometimes didn't understand what she was thinking. Sometimes she was as wicked as a witch, and other times as kind as an angel. "Do you know what people call her outside?"
"Something like 'witch,' right?" Leonardo had also heard of her, after all, her actions always caused quite a stir.
"Not that, something else! Genius! Everyone calls her a genius!" Roy exclaimed, "Only the most talented can keep up with her. Do you know how much money outsiders offer to lure people away from her team in the company?" Without waiting for an answer, he exaggeratedly gestured a large circle with his hands, "It's several times what it is now!"
"It's unbelievable. She's younger than us, right?" Leonardo looked astonished at Laila, "So, how many people from your company have been poached?"
"Poached? Are you kidding?" Roy scoffed, "The capable ones stay, only those eliminated are poached. Who doesn't know she's a rising star? Being around her could get you an Oscar soon. Where else can you find such an opportunity if you go to another company? Besides, the company benefits are good too. Anyone with a little brain knows how to choose!"
The two of them whispered there, unaware that their voices, though low, were still caught by Laila's ears to some extent. As they prepared to switch to the next person after taking photos of Heidi, Laila turned to Demi and asked, "Am I a tyrant?"
Only then did Demi realize that Laila had heard Roy's words, She looked over there and then awkwardly replied, "No, not at all. You're very good."
"Is that so?" Laila responded calmly, refocusing her attention on the shoot.
But that "Is that so?" left Demi perplexed. Did Laila believe her words, or was she just being polite? Were her words not sincere enough, making them sound insincere?
Unfortunately, she would never get an answer.
After finishing the photoshoot in the forest, Laila led the models to the next enclosed area. Compared to the witch scene, the SAW scene was even darker. This darkness was not only in the set design but also in the atmosphere.
Upon entering the eerie scene, a chill would run down your spine. The eerie atmosphere was intensified by the visible bloodstains and dismembered limbs.
Roy and Leonardo were having a blast. The startled models huddled around them like frightened rabbits, seeking warmth.
Laila couldn't be bothered to investigate whether the "startled" reactions were genuine or not. As long as they followed her instructions during work, even if they stripped Roy and Leonardo naked and devoured them, she could pretend she hadn't seen anything.
See, she was so understanding. How could anyone call her a tyrant?
In the SAW scene, she had chosen the most crucial setting: the abandoned restroom where the male protagonist had to cut off his foot with a saw before escaping.
The set reconstruction in the park was excellent. The spot where the male lead had been shackled still had a blackened piece of a lower leg and a foot, along with a pool of darkened blood.
These details were not present during the shoot; they were recreated according to the plot after filming concluded.
Following the plan, Laila had the models take their turns. Roy and Leonardo, who had watched the whole process from surprise to indifference, didn't know what comments to make anymore.
Shooting an underwear advertisement in a horror movie location – could humans even come up with that? If this was considered creativity, then anyone could randomly come up with ideas, right? Not to mention that it wasn't just Roy and Leonardo who didn't understand; even the other people lacked confidence. Even the models had their doubts.
However, they weren't too concerned. They believed that Laila's excellence as a photographer and a creative genius must be behind her decisions. If they, as ordinary employees, could easily guess her intentions, then wouldn't everyone become photographers and creative minds?
Laila's work was progressing smoothly, but the tourists who had come to experience the horror movie atmosphere and found an area closed off were not happy. They hadn't saved a single penny, so why were they being denied entry? That area was probably the most critical part of the whole film. Without taking a few photos there, how could they brag about having been here? At first, Laila had considered not closing off the entire park because some ticket holders might want to come in. Besides, it wouldn't take more than a few hours.
After taking a few photos, they could move on to other areas. In her view, they could explain the closure to the visitors with maintenance excuses, offer them special meals or souvenirs, and let them explore other parts of the park. By the time they circled back, the closed-off area would be accessible again.
However, she didn't anticipate that one of the tourists outside the enclosed area was a friend of a park employee. Initially, after hearing the reason for the closure, he had planned to visit other areas. But when he asked his friend about the expected repair time, he was met with a bewildered expression. Repair? What repair? So he asked around and found out that the behind-the-scenes big shots had arrived with a group, and the closed-off area wasn't being repaired but used by them for some unknown purpose. Unlike the higher-ups, employees at the lower rungs like them certainly wouldn't know the full details. But they were numerous, and Laila was a familiar face in the media. While she might not have as many public appearances as other stars, being the big boss had its significance. As employees, how could they not recognize the face of the big boss? Hence, neither the models nor Roy, nor even Leonardo, were recognized. Instead, Laila, who had less exposure, was spotted by an employee.
Upon hearing this news, the tourists got excited. Damn, it's Laila! The Laila, the hottest genius director in Hollywood right now! If they could just get a chance to interact with her, maybe even shake hands and take a picture, how envious would others be? With this sentiment, the tourist made a flurry of calls to his friends before secretly sneaking into the closed-off area.
Unfortunately, his luck wasn't great. He had barely taken a few steps before being discovered and kindly asked to leave. Not to mention getting a photo with Laila, he hadn't even caught a glimpse of her shadow. And in comparison, Laila's luck was even worse. The tourist had called a friend who happened to be an entertainment journalist...