"It seems like you've been practicing seriously," Laila pinched his arm and nodded with satisfaction.
Roy didn't know why he felt a bit uneasy looking at her smile. He didn't experience the pride he usually felt when appreciated by a woman. Instead, he felt a shiver in his liver, as if he was about to be led to the slaughterhouse.
"Will anyone in the company dare not to execute the orders you give?" He hurriedly pulled down his sleeve, concealing his well-built muscles, lest the formidable boss decide to sell him by the pound.
Laila led him into her office. "What are your thoughts on pirates?"
"Pirates? That's a man's romance!" Roy struck a pose as if wielding a Western sword, demonstrating it with a practiced style that looked quite dashing. "What's up? Is the next movie going to be about pirates?"
"Of course not." Laila rested her chin on her hands, her eyes lighting up as she gazed at him as if he were a hen laying golden eggs. "It'll take another year or two to prepare."
Roy had been dejectedly sitting on the couch since she said it wasn't about pirates, but as soon as the second sentence came out, he jumped up and rushed to her. "Give me the lead role?"
"Why not?" Laila smiled at him. "Just continue completing the assignments I've given you. The lead role will be yours when the time comes." Of course, it would be his. Why else would she have started training him in various martial arts moves several months ago?
"Haha, don't worry." Roy laughed heartily. "It seems that a year or two from now, audiences will see the most handsome pirate in history. I wonder how many ladies will be drooling over my photos on lonely nights?" He arrogantly flicked his hair with his finger. "I truly am a sinful man."
Laila nodded. "You're right. That day will come soon."
Roy was taken aback, not believing his ears as he looked at her. "Are you feeling unwell? Is your head hurting again? Or do you have a fever?" How else could he hear her agreeing with him?
Laila found it strange too. "What's going on with all of you? How do you all perceive me in your minds? Am I just a sharp-tongued character? Can't I praise or agree with others?" He was like this, and so was Zeni. She simply agreed with them, yet were they all treating her as if she had lost her mind?
"How is that possible?" Roy exclaimed in astonishment. "You're our dearest boss. Nobody dares to say anything about you!"
"Alright, stop buttering me up. If you have something to say, just say it." Laila didn't believe he had anything better to do than come to wait for her.
Roy chuckled. "What's the new movie you've shot about? Can I have a role?"
"Are you interested too?"
"Of course! I must be!" Roy exclaimed. "You know, with Abel here, he's different from me. He's a super smart kid. I have to send him to the best schools!"
Laila understood. "So, you want to make some extra money?"
"Yes, coming to Hollywood has earned me quite a bit, but I've spent quite a bit too. I don't even know where it all went. I just feel like it's never enough."
Laila chuckled lightly. "Your luck has been pretty good. Whenever you attend events, people from Burberry provide you with free outfits. Otherwise, you'd spend a fortune just on clothing."
"Exactly!" Roy nodded in agreement, still shuddering from the memory.
He hadn't been willing at all when she asked him to model for Burberry's advertisements not long after he arrived in Hollywood. If someone else had asked him to model, he would have probably beaten them to death.
But as the company gradually signed more new talents, he realized how difficult it was for newcomers to break into the film industry, let alone become a star. As an actor, you needed to participate in movie promotions, like premieres, meet-and-greets, and award ceremonies. During those times, you definitely couldn't wear cheap clothes, and slightly better clothes would cost several thousand dollars at least.
While some luxury brands might sponsor celebrities with free clothing, it's unlikely that many C-list or B-list actors would qualify for such sponsorships. Whether these actors appeared or not, and what they wore during appearances, wouldn't matter to anyone.
Only A-list stars and promising newcomers worth paying attention to had a chance to receive such sponsorships. If lesser-known actors wanted to dress well, they'd either have to buy the clothes themselves or rely on connections to borrow them. Buying a piece of clothing wouldn't be cost-effective, as they usually wouldn't wear it more than once for an event. Borrowing also required specific connections, and they had to be careful not to damage the clothes while wearing them.
If they didn't attend events, they wouldn't be able to increase their exposure. If they did, they'd need a significant wardrobe budget, and wearing the same outfit to different events was discouraged. This meant that for wardrobe alone, actors would use up a substantial portion of their earnings.
Compared to that, Roy was much luckier. Laila helped him secure the Burberry modeling gig, and after the promotional campaign became successful, he also won the brand's endorsement contract. This meant that aside from Burberry's clothing, he couldn't wear any other brand on formal occasions. Burberry was a renowned luxury brand, and wearing their clothes wouldn't embarrass him, saving him a substantial amount of money.
For a newcomer like him, this was an unimaginable perk. Even though he hadn't realized it initially, witnessing the experiences of other newcomers in the company made him realize how fortunate he was.
"You must have known about this and that's why you helped me get this job, right? I was angry at you for making me model for so long because of that." Since it had been quite some time since those events, Roy didn't mind discussing them now.
However, he didn't know he had misunderstood. Laila had deliberately helped him secure the Burberry modeling position, but not merely for the sake of "petty" free clothing.
She wasn't a person who cared much about appearances even in her previous life. Clothes were just functional to her; she didn't worry about having something to wear. And with Janet as a designer mother in her second life, she had never been short on clothes either. Given her perspective, how could she think that Roy might have clothing issues?
The reason she arranged for Roy to be a model was to tap into Beverly's potential and elevate him to a higher position in the industry. Burberry's global promotional strategies in her previous life were incredibly effective, and getting him out there in front of a worldwide audience would be beneficial.
Her thinking had indeed been correct. Before Roy had even made a mark in movies, he gained popularity through the advertising campaign and managed to ride that wave for his film's release.