The club had assigned a spacious room for Laila, complete with a dedicated bar, personal service staff, and amenities like a karaoke machine for singing and a pool table for those interested. In comparison to the bars they used to visit, this was a whole new level of extravagance.
However, Laila knew that if they had the choice, many people from the crew would prefer the old bars. It felt less restrictive there, and there was no... boss around.
But for the sake of the plan's success, she didn't want to dampen everyone's spirits. After all, there was an unwise individual who had provoked her, so she had to make some compromises for the sake of the crew.
"Everyone," Laila gathered everyone's attention in the room after they had settled, by tapping a glass filled with drinks. "Thanks to your hard work, the new movie has finally been completed. I believe the box office will show everyone that your efforts have been worthwhile."
"Cheers!" The crowd cheered.
They were well aware of the hardships during filming and the efforts of the actors and director. They had grown accustomed to the various negative comments from outsiders and didn't take them to heart. As the boss said, whether it's a good movie or not would become clear once it was released.
Moreover, which of the boss's movies hadn't faced criticism at some point? The critics always ended up with their mouths shut when faced with the facts.
Laila smiled at the lively crowd and continued, "Today, we have a very distinguished guest among us. He is Prince Al Nadeem of Saudi Arabia. Please help me give him a warm welcome."
"Prince? It's actually a prince?" The crew members were astonished as they looked at Al Nadeem sitting in the middle.
They had long suspected that the foreigner in the white robe with so many bodyguards was no ordinary person, but they never imagined that he would turn out to be a prince!
Suddenly becoming the center of attention made Al Nadeem a little uncomfortable, especially with many actresses and female staff members around. When he saw their sparkling eyes, it reminded him of some unpleasant memories from his childhood, making him feel a bit stiff.
"Cough," he cleared his throat. "Please don't mind me, everyone."
However, how could anyone not be curious when they suddenly encountered a prince from so close? Furthermore, this prince seemed to have a good relationship with the boss. Could he be a future "boss's spouse"?
"How could we not pay attention to you?" Laila grinned and pulled Roy over to Al Nadeem. "Let him take good care of you."
"Me?"
"Him?"
The two who were named simultaneously stared at each other with wide eyes.
"Yeah, if I stay here, no one will enjoy themselves. I'll leave first. You all have fun," Laila said. Her last sentence was directed at the others in the room. Then, amidst a chorus of "sincere" pleas for her to stay, she made a graceful exit.
"Hey, you!" Al Nadeem was bewildered. If it weren't for her, why would he be in such a place with a bunch of strangers? But now that she had left so casually, what was the point of him staying?
By the way, why did he come here in the first place?
He was about to stand up and follow her when Roy handed him a large glass of beer.
"Prince, try our American beer. I promise it's not worse than the wine you rich folks drink."
Al Nadeem had no interest in drinking. "No, thank you. Since Laila has left, I'll go too. It's better if you all enjoy yourselves."
"How could that be? I'm sure many people are interested in you. Your departure would disappoint everyone," Roy said, knowing that Al Nadeem wanted to go after Laila. To save this lost lamb from being deceived by the witch for money and affection, he needed to keep him here.
"Everyone, what do you say, right?" He grinned and looked for allies.
"Yes!" The crew members genuinely felt that way.
They usually saw the Queen of England and princes the most on TV. Now, a handsome prince with a strong Arabic flavor had appeared. How could they easily let him go? Moreover, they were very interested in his relationship with the boss. As good employees of the company, how could they spend their working hours without gossip about the boss?
In just a short while, the prince was surrounded by members of the crew. Seeing that he didn't resist, his bodyguards, who were interested in their profession, also struck up conversations with some crew members. Their experience as mercenaries had a strong appeal to many people.
The reason the prince didn't refuse was not because he enjoyed such an environment. Instead, it was because Roy had casually draped his arm around him. After all the martial arts training he had undergone, Al Nadeem knew that subduing him would be far too easy. The prince, who lived a life of luxury, only occasionally visited the gym, so there was no hope of him having the strength to escape.
Not only that but Roy, who knew about the prince's so-called "fear of women," had called over many women from the crew. They surrounded the prince, asking about the life of royalty and various other topics.
The phrase "in hot water" couldn't have been more apt to describe Al Nadeem's current situation. Poor prince, he was so stiff that he could hardly speak. The fact that he hadn't passed out yet was a miracle even to himself.
But this was just the beginning, and it was clear that the party wouldn't end in just a few hours. This meant that the prince's miserable time was far from over.
May God help him. Watching Al Nadeem drenched in sweat, Roy sipped his beer and couldn't help but laugh, not feeling the least bit guilty.
Laila was driven back home by the club's car. She knew that journalists might be waiting outside the party, and she expected them to stay there for a while. That's why she didn't drive herself to the party.
Back at home, she focused all her energy on working on the special effects for "Pirates of the Caribbean." The special effects for this film were more extensive than all her previous movies combined, and she started working on the visual effects almost simultaneously with the start of the film's production. Therefore, she had to be meticulous in deciding which scenes needed special effects and which didn't, as failing to do so would result in a waste of time and resources.
In her previous life, the budget for "Pirates of the Caribbean" was $140 million. Looking at it now, it was indeed a significant investment. Even in Hollywood, this kind of budget could easily be considered for a blockbuster. However, it was only for the first film. Compared to the $225 million for the second film, $200 million for the third, and an unprecedented $250 million for the fourth, it fell short by a considerable margin.