"Naomi, it seems like you haven't answered my question from earlier," Laila said, propping her chin up and smiling at her. "Are you interested in joining my new movie?"
"Of course! I'm very interested!" Naomi, no longer shy or modest, slammed the table and stood up. "As long as you give me a chance, I believe you won't be disappointed!"
She knew that many top-notch actors aspired to work with Director Moran. Just look at the movies she had made before; every one of them was a classic and received praise from around the world. She didn't aspire to any major roles; as long as she could get a few lines of dialogue and become familiar with one of her movies, it would be enough!
Like Roy Seasonstar, Charlize Theron, and a bunch of other actors who had appeared in her movies, any one of them had already gained great fame. Wasn't it all because they had acted in her movies?
As she had said, all she wanted was a chance! She only hoped for a chance!
"That's wonderful. Give me your agent's phone number; I'll have my people contact them after the party."
Naomi looked a bit embarrassed as she rubbed her hands together. "My agent has resigned, and now I'm on my own."
Laila deliberately showed a surprised look. "Not having an agent can be inconvenient. How about this: if you don't mind, I have an agency under my company, and you can sign with us as an actress."
Naomi could hardly believe her ears, and she couldn't fathom her good luck. She even had the chance to join Moran's company!
"Why me?" She still didn't quite understand.
Laila looked at her with her ice-blue eyes gleaming. "I told you, opportunities are given to those who are prepared. Your performance just now showed me your potential. And my company needs talented people to nurture. It's that simple."
But was it really that simple?
Naomi didn't think so at all. She knew how many A-list actors had been turned down by Director Moran. But now she was willing to give her a chance! This made her determined that no matter what role she was given, she would perform her best!
"I wonder what role you want me to play?" Naomi asked.
Laila smiled lightly, "Didn't I make it clear earlier? It's the leading role, the female lead in my next movie, the same character you portrayed earlier, the noble girl who loves pirates."
"Ah?!" Naomi's vision dimmed, and she almost fainted from excitement. Happiness had come too suddenly. Just a moment ago, she was a miserable soul who couldn't even afford the bus fare back to Hollywood, and now she was offered the female lead.
Laila, as if she thought Naomi's level of surprise was insufficient, dropped another bombshell.
"I estimate the budget for this film will be around $120 million. Congratulations, you're going to play the female lead in a big-budget production."
Naomi plopped off her chair and sat on the floor.
The female lead... and in a big-budget production... If this was a dream, please don't let her wake up!
Finally, the dazed Naomi followed Laila. After all, she had nothing except her luggage. She had no money for her return trip, no place to stay, and no idea where she would eat in the future. Besides clinging to her boss's thigh, she had no other options.
Laila didn't mind, and after bidding farewell to her grandfather and mother, she took Naomi back to Hollywood.
The company had already established a relatively complete system. Once a newcomer was signed, they could apply for accommodation and receive training arranged by the company. So Laila only needed to hand Naomi over to Louise and inform her that she was the female lead in the new movie and would sign a contract with the company. The rest didn't require her attention.
For Laila, there was a more important matter that needed her attention – the issue of Faize and her "plagiarism."
What would make her make a decision was a scandal that had erupted a few days ago. A prominent university professor's paper was found to be plagiarized from other countries. In the academic world, this was a very embarrassing scandal, and for the university involved, it was akin to being put on a pillar of shame.
A highly educated professor plagiarized the work of others, which was, in itself, a topic worth discussing. However, in general, the people who would pay attention to this were mostly from the academic world. However, their luck was bad; they had just experienced the scandal of Laila's "plagiarism," so, with the active promotion of certain individuals, it became a societal topic.
A societal topic wasn't just discussed by a single group of people, but rather by the entire society. People from all walks of life, from 80-year-olds to 8-year-old children, would express their opinions on it.
Seeing that it had reached the level of public attention she wanted, Laila decided not to wait any longer. Otherwise, her new movie's production work would be exposed before the issue was resolved, which would divert attention away from the film's promotion.
"Boss, did you call for me?" Louise knocked on the door from outside.
"Yes, Louise." Laila gestured for her to sit down. "Is Naomi settled in?"
"The contracts that needed to be signed have been completed." Louise couldn't see any shining qualities in Naomi. An actress who had been in Hollywood for several years had even been abandoned by her agent and was now almost 32 years old, was on the verge of not even being able to play supporting roles. Given this, Louise couldn't understand her boss's thinking in considering Naomi as an important talent to develop.
However, even if she couldn't understand, she still had to do what was required.
Laila nodded. "I have high hopes for her future potential. Take care of her as needed, and have her undergo some relevant training soon."
"I understand," Louise said, looking at her. "You are back this time, Are you ready to handle the situation this time?" She was referring to the plagiarism issue. Every time she saw that word, she got a headache, and she really admired her young boss for being able to turn a blind eye to it.
Laila smiled meaningfully. "It's about time."