Playfully, after the bar's waiter had come over to offer their enthusiastic service for the umpteenth time, the awaited person finally arrived.
Roy was the first to spot her and waved. "Kelly, come over here."
The girl, panting, rushed over. "Sorry, I'm late."
"You didn't run here, did you? You look tired," Roy said, signaling for a drink to be brought over for her.
Kelly smiled, picked up the glass, and downed it in one go to catch her breath. "What's the matter? Why did you want to see me?"
"Right, let me introduce you," Roy gestured towards Laila. "This is my boss, more precisely, she's the one who wants to meet you."
Kelly blinked and turned her gaze towards Laila. "Your boss?"
"Hello, I'm Laila Moran," Laila removed her sunglasses, revealing her natural face.
Even without makeup, her face, which had recently become famous even beyond Earth, was unmistakable, not to mention she had just mentioned her name.
Kelly was shocked, and her voice trembled as she asked, "Moran? The, uh, the famous director?" Just moments ago, she had been discussing Laila's situation with her friends while handing out flyers. How did she suddenly appear before her now?
Roy grinned cheekily and nodded. "Yes, being called 'boss' by me means she's the famous director."
Kelly instinctively smoothed her disheveled hair. "But why are you looking for me?"
Laila interlocked her fingers on the table. "Before we continue, would you mind introducing yourself?"
"Oh, right, I apologize." Kelly felt a bit embarrassed and smiled. "My name is Kelly Clarkson. I was born on April 24, 1982, and I'm 17 years old. I'm from Texas."
After she finished speaking, Roy couldn't help but chuckle. "Kelly, you don't have to be so nervous. I told you, it's good news." She had mentioned her birthdate and all, just how nervous was she?
Kelly, feeling like she'd overreacted, blushed slightly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Laila glanced at Roy and saw him gesture as if to say, "Keep your mouth shut." She then turned back to Kelly. "Do you watch TV or read newspapers in the morning by any chance? There's a person named Faiza who challenged me to create a song within a week that can rival 'Baby.' I don't care about her accusations, but I thought it was a good idea. According to Roy, you're a good singer. Would you be interested in singing my new song?"
Kelly was stunned and covered her mouth in disbelief. Of course, she knew about that. Girls like her who worked outdoors all day were often the fastest to receive information. Faiza had been on TV; her words had probably spread across every corner of the city and might have even reached the other side of the Earth through the internet.
"Baby" was an incredibly catchy song, and she was a devoted fan herself. So she did not doubt that Laila could create another song just as good. But she couldn't have imagined that this opportunity to sing would fall into her lap. Was this all real?
"What would I need to give in return?"
She cautiously asked, earning a smile from Laila. That was good; she wasn't blinded by the immense opportunity. Laila liked dealing with smart people.
"Do you like singing?"
Kelly nodded. "Yes, I love singing."
"Do you have any plans for the future in this regard?"
"Not really, but last year's American Idol was interesting. I thought about signing up, but I couldn't find the time." Kelly said regrettably.
Laila smiled slightly. "Do you know about the class system for Hollywood stars?"
"Uh?" Kelly was puzzled. There was a class system? "Do you mean the distinction between really famous and just famous?"
"No, not that kind," Laila's ice-blue eyes grew deeper. "Although nobody admits it, discrimination exists everywhere. In America, movie stars look down on TV stars, TV stars look down on singers, and singers look down on reality show contestants. So even if you become the champion of American Idol, you'll only be at the bottom of the star hierarchy. In the future, if you want to climb up, you'll need to put in a lot of effort. The biggest possibility is that no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to shake off the label of a reality show contestant."
In reality, under her influence, shows like "American Idol" appeared several years ahead of schedule. Last year's season was just the first, and the signs of discrimination weren't visible yet. However, as similar shows continued to proliferate and the barriers lowered, discrimination began to emerge.
Of course, Kelly had no way of knowing these things and had no opportunity to be exposed to them.
When she realized Laila was exaggerating, discrimination and the like had only just started to show its early signs.
"What you need to give is your voice and a contract. Once you agree, we'll sign an agency contract with you. At that time, we'll assign a dedicated agent to help you pave your way to stardom. All you need to do is make money for the company and keep moving forward on the path to stardom."
"Take your time to consider it; I'll give you a few days." Laila took out a pen and wrote down a phone number on a napkin. "Once you've made up your mind, call me. I hope you'll make a decision you won't regret."
With that, she stood up, patted Roy, who had served as a background and walked out of the bar.
"You're leaving like this?" Roy asked curiously as they got into the car. "Aren't you going to wait for her to make a decision?"
"You also said it, right? This is an opportunity, and whether she can seize it depends on her."
"I thought you'd at least have her sing a few lines. Do you trust my recommendation so much?" Roy raised an eyebrow, feeling like she wasn't usually this impulsive.
Laila smiled. "Yes, I trust your recommendation. The rapper from last time turned out pretty well, didn't he? I heard he's about to release an album."
"Yeah! That lucky guy! When he releases the album, I'm going to make a killing!" Roy excitedly drove the car, and he quickly forgot the question he had asked earlier.
Laila was certainly not a rash person. The reason she didn't ask Kelly to sing before making a decision was that she had recognized her.
This 17-year-old girl was actually the winner of the first season of "American Idol." Due to her influence, the show had come out several years ahead of its time. However, Kelly lost her chance to participate due to the show's premature launch. But judging by the flow of history and her words just now, it was likely that she would participate again in the future, possibly being defeated by others, or perhaps given another chance to become the champion.
But all of that was not important. As more and more reality TV shows appeared, the value of being a reality show champion decreased every year. Even if she decided to participate again in a few years, it was uncertain whether she would succeed, and she might not have the same level of attention as in her previous life.
Laila wanted to give her this opportunity, even if it was compensation. Besides, Kelly Clarkson was a Grammy Award winner in her previous life, so she had the talent.