A security guard at the construction site had gone missing, and as a result, the person in charge, Billy, had called to apologize to her. It was obvious that the guard had succumbed to the onslaught of money and revealed the secret inside.
Laila was quite curious about how much the journalists had spent to make a security guard willing to relocate and start a new life under a new identity, all in exchange for leaking company secrets.
In reality, she wouldn't have minded giving some benefits to her staff if they had just informed her about it. Why go through all the trouble?
While she was sighing, Louise pushed open the door and walked in.
Clearly, she had come to discuss the news in the newspapers, seeing Laila holding one.
"Laila, what should we do about the early exposure? Should we use it for publicity?"
"Well, it's only a few days earlier, so let's start shooting ahead of schedule. Get the crew and actors ready; we'll depart the day after tomorrow."
"Alright!" Louise nodded, but then asked, "What about the requests from the journalists who want interviews?"
"You handle it. Send them some information every few days; I think they'll be thrilled." Laila was equally thrilled, as she loved this kind of free publicity that didn't cost a dime.
Louise smiled wryly. "I think it would be more effective if you responded to them. Your words carry more weight than mine."
"I'm just a director; I prefer to stay behind the camera and communicate with others from there." Laila waved away her suggestion.
Seeing Laila pick up the newspaper again, Louise knew she didn't want to continue the conversation, so she excused herself and left.
To the media and the public, Laila's one statement could overshadow a hundred of Louise's. However, their boss either liked to be in the spotlight or kept a low profile, leaving Louise uncertain about what to say.
In the media, journalists and film critics were speculating about the ship that had been photographed. Two theories were particularly popular: one suggested that Laila was preparing to make a horror action film on board the ship, while the other claimed that she was inspired by "Titanic" and wanted to capitalize on the success of that movie by creating a similar film.
Especially the latter theory had angered Cooper, who was full of resentment. He practically pointed at Laila's nose and accused her of plagiarism and being creatively bankrupt.
"We can't deny the box office miracle that 'Titanic' brought to the world last year. But trying to ride the coattails of its success without any innovative ideas shows that our so-called genius director can no longer come up with truly outstanding scripts!"
"Here's some advice: don't think that box office success is everything. Perhaps a copycat film can make a few billion, but a soulless movie is ultimately just a bubble. As time passes, it will disappear without a trace!"
Similar comments abounded, but they were of no use. By this time, Laila had already left Hollywood and was en route to one of the important shooting locations: "Golden Island."
Yes, it was the same island where she had attended the American Express gathering. Back then, her encounter with the foolish prince, or rather, Prince Al Nadeem's bodyguards had led to a misunderstanding that escalated to the point where weapons were drawn.
This incident was eventually resolved when American Express generously compensated the Morans. At that time, Laila had already conceived the idea of shooting "Pirates of the Caribbean." So, in the settlement terms, she had included a clause specifying the use of the island as a filming location.
Laila had been deeply captivated by the beautiful ocean and the stunning beaches on the island. She thought, rather than searching for shooting locations elsewhere, why not choose this place? It would allow them to work without external interference and guarantee picturesque scenery.
Therefore, after advancing the shooting schedule, she brought her entire crew and actors to the island.
"Hello, Miss Moran. I am Linda, the private steward responsible for welcoming you. You can find me anytime during your stay on the island."
Dressed in formal attire, the stewardess welcomed Laila and her team at the airport as soon as they arrived on the island.
"Thank you, Linda. Have the arrangements I mentioned earlier been made?"
"Yes, you can now take your crew to the accommodation." Linda led Laila's team to the dedicated vehicles that would transport them.
The crew members who were witnessing such extravagance for the first time were stunned. They knew their boss was wealthy, but this was the first time they had seen it with their own eyes.
Using a private island just to shoot a movie, with a 24-hour steward team providing service, not to mention the cars they were riding in, which cost over a million dollars each...
"If we see that our accommodation is made of gold next, I won't be surprised at all," one crew member whispered to a colleague.
Roy, who had been with Laila on her previous visit, was grinning like a fox that had just stolen a chicken. How could they be surprised by this?
He wondered how shocked they would be if he told them that last time, they didn't even take a car; a helicopter had picked them up.
This time, the accommodations were not at the same place as the previous visit. This was not surprising for two reasons: first, it was too far away, and filming there would waste a lot of time on commuting; second, everything on that part of the island was too precious. If something were to be damaged, should Laila compensate for it? Or should she not? Either way, it would be a substantial amount, and it could also harm relations. Laila had thought this through and, after some careful consideration, chose a housing area near the coast for the crew.
"Everyone, please settle down for a moment." After they got out of the cars, Laila clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention. "For the rest of today, let's get settled into our accommodations. You can all rest. We'll be working hard in the days to come, so tomorrow, you'll have a day off. You can go sightseeing or surfing if you like. The only requirement is that you shouldn't go out alone. While most of the dangers on this island have been eliminated, we still can't guarantee that nothing unexpected will happen. Is that alright with everyone?"
"No problem!" Everyone exclaimed with joy. A day off on a tropical island like this, what could they possibly complain about? This was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as many of them might never visit a place like this again. So, how could they not explore and make the most of it?