In his role as a tour guide, Zhao Ze had certainly excelled. Over a few days, they had visited the Great Wall, and the Forbidden City, indulged in Peking duck, and even sampled various street snacks. He didn't care whether the other person was a billionaire heiress; his sole intention was to help her gain a deeper understanding of the profound culture of the ancient East.
Little did he know that Laila shared the same intention. Being able to taste the flavors that existed only in her memories again held a significance that no one else could imagine.
So, over these few days, locals in the capital were surprised to see a group of foreigners eating street food and enjoying it immensely. Many felt sympathy for them, thinking, "What's so good about foreigners? They didn't even spare a glance at street food in their own countries."
Once Laila's investment and the plan for the Spring Festival Gala were confirmed, her publicity began to take shape. To Yao Yingxia's team, Laila's recruitment from Hollywood was a political achievement, but her fame was mostly in the West. In the East, only those well-versed in Hollywood would recognize her.
To make her achievements more visible and to showcase how much effort had gone into bringing her here, it was necessary to make her fame spread nationwide. If the citizens didn't know who she was, how would they appreciate the effort put into her recruitment?
Soon, People's Daily published articles discussing the current state of the film industry, its responsibilities for transformation, and the need to learn from Hollywood.
People's Daily was the official voice of the state and served as a barometer for many in gauging the government's direction. So, if the newspaper began discussing the film industry, it meant that significant changes were about to take place.
This led to discussions and research on domestic and Hollywood films across the country.
Then, the next day, People's Daily continued to publish articles about the talented Hollywood director Laila Moran coming to the East and mentioned her potential collaborations with domestic talents. This immediately captured everyone's attention.
Who was this Laila Moran?
For the vast majority of the population, this was an unfamiliar name. But her name was now prominently featured in the country's top newspaper, in a high-profile position.
The public might not know her, but the media certainly did. Even if the media didn't, they had ways to find out more in Hollywood.
The moment they looked into her, everyone was left utterly astonished.
At the age of 18, she independently directed her first film, which had a budget of less than $100,000 and grossed a staggering $300 million worldwide! $300 million! In the year 2000, that was equivalent to nearly 2 billion RMB!
Earning nearly 2 billion RMB from just a few hundred thousand—was she even human? Even immortals couldn't earn money this quickly!
However, that was just the beginning. From "Blair Witch" to "SAW" to "Final Destination" and then "Rush Hour," every film she directed smoothly surpassed $300 million in box office revenue. Even her most recent film, "Kill Bill," which was still showing, had already garnered praise and had a global box office of over $200 million, with $300 million in sight.
She was only 20 years old, but she had already earned over 10 billion RMB in box office revenue! And all of this in just over two years!
It was simply unbelievable! Even if her status as the sole heir of the Moran family was revealed at the same time, no one doubted her real talent. After all, her first film's performance had been too dazzling to ignore, and her subsequent achievements were equally remarkable.
To further enhance Laila's image and build her reputation, the media portrayed her as a hero with a touch of pathos. They revealed that she had grown up on a sickbed since childhood and had once been on the brink of death. Yet she had triumphed over death and achieved a series of accomplishments.
Laila read the articles about herself in the newspapers delivered to her hotel room and couldn't help blushing. From their descriptions, she felt like she wasn't herself anymore, but rather an immaculate and divine being.
"BOSS, are you ready? We're about to depart," Demi entered the room and asked her in a hushed tone.
"I'm ready. Let's go," Laila stood up and had her put on her sunscreen jacket. She then walked out of the hotel with her security team.
To further boost her image and promote the upcoming collaboration between Hollywood and the East, the national television station arranged a special interview for her.
Laila didn't particularly like these public appearances, but she needed the exposure. Unless she wanted to wait until the Spring Festival Gala, the television interview was the perfect opportunity.
With eight bodyguards, two drivers, and a secretary provided by the hotel, the group of people arrived at the national television station in two cars.
When they got out of the cars, the bodyguards surrounded Laila, creating quite a scene. It left many people bewildered.
What was this? This was grandeur! Even though no police cars were clearing the way or a procession of vehicles trailing behind, the grandeur of these dozen or so people was overwhelming.
Moreover, they were all foreigners—some white, some black—and in the center stood an incredibly young white girl.
"Is this a foreign princess visiting?" onlookers who didn't know the truth expressed their surprise.
"Where have you been? Are you so uncultured that you don't even recognize her?" someone else arrogantly replied, "That's Laila Moran, the one who's been in the news so much lately."
"What! The Hollywood director who made 10 billion RMB in just two years?"
"Exactly! Look at her, you can tell she's someone extraordinary!"
Perhaps because they thought these people couldn't understand Chinese, those chatting didn't lower their voices. Instead, they got even more excited, which made Laila feel a bit embarrassed.
Listening to the faint conversations that reached her ears throughout the journey, Laila's emotions grew even more complex. She couldn't figure out if she was happy because of others' praise or if she felt somewhat dejected because she was being treated as a foreigner.
As they entered the television station's building, a staff member immediately approached her. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was someone she knew—the vice director who had recently visited Hollywood with Yao Yingxia, Mr. Wu Mo.
"Director Wu, I didn't expect to see you here," Laila smiled and thanked him.
"Director Moran, you're too kind. It's our honor to have you here. Since the station knows we've met before, they asked me to show you around. If there's anything you need or any inconvenience, please feel free to mention it."
In reality, given Laila's status, it wouldn't have been excessive for the station head to receive her personally. However, this time she was mainly here as a director, so having the station head personally greet her might have caused unnecessary speculation.