As soon as Jia Xiaoming sat down, he spilled out the entire story. As for secrecy, he didn't care anymore. If his friends could be saved, what did it matter if he faced punishment?
"After the 9/11 incident, various organizations began to do everything they could to find the culprits. Believe it or not, they're planning to go to war with the terrorist organization responsible at the beginning of next month. However, my companions managed to infiltrate that organization through various means after the incident. Something went wrong somewhere, and now they're in serious trouble and unable to get out."
Laila halted him, looking at him incredulously. "You're not asking me to help you get them out, are you? I'm just a director. Do you think I have the ability for that? It's ridiculous! That place has become almost impossible to approach. You're practically asking me to go there and rescue a bunch of people. Are you sure you're not joking?"
"Please, just hear me out!"
"No! You listen to me first!" Laila didn't allow him to explain. "How did your people get in there in the first place? How do you expect me to go over there and rescue them? Do you think I can turn into a superhero just like that?"
Jia Xiaoming sighed in frustration. "That's why you should listen to me first!"
With a resigned expression, he finally told her the story of what had happened. In short, after the 9/11 incident, he and his friends had been dispatched to Saudi Arabia to investigate a confidential matter related to a major terrorist leader. Somehow, whether due to a traitor in their midst or because they were discovered, a group of unidentified attackers had assaulted them. Over half of their group was injured, and only Jia Xiaoming, delayed by a few days due to the mission's timing, had slipped through the net.
They operated in the shadows, and if their missions were discovered, their superiors would disavow any knowledge of them. So, to rescue their colleagues at this point, they could only rely on themselves. However, at this point, commercial flights to the country had ceased, and Jia Xiaoming couldn't make it there. He knew his colleagues were in dire need of medical attention, and they had to hide from their pursuers in the Middle East. After considering his options, he could only turn to Laila for help.
Laila listened to the story, her brow furrowing deeper with every word. She also wished she could help these heroes from a moral perspective. But the problem was, she just couldn't do it!
"You've just said that commercial flights to that country have been canceled. How do you expect me to get there? Even if I did, do you think I can rescue them? I'm not an action movie director, and I'm certainly not directing a superhero film. I'm just a regular director; I don't have those kinds of skills."
"Doesn't your family have a private plane? If it's a private visit, there shouldn't be any obstacles."
Jia Xiaoming's words left Laila speechless. "What private connection do I have over there? Come on, it's a place where even your own people have failed. Why wouldn't I encounter obstacles?"
"At the latest, you'll receive an invitation the day after tomorrow. When the time comes, I hope you'll accept it," Jia Xiaoming said, checking his watch. "I have to go for now, but I'll contact you if needed. Remember, if you receive an invitation from that side, make sure to accept it!" With that, he grabbed his shoes and leaped out the window onto the adjacent tree, swiftly descending the trunk. In a matter of seconds, he had disappeared into the night.
Once Laila could no longer see him, she closed the window and lay back on her bed.
At this point, she had completely lost her sleepiness. The thoughts of whether to help or not, what to do if she did help, and the mystery of the invitation continued to plague her mind, making her increasingly restless.
She owes him a favor, which stems from the Roy incident some time ago. If it weren't for his assistance back then, Roy would have certainly been dragged into a shocking scandal by that malicious woman, and there's a high chance he'd have ruined his path to stardom. So, this favor is substantial, to the point where she must repay it.
After giving it some thought, Laila couldn't come up with a strategy. All she could do was wait to see what the invitation Jia Xiaoming mentioned was all about, to ultimately decide if she should help. Truthfully, deep down, she wanted to help. In the days ahead, Jia Xiaoming and the support he had behind him would be of great assistance to her. If she broke her word this time, she believed that this line of connection would likely be lost in the future. After all, no one wants to associate with someone who lacks integrity, right?
As Jia Xiaoming had said, she received the invitation from Saudi Arabia no later than the next day, and surprisingly, the one who extended the invitation was none other than the long-lost Prince Al Nadeem!
It was then that she remembered that Al Nadeem was a prince of Saudi Arabia. It was probably because Jia Xiaoming had discovered something that he decided to extend the invitation to her. If it was a prince's invitation, traveling via private jet was a legitimate option.
The biggest issue was... she didn't want to have anything to do with him!
"Laila, I know your birthday is coming up. Come to my place, and I'll introduce you to some friends."
This was the exact message from Prince Al Nadeem, who was calling with enthusiasm.
It suddenly dawned on Laila that her 23rd birthday was approaching. Yet, at a time like this, he still dared to extend an invitation to her, an American. Was he not afraid of causing any unnecessary misunderstandings? In fact, she suspected that no American would want to engage in communication with that side anymore.
On second thought, she considered that perhaps the current rigid situation was exactly why they had made this arrangement. After all, the terrorist mastermind was related to their subordinates and had no ties to the royal family or the country. It would be a tragedy if an entire country suffered just for one individual.
In this situation, re-establishing contact with some influential individuals could be an attempt to repair Saudi Arabia's reputation. If that was the case, perhaps it explained why Prince Al Nadeem had extended the invitation. Laila believed this invitation probably wasn't from the prince himself; it was more likely the result of cooperation from someone within the royal family, indicating goodwill.
Going over at this time might allow her to establish closer connections with people from that country, benefiting her future global box office plans. Saudi Arabia might not be a large country, but every penny counts, right? If she could get her films into that country, it would also greatly benefit Hollywood's film industry."