Seeing these reports, Laila wasn't surprised at all. What concerned her more was the trouble this incident might bring to her family.
Whether it was said that her fans committed arson or accused her of hiring someone to commit arson, the public's focus would ultimately be on her. People would inevitably ponder why she "dared" to do such a thing. Who gave her the right, and who supported her?
Thinking along these lines, what would eventually come under discussion were Oswald and Janet. It would be suggested that their wealth allowed them to raise a lady who disregarded the law and acted recklessly.
These people wouldn't bother considering how much the Moran family invested in charity or how many lives they saved. They only saw what was in front of them, what others said, and things that could bring them pleasure and benefits.
Furrowing her brows, Laila carefully analyzed all the information. Surprisingly, she found a point that could be exploited. So she made a call and summoned her chief special effects makeup artist, Xiao Ye.
"You should already know about the arson. Is there any news?" Laila asked Xiao Ye as he walked in.
Xiao Ye shrugged, "There's nothing particularly noteworthy for now. Generally, people who enjoy arson have strong control tendencies and more complicated evolutionary upgrade characteristics. I reckon the next time they strike, it won't be as simple as it is now."
"Simple? Houses were burned down, and you call it simple?" In Laila's heart, or rather, for Easterners, houses were crucial. They were homes and shelters, a place of safety. The destruction of a home was undoubtedly tragic for the vast majority of families.
"You're not applying that Eastern perspective here, are you?" Xiao Ye chuckled at her. "How many Americans do you know who don't buy insurance? If their house burns down, they go to the insurance company, and they might get a significant payout. And since no one was harmed in the incidents, it's just a fresh start; what's difficult about that?"
It seemed like this perspective? Laila realized that she involuntarily started viewing the issue with the mindset from her previous life. Well, she did spend thirty years of her life in that country; a few years here wouldn't easily erase those deeply ingrained impressions.
However, after his reminder, she had a new idea, "Are you saying that if a house burns down, the insurance company will really pay a large sum?"
"Of course, that's their business."
When Laila was reviewing the information earlier, she noticed something worth noting. Now, with this point added, it seemed exploitable! "In this arson case, even though it was done in my name and three houses were indeed burned, I always feel that things are not as they seem on the surface. The incidents occurred at midnight and dawn, continuously within a few hours. Interestingly, even during the night, these three families coincidentally had no one at home, so there were no casualties."
As she spoke, she picked up the documents, reading the information written on them, "One family went on vacation with their family, another went to the wife's parents, and one was single, spending the night at a bar until dawn."
Looking at it this way, she felt that these three families were indeed very lucky. Otherwise, in a fire with accelerants involved, they might have been suffocated in their sleep and died.
She brought Xiao Ye in because she wanted to use this "coincidence" to shift the public's focus away from the movie boycott incident. By guiding them, she could portray herself and the company as victims, wrongfully accused and targeted.
However, after Xiao Ye's reminder, she realized that the reality might be more profound than her initial speculations.
"Is it possible... that someone deliberately colluded with these three families and carried out the crimes together?"
It was a bold idea, but Xiao Ye didn't find it too surprising. Those in his line of work had seen countless unimaginable, exaggerated, and human-testing scenarios. How could they be surprised by a small case like this?
"It's not impossible. If they collaborated, they could execute the crime without harming anyone, knowing that nobody was at home. Meanwhile, these three families could get a large compensation from the insurance company. If they took away their valuable items before leaving, the losses would be much less than it appears."
He shrugged, "Of course, if the perpetrator investigated beforehand, knowing nobody was home before starting the fire, it's also possible. Once it involves loss of life, it attracts much more attention, and the likelihood of being closely monitored by the police is considerably higher. But in an arson case, the effort to track down the perpetrator is not as intense as in cases where lives are at stake."
"So, there are two possibilities now." Laila raised one finger, "First, the perpetrator chose these three families after knowing nobody was at home and used arson to make their intentions public, not allowing these people to boycott my movie."
Then, she raised another finger, "Second, the perpetrator colluded with the victims or paid them, perhaps promising them other benefits, to cooperate in this crime. This way, the victims could get money from the perpetrator, receive compensation from the insurance company, and avoid harm. It can be considered a big profit."
Xiao Ye nodded at her summary, "Exactly, that's how it is." He looked at her, a smile on his face as if enjoying the show, "So, what's your plan for handling this crisis?"
Laila squinted her eyes, "For me, the word 'crisis' has always been a good term. Every danger brings good opportunities and luck. I believe this time will be no exception."
"What do you plan to do? Do you need my help?" Xiao Ye was eager to gain a favor from her.
The last time he owed her a favor, he managed to save several lives of his comrades. Although he felt sorry for her and almost caused her death in the desert, he still thought that owing her a favor was a great thing.
Laila, how could she not understand his thoughts?
"If you want to help, help me catch the person behind the scenes. If I remember correctly, you've been investigating for several months, right?"
Speaking of this, Xiao Ye suddenly became embarrassed, "You also know that I've left the organization now. Many of my previous connections are no longer useful. But rest assured, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. Give me some more time, and I'll definitely find that person."
Then he paused, "Do you think this incident is also related to that person?"
"If the situation is as I just inferred—someone bought off the victims to create this arson case—I'm sure it's related to the mastermind." Laila tapped the table with her hand, "This person has done worse things before. If it's really his doing, I do not doubt it."