In the surging waves, "The Lord of the Rings" has finally arrived.
Previously, Laila's habit was to premiere on Fridays, making the best use of Saturdays and Sundays to become the main force in snatching the first-week box office crown.
However, this time she changed her strategy, choosing the same day as last year's "Transformers." To make the Bay accept defeat gracefully, she didn't even overlook such a small detail, leaving many who knew the truth speechless about her obsession.
The premiere was still held in Chinese theaters. Although the setup here was not authentic at all, the faint resemblance was enough for her to rule out other potential locations.
Laila walked the red carpet this time with Leslie Cheung. The unfortunate Roy was on the other side of the Earth, representing the entire cast at the global premiere in the East.
Laila was quite fortunate this time. The good relations with the East and the theme of the movie allowed her to experience a truly global simultaneous release for the first time. Due to the time difference, their premiere in the East would take place a day earlier.
The film would make its debut on the big screens in the East in an uncut manner. The people in the East who knew about this were looking forward to it, wanting to know if a movie that hadn't been edited by a certain bureau could maintain its original flavor. Who knows how much interest they had lost in movies due to the previously butchered ones.
They also knew that acclaimed actor Leslie Cheung had joined the film, causing quite a stir in the West. He wasn't just making a cameo for a few seconds or grabbing a few shots; he played a crucial role approved by the director. This indicated how much anticipation there was for the film!
Laila did not attend the premiere in the East, mainly because her identity was sensitive. If she showed too much closeness to the East, it could become an excuse for certain people to attack her family.
So, she chose to stay in Hollywood. The opportunity to walk the red carpet with her idol was a way to compensate for the regret of not going.
"How are you feeling?" Laila sat in the car, smiling as she asked Leslie Cheung, who was sitting opposite.
"Quite good." He smiled, with a calm expression, seemingly not excited about walking the red carpet in Hollywood for the first time.
Laila was hoping he would be happier: "This is your first time in Hollywood for a film. Shouldn't you be more excited?"
"I am happy." To prove his words, Leslie Cheung showed a warm smile.
Laila felt like he was treating her like a child, which left her speechless. "If you're happy, laugh out loud. No one will be offended by your laughter, and no one will care if you look like a child."
"I might not think so." Leslie Cheung smiled, pointing to the location where the reporters were outside.
"Okay." If those people really saw him laughing there, they would immediately take pictures. Laila could imagine the thrilling headlines, portraying her as a lunatic making a movie. However, she genuinely hoped to see him laugh sincerely, indicating that the clouds in his heart had dissipated, and she no longer had to worry that his depression would bring him back to the old track.
But how could a condition that had caused him so much pain for many years be "cured" by a movie? Laila wanted to use a phrase from her hometown in the future: there is nothing that a barbecue can't solve; if it doesn't work, have two. Now she had a similar idea – there is no psychological illness that a movie can't solve; if it doesn't work, have two! At least for her, she could become a different person in a movie, living a different life. Isn't that the best remedy for forgetting worries?
"Believe me, from today onwards, you will become Hollywood's newest star." Laila was the first to step out of the car.
"Ah—it's Laila!"
The fans waiting outside let out a deafening scream. It was hard to believe that a few hundred people could produce such terrifying sound waves.
Along with the screams came a barrage of blinding flashes that made people instinctively want to close their eyes. However, Laila couldn't close her eyes; otherwise, who knows what kind of ghostly appearance she would have in the photos that her haters could use to criticize her whenever they wanted.
She gracefully waved to the fans, unsurprisingly receiving an even more enthusiastic cheer.
The reporters taking photos on the side couldn't help but rub their ears and feel annoyed. What happened to the boycott? They had waited so long just to see what the boycott would look like.
But now, what's going on? Forget about boycotting; if Laila were to come out now and say she was an angel descended from heaven, those crazy fans would believe it.
Which boycott was this supposed to be?
Those reporters from other sections who had come specifically to find a topic felt deceived by the malice of this world. They weren't from the entertainment section; they didn't care about a movie premiere unless a celebrity exposed too much on the red carpet, facing societal criticism. However, this was Laila's movie, initially dubbed as one to be boycotted, representing uncertainty and anticipation for the public.
But what were the results? After waiting for so long, apart from their ears being deafened by those fans, they couldn't find any signs of the movie being boycotted! Without a boycott, they had no topic. So, why did they come to endure this inhuman sonic attack?
Just when those non-entertainment reporters were about to leave, the screams suddenly stopped, like ducks being strangled. The sudden silence made everyone's gaze turn towards the starting point of the red carpet, where they saw a sight they might never see in their lifetime—Laila, after getting out of the car and waving to the fans, stood in place, evidently waiting for someone to come down from the car.
Most of the people who managed to get tickets for the premiere were die-hard fans. They knew that Laila usually only walked with Roy and family, and there had never been a case of her appearing side by side with another man on the red carpet from her debut until now. They also knew from the official website that Roy was not in Hollywood at the moment, not even in the United States, but on the other side of the Atlantic attending the premiere there.
So, who was the man coming out of the car?
The answer was soon revealed—a man who looked very... mysterious.
Westerners seemed unable to understand the charm emanating from Eastern people. This aura was perceived by them as an exotic mystery. So, when Leslie Cheung appeared on the red carpet in a dark suit, the journalists immediately labeled him as "mysterious."