Chapter 263 - No Problem

However, Roy didn't know this. He only knew that some jerk was boasting on TV.

"Laila, can I go beat that guy up?"

"You can." Laila nodded.

Roy sighed despondently. "I knew it wouldn't work. It was much more satisfying back when I could just hit someone on the street if I didn't like them... Wait, did you say I can?" Did his ears deceive him?

Laila looked at him with a playful smile. "Of course you can. Once you're in jail, I'll get you a good lawyer. You'll probably only have to serve two years at most before they let you out. While you're in jail, their movie will rake in a good box office, and our movie will focus on other newcomers. Our company's resources will shift towards replacing you with new talents. When you get out, we won't mistreat a veteran actor like you. We'll find you a job as a janitor and throw in a few minor roles on the side. What a wonderful future life, right?"

What a load of crap! Roy would be utterly foolish if he couldn't hear the sarcasm in her words. He knew this woman was wickedly sharp. She would love nothing more than to squeeze future dividends out of him. Why on earth would he risk getting arrested to beat someone up?

"I was just talking. I wouldn't be dumb enough to go beat someone up." He muttered a couple of sentences and then snorted, walking out of the office. "Figure it out yourself!"

As she heard him storm out, Laila's amused expression deepened. She turned off the TV, which was still broadcasting Faaris's disdainful words about their movie despite his claim that the two films couldn't be compared.

Outsiders were indeed outsiders. She had said before that the film industry wasn't one where money alone could guarantee a good movie. The best director, the best screenwriter, and top-tier actors all increased the odds of success but didn't guarantee it.

She didn't know where these people got their confidence from, nor did she know if the upcoming movie would be the same as the original. But underestimating Hollywood and the film industry would likely lead to a major failure!

Early the next morning, almost every entertainment section of the newspapers highlighted the previous day's press conference. They knew how to attract readers: on one side was the topic of Queen Laila, and on the other side was the Saudi Arabian conglomerate investing in a movie in the United States. The sparks flying between the two sides were dazzling. How could they not turn these events into sensational headlines?

In fact, readers were really interested in their reports. They wanted to know if the two new movies were as far apart in quality as the press conference suggested. After all, Laila's first action film had just topped the box office charts in its second week, silencing those who had doubted her ability to make action films.

Now, a big-budget production was trashing the second action film she was currently making, making it sound almost worthless. Were they really as spectacular as they claimed, or was it just all talk? People were incredibly curious!

During street interviews on a certain TV station, many people expressed that it would be great if both movies could be released simultaneously. They really wanted to know which movie was better.

Having received this information, the TV station asked Faaris if he was interested in releasing his movie alongside Director Moran's.

Faaris smiled and gave an exciting response that left many people thrilled. "As long as Director Moran has no objections, we certainly have no objections."

Some were excited because they might really witness a box office battle, while others were thrilled because the repeated insults to their idol had become too infuriating.

Horton posted on forums to express his anger. He could tell that the other side was clearly using Laila's fame to promote themselves, and he was both disgusted and worried for her. Using a nearly $200 million movie to challenge Laila's $30 million investment film – wasn't that just bullying?

First, they stirred up attention using Laila's name, then they competed for box office numbers with their movie, and finally, they wanted to humiliate her. How could there be someone so shameless?

Laila didn't disregard the fans' anger or Faaris's provocation. However, she didn't want to, and couldn't, do anything about it. She saw that the other side was clearly trying to drag her down. If she directly clashed with them, the one who would benefit wouldn't be herself.

She wasn't naive, and she wouldn't do anything that would help the enemy in publicity. But she also wasn't someone who could be easily bullied. She would keep track of everything that was happening now and, when the opportunity arose, she would make them understand the price they had to pay for provoking someone like her, the future head of a media conglomerate!

So, while the entertainment journalists were eagerly trying to get Laila to engage in a battle with Faaris's side, she was at the set of the theme park filming her movie.

Today's shoot was the scene where the female lead woke up from her sickbed, staggering as she tried to escape the hospital. Currently, Jia Xiaoming, who hadn't been seen for a long time, was doing makeup for Theron. Laila had invited him as a special makeup artist.

The original makeup artist wasn't too happy about suddenly having an unfamiliar makeup artist on set. After all, he wasn't a company employee and wasn't a well-known makeup artist either. But the moment he got on set, those disgruntled makeup artists all shut their mouths. That was because the skill he displayed was extraordinary. Not only could he finish what would take other people one or two hours in a quarter of the time, but he could also create realistic wounds without any flaws. His skill left the other makeup artists in awe.

"CUT!" Laila called to a stop and called Theron over. "You've been lying in the sickbed for a while, so besides your physical weakness, your muscles can't support too intense movements. The movements you just did were supposed to be weak, but they lacked a certain stiffness. Remember that you've been lying here for a long time. Imagine your limbs and your body being as stiff as if they had just thawed."

As she spoke, she demonstrated for her.

Jia Xiaoming, who was watching from the side, remarked curiously, "I thought you were a great director, but it turns out your acting skills are impressive too."

Laila looked at him with a playful glance. "If you had been lying in a sickbed for over a decade, you'd know how to act too."

Her words left Jia Xiaoming momentarily speechless. He had just remembered her childhood frailty, and he couldn't help but awkwardly scratch his head before making an apologetic gesture.

Laila wasn't actually the one who had lain on a sickbed almost dying, so she didn't feel genuinely offended. She had just teased him because he was holding up her work. Now that he was cooperating, she continued to help Selene find the right feeling to complete these scenes.

And Theron was indeed an intuitive person. After watching a few times, she gradually found some tricks and began to perform the required actions perfectly in the following takes.