Chapter 718 - The Unseen Deal

She was like a deadly poisonous flower, blooming beautifully but capable of making anyone who touched her see the smile of the goddess of death.

As someone who had repeatedly failed at her hands, Faaris felt the change in his inner emotions. From initially following her instructions just because Faiza wanted to deal with her, to later engaging in a battle with her for revenge on Faiza's behalf, and then facing continuous failures at her hands, he was determined to defeat her. In the end, she had become his poison; avoiding her might be the only way not to get hurt.

He didn't know why he had such feelings, but he knew that his increasing focus on a woman was definitely unusual!

Someone once said that when you become curious about someone, you're not far from falling in love with them. Of course, Faaris would never admit to that.

However, if Laila could be like women in their country, understanding the importance of chastity, not exposing herself like she does now, and working and competing with men, he wouldn't mind making her one of his wives.

Perhaps in foreign countries, many men find women who work diligently very attractive, but he prefer the traditional style of his own country. Women should stay at home and serve men, enjoying their love and affection.

Little did Cooper know that Faaris's mind had already drifted so far. Seeing his plan about to be put into action and the long-awaited revenge about to begin, he felt excited. He wanted to swing his arms vigorously and express his emotions with a roar.

"We're still lacking some preparation. I think if we're going to do this, we should do it the best we can. Don't you think a boycott with more people involved would be more intimidating and newsworthy?"

"How many people do you think are enough?" Faaris wasn't particularly interested in his thoughts. As long as the plan could be executed, and that woman realized how formidable he was, that was enough. Waiting for some time, excellent hunters could afford to be patient.

Cooper smiled faintly, "According to my investigation, there are already over a thousand people involved in the boycott. If we can expand it to five thousand, I believe we're not far from our goal!"

Faaris raised an eyebrow, "How much time do you need? Don't tell me we'll only have enough by the time the movie is released."

"Haha, don't worry. Did you not notice that Moran only answered questions about Eastern scenery? She deliberately avoided the matter of the Eastern actor. There might be some shady deal hidden there. As soon as I can find this deal, more people will join the boycott!"

"How do you know there must be a deal?"

Cooper confidently smiled, "It's simple. If that person had a necessary presence, she would have clarified the misunderstandings from the beginning using facts. But she didn't; she let subordinates answer questions about Eastern scenery. Scenery was never something I thought would trouble her; as long as it was beautiful, the audience would love it. But having an Eastern actor is different. In a purely Western-style fantasy story, adding an Eastern actor—don't you think there must be a deal? Would anyone believe otherwise?"

"What kind of deal do you think it might be?"

"Laila has always had a fondness for the East, and her relationship with the East seems good. Don't forget, she invested a lot of money in building theaters over there. Even some Hollywood film companies need to build good relations with her to release movies there. I think she must have had some profitable exchange with the East, like getting favorable conditions in return for a supporting role for an Eastern actor. Easterners are eager to break into Hollywood; their ability to learn is unbelievably strong. If they manage to squeeze in, within a few years, the landscape of Hollywood might be changed by them!"

Faaris nodded thoughtfully, "The U.S. has always seen the East as a rival and an enemy. If they find out she is so close to the East, many might think she..." The words 'betrayed her country' circled in his mouth, but he swallowed them back.

It wasn't that he didn't want to pin this accusation on Laila; it was just that the Moran family had always had good relations with people in American politics. Without evidence, no one would believe such a baseless accusation. It might even attract unnecessary attention, which wouldn't be good for him.

Cooper understood what he hadn't said out loud, and he suddenly felt a chill in his heart. Even his back was covered in a layer of cold sweat.

He hadn't expected Faaris to be this ruthless, immediately assigning such a dreadful accusation to his opponent.

"Well, I think we should find evidence first before saying anything."

This accusation was too tempting. If he really found the evidence, not only could he crush Laila and her damned film company, but he could also drag the entire Moran group into hell! There couldn't be a more exciting revenge than this!

But thinking about it, it seemed difficult to do. If there was no such trade at all if he exposed it before finding evidence, it might not be the Moran family that couldn't live in the U.S., but himself!

For a while, neither of them spoke again. The accusation clung to their minds like a leech, making it impossible to forget this attractive idea. Who wouldn't want their enemies to lose everything and kneel before them, begging for forgiveness?

Laila, who was thinking about the next promotional plan, suddenly felt a chill behind her, as if a gust of cold wind had unexpectedly penetrated her skin through the gap in her clothes, causing her to shiver.

It was still March, and the weather was a bit chilly. She looked at the closed window and stood up to pull the curtains down.

Her body seemed too fragile; even a breeze from a window gap could make her shiver.

Now that the first part of "The Lord of the Rings" had been completed, only the final soundtrack and some finishing touches remained. She had already seen the rough cut, and the effect was better than she had imagined. The special effects were exceptionally well done, and the details were better than the original version. Noteworthy were the costumes designed by Janet and the Eastern landscapes, which together added at least a third to the entire film.

There were many commendable aspects; the outstanding performances of the actors were one of them. Leslie Cheung's performance exceeded her expectations. Just watching the movie, it was hard to imagine that he was an authentic Easterner. Still, one could feel a mysterious aura originating from the East, making his portrayal of the character exceptionally lively.

This was thanks to Xiao Ye's makeup skills; otherwise, she didn't know who else could transform an Easterner into such a character.