Chapter 291 - What Is He Talking About?

Her words made Laila furrow her brow. "He actually sensed it? I did consider replacing him at first. An actor who stirs up trouble all day long, no matter how talented, will eventually cause problems for the company. But knowing it wasn't entirely his fault, I dropped the idea."

Claire shook her head. "I'm not talking about his movie character. It's like he thinks you, as a person, are going to abandon him."

"Me?" Laila was taken aback. "I'm not his mother, how could I abandon... Oh." She remembered; his mother did abandon him, didn't she?

"So, he sees me as his mother?" Is he like a baby bird? Seeing the first person as its mother?

Claire couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Laila, where has your intelligence gone?"

She laughed uncontrollably, leaving Laila puzzled. "Claire, what are you even talking about?"

The more she asked, the harder Claire found it to stop laughing.

Laila, exasperated by the laughter, finally said, "I'm going to work," and locked herself in her study. Who knows what she'd be laughed at for if she stayed?

Speaking of which, what had she done that was so funny?

The next day, the newspapers and television unsurprisingly revealed what had happened the previous day. Laila had to admire the reporters; their reports were clearer than what she knew. It was through the news that she found out that Little Robert had been charged with drug use and would have to undergo rehabilitation and prison time.

In this way, the timeline returned to its original course. Hopefully, this time, he would grow up a bit and not waste all the goodwill from Old Downey.

Roy's situation was also reported, but the newspapers' stances and evaluations of him differed. Some thought he was very loyal, taking on five opponents and still saving a friend's life in danger. Others felt he had gone too far, not playing the exemplary role a celebrity should. After all, most of his fans were young people and children; what if they rashly went out to fight like him in similar situations? He had some martial arts training, but his fans didn't. Who would be responsible if something went wrong?

It had to be said that there was some truth to these arguments. Since he had become a celebrity, he should at least look like one. If he turned out like this, how would his fans feel?

So, Laila arranged interviews for Roy with several media outlets, including Entertainer and NBC, where he repeatedly cautioned his fans not to imitate his behavior and apologized for his impulsiveness. It took some effort, but she finally managed to calm down the uproar.

Just as Laila was refocusing on her work, news about the completion of "The 13th Warrior" film's production was leaked to the media. Actually, it wasn't really leaked; it was intentionally spread by the production team for publicity.

In terms of promotion, the film production team was still using the same tired tactics, and compared to Laila's continuous and effective publicity efforts, they were losing out big time. This time, aside from pouring all their money into advertisements, all they did was try to step on Laila, hoping to gain publicity through her name.

On Laila's side, reporters had been following her around, digging for news since before filming began. Any bit of information she revealed was enough to make headlines. It was as if she didn't mind being used as a free publicity tool for the movie.

Of course, they didn't mind. As long as their newspaper sales and TV ratings went up, they would eagerly do whatever it took, even if it meant kissing the hem of Laila's dress.

In Roy's case, he had demonstrated remarkable martial arts skills during the incident. According to an interview he gave, in "Kill Bill," he would have an intense fight scene with Charlize Theron using real martial arts.

This piqued the interest of the public. Roy was handsome, Charlize was beautiful, and both of them used martial arts in a fight scene—how spectacular would that be?

As a result, "Kill Bill" suddenly gained attention again, making many people curious about what kind of classic movie Laila would bring them this time. They were eager to see who would come out on top when the movie was released.

Laila's track record was simply too impressive. She had never lost from the beginning until now, and whenever others doubted her, she silenced them with box office success.

Many fans didn't care much for the high and mighty film critics who acted like their words were law. However, most of the time, most people still check the reviews before watching a movie. If the reviews were extremely negative, they wouldn't waste their time and money on a movie they knew they'd dislike.

So, some fans who opposed the film critics liked Laila because she always seemed to prove the critics wrong. It was truly satisfying!

She didn't seem to overestimate herself, but amid all the praise, the negative comments disappeared into the sea of support.

Moreover, even though the film production team for "The 13th Warrior" had spent a lot of money and effort, they couldn't match the attention that "Kill Bill" was receiving. After some planning, Faiza accepted an invitation to a famous talk show as an investor and declared, "We have decided to release the film next May. Laila, are you up for the challenge?"

Reporters always loved drama, so someone immediately brought the question to Laila's attention.

"I don't mind," Laila replied casually. "If she wants to battle, let's battle."

A curious reporter asked, "Aren't you worried that the new movie will be overshadowed at the box office?"

"The 13th Warrior" had a massive advantage in terms of budget, director, screenwriter, and cast. Laila's film, on the other hand, was niche and centered around a female lead. It was a cult movie with little mainstream appeal. How could it compete with the obvious blockbuster?

Laila used a metaphor to answer the question, "If it's a towering mountain ahead, then we'll climb it. If it's a boulder, we'll jump over it. If it's a pebble, we'll simply crush it."

In short, she meant that she had the confidence and determination to overcome any challenge.

Her statement was spread through the media, instantly attracting more fans to join her fan base. Many people found her words inspiring, and her own life story was seen as a source of motivation.

While there were critics who accused her of overconfidence, their voices were drowned out by the overwhelming support she received.

In the meantime, May next year became a significant point of interest for many movie buffs. They couldn't wait to see what kind of classic film Laila would deliver and which side would ultimately come out on top. Laila's track record was too impressive; she had never lost, and every time someone doubted her, she shut them up with box office success.