Chapter 698 - Bustling Media

Michael Bay, who was entangled in his thoughts, was currently facing a situation he didn't anticipate. Since the last defeat of "Pearl Harbor" against "Pirates of the Caribbean," he had harbored a kind of animosity towards Laila, coupled with a fear he was unwilling to admit.

Initially, he was reluctant to take on this film, but after careful consideration, he couldn't bear to give up such a perfect subject.

With ample investment, no interference with the cast, complete freedom for him to choose actors, and not even the confiscation of editing rights, just holding the position of a producer, Laila was an ideal partner that any director would dream of. That's why he eventually gritted his teeth and threw all his energy and passion into the film.

Fortunately, the final result was perfect. He believed he had created the film he wanted and considered it a masterpiece of his career.

He had been celebrating the smooth progress of everything until that dreadful girl gave him a stumbling block by boldly stating a box office prediction of six to seven hundred million dollars!

No matter how self-confident he was, he dared not claim that his film could achieve such high box office numbers. What should he do? Pretend he didn't hear, or retaliate?

Just as his face alternated between pale and green, and he ignored the reporters asking him questions, he heard Laila speaking again.

It seemed someone asked her a question about the new movie, leading her to mention the bet before the premiere.

"Mr. Michael regrets that our movies didn't compete again, so we decided to compare the box office of this movie with the one I'll release next year. Whoever wins will agree to a reasonable request from the other party."

"Director Moran, earlier you predicted the box office for 'Transformers' to be six to seven hundred million dollars. So, are you confident that next year's movie will surpass this box office?"

The journalist who asked this question obviously found something worth paying attention to.

It wasn't the future yet, and earning a couple of hundred million was not easy. Why did Laila's movies consistently surpass three hundred million and receive praise from everyone? It was because movies with annual box office earnings of one or two hundred million could already make it to the top ten in the yearly total box office rankings.

Not to mention six or seven hundred million; four or five hundred million could put a movie in the top three. If luck wasn't too bad and coincided with a breakout film, claiming the top spot was also normal.

As for six or seven hundred million, that would be the absolute champion in the annual box office. Looking at the all-time total box office rankings, it would undoubtedly be an excellent achievement! 

Faced with such a result, was it really confidence, or was the mentioned six or seven hundred million just boasting to generate interest among fans? If that were the case, there would be too much material to write about!

For such pointed questions, Laila always had one attitude—confidence. She smiled and told them, "I won't lose."

When the reporters were initially shocked, and then frantically took photos, Michael Bay's face became increasingly dark.

He couldn't understand what she was thinking. Was she deliberately trying to suppress him, or was it something else? If she wanted to suppress him, was it necessary to do it during the movie's promotional period? After all, he was a director; if something happened to him, the movie's box office might be affected.

She had money, but who wouldn't get along with money? Having money didn't mean wasting it like this!

What he didn't know was that the current interviews were just a prelude, and the next day's media coverage would be the real battlefield.

Seeing headlines from various media outlets with the same name, the public understood that Laila had returned! Before her return, these media outlets were busy with irrelevant celebrity gossip. Although they were somewhat interested in those, compared to the news Laila brought, they found them boring and vulgar.

Look at Laila; she hadn't appeared for a year, and as soon as she did, she occupied almost all sections of the entertainment section in various media outlets.

Some started with her being welcomed by fans at the premiere after a year, analyzing how she, as a director, gained so much love. Some analyzed her and Roy's red carpet couple outfits, reviewing their previous outfits. More reports focused on interviews after the premiere.

However, even among the reports, the content varied widely.

Those friendly to Laila spoke about how she highly regarded the movie and provided an optimistic box office prediction. Those against her attacked every word she said, claiming she was arrogant and underestimated the movie.

Meanwhile, in these discussions, some online speculations gained popularity. These included questions like "Are Laila and Michael Bay not getting along? Why else would she predict such a high box office to strike him?" or "Seeing such high box office numbers, does Moran regret giving the movie to someone else?"

Laila never cared about these rumors. After all, she knew the truth better than anyone else.

However, her indifference didn't mean those around her felt the same. Roy was one of the most infuriated.

"These people are really despicable, saying irresponsible things online when they don't even know who's who!" He couldn't stand people speaking ill of her: "If you want to make a movie, you should've done it yourself. Would you regret giving it to someone else?"

Laila smiled, "You've been in Hollywood for so many years, how can these words still affect you?" As a director of melodramas in her previous life, she had heard even harsher words before and had developed a skin as tough as a city wall. If you want to follow your own path, how can a bit of gossip deter you?

"Aren't you angry at all? Those people are just talking nonsense! Surely, you can find them online and take them to court!" Roy pointed at the IDs on the computer screen, eager to drag the people behind them out and give them a good beating.

Laila smiled: "Why does it matter?" She certainly had the means to find those people, but what's the use of catching one or two? Those who spoke against her were like a drop in the ocean. Using such methods couldn't catch them all.

Moreover, among those people, not all were paid by others to discredit her; some genuinely had grievances against her. She wasn't money; she couldn't make every one like her.

"Do you think there are more people who like me or dislike me?"

"Of course, there are more people who like you!"

"That's right. Why should I be angry about the dislikes of a small group of people and not be happy about the likes of a large group?" 

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Bay: There are always those who want to harm us!

Laila: Just earn money for me, no need to think too much.