Chapter 562 - A New Direction for Sabotage

If "Catwoman" had turned into a blockbuster, earning hundreds of millions, perhaps some company might have given him another chance, even if they had to raise the penalty for breach of contract.

Unfortunately, "Catwoman" performed miserably, and even Faaris wouldn't use him anymore, let alone other companies. So, he thought he wouldn't have trouble finding another movie to shoot by clinging to the thighs of the rich. It turned out he was wrong!

If he were lucky, perhaps he could slowly rise again with low-budget films. When people forget about his issues or if he accidentally made a profitable film, he might appear on the list of potential directors in Hollywood again. But clearly, that hope was too faint.

Faaris himself was also in a predicament. This was the third time he had made an investment mistake in films, all of which had been ruined by Laila. The first two times could be attributed to Faiza's influence, meddling in investments randomly. But now that Faiza was sent for rehabilitation and might never recover her sanity, he couldn't use that as an excuse for this failure.

Dawud, having lost his beloved youngest daughter because of Laila, was forced to pay substantial compensation, and his mood was undoubtedly unpleasant. Even for him, 2 billion was not a small amount, enough to disrupt many of his plans. But that wasn't the main issue; the important thing was that his reputation had been tarnished. For so many years, whether domestically in Saudi Arabia or cooperation with the outside world, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

Yes, even though his daughter had initiated the violence against others and almost killed someone, he still considered compensating the other party an insult to himself. If it weren't for the Moran family being too tough and the royal family being overly nervous, he wouldn't have compensated. In his position, losing a few underlings was nothing. Moreover, Laila and Roy were both alive and well, not even losing a strand of hair.

Feeling insulted, he couldn't openly challenge the Moran group to save face for the royal family. So, he secretly informed Faaris to do whatever it took to suppress Laila. Why should his daughter spend her life in the hospital while Laila could enjoy life without limits?

It could be said that Dawud gave Faaris significant power. Otherwise, he wouldn't have unhesitatingly invested nearly $200 million in "Catwoman."

However, the result made him very angry. Not to mention defeating Laila, it would be challenging even to recover the investment. In this situation, how could Dawud be satisfied?

"Faaris, you have always been the person I trust the most. But these times, you've disappointed me."

Listening to Dawud's cold voice coming through the phone, Faaris felt a burning sensation on his cheeks, a sense of shame as if he had been slapped.

"I'm sorry, sir. I promise there won't be a next time!"

He didn't know how it had come to this. Initially, he chose "Catwoman" because it was very popular at the time, and if he could hitch a ride on that wave, he could easily gain a lot of attention. Laila also chose a superhero movie, indicating that this series was worth shooting.

As for Joseph being the director, Laila had selected him, and among the people she had chosen, none had disappointed. So, he didn't feel anything wrong with it. Even if Joseph was only a second-rate director, Laila could give him a big production, and he could handle it.

However, the final result was not what he had expected. If it weren't impossible, he would almost think that Joseph was deliberately chosen by Laila to deal with him, intentionally making a mess to cause significant losses on his side.

This possibility was certainly impossible. No one knew he would bribe Joseph, and no one could guess he would invest in "Catwoman" before the incident happened. It could only be said that everything was so coincidental that he couldn't find an excuse for himself.

"If you can't do it, then change to someone else." Dawud still valued him, otherwise, he wouldn't have consistently used him, even letting him accompany his daughter. Thinking of his daughter, his anger surged again.

"I will give you another chance. If you still can't satisfy me, come back." If he failed so many times, it meant he might not understand movies enough. In that case, he would find someone knowledgeable in Hollywood.

But to Faaris's ears, this statement was like a thunderbolt, almost shattering his pride and self-esteem.

"Please believe me, sir, I won't disappoint you next time! I will let her know the taste of failure!" Biting his teeth, he expressed an idea, "Sir, I have to admit, her strength in Hollywood is already top-notch. Even if we can't beat her at the box office, we can completely obstruct her at the Oscars and the Golden Globes."

The interest in Dawud's eyes rose a bit.

Hearing the boss's softened tone, Faaris's throat tightened. He then revealed his new plan, "I think we might not be able to cause her financial losses at the box office or in terms of money. She is already a recognized commercial film director in Hollywood, with an undefeated box office record. But she has never won even one heavyweight award!"

"Oh?" Dawud sat up and listened, interested, "Explain."

"Yes, more heavyweight awards, like the Oscars or the Golden Globes, or even some awards at film festivals, she has never received any. The only nomination she got at the Oscars was for Best Editing. It shows that even though her films make money, her directorial skills have never received any valuable recognition!"

"So, what are you suggesting?"

Faaris's eyes darkened a bit, "The best is what you can't get. I know people in the film industry desire those awards the most. Perhaps we can't defeat Laila Moran at the box office, but we can completely sabotage her at the Oscars and the Golden Globes."

Dawud frowned, "You mean bribing?"

"No, sir. You might not know, but we can do some small things for the Golden Globes. But there are too many judges for the Oscars."

Dawud was puzzled, "Then how do we sabotage her?"