Chapter 720 - It's Not Time Yet

"Let them be?" Louise stared at her, "What's the point of keeping such things?" She was aware of the relationship between Facebook and the little boss, and they usually had some business interactions. Deleting offensive comments wouldn't be an issue.

Laila chuckled, "Don't you think it would be interesting to leave them for now and see how they react when they realize they were wrong?"

"Not at all!" Louise shook her head firmly, "I only see their words being offensive. And how do you plan to make them realize they were wrong?"

Laila raised an eyebrow, "You don't think I added Leslie Cheung just for some exchange of benefits with the Eastern authorities, do you?"

Louise froze. Honestly, she did have that thought. If it weren't for knowing about the good relationship between the boss and Roy, she might have believed that this Eastern actor was the boss's true love. Otherwise, with her understanding of Laila, it was impossible for her to include an Eastern actor in her film.

She didn't believe that someone as smart as Laila would not anticipate such a situation before hiring someone. If she still went ahead with it, she must have believed that the value of this person would outweigh any potential issues. If it wasn't true love, then what was it?

In reality, it wasn't true love. Thus, the only explanation had to be some kind of transaction for benefits. So when she saw that article, Louise had a moment of realization. If it was for the support of the Eastern authorities, then adding this character was indeed worthwhile.

Ruining a movie was incomparable to the profits that could be gained in the East. Look at the box office in the East over the past two years—whether it was their films or those made by other companies, the box office in the East had shown a staggering growth rate, surpassing the values of the surrounding countries Japan and South Korea, heading towards an even greater market.

Anyone could see that perhaps in the not-so-distant future, the East would become the largest film market outside the United States. If they could hold onto that, who would care if a movie turned out badly?

Laila sighed and massaged her forehead, "Do you see me as someone who would sacrifice anything for the sake of benefits? Don't forget, I am a director, and I cherish my films more than anything."

Hearing the first half of her sentence, Louise wanted to nod in agreement. However, she fell silent in the second half because she, more than anyone else, knew how much effort Laila put into her films. It didn't seem like something she would sell out for a bit of profit.

"So, what should we do? They have a point now, and they even posted pictures. No matter how we try to whitewash it, it's impossible to make the public believe," she paused, sighing with a hint of headache, "Why did you choose a singer? Wouldn't it be slightly better if it were an actor?"

During that time, cultural exchanges between the East and West were far less frequent, and Hollywood had a condescending attitude compared to other places. They looked down on actors from other countries, especially those from the distant East; they wouldn't even consider handing over important roles to them.

In such a closed environment, the person who wrote the article thought they had found a clue with the album cover picture and directly exposed the matter. They didn't even think about other possibilities.

This situation was actually one that Laila was very happy to see. After reading the article, she once again marveled at the favor she received from heaven. Why did everything seem to develop in her favor?

"Who told you he's a singer?" She lightly chuckled.

"The pictures are out there. Are you telling me they're fake?" Judging by the looks in the photos, it seemed impossible that they were forged. No one would go to the trouble of fabricating a lie that could be easily exposed with a bit of searching.

Laila smiled, "Did you forget there's something called 'crossing over'? Haven't you heard the saying, 'Acting is good, singing is even better'?"

Louise looked at her thoughtfully, "You mean... he's not just a singer but also an actor?" If that was the case, it would be much better. At least they wouldn't face criticism for his identity.

"Not just an actor, but also an award-winning one. Maybe not many people in our region have heard of his name, but in the East, in Asia, he's one of the hottest names. He has acted in many outstanding films, some of which I've watched several times and still find them enjoyable."

"That's great! Let's quickly release a statement, announcing his identity!"

"Not so fast." Laila tapped her fingers on the table, smiling faintly, "It's not time yet. How can we announce it now?"

Again with 'not so fast'... Louise really had to admire her ability to withstand pressure. Fans were about to start a riot, yet she remained calm, seemingly unconcerned. Was it really okay to watch her panic alone like this?

"How can we not be in a hurry? Look at those people online. They're saying you added a singer to the movie for some special reason. If this continues, the lineup of those boycotting the movie will grow stronger!"

"Isn't that a good thing?" Laila comforted her with a smile, "Only when more people get involved can the topic possibly become heated. Trust me, you'll see results in no time."

Louise felt like crying after hearing her words. She really wanted to ask, 'What does "in no time" mean?' She was worried that her heart would explode from the stress.

Even if she asked, Laila couldn't give her an accurate answer. They say, 'Plans can't keep up with changes.' They could only see how things developed and then take countermeasures. She wasn't a god; how could she predict everything so precisely?

"Louise, how's the promotion going?" She changed the subject.

When it came to work, Louise finally regained some of her strong, businesswoman composure, "Regarding promotion, everything that needs coordination has been coordinated, and we've finished the necessary introductions. We're moving at a good pace and have secured some suitable locations."

Laila discerned something from her words, "Good pace? Are you saying someone is competing with us?"

"It's not exactly competition, just a coincidence. Do you still remember Christopher Nolan's announcement about the new Batman series he plans to film?"

Laila suddenly realized, "You mean 'Batman Begins'?"

"Yes." Louise shrugged, "Before we rescheduled, they had already set a date. It's just a week and a half after our release."

A week and a half was quite awkward. In Laila's record of movie releases, any new movie would undoubtedly dominate the top of the charts for two weeks. So, some films changed their release dates after Laila's team rescheduled. They preferred to compete with other strong opponents rather than go head-to-head with her.