This situation perfectly illustrated just how important it was to invest in your projects. Whether a film earned money or lost it, at the very least, you could make the kind of movie you wanted, without having someone hovering over your shoulder, scrutinizing every dollar. Laila absolutely couldn't stand people trying to micromanage her budget.
Cameron, of course, had already considered this issue before coming. "Don't worry, I'm not asking your team to redo everything from scratch. I just want them to give it a polish."
Laila didn't know much about the technicalities, so she took Cameron with her to the VFX company and let the professionals handle the discussion.
Someone from the team gave her a simple explanation: "Yes, our tech is more advanced. The current effects were probably made to fit Director Cameron's vision. What we'll do is enhance those scenes—think of it like putting makeup on the movie. Powder here, lipstick there—make everything look more stunning."
That made sense to Laila. "If it's like that, then go ahead. Director Cameron, I'm looking forward to Avatar."
Cameron, clearly in high spirits after getting the answer he wanted, laughed heartily. "Don't worry, I'll make the best damn movie possible. But with this, I'm afraid you'll have to delay breaking my box office record a bit longer!"
Laila hadn't expected that he'd seen those online posts too. She smiled wryly and shook her head. "Those articles were pure chaos-stirring nonsense. Your movies take so long to make—if a small company like mine tried to fund one, we'd go bankrupt before we even started. I think I'll stick to making more films instead of just one."
Cameron chuckled. "Only you could say something like that."
How many directors in film history could match her output? Not only was she incredibly prolific, but nearly every one of her films was a classic—and raked in massive box office returns.
Cameron's Titanic brought in 1.8 billion dollars, but it took him long enough to make that Laila could have shot several films in the same time. Titanic had started filming in 1995 and was released at the end of 1997—three full years. Her Lord of the Rings trilogy had taken a similar amount of time but had earned her over 4 billion dollars in box office revenue.
Even Cameron had to admit—this young peer was incredibly impressive. He admired her, truly. But he was also a proud man. Admiration was one thing; giving up his spot at the top of the all-time box office chart was another. He didn't want to be dethroned.
Meanwhile, the staff at the VFX studio, who had been sneakily watching the conversation between two of Hollywood's top directors, suddenly felt a chill down their spines. From their perspective, this wasn't just two directors talking. It was more like a showdown between rival masters from a wuxia novel, each treating the other as a worthy adversary.
Their eyes clashed like blades. Sparks seemed to crackle in the air.
It took everything the VFX employees had not to run into a corner and curl up into a ball, trembling. What they wanted to say was: This is terrifying… I want to go home…
So this is what it took to be a boss, huh? No wonder they were just programmers.
Laila left Cameron in the hands of the VFX team to handle the details and returned to her office to continue working on her screenplay, waiting for Roy to come pick her up as usual.
Lately, she didn't even know what was going on anymore. She no longer locked herself away in the editing room, pulling all-nighters, yet Roy still insisted on coming to pick her up every day, no matter how busy he was.
Sometimes they'd catch a movie, sometimes just go home and watch TV. Other times, they'd read together or chat for a bit. Most notably, Roy had gotten into the habit of bringing her little gifts—maybe a bouquet, maybe a box of chocolates. Nothing expensive, but they always made her smile.
Life felt like paradise lately. Laila swore even the air she breathed tasted sweet. She'd even started putting on a bit of weight—her belly was starting to feel a little soft.
She glanced at the clock—just a few minutes left until the end of the day. For once, she began tidying up her desk early, curious about what Roy might bring her today.
But she waited… and waited… until the clock struck the end of the workday—and then two more minutes passed. Still, no sign of Roy.
That had never happened in the past month or two. Even if something came up, he would always call her to say so.
A twinge of worry bubbled up. Laila grabbed her coat and purse and stepped out of the office.
And right away, there they were. Roy and Demi, standing in the corridor not far away, were whispering to each other.
Their voices were quiet—so quiet that Laila couldn't hear a word from where she stood. And judging from the faces of nearby assistants who were eavesdropping while pretending to work, they couldn't hear either. Otherwise, their necks wouldn't be stretched out like that, and their faces wouldn't be flushed red from holding back.
"What are you two talking about?" Laila asked, walking over with curiosity.
The moment she spoke, Roy and Demi both turned to look at her. And oddly enough… their gazes were equally complicated.
"What's with that look?" Laila's scalp prickled. "Don't tell me there's an alien standing behind me or something."
Her wild imagination never failed to catch people off guard. Roy's solemn expression shattered instantly under the weight of her sarcasm, leaving him half exasperated and half amused.
"Laila, can we talk?" he asked.
"Of course," she replied, a bit puzzled. "Should we talk in the office, or at home?"
"Uh… in the office for now. There's something Demi wants to explain to you—it might be easier coming from her."
Roy's expression was truly strange. If Laila didn't know him as well as she did, she might've suspected he had something to hide. But him… and Demi? Ha! That was just laughable.
Laila stepped back into her office, with Roy and Demi following close behind. Roy even closed the door behind them.
"Have a seat," Laila said as she sank into the office couch. "So? What's going on? Let me guess… Demi's pregnant, and the baby is yours?"
"LAILA!"
"BOSS!"
One angry, one helpless—both of them glared at her simultaneously.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. That was a bad joke." Laila raised her hands in surrender. She couldn't help it—their expressions were too weird. If she didn't know them better, she might have believed it.
Roy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if trying to smother the flicker of a small fire in his chest. "Laila, have you felt… anything unusual lately?"
"Unusual? I don't think so." Laila frowned in thought. "Why? What kind of unusual?"
Roy pressed on. "Think carefully. Any discomfort? Anything weird going on with your body?"
Laila scrunched up her face in concentration. "I've been fine. No discomfort. If anything, I've just put on some weight."
Roy let out a long sigh and gave her a complicated look. "Laila… you're not gaining weight. You're pregnant."