At the 2008 Olympics, the East won 51 gold, 21 silver, and 28 bronze medals, totaling 100 medals and securing the top spot on the gold medal tally. It was the best performance in history and a proud moment for the nation. Some might argue that such success was only possible because it was the host country. And they'd be right—being the host meant fewer underhanded tactics, like having a victory blatantly stolen by judges who awarded the gold to someone else.
It wasn't just the infamous Rio Olympics; previous games had also seen plenty of biased rulings against the East, though none were quite as shameless as Brazil's.
If there was ever an Olympics that was the most enjoyable to watch, the 2008 edition was undoubtedly it.
Laila completely lost herself in the excitement. If she could've split herself into multiple versions, she would've attended every single event. Instead, she meticulously planned out an elaborate schedule to ensure she wouldn't miss any of the must-watch competitions.
Her energetic presence in the stands didn't go unnoticed. With her and Roy's high recognizability—not to mention their prime seats closest to the action—it only took a single pan of the camera across the audience to spot them in the crowd.
Once or twice might've been a coincidence, but as they appeared more frequently, word gradually spread online. People soon realized that many spectators had already noticed them and even posted photos of them on the internet.
Just how much did they love watching the games?
With that thought, a whimsical "treasure hunt" began.
Spectators at the events would glance around during breaks or before matches started, hoping to get lucky and spot the Hollywood director and superstar in the same frame.
Unbeknownst to her, Laila became the center of amusement once again—both as the theme of the frenzy and the focus of media attention. This phenomenon was quickly reported back to the U.S. by American journalists covering the Eastern games, prompting laughter from those who heard about it. Of course, it was classic Laila—even abroad, she remained a star who naturally generated her buzz.
Laila and Roy, however, were completely unaware of this. Their attention was solely on the competitions, and the spectators around them were polite enough not to disrupt their experience. Of course, asking for autographs and photos after events was still fair game.
Since they were used to similar situations back in the U.S., they had no idea they'd become the center of attention in a different way.
Happy times always pass too quickly. Though the Olympics were still ongoing, Laila had no choice but to leave the country and head to South Africa.
She had been away from the film set for far too long—so long that production would grind to a halt if she didn't return immediately. The assistant director was a young talent who had risen through the ranks of the Emerging Filmmakers Program. (Well, calling him "young" might not be entirely appropriate when compared to Laila.)
At thirty-two, this emerging director had joined the program three years prior and, a year later, secured funding to shoot his first feature film. Like many debut directors, he chose a low-budget story—but unlike most, it wasn't a horror film. Instead, it was an R-rated comedy.
With a budget of just 800,000, it grossed over 10 million—an impressive feat that immediately set him apart from his peers and caught Laila's attention.
Under her mentorship, he spent a year refining his craft before submitting another script, this time requesting a $30 million budget.
A sum that large naturally required Laila's approval. After reviewing his script, she found it to be a compelling story. Ignoring the typical mistakes rookie directors might make, $30 million wasn't an unreasonable budget.
But she also studied his previous work and identified areas for improvement. So when the new production began, she brought him on as an assistant director, keeping him close to observe whether he had the potential to grow further.
After months on set, Laila recognized his talent and believed he had the makings of a future blockbuster director—perhaps even the next Michael Bay.
It was precisely because she trusted and respected him that she felt comfortable leaving the set mid-production, entrusting him with shooting some of the less critical scenes. She was confident that working with A-list actors would be invaluable for his growth.
But now, after such a long absence, it was time for her to return. While there were some non-essential scenes, they weren't endless. Once those were finished, the assistant director didn't dare improvise further and had no choice but to call the director back.
And so, Laila reluctantly left the Olympic venues and boarded a flight to South Africa. With her gone, Roy naturally had no reason to stay. When forced to choose between the games and his fiancée, the decision was an easy one.
Stepping onto South African soil again, Laila felt a complicated mix of emotions.
On one hand, she loved the country for its unique landscapes and vibrant culture. On the other, the memory of the danger Roy and the others had faced last time cast a shadow over her. Just being here made her heart grow heavy.
That lingering unease had clung to her ever since her return, subconsciously hardening her expression into seriousness.
"Darling, that stern look of yours is putting a lot of pressure on me," Roy joked. He didn't like seeing her like this—as if she were facing some monumental decision. Not that this side of her lacked charm, but he preferred her happier. "We won't be here much longer anyway. Don't you think we've had some good memories here too?"
Laila understood what he meant and nodded silently. True, despite the grueling and exhausting shoot, looking back, this might very well become a cherished chapter in her life. But it was hard to keep a relaxed expression with a boulder weighing on her back.
Call it paranoia or once bitten, twice shy—either way, she just couldn't shake the discomfort whenever she set foot in this country.
Earlier, she had discussed with Xiao Ye the possibility of getting the gang members who posed a threat to Roy and the others locked up. It didn't matter how long their sentences would be, as long as they stayed behind bars while the crew remained in South Africa.
Xiao Ye seemed to have handled it well. After all, most of those individuals had plenty of skeletons in their closets. With a little digging, a laundry list of crimes could be uncovered, and putting them away would be doing society a favor.