Thanks to the power of the internet, the news of Laila's disappearance spread across the globe in a flash.
Laila's missing? Is this some kind of April Fool's joke? She was a top Hollywood director—who would dare target someone like her?
But it was true. After official confirmation, the public was stunned. Especially the American people, who were not just shocked but furious.
No one was prouder of Laila than they were. In their eyes, she represented the glory of Hollywood—and the pride of the entire United States. A living legend. And yet, such an important figure had gone missing despite being under layers of protection? It was the most absurd thing to happen all year.
Laila's gone missing—but what has the government done?
Why hasn't she been found yet?
Why haven't the kidnappers been apprehended?
Why hasn't there been any visible rescue operation?
Online, the buzz surrounding Laila's disappearance was everywhere. Not even the record-breaking box office news of her film The Dark Knight—soon to become the highest-grossing superhero film—could suppress the attention this incident received. It only made people admire her more and miss her presence even more deeply.
"If there's no Laila, what movie in the summer lineup is even worth looking forward to?"
"Exactly! I'm sick of all those overhyped films that turn out to be garbage!"
"Only she knows what kind of films we want to see! We must bring her back safely! Where's the police? Where's the FBI? Where's the military? Where are our aircraft carriers?!"
The protests grew louder by the hour, with demands for the government to act becoming more and more urgent.
The sheer scale of the public outcry left many stunned. People had always known Laila was popular, but her disappearance had blown open the floodgates of fandom. Now, everyone could see the strength of her influence. No one doubted that if she really couldn't be rescued, members of the current administration might be forced to resign under pressure.
And that was just her influence. Behind her stood a massive media empire. If that conglomerate decided to go all in, it could throw the entire country into chaos.
Indeed, the White House was feeling the pressure. Nearly 20 hours had passed since the incident, and Laila had essentially vanished into thin air. No group had claimed responsibility, and no ransom demand had been made to the Moran family. This left the FBI, hoping to find some thread to pull on, utterly at a loss.
The night the news broke, the White House immediately sent personnel to South Africa to assist with the local search operation.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ye's team managed to uncover a lead during that time—a clear skid mark left by a vehicle on the dirt road between the film set and a nearby village.
They were top-tier professionals. Just from the tire tracks, they reconstructed the scene. Then, in the projected location of the incident, they found the bullet that had punctured the tire.
Finding the bullet caused immediate concern. It meant the perpetrators were armed. Though the bullet wasn't from a high-powered firearm, a gun was still a gun—and anyone bold enough to shoot at a moving car's tires was no harmless lamb.
"This was a premeditated crime."
That was the unanimous conclusion of the entire investigation team.
It was clear: Laila's car had been disabled when someone shot out a tire, forcing it to the roadside. Then she was abducted by attackers waiting nearby.
There were no signs of a struggle, which suggested the bodyguards hadn't had any chance to react before being neutralized. That meant either the attackers struck fatally right away—or they used something to knock the men out instantly. Either way, it didn't make sense that three highly-trained bodyguards were overpowered without a fight unless something very calculated had occurred.
What was certain was that this was the location where Laila had been taken.
Roughly half an hour into the search, centered around the spot where the tire had blown out, a report came in: three unconscious men had been found just a five-minute drive away. They were confirmed to be the three who had been with Laila in the car.
All three were merely unconscious, not injured beyond multiple mosquito bites. This was good news. It was far better than discovering their corpses—this meant the perpetrators likely had intentions beyond just violence. At the very least, Laila's life should be safe for the time being.
The bad news? Once the men were revived, none of them knew where Laila had been taken—or who had taken her. Their final memory was the same: after the tire blew out, they got out to investigate, and then everything went black. They had no recollection until they woke up surrounded by rescuers.
With little information from them, the team could only piece together what they could from the scraps they had.
Here's what they could confirm:
The film crew's logistics vehicle being hijacked, and the village attack that followed—both were likely orchestrated by the same group that kidnapped Laila. The goal was clearly to spread the defenders thin and create chaos, making it easier to abduct her unnoticed.
The perpetrators most likely knew who Laila was. And, for now, they didn't intend to harm her. Initially, it was suspected to be a ransom situation—but with so much time passed and no contact from the kidnappers, that possibility was becoming less and less likely. If it were for ransom, they would've already called the Moran family.
The attackers were ruthless and goal-oriented. Their strategy was highly calculated—each step weakening Laila's security, and each distraction timed perfectly. That level of sophistication meant there was a sharp mind behind the scenes.
And that was the biggest concern. If such a person sensed any risk of exposure, they might decide to eliminate Laila to cover their tracks.
In this vast, remote landscape, it would be all too easy to make someone vanish without a trace. If they chose to kill her, finding her again would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.
There were too few people here. And almost no surveillance equipment. No eyewitnesses. No security footage. The lack of resources made the investigation incredibly difficult.
Roy stood silently, lips pressed tightly, listening to the analysis from the experts. But no matter how much they speculated, not a single person could come up with a concrete plan to bring Laila back.
Yes, this wasn't the U.S. They were on foreign soil, in unfamiliar territory, knowing nothing about the terrain or the people. But that wasn't an excuse!
While they sat here running in circles, who knew what kind of fear and trauma Laila was experiencing?