After reading through the script once more, Leslie Cheung stood by the darkened window and let out a long, deep breath as he gazed at the scenery outside.
It had been a long time since a script stirred up so many emotions in him. Even after he put it down, the scenes still replayed vividly in his mind.
"Please tell Director Moran—I'll take it!"
Without a second of hesitation and without waiting for the next day, he called Chen Shufen and gave her the answer she had been dying to hear.
"That's wonderful! I'll make sure you get a good deal!" she promised eagerly, patting her chest with relief.
Very soon, Laila received the reply—Leslie Cheung had accepted the script.
"That's truly great. I look forward to working with him again. I'll have someone reach out to finalize the details."
Though she genuinely wanted to meet him in person again, it wasn't the best time for her to travel. Just the thought that they'd be reunited on the same set next year helped her suppress the impulse.
On the other end, Chen Shufen was equally thrilled—especially when Laila's people brought over the contract. Her jaw dropped at the compensation listed.
"Ten million US dollars?"
It was a number she couldn't have imagined. She had just confidently told Leslie Cheung she'd negotiate a great deal, only to find the offer brought to their door was double what she'd anticipated. She didn't even know what kind of expression to put on—her feelings were a tangled mess.
Last time, they'd worked together for $2 million—that was already over 15 million in Hong Kong dollars, which was a very respectable paycheck for a supporting role. Leslie Cheung was a huge name in the East, no doubt, but in the West, not many knew him. Countless actors in the East would've been willing to pay that much just for a chance to appear in a Laila Moran film.
And now—it had jumped fivefold!
Sure, thanks to his supporting role in The Lord of the Rings, he'd become familiar to some Western moviegoers, so a pay raise was warranted. But this wasn't just a small raise—it was five times!
Apart from the word "loaded," Chen Shufen truly didn't know how else to describe it. With zero effort, they'd landed a deal better than they'd ever hoped for…
If it weren't for the fact that Director Moran had a very close relationship with her fiancé and had just had a child, Chen Shufen might've even wondered whether Laila had any other kind of feelings for Leslie Cheung.
If Laila knew someone was overthinking like this just because she offered too much money, she'd probably burst into tears laughing. To be fair, she did have feelings—for an idol.
Regular people follow idols by watching their shows, listening to their songs, or buying their endorsed products. But Laila wasn't like that. Her way of idolizing someone was to cast them in movies. After all, she was a film director. If her family hadn't been in the media, maybe she'd have just asked him to endorse one of their products or something.
When Leslie Cheung heard the figure he was being offered, he simply raised an eyebrow. And that was it. He had come so far in life that money didn't mean that much to him anymore. What mattered more was the recognition.
Ten million dollars was a solid sum—even in Hollywood. Of course, he couldn't be compared to Roy; the man's fame in America—and globally—was on an entirely different level. At that price point, Laila could've easily cast a more bankable Western actor. There was no need to come to the East to find him.
But Leslie Cheung had read the script—he knew it was a story about a white man and an Asian man. In his opinion, the Asian role could've easily been written as a Black character, or any other ethnicity.
Whatever Laila's reason for choosing him, for placing her trust in him, he would repay her with the best performance he could give.
"I saw that she cast her fiancé Roy as the lead," Chen Shufen remarked thoughtfully. "She must be very serious about this film. To spend ten million just for a supporting role—Hollywood's resources are terrifying. I wonder what the overall budget for the film is… must be astronomical!"
The movie that left the deepest impression on her was Pirates of the Caribbean. Back then, even over on this side of the world, people had been swept up in pirate fever. Theaters were packed to capacity, and advance tickets had sold like hotcakes. Being in the entertainment industry, she'd always kept a close eye on such things, so she knew exactly how obsessed people had been with that film.
She'd even discussed it with friends—some joked that the film was just Laila's way of promoting her boyfriend. But before the movie aired, who understood the pressure that both the director and the actors were under? She had friends in Hollywood who told her that back then, most of the industry had zero faith in the project.
But Chen Shufen believed that if Laila chose to direct that film, she must have had her reasons. Whether or not it was to promote her boyfriend, the film's success had spoken for itself.
Now, Roy was once again cast as the male lead—clear evidence that Laila had great confidence in this project too. For Leslie Cheung, landing such an important role would be a huge boost for his career going forward.
After listening to her thoughts, Leslie Cheung gave her a surprised look and said,
"You didn't read the script carefully? It's a dual male lead. I'm not the supporting actor—I'm one of the main leads."
"..."
Chen Shufen stared at him, momentarily speechless.
L-Lead role?
What??
Of course, she'd read the script. Just… not as thoroughly as he had. She could summarize the plot just fine, but when it came to identifying who the actual protagonists were, she hadn't paid much attention. Or rather, she had never even considered the possibility that Laila would cast an Eastern actor as one of the leads, so she'd automatically treated his role as a supporting one.
And now he was telling her he was the lead?
Was this about to become breaking news?
Chen Shufen nearly screamed. She could already imagine the firestorm that would erupt once this news got out. Last time, when he had just played a meaningful supporting role, fans had already gone wild—some were practically ready to light fireworks and sacrifice pigs in celebration. The outpouring of congratulations from people across the entertainment industry had been endless.
But now? Now he was heading to Hollywood to play a leading role?
No doubt it would cause an even bigger sensation. Eastern and Hollywood collaborations weren't new, but the roles given to Eastern actors were often stereotypical, or blink-and-you-miss-it cameos. And even those were enough for the media to brand those actors as "international stars."
But this time—Leslie Cheung was truly, legitimately, going to be a leading man!
Not supporting. Leading.
Chen Shufen suddenly burst out laughing, "Hahaha!"
Finally, an Eastern actor would appear on the big screen of Hollywood with pride and dignity!