Michael was certainly chosen as the negotiator for his eloquence and skill, but even he was nearly thrown off by Laila's sudden and direct question, almost dropping the phone.
Many say that Westerners prefer straightforward conversations, but they don't realize this is only relative to Easterners. Westerners can go in circles too—especially when they're at fault.
Michael's only task today was to get Laila to issue some kind of public statement supporting the Golden Globes regarding yesterday's controversy. As for what they'd offer in return—that was open to negotiation. Ideally, they would give nothing, but realistically, they knew they couldn't get away with that. With someone like Laila, it was better to make peace than to offend her over minor gains.
Given Laila's filmmaking talent, no one doubted she would continue producing outstanding films and be nominated for future Golden Globes. So even if they promised to favor her in future awards, she likely wouldn't value it much. They needed to offer something more substantial to satisfy her.
This was precisely Michael's headache—he didn't even know what his side had to offer. Awards? She didn't care that much. Money? She cared even less. The Moran fortune could buy out the Golden Globes several times over. Whatever they could offer financially would be pocket change to her.
Had Laila known what he was thinking, she probably would've rushed over to defend herself. Who says I don't care about awards? The Golden Globes were still globally recognized; of course, she wanted more of them!
And money? Who says rich people don't care about money? Seeing those account balances grow is always satisfying—don't give her that "it's just a number" nonsense!
"Director Moran, what price must we pay to gain your friendship?" Michael finally gave up torturing his brain and threw the choice back to her. She might make outrageous demands, but at least that would give him something concrete to negotiate—better than this total uncertainty.
Laila was amused. She almost wanted to ask if he had watched The Godfather too many times.
"Gain my friendship? That's quite a challenge. Are you sure you want to attempt that?"
Normally, Michael wouldn't be so quick to give someone this kind of leverage—it was a foolish move to hand control over. But facing Laila, he had no confidence to bargain aggressively. The Golden Globes had already authorized him to offer substantial concessions to secure her cooperation. If being passive for now was necessary, so be it.
"Yes, I'm very sure. If we can gain your friendship, I believe we'll have a very good future working relationship."
Laila raised an eyebrow, suddenly shifting topics: "Michael, have you ever considered working for me?"
"…" Michael was completely thrown off rhythm, nearly begging her to just stick to the original conversation. Just as they were getting to the main issue, she blindsided him with this! His heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
"Director Moran, thank you for your kind offer. But before we discuss anything else, shouldn't we first resolve the current matter?"
Laila hadn't said it to deliberately throw him off. She genuinely found him interesting—clear-headed and decisive, knowing when to give ground for greater gain. She appreciated people who understood the principle of sacrifice leading to reward. Such people often achieved great things.
That's why she made the offer. As her business empire expanded, she was constantly short on capable people. Even with headhunters working for her, finding the right talent wasn't easy.
Michael's lips twitched. He couldn't tell if this Hollywood heavyweight was joking or serious. Logically, working for Laila would offer far better prospects. Truthfully, he didn't think much of the Golden Globes management—they often acted without thinking things through. It was a wonder they'd managed to run the awards for over sixty years.
He used to think this way, but after today's conversation with Laila, he wasn't so sure anymore. In front of her, he felt like a clueless rookie—nothing like the composed professional he believed himself to be.
Compared to many, he was indeed successful and mature. But today, Laila had thoroughly shaken his self-image, leaving him questioning everything.
Laila couldn't see his current expression but could easily guess the struggle in his mind. Water flows downward; people rise upward. The more ambitious and capable a person is, the more they understand the value of finding a worthy patron. She was confident that she had far more to offer than the Golden Globes and could attract top talent.
"Michael, I'm not joking. From our conversation, I can tell you're very interesting. Right now, I'm in great need of people like you—smart and capable. If you say yes, you can join my Longteng (Dragon Soul) Company anytime. I'll offer you an excellent position with excellent pay. If you know anything about my company's benefits, you should know I'm not lying."
Everyone in the industry knew how enviable Longteng's employee benefits were. Michael was no fool—her offer was very tempting. Even without much thought, he knew it was worth considering. But first, he still had a job to finish.
"Director Moran, thank you for your invitation. I won't deny your offer is tempting. But right now, I must secure your friendship for the Golden Globes. Until that is settled, I won't accept any other offers."
His meaning was crystal clear: I'm very interested—but let's handle the current business first, then we'll talk.
Laila appreciated his professionalism and calm thinking. It only strengthened her resolve to bring him onboard. Years ago, when her father assigned Anthony to work with her, she had immediately recognized his value. But his loyalty to her father had kept him from switching sides, despite her recruiting attempts that had now lasted over ten years. Even now, every time they met, she still tried—half-serious, half-unwilling to give up.