Originally, Laila had planned to give Leslie Cheung two days to rest and recover. After all, even if it wasn't a cramped, leg-numbing cabin, sitting on a plane for hours was still tiring. Maybe for most actors it wasn't enough to require a two-day break—but no matter how slight the fatigue, how could Laila bear to see her "Gege," whom she had snatched back from the clutches of death, be overworked?
But Leslie Cheung politely declined her kind offer. The island was indeed beautiful, breathtaking even—but what truly captivated him was the script, the film, and the upcoming shoot. For him, diving into a good role was the best cure for fatigue.
This level of professionalism moved Laila deeply. Meanwhile, Roy, who witnessed the exchange, came to a different conclusion—clearly, he and Laila hadn't had a "deep enough talk" last time. Once they got back, a more thorough discussion was in order! Don't think he had noticed the way Laila stared at the guy with those starstruck eyes—it was downright painful to watch. He seriously considered taking a photo of her in that moment to show her just how ridiculous she looked. Maybe then she'd be embarrassed enough to stop.
He wasn't jealous in the romantic sense—Roy could distinguish between the love one had for a partner and the admiration one had for an idol. As an actor and a master of facial expressions, he could read that much. Still, even if he understood, it didn't make it any less frustrating. He was younger, more handsome by conventional standards—what exactly had gone wrong with her taste?
You couldn't blame Roy entirely. Like many Westerners, he had trouble telling Eastern faces apart. He was better than most, but his ingrained aesthetic still leaned toward sharp features, defined jawlines, and visible abs. To him, those were the hallmarks of "good looks."
But Laila was different. Easterners didn't judge solely by appearance—they looked at a person's presence. Someone might not have traditionally handsome features, but if they carried themselves with grace and refinement, their appeal increased immensely.
This East–West divide wasn't just about physical aesthetics—it extended to the appreciation of art as well. Take, for example, traditional Chinese ink paintings versus Western oil paintings: one emphasized poetic nuance, the other focused on realism. While neither side rejected the other's art forms, people still tended to think their traditions were better.
Laila noticed Roy's subtle, annoyed glances—and felt just a bit guilty.
Alright, maybe she had been a little too obvious. As a top-tier Hollywood director, she'd just lost a bit of composure. But once filming began and she had time to adjust, everything would settle down. Hadn't it been the same during The Lord of the Rings shoot? It just took some getting used to. Today's excitement was only because they hadn't seen each other in so long—really!
To save face, she handed off the task of settling Leslie Cheung and his team to her staff and left to attend to other matters.
With the shoot about to begin, she had a mountain of work to handle. One key task was scouting and getting familiar with the filming locations.
Previously, when she had visited the island, she hadn't ventured deep into the rainforest. It just didn't appeal to her. Even though the island had been thoroughly cleared of dangerous wildlife, who could guarantee there wouldn't be some creepy crawlies still lurking around? Poisonous or not, snakes still looked like snakes, and that alone was terrifying enough!
Roy had taken lots of photos for her, and it was thanks to those images that she had finalized the decision to shoot here. But nothing beats an on-site visit. Camera placement, actor movement paths, emotional beats—all of it had to be carefully plotted and checked in person.
And so, on the second day after everyone had arrived, the Silence crew officially began filming.
Golden Isle was truly a spectacular location. It offered the most breathtaking seas and beaches, and also had a dense jungle perfect for adventure scenes. If they wanted wild animals, that could be arranged. Though there were no longer any dangerous creatures roaming free, the island did feature a wildlife reserve. Unlike typical zoos, however, the animals weren't confined in cages—they roamed freely within a designated area. Even the more aggressive species had been well-trained and were surprisingly docile.
The first time Laila saw these animals, she was delighted—and immediately added a scene into the script featuring an encounter with one of the beasts.
In the dense rainforest, beneath a canopy that blocked out the sun, the protagonists stepped carefully over layers of fallen leaves. Small, skittering creatures darted around their feet, vanishing into the underbrush. And then—in a moment of breathless silence—they found themselves locking eyes with a pair of emerald-green eyes glowing in the darkness… a wild beast.
Just imagining it gave her chills of anticipation.
Compared to the original draft, the final script—heavily revised and finalized by Laila—was by far the one she was most satisfied with. She had overhauled many of the more awkward scenes, adding layers of depth that she believed would elevate the entire film.
In short, the theme hadn't changed: two men, isolated from the outside world, go from enemies to reluctant allies—and maybe something more. They were born into roles that forced them to oppose each other. In a normal setting, even if they didn't kill each other on sight, they'd treat the other as a threat.
But an accident traps them together in an uninhabited wilderness. To survive and escape, they have no choice but to cooperate. At first, there's mutual suspicion and cold calculation—but after weathering a life-threatening crisis together, they begin to let down their guards.
And when they finally glimpse hope of returning to civilization—when the world they came from reasserts itself—their old identities come crashing back. At that moment, what choice will they make?
Laila had deliberately added many thought-provoking moments to the story. For fans of adventure films, this would satisfy their craving for thrills. For those seeking emotional depth, the film still offered plenty to chew on. Even action fans would find something to enjoy. In short, Laila aimed to capture the hearts of multiple fan bases with this one film.
Of course, many directors would see that as a risky move. Mixing too many genres could easily lead to a mess—an incoherent "jack-of-all-trades" disaster that satisfied no one.
But this was Laila's first truly original film. She didn't know whether such a movie—one with no precedent—would be accepted by audiences. But she had already honed her skills through countless other projects, learning and evolving with each one. She had faith in her ability to balance the story's elements without letting the structure collapse.
The first scene to be shot was the moment when the two leads find themselves suddenly stranded in an unfamiliar, uninhabited place. They're injured, disheveled, and forced to confront the enemy standing right beside them. There's no joy in this encounter—only tension, mistrust, and the looming threat of death.
Conveying all of that—without dialogue, through only glances and physical cues—was no simple task.