Back when Roy's incident came to light, the discovery that several soldiers had been bribed led to a chain reaction, dragging many people into serious trouble. Among them were friends and acquaintances of the very officers now grumbling about their assignment. So deep down, their feelings toward the root cause of it all—Laila—weren't particularly warm.
Sure, they understood those men had made mistakes, but seeing their pitiful downfall, it was hard not to feel a twinge of sympathy.
Because those people had been arrested or dismissed, they—some of the nation's top military officers and elite soldiers—were dispatched here. If even they couldn't be trusted, then Fusca wouldn't know who could be. Truthfully, no one was more shaken by the whole ordeal than Fusca himself.
Had he not witnessed it firsthand, he would never have believed there were so many parasites festering within his own country. That's why, once the purging began, he took the lead, ensuring every person he caught received the harshest punishment possible. No matter who tried to plead for mercy, it was useless.
"I wish she'd just leave already," one officer muttered. "Instead of standing around babysitting foreigners filming movies, we should be out doing real military work!"
The others agreed with him.
Fusca listened to their constant complaints—three meals a day, nonstop grumbling—and the dissatisfaction in his own heart had long been simmering.
"You think it would've been better for us if Director Moran had gone home the moment she was rescued?" he said flatly. "You're wrong. She's doing this for the sake of our country."
"That can't be true," one officer said skeptically. "We've already suspended our original operations to protect her. How could her staying be better for us?"
Fusca sighed. "Think about it. If she had left immediately after being rescued—without finishing her film—what would the world think?"
Without waiting for a response, he continued, "They'd think our country was too dangerous. So dangerous that even a film director didn't dare stay a minute longer. What kind of image would that be for us? You think being portrayed that way would do our country any good?"
"…I mean, surely they wouldn't think that badly?" one soldier offered, a bit uncertain.
But in their hearts, they knew—if Laila had been kidnapped in some other country and left immediately after being rescued, they'd probably assume that country was a disaster zone too.
That realization made the Americans—especially Laila and her crew—seem a little less annoying. After all, despite the trauma, she'd stayed behind and continued filming, seemingly out of concern for their national image. That made her a very different kind of American—nothing like the usual arrogant businessmen from overseas.
Of course, Laila had no idea that her image had risen to such heroic heights in Fusca's eyes. Whether or not she'd been thinking about South Africa's reputation when she decided to stay—only Laila herself would know.
Regardless, for the rest of the week, the crew was under tight protection, with every possible precaution taken. And these soldiers weren't just good at guarding—they turned out to be decent on-camera too. Laila even recruited a few of them as extras, and the results were much better than using ordinary civilians.
In the end, they didn't even need the full week. Filming wrapped a day and a half ahead of schedule.
When Laila called out, "That's a wrap!" everyone erupted in cheers, celebrating the end of what had been an incredibly difficult shoot.
She'd originally planned to give the crew a day off to enjoy the local sights and maybe pick up a few souvenirs. But nearly everyone just wanted to go home. After months away, they were beyond eager—homesickness didn't even begin to cover it.
Laila felt the same way. The moment they set a return date, she started counting the days like everyone else.
The agents who had been sent to help rescue her would remain behind a little longer before heading back to the U.S., but the others—especially the mercenaries—Laila didn't shortchange a single one of them. In fact, for Xiao Ye's sake, she even gave them a bonus. After all, it was thanks to their infiltration that her rescue had gone so smoothly.
Before leaving, Laila donated a lot of the crew's unused supplies. Tables and chairs went to a nearby school. Bedding and costumes were sent to the village that had been destroyed by Martin's men.
She even donated a sum of money to Fusca's unit, thanking them for their protection.
These gestures were easy for Laila, but for the recipients, they were deeply meaningful. Fusca, the school, and the villagers were all sad to see the crew leave.
Partings always bring tears. Laila didn't like emotional farewells, so she skipped the final send-off party and asked Roy to say goodbye on her behalf.
And so—finally—the day of departure arrived.
It was a beautiful, cloudless day. The sky stretched out endlessly, clear and deep, the kind of weather that made you feel your heart was soaring.
After thanking Fusca for his escort, Laila and her team boarded the Moran family's private jet. With waves and farewells behind them, and seatbelts clicked into place, they all turned their eyes forward—toward home.
Laila was among them. She realized she had never missed Janet and the rest of her family this much before. She knew they had been worrying nonstop, and as a good daughter—and a good granddaughter—she had decided: that once she was back, she would take a proper break to be with them. Only after that would she return to editing Blood Diamond.
She'd thought it through. If she couldn't make this year's Oscars, then she'd submit the film next year. There was no point in rushing and compromising the quality of the movie. Besides, with The Dark Knight still playing this year, she could still hope for some awards.
And as luck would have it, just as Laila's plane touched down in the U.S., The Dark Knight hit a major milestone—$1 billion at the global box office.
Over $300 million in North America, and over $600 million from international markets—it was another glorious achievement to add to her list.
And with plenty of time left before the film left theaters, analysts on Wall Street were projecting it could bring in another $300–400 million.
Why? Because the film had stellar word-of-mouth. Critics were singing its praises across review sites, and fans were giving it top ratings.
That kind of unanimous acclaim was rare for a commercial blockbuster. But then again—this was a Laila Moran film. At this point, no box office figure seemed too high to believe.