章 9: Chapter 9 One hundred thousand dollars
Leaning against the driver's seat, Murphy stared intently at the laptop placed on his lap, considering how to handle the footage of the car and the two assailants he had captured.
Hand it over to the police? That's what a good citizen should do...
But Murphy never saw himself as a good citizen of Los Angeles, even though he had been in this world for over a year, he didn't feel any sense of belonging to America.
More importantly, what good would it do for him personally?
Apart from some routine moral satisfaction, Murphy couldn't think of any other benefits.
Replaying the footage once again, Murphy rested his chin on his hand, contemplating the possible outcomes of this matter.
Such a serious and heinous crime, occurring in both downtown Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Valley, would undoubtedly lead to vastly different outcomes. The former would likely go unnoticed, while the latter would attract significant attention.
The fact that the crime took place in a well-off residential area would alone draw public attention, and the Los Angeles police would face immense pressure. If valuable clues weren't found, a substantial reward might be offered.
How much could the reward be? Murphy speculated that given the status of the victim and the location of the crime, tens of thousands of dollars were definitely possible.
But there was currently no reward. If he handed over the video, Murphy believed he wouldn't receive any substantial reward. He had no illusions about the credibility and quality of the American police force.
Moreover, once the video was handed over to the police, it meant he couldn't sell it to television stations, resulting in a significant loss of income.
For someone like him, even a few thousand dollars was a substantial amount.
Therefore, handing the video over to the police was undoubtedly the worst choice.
As for the possibility of being considered a suspect for entering the scene before the police, Murphy had already considered it. Surveillance in this era wasn't as ubiquitous as in the future, especially before 9/11, and many residential areas lacked surveillance. However, Murphy remembered clearly that the road he took to the valley was the main road from the valley area to Beverly Hills, and there were public surveillance cameras there, enough to prove he wasn't at the scene when the victim called the police.
After much thought, Murphy gradually formulated a preliminary plan. His eyes returned to the laptop, opening the editing software and processing the video with a series of edits. He intentionally cut the part from entering the mansion gate to the two black assailants leaving in the car, making the video appear to start filming from inside the mansion.
If everything went according to his plan, this video could bring in a substantial income, perhaps even the first bucket of gold to kickstart his filmmaking career.
With everything done, Murphy picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Hello," a familiar female voice came through the receiver, "this is Karla Fess."
"Hey, Karla, it's me, Murphy."
Leaning his left arm on the car window, Murphy said directly, "I have a video here, an armed robbery that just happened in Santa Monica Valley."
"On Bill Road?" the voice on the other end asked.
Murphy nodded, "Yes, just shot it."
Karla's voice sounded somewhat flat, "You're late, someone has already provided us with this footage, and our reporters are on their way."
Upon hearing this, Murphy couldn't help but check the time. This deliberation, plus the editing, took an hour and a half. For news reporters, a few minutes' difference could lead to completely different outcomes.
"Anything else?" Karla asked.
"Nothing." Murphy chuckled lightly, "But, Karla, I arrived at Bill Road before the police did."
"What?" The voice on the other end raised, "What did you say?"
Murphy calmly said, "I arrived at the scene before the police did."
"Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier!"
She practically shouted, "Murphy, I want to see you now. If I don't see you by midnight, I swear to God I'll kill you, I promise! I will kill you in the most brutal way imaginable!"
As these words reached his ears, Murphy didn't care at all. After more than a month of being around her, he already had a rough idea of who Karla Fess was. For news and ratings, she could do many crazy things.
Driving towards Burbank, Murphy considered many aspects, especially how to maximize the benefits of this video. In a situation like this, it was entirely a matter of chance.
The Fox Los Angeles local channel, Channel 6, was just one of the countless television channels under the Fox Television Network. It ranked neither high nor low in terms of viewership among local Los Angeles television stations, and its late-night and early-morning news lacked sufficient attention. Someone like Karla, with keen news instincts and strong career ambitions, knew exactly what kind of attention the recent case would attract.
Saying it would become the focus of Los Angeles social news for the next two weeks wasn't an exaggeration. Moreover, the ratings of the program directly affected her position and promotion.
Looking out through the glass door, there was no movement outside. Just as Karla was about to retract her gaze, at the corner of her eye, she saw a tall and familiar figure turning around. Her slightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and she couldn't help but push the door open and stride towards Murphy.
Seeing the tall woman walking briskly towards him, Murphy deliberately said, "You actually came out to greet me."
Karla tucked a strand of long blonde hair behind her ear, a smile appearing on her exquisite face. Urgently, she asked in a low voice, "Did you bring it?"
She was dressed in a well-fitted professional suit, standing in front of Murphy like this. With her deep blue eyes fixed on him, it seemed as if Murphy was her secret crush.
Of course, Murphy didn't think so. He knew Karla was a savvy and mature professional woman, and he couldn't be misled by these external displays of affections.
"It's here." Murphy took out the storage disk from his pocket and placed it in front of Karla, shaking it slightly. "Armed robbery and murder in Santa Monica Valley on Bill Road. I saw at least four victims!"
Karla's eyes lit up, emitting a strange gleam.
"You really captured it?" she asked uncertainly.
Murphy nodded slightly, shaking the storage disk again, "I won't tell you how good this footage is. I think you'd better see it for yourself."
Her lips quivered slightly, and Karla forced a smile. Taking the storage disk from Murphy's hand, she led him to the editing room. Passing through the office area, she commanded, "Michael, Kate, drop what you're doing and come to editing room number one."
A young man and woman immediately followed.
The editing room was unusually quiet. Murphy stood behind Karla and the others, observing as their eyes were completely drawn to the screen by the footage he had captured.
As the first victim appeared, Michael and Kate seemed somewhat uncomfortable at the gruesome scene, but from Karla's face, Murphy could tell behind her professional makeup was a hidden excitement, as if a young woman had just seen a limited edition handbag.
When the second victim appeared on the screen, a smile began to form on Karla's face, and the gleam in her eyes intensified. She even glanced back at Murphy, who tilted his head slightly, returning a similar smile.
There was no doubt that this woman had developed a significant interest in the video.
The footage continued to play, and Karla seemed increasingly satisfied. She picked up the phone and dialed an internal number, instructing, "Get Connie from the legal department over here."
Murphy wasn't surprised. Karla was a savvy news professional and manager who knew that this footage was highly sensitive and could potentially raise legal issues.
A few minutes later, a short-haired woman in black entered the room. Murphy remained on the sidelines, watching as they discussed the potential airing of the footage on the program.
"Take a look at this footage," Karla replayed it, "what can we broadcast legally?"
"Are you referring to legally permissible broadcast?" Connie asked.
"Of course!" Karla's authority and power were evident, "Absolutely legal broadcast!"
"Has the identity of the victims been confirmed?" Connie inquired.
Seeing Karla shake her head, Connie stated, "If the relatives haven't been notified, we can't disclose the victims' identities."
"If we show the victims' faces, it's equivalent to revealing their identities," Michael, the editor, added.
"Where did the video come from?" Connie asked.
"He shot it," Karla gestured towards Murphy, "he arrived at the scene before the police."
As the black-clad woman looked over, Murphy took a step forward, extending his right hand. "Hello, I'm Murphy Stanton, a freelance journalist."
"Hello," Connie shook his hand, then turned to Karla, saying, "It's best not to broadcast anything."
Karla's expression immediately darkened, "I brought you here to resolve legal issues, not to veto my work plans."
"Well..." After a moment's thought, Connie continued, "Blur the faces of the deceased and don't reveal the exact address of the incident on air."
"Will that suffice?" Murphy asked.
Connie nodded slightly, "As long as there's no court order, we won't be breaking any laws."
"What about journalistic ethics?" the previously silent Kate spoke up, "This goes beyond the standards of any television broadcast."
Her words were barely out when Karla's gaze pierced over like a sword, "Have you looked at our program's ratings? I'm willing to bear any consequences for airing such news!"
With that, she issued an unquestionable command, "This will be the headline for the 6 o'clock news!"
"Wait!" Murphy suddenly interjected, interrupting their discussion. "We haven't discussed the price yet."
"You all can leave," Karla waved her hand to the other three. After they left, she turned towards Murphy in the chair. "Name your price, Murphy, but don't be unreasonable."
Murphy's expression turned serious, "One hundred thousand dollars!"
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