Hollywood Road

Leaning back in the driver's seat, Murphy stared intently at the laptop on the steering wheel, considering how to handle the footage of the vehicle and the two perpetrators.

Should he turn it over to the police? That would be the civic-minded thing to do...

But Murphy had never considered himself a good citizen of Los Angeles. Even after more than a year in this world, he had no strong feelings of allegiance to America.

More importantly, what good would it do him personally?

Aside from a routine commendation, Murphy couldn't think of any other benefits.

He played the footage again, one hand supporting his chin, contemplating the possible outcomes.

A serious criminal case in the Los Angeles city center and one in the Santa Monica Valley would develop very differently. The former would be largely ignored, while the latter would attract significant attention.

The crime took place in a well-policed affluent area, which alone would draw substantial public interest and put enormous pressure on the Los Angeles police. If they couldn't find valuable leads, they might even offer a hefty reward.

How much could the reward be? Murphy speculated that, given the status of the victims and the location, it could be several tens of thousands of dollars.

Currently, there was no reward. If he turned in the footage now, Murphy believed he wouldn't get any substantial reward. He had no illusions about the reliability and integrity of the American police.

Moreover, handing over the footage to the police meant he couldn't sell it to a TV station, resulting in a significant loss of income.

For Murphy, a few thousand dollars, let alone tens of thousands, was a considerable amount.

Therefore, turning the footage over to the police was the worst option.

As for the possibility of being treated as a suspect for being on the scene before the police, Murphy had already considered this. Surveillance wasn't as pervasive as it would be in the future, especially since 9/11 hadn't yet happened, and government surveillance in many residential areas was non-existent. However, the road he had driven on to get there was a main route from the valley to Beverly Hills, and Murphy clearly remembered there were public surveillance cameras that could prove he wasn't at the scene when the victims called the police.

After much thought, Murphy gradually formed a preliminary plan. His eyes returned to the laptop as he opened the editing software and processed the video. He specifically cut out the segment showing the estate entrance and the two black perpetrators leaving in their car, making it appear as though the footage began inside the mansion.

If everything went according to his plan, this video could potentially bring in a substantial sum, perhaps even enough to kickstart his film career.

Having done this, Murphy picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello," a familiar female voice answered. "This is Kara Faith."

"Hey, Kara, it's Murphy."

Leaning his left arm on the car window, Murphy spoke directly, "I have a video from a robbery that just happened in the Santa Monica Valley."

"Beal Road?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, I just filmed it," Murphy replied.

Kara's voice sounded flat. "You're too late. Someone has already provided us with footage of this news. My reporters are already on the way."

Hearing this, Murphy checked the time. His considerations and editing had taken an hour and a half. In the news business, a few minutes could mean the difference between an exclusive and a missed opportunity.

"Anything else?" Kara asked.

"No," Murphy chuckled. "But, Kara, I arrived at Beal Road before the police did."

"What?" The voice on the other end raised by a hundred decibels. "What did you say?"

Murphy calmly repeated, "I was at the scene before the police arrived."

"Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier!"

The voice on the other end was practically screaming. "Murphy, I need to see you now. If I don't see you before midnight, I swear I'll kill you. I swear I'll use the most brutal methods you can imagine!"

Murphy wasn't bothered by her words. After a month of working with Kara Faith, he had a pretty good idea of what kind of person she was. She would do anything for news and ratings.

Driving towards Burbank, Murphy considered various aspects, especially how to maximize the benefit of this video. Situations like this were rare and invaluable.

Inside the white building of Channel 6, Kara paced back and forth in her office, glancing at her watch occasionally. Her reporters at the scene had just confirmed that the crime took place in a multi-million-dollar mansion, where the homeowners, their servants, and their bodyguards had all been brutally murdered.

The footage from another freelance journalist was shot after the police had sealed off the scene, with nothing particularly eye-catching. If not for the fact that the crime occurred in a wealthy area, she wouldn't have even considered buying it.

Because such a heinous crime happened in a rich neighborhood, she needed more shocking and attractive video or photo material.

And Murphy claimed to have arrived at the scene before the police. Kara couldn't believe he would follow the rules and not film anything useful. She knew enough about Murphy Stanton from their collaborations to know that he was daring, meticulous, and had a ruthless streak.

Such a person would never stick to the rules.

Channel 6, part of Fox Los Angeles, was one of the less prominent channels under the Fox Network. Its ratings were middling among local TV stations, with their late-night and morning news lacking sufficient attention. Someone with Kara's keen news sense and strong ambition knew exactly how much attention this recent incident would draw.

It could easily become the social news focus of Los Angeles for the next two weeks, and the viewership directly affected her position and promotion.

Looking through the glass door and seeing no movement outside, Kara was about to turn back when she saw a tall, familiar figure rounding the corner. Her furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and she quickly opened the door and walked briskly towards Murphy.

"This is rare."

Seeing the tall woman striding towards him, Murphy said, "You actually came out to meet me."

Kara tucked a strand of long blonde hair behind her ear, smiling and eagerly asking, "Did you bring it?"

Dressed in a fitted business suit, she stood close to Murphy, her light blue eyes fixed on him as if he were her secret crush.

Of course, Murphy didn't think so. He knew Kara was a shrewd and mature career woman who couldn't be deceived by her gender's superficial displays.

"Here it is." Murphy pulled out a storage drive from his pocket and waved it in front of Kara. "A home invasion robbery and murder on Beal Road in the Valley. I saw at least four dead."

Kara's eyes lit up with an unusual gleam.

"Did you really get it on tape?" she asked uncertainly.

Murphy nodded slightly, waving the storage drive again. "I'm not going to tell you how good this footage is. I think you should see it for yourself."

Kara's lips twitched slightly, forming a smile as she took the storage drive from Murphy and led him to the editing room. Passing through the office area, she ordered, "Michael, Kate, drop what you're doing and come to Editing Room One."

A young man and woman immediately followed.

Inside the editing room, Murphy stood behind Kara and the others as usual. Their eyes were glued to the screen, completely captivated by the footage Murphy had shot.

When the first body appeared on the screen, Michael and Kate seemed a bit uneasy at the bloody scene, but Murphy could tell from Kara's face, beneath her professional makeup, there was an inexplicable excitement, like a young woman seeing a limited edition handbag.

When the second body appeared, Kara's lips curled into a smile, her eyes gleaming even more brightly. She glanced at Murphy, who returned her smile with a slight tilt of his head.

Undoubtedly, this woman had taken a strong interest in the footage.

As the video played on, Kara was already very satisfied. She picked up the phone and dialed an internal number, saying, "Get Connie from the legal department over here."

Murphy wasn't surprised. Kara was a shrewd news professional and manager, aware of the video's sensitivity and potential legal issues.

A few minutes later, a woman with short hair in black attire walked in. Murphy watched from the sidelines as they discussed the video's potential for broadcast.

"Look at this footage," Kara replayed the video. "What parts can we legally air?"

Connie, the woman in black, stood next to Kara's chair, watching the screen. "You mean legally air?"

"Of course!" Kara's authority was evident. "It must be legally aired!"

"Have the victims' identities been confirmed?" Connie asked.

Kara shook her head, and Connie continued, "If their families haven't been notified, we can't broadcast their identities."

Michael, the editor, added, "Broadcasting their faces is equivalent to revealing their identities."

"Where did the footage come from?" Connie asked.

"He shot it," Kara pointed to Murphy. "He was at the scene before the police."

Seeing the woman in black looking over, Murphy stepped forward and extended his hand. "Hello, Murphy Stanton, freelance journalist."

"Hello." Connie shook his hand briefly before turning back to Kara. "It's best not to air it at all."

Kara's face immediately darkened. "I called you here to solve legal issues, not to veto my work plan."

"Okay..." Connie thought for a moment. "Blur the faces of the deceased and don't reveal the exact address of the incident on the program."

"Is that enough?" Murphy asked.

Connie nodded slightly. "As long as there's no court injunction, we won't be breaking any laws."

"What about journalistic ethics?" Kate, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "This goes beyond all broadcasting standards

."

As soon as she finished speaking, Kara's eyes shot daggers at her. "Have you seen our ratings? I'm willing to bear any consequences for broadcasting this news!"

"Speaking of which," she added with undeniable authority, "this will be the headline for the six o'clock news!"

"Wait!" Murphy suddenly interrupted them. "Ladies and gentlemen, we haven't discussed the price yet."

"You all go out." Kara waved the others away. Once they left, she turned to Murphy, still seated. "Name your price, Murphy, but don't be outrageous."

Murphy's expression turned serious. "One hundred thousand dollars!"