Chapter 14 Fame and Fortune

"Bang! Bang..."

The sound of gunshots rang out continuously, and colorful flowers blossomed on the body of the blood-covered man who had just struggled to get up, eventually collapsing to the ground. Several police officers cautiously approached.

The video playing on the screen came to an end. In Editing Room No. 1 of Channel 6, Karla took a deep breath, her excited expression turning into one of incredulity, as if she had just discovered a new continent like Columbus.

"You can all leave now," Karla said to the others nearby. "You guys can go."

She turned her head to the person sitting next to her, Murphy, and exclaimed, "I'm completely blown away! That was amazing! I can't find the right words to describe this video."

Murphy turned to her, nodding. "Thank you."

"No, Murphy, don't thank me," Karla shook her head. "I should be thanking you for bringing this to me."

"You're too kind," Murphy replied. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Karla reached out and grasped Murphy's hand, her eyes betraying her desire. "This video must be mine, it has to be!"

Since he was already here, Karla was obviously Murphy's first choice. He asked, "How much are you willing to offer?"

His previous words were just talk; if the price wasn't right, Murphy wouldn't sell to Karla and Channel 6.

The last news video had significantly boosted the program's ratings. Karla knew the sensational impact this new video could have. She replied, "You tell me what price you have in mind."

Murphy didn't beat around the bush. "One hundred thousand dollars."

A real gunfight involving a shootout, deaths, blood splatters, and car chases was a rare sight. Karla paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, then said, "I can offer you that price, but I need to show the video to my superiors first, just to make sure they're okay with it."

What does a commercial television station need?

As expected, Karla's superiors, after viewing the video, not only agreed to the price of one hundred thousand dollars but also promised Murphy that Fox Los Angeles Local would assist him in dealing with some police and legal issues, trying to avoid court injunctions so that both sides could continue to delve deeper into the story behind the case.

In essence, the station's agreement to the additional conditions was an acknowledgment of the immense public interest the news video would generate. Further investigation into the incident would bring more viewers to the station.

Like Murphy, Karla knew that the station wouldn't do anything without a benefit.

"Send the video and my written proposal to the production studio."

After an editor left with the video material, only Karla and Murphy remained in the editing room. Kara approached Murphy, "The check for one hundred thousand dollars will be ready by tomorrow morning."

Looking at the cash check in his hand, Murphy sighed with emotion, "This is the most money I've ever made."

"It's only one hundred thousand dollars!" Karla pulled up a chair and sat next to Murphy. "Save some money."

"For me, this is a huge sum that will be very useful." Murphy pocketed the check and turned to look at Karla. "People like you don't understand the struggles of people like us who work hard for a living."

Karla was silent for a moment. She had personally seen Murphy work so hard to advance.

She admired his dedication to constantly moving forward.

"You should get yourself a lawyer."

Regardless of the motive, Karla appreciated the favor Murphy had done for her by bringing the video over. "The police are going to give you a lot of trouble."

"I already have a lawyer," Murphy smiled. "And I'm just doing what a good citizen should do."

Kara rolled her eyes directly. If everyone here was a good citizen of Los Angeles, the two dead criminals could be considered honorary citizens of Los Angeles.

The door of the editing room was knocked, and a middle-aged man entered. "Karla, are you really going to broadcast these videos in the program? And in the manner you've outlined?"

"Yes," Karla replied, her tone firm. "Any problems?"

"You're inciting racial conflict by doing this!" The middle-aged man approached, emphasizing, "This could lead to a series of social problems."

Karla didn't hesitate. "That's the effect I'm aiming for."

"What?" The middle-aged man seemed incredulous. "Are you manufacturing chaos through the news?"

"Manufacturing? Isn't a white police officer shooting an unarmed black man a fact?" Karla emphasized again. "This is something that no one can deny."

Even Murphy had to admire Karla's boldness. He hadn't thought about it that way before. The last black man who died didn't seem to pose any threat, yet he was still shot by the white police officers...

Compared to Karla, he was far behind in news intuition! Murphy thoroughly understood why Kara and the TV station were willing to accept the price of one hundred thousand dollars and provide assistance when necessary. Compared to what they would gain, what they had to give was too insignificant.

"We're in the news business." Karla stared at the editor-in-chief, her tone serious. "We must have higher aspirations!"

The editor-in-chief was dumbfounded, unable to say a word. Eventually, he backed out of the editing room under Karla's sharp gaze.

"That was amazing."

After the editor left, Murphy stood up. "We shouldn't be constrained by the present; we should have broader and higher aspirations."

Karla caught on to something and asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

"Yes, this video can bring us much more," Murphy paced back and forth. "We can produce a series of special programs, specifically highlighting black suspects and white police officers..."

He knew what kind of conflict these two groups could incite. "By tracking and reporting along this direction, and replaying past news in this area to strengthen the news effect, when the timeliness of the news weakens, we can also produce documentaries."

"Great idea!" Karla's eyes lit up.

Murphy reminded her, "To do all this, we first need to avoid a court-issued news injunction."

"Such a news injunction won't happen." Karla seemed confident. "Don't forget, Channel 6 belongs to Fox Television Network!"

Murdoch's Fox Television Network had immense power, which Murphy wasn't very clear about, but he knew it was considerable.

The two of them were like kindred spirits meeting for the first time, staying in Editing Room No. 1, passionately discussing various possible follow-ups.

Karla and Murphy, one seeking fame, the other pursuing profit, were indeed a perfect match.

As the time approached six in the morning and the morning news was about to air, Murphy followed Karla into the backstage editing hall. Now he could be considered a familiar face at this TV station, and usually, no one would come to stop him.

As expected, to Murphy and Kara's surprise, the police had traced the clues all the way here.

"Who's in charge here?"

The middle-aged detective who had questioned Murphy before appeared. "We're from the Los Angeles Police Department's Major Crimes Division."

He pointed to the screen showing the shootout video and said, "These cannot be broadcast. They must all be handed over to the police, including all copies."

The middle-aged detective exuded authority, as if he had the final say here.

Murphy and Karla exchanged glances, then gestured for him to continue.

"What do you intend to do?" Karla walked over briskly. "I'm the head of the news department. If you have any questions, you can ask me."

"I demand that you collect all these gunfights, car chases..." the middle-aged detective pointed to the screen again, "and stop broadcasting them. These are all..."

"Sorry," he didn't finish his sentence as Kara interrupted, "These belong to Channel 6."

"These are evidence of a crime!" The middle-aged detective glared at Kara, but Kara remained unmoved. "What evidence? This is our news!"

Karla's attitude was firm. The middle-aged detective's companion, a female detective, spoke up timely. "There are two police officers barely clinging to life in the hospital, four dead, eleven injured, and a lot of violent crimes. These are all crucial evidence."

However, Karla remained unfazed, crossing her arms. "These are news that the television station must broadcast."

"You are strictly prohibited from broadcasting them!" The middle-aged detective roared.

"Are you trying to interfere with press freedom?" Karla looked at the middle-aged detective calmly. "If you want to take these away and prohibit the television station from broadcasting them, you can."

She said each word deliberately, "Please show me the court injunction!"

"You..." The middle-aged detective seemed at a loss for words.

Karla instructed the security personnel who had entered with the police, "The program is about to start. Please escort the unrelated personnel out."

Then, she turned to the two detectives, "If you have any further questions, our legal department will contact you. That's all for now. I have work to do. Thank you."

After all, this was a media department, and the police didn't dare to do too much. They could only reluctantly watch as Murphy's video aired on Channel 6's morning news, becoming the focus of public discussion in Los Angeles.

After the news broadcast ended, Murphy asked the security personnel at the door and then approached Karla, "There are still police outside. Looks like I need to make a trip to the police station."

"Don't forget to contact your lawyer," Karla reminded.