Chapter 10

Seemingly unable to believe the number she heard, Kala was taken aback, “Are you crazy, Murphy!”

“You know this is impossible.” Kala exhaled and turned her head back to the screen, “How much?”

Murphy also knew that no TV station would pay $100,000 for a murder news video, especially when the victim was just a wealthy person, not a celebrity like Tom Hanks or Steven Spielberg.

The previous price was more of a probe. Murphy pulled over a chair and sat opposite Kala, “$50,000!”

Kala didn't even look at him, “Time is tight, don't joke around, Murphy. How much?”

Murphy repeated in an extremely serious and solemn tone, “$50,000!”

“This is impossible.” Kala's eyes shifted from the screen back to Murphy, her light blue irises unusually bright, “I need a more realistic number.”

“I've given you two.” Murphy clearly wasn't joking, saying again, “$50,000!”

Kala's expression gradually faded, “$5,000, that's the highest I can offer.”

Murphy shook his head and said in a reminding tone, “This time, the victim isn't a black person or a Mexican immigrant, but a very wealthy white person!”

He deliberately emphasized the word 'white,' “An extremely wealthy white person, gunned down in his own mansion, a housewife dead on the bedroom floor! I know you, Kala.”

Looking directly into those bright light blue eyes, Murphy quickly said, “I know how excited you were when you saw the video, and I know it's worth far more than $5,000 to you!”

Slamming her right hand on the armrest, Kala stood up, circled around Murphy, and returned to the front, looking down at him, “$10,000.”

Murphy, knowing $50,000 was impossible, made a concession, “$40,000!”

Kala's face was expressionless, “$15,000!”

“$35,000...”

“$20,000...”

“$30,000!” Murphy stood up, using his height to his advantage, slightly looking down at the woman, “$30,000!”

“No...” Kala took a step back, using the distance to bring their gazes to the same level, “This is impossible, there's no precedent. $20,000 is my highest offer. I can't spend an entire month's budget on your video.”

“Alright then.” Murphy reached out to unplug the data cable, took back his storage disk, and walked straight to the office door without even looking at Kala, “It looks like this deal won't happen.”

“What are you going to do?” Kala's voice was slightly urgent, “Where are you going?”

Murphy turned around, pointing towards the Disney building to the west, “To ABC, I contacted them before coming here, and they are very interested.”

Saying this, he looked directly at Kala, “Do you know, Miss Faye, I always considered you my most reliable partner. I came to you first even though other TV stations are willing to pay a high price for this video because I thought it was worth it. It can help your career and get me a fair return.”

These words were heartfelt, but Kala subtly curled her lip. How much could she trust someone who would shoot such a video?

She wasn't a naive little girl.

“The head of ABC's news department has contacted me many times.”

Seeing Kala still considering, Murphy continued, “They will offer a higher price, and I can still make it there in time.”

He turned to leave, and Kala finally couldn't hold back, “Stop, Murphy!”

Murphy turned back, standing at the door and looking at Kala. Kala crossed her arms, her expression changed, and her tone softened, “We've been working together for so long, I thought we were friends. Are you going to treat a friend like this?”

Murphy rolled his eyes, “If the TV station belonged to you, I'd give it to you for free.”

He deliberately looked at Kala's prominent chest and delicate face, “If that were the case, I'd provide you with any news video to express my affection for you.”

Pretending not to hear these seemingly sincere but actually full of lies, Kala took a deep breath, “Putting $30,000 on one news story would drive me crazy.”

Seeing her attitude and tone soften, Murphy, who had the upper hand, added fuel to the fire, “I think you've forgotten that the criminal is still at large, still on the loose, mingling in the crowd. Those with families, especially those living in the suburbs who think they are safe, will be nervous and unable to sleep, and will continue to follow the progress of this case.”

Murphy picked up the storage disk and shook it, “This video will draw viewers to Channel 6 and keep them tuned in to your program for a long time.”

Kala was silent for a moment, then finally nodded slowly.

But Murphy's demands didn't end there. He had thought about some things on the way over, “I consider you a friend, Kala. I also admire your professional attitude, but you need to know that $30,000 is not my only requirement.”

Kala looked at Murphy with a surprised expression, as if she had just met him.

“When you broadcast this video...” Murphy emphasized, “I want the anchor to introduce my work and display the caption, letting the audience know it comes from my company—Stanton Studio! A highly professional video production company!”

He couldn't always be a freelance journalist. With funding, he would definitely move into the film industry, and this could be a good opportunity for promotion.

Kala looked at Murphy, speechless.

Only now did she realize that this young man, like herself, had a strong ambition and was willing to do whatever it took to achieve it.

After saying those words, Murphy approached Kala, raising a hand, “What do you say, can we make a deal?”

Although she really wanted to slap that expressionless face to see how thick his skin was, Kala really needed that video. As he said, it was a powerful tool to attract viewers and boost ratings for a long time!

Raising a hand, Kala tapped Murphy's hand, “Alright, deal.”

After reaching an agreement, Kala made a call to her superior. Murphy didn't wait long before receiving a $30,000 check. However, he didn't leave; instead, he stayed in the TV station's editing room, waiting for the news to air.

After the news aired, he had more work to do.

The time slowly approached 6:00 AM. With a bell, the morning news on Channel 6 began. Murphy stood in a corner out of the way, carefully watching Kala, curious to see how she would present the video.

“Double shot, close-up of two people.” Kala stood at the workbench, giving instructions skillfully, “Prepare the large title, it's ‘Bloody Home,’ don't get it wrong!”

Murphy crossed his arms, watching with interest. Although he had provided many news videos before, this was the first time he saw the behind-the-scenes manipulation of a news program.

“Last night, a home invasion robbery occurred in the Santa Monica Valley, resulting in four deaths...”

The news switched to the video. As soon as the footage started, the female anchor, along with the caption, quickly said, “This video is exclusively purchased by Channel 6 from Stanton Studio, a professional video production company.”

Hearing this, Murphy couldn't help but smile. The TV station had made appropriate edits to the footage, and some overly sensitive content had been processed. However, the bloody and stimulating scenes still appeared in the news program through some clever methods to attract the audience's attention.

During the broadcast, Kala repeatedly had the anchor emphasize the brutality of the case and the fact that the criminal was still at large, possibly committing another crime at any time...

Even if not an expert, Murphy could see that Kala was using the method of creating panic to increase the program's appeal.

As for whether it would really cause panic, Murphy didn't care, Kala didn't care, and the TV station didn't care. Otherwise, they wouldn't have ignored the police and the victims and haggled over the price of the video for so long.

Kala cared about the program's ratings, and Murphy was focused on how to use this news to bring in high income.

“This is truly brutal, such severe violence has spread to Los Angeles' most upscale and safest community, with the criminal still at large...”

After emphasizing the brutality of the case and the criminal's escape, and reminding the audience that the program would follow the latest developments, the news ended.

“Insert the ad.” Kala had just given the instruction when the phone in the editing room rang. She immediately picked up the receiver, “This is Kala Faye.”

“Great job, Kala!”

It was the voice of a senior executive at the TV station, “Very impressive, very engaging news.”

After hanging up, Kala was in a good mood. After completing this program, she immediately turned her head to the corner, where that bastard was still standing, looking quite smug, as if he had just accomplished something significant.

Thinking for a moment, Kala walked over, not very politely, “Why haven't you left?”

Murphy shrugged, answering indirectly, “Very impressive news. After you embellished it with your words, I can't help but want to see how it develops.”

Although she had many complaints about Murphy, Kala still recognized his abilities and even admired him. Capturing such news footage couldn't be simply attributed to luck.

“You did a good job shooting it.” Kala rubbed her temples, “Your photography skills have improved a lot.”

“Thank you.” Murphy completely ignored the curious gazes around him, tentatively asking, “Shouldn't you be off work now?”

Kala lightly nodded.

“I heard there's a nice Italian restaurant called Kabaret nearby.” Murphy extended an invitation, “Do you like Italian food, Kala?”

Kala lightly nodded.