Sarah withdrew her hand and asked directly, "How much do you want to sell it for?"

After thinking for a moment, Henry tentatively said, "I think this video recording can sell for a thousand dollars."

There was no doubt he was asking for a high price, but his tone left room for negotiation.

"NO!" The woman across from him shook her head and said bluntly, "The price you're asking is outrageous."

She turned her head and pointed at the paused image on the screen. "This isn't worth a thousand dollars. I'll give you three hundred dollars. That's my highest offer."

The counteroffer was very low. Henry stood there, considered for just a second, and then nodded in agreement.

This was his first time at this TV station; there was no way they'd offer a high price, and after all, it was just a car accident video.

The woman named Sarah turned back, her eyes returning to the image on the screen, and waved her hand casually in his direction. "Go wait in the lounge in the lobby for a bit. I'll have someone bring you the money."

Henry glanced at her back facing him, said nothing, turned, and left the office. He soon arrived at the lounge near the lobby entrance, leaned back on a bench, and waited patiently. He didn't have to wait long—after less than half an hour, the three hundred dollars was brought over.

What Henry didn't expect was that the woman herself came.

"For you."

Seeing Sarah hand over the cash, Henry stood up to take it and said politely, "Thank you, this was a pleasant cooperation."

Henry's courteous attitude, at the very least, wouldn't offend anyone. The blonde woman across from him was clearly in a good mood. Resting her hand on the back of the bench, she added, "You have a good eye, and you chose a great angle for the video. If you could have interviewed the paramedics on the scene, it would have been even better."

"I really overlooked that." Henry lightly patted his own head. "Thank you for the reminder."

It's not just that freelance journalists need TV stations; TV stations also need freelancers to provide them with lots of material. Sarah's attitude now was clearly warmer than before. "Henry, right? Your video was very professional."

"I'm new to the field, so to receive praise from someone like you..."

When necessary, Henry never minded lowering his stance. "It means a lot to me."

Sarah unconsciously smiled and reminded him, "If you have something next time, come earlier—it's best to call ahead."

She took out a business card and handed it over. "If you have anything valuable, bring it to me. Whatever you shoot, just contact me."

Seeing Henry put away the business card, she turned and walked out of the lounge. Henry immediately followed. "Videos like this one?"

"Yes." Sarah nodded as she walked.

Henry immediately thought of the excitement on her face when she saw the bloody footage earlier and pressed further, "Bloody ones?"

Apparently not expecting Henry to be so direct, Sarah looked back at him with a hint of surprise and said, "That's just part of it. We like crime news, but not all crime."

Following closely behind Sarah, Henry had no interest in admiring her tall, graceful figure from behind and asked again, "Can you be more specific?"

The blonde woman stopped, glanced at her watch, and said as concisely as possible, "For example, crimes that happen downtown—no one cares anymore, that's just normal, not news. What the audience wants to see is crime spreading to the suburbs."

Henry immediately realized, "So, ideally, the victim is a wealthy white person, preferably harmed by poor people or minorities?"

Sarah didn't answer, just shrugged. Seeing Henry seemed to understand, she finally said, "If you want to capture the essence of what we need, imagine our news as a woman screaming, running naked down the street, her throat slashed..."

"I understand." Henry nodded firmly. "We'll meet again."

With three hundred dollars and a sudden sense of enlightenment, Henry left the TV station. But he didn't go home; instead, he drove to a 24-hour diner, ordered some macaroni and a grilled steak. He hadn't eaten anything since noon yesterday and felt so hungry he could eat a whole cow.

Sitting in a booth, Henry kept one hand in his left pocket, gently stroking those three one-hundred-dollar bills. People who have never gone hungry or experienced what he had wouldn't know how hard it is to make money, nor would they feel the complicated emotions he felt at that moment.

He had come to this world from the other side of the Pacific for over a year now, and this was the first time Henry had earned money. Even though it was only three hundred dollars, it meant he had found a way to survive in this country—at the very least, he could fill his stomach with his own hands from now on.

Only after filling your stomach and finding your footing can you talk about dreams, can you dare to hope for Hollywood.

Feeling the unique texture of the bills under his fingers, Henry let out a long breath, as if his whole life had become a little brighter.