Police officers weren't just idly passing time. How could they overlook the flaws exposed in the documentary made by the television station? However, some resistance from higher-ups continuously hindered them from delving too deep into the investigation.
Where this resistance originated from, they were not clear, nor did they wish to know. In this world, knowing too much wasn't a good thing if one wanted to survive well. Hence, they chose to turn a blind eye to the glaring flaws. After all, the families affected by the fire had insurance coverage, and no one was harmed, so there was no need to be overly concerned.
Unexpectedly, NBC suddenly emerged and directly aired a special report during prime time. This made the entire country aware that something was amiss with the case, making it seem like the police were a bunch of incompetents.
They wondered why the journalists from their television station weren't using their time to investigate their boss's scandals. Even if there were none, they could surely dig up something, right?
Suddenly, these journalists started analyzing the case as if they were professional detectives, dissecting it thoroughly. Each one seemed more capable than Sherlock Holmes. If they were truly that skilled, why didn't they become police officers?
What? The police didn't earn as much as journalists?
The police officers were displeased with this answer and threw a lawyer's letter at the journalists.
"Where did our information come from, and why is there such detailed intelligence?" Laila laughed heartily when she heard Anthony talking about it.
The police probably hated lawyers the most, right? Unable to deal with NBC through other means, they could only resort to sending a lawyer's letter as a threat, which showed they were helpless.
"The police believe that our people obtained their information through improper means." Anthony regarded the matter as a joke when explaining it to her, not taking it seriously at all.
Those in the media business, who hasn't received a few lawyer's letters? Just like an imperial censor wanting to whip someone in court, if you were beaten on the throne in court for telling the truth, that would be famous and would be talked about for eternity. Who wouldn't want to bask in such glory?
Journalists were quite similar. Getting accused because they uncovered something deliberately hidden was also a rhythm for becoming famous. It wasn't like they fabricated facts and got caught; receiving a lawyer's letter could be considered a good thing that wasn't easy to come by. Who would worry about actually being sued?
As long as the police didn't lose their minds, they wouldn't trouble themselves over journalists for such trivial matters. In Hollywood, not only did celebrities dislike journalists, but the police did too. Perhaps the only people who liked journalists were ordinary citizens, as only they could satisfy everyone's expectations for gossip.
"Let them sue if they want; it will also bring more attention to our television station." Laila always liked such free publicity opportunities. Moreover, this time, it was a very positive kind.
Just think about it; even the police thought that the television station leaked too many details of the cases, believing they had obtained information through improper means. It just showed how high the authenticity of the programs aired on the television station was.
Nowadays, most of the media listen to rumors and treat them as facts, with very few trying to find genuine evidence to make programs. Shouldn't such television stations be supported more?
As for where the information came from, who cared?
NBC was no longer in the predicament it was in when it was first acquired. With several reality shows alone, it stably occupied the top spots in viewership, leaving other competitors far behind. For example, "American Idol" became a national reality show in the United States. Selling its copyrights to other countries alone had earned the television station a considerable sum.
Anthony wouldn't forget who had brought about all this. If possible, he believed someone would be willing to go bankrupt to obtain just one of Laila's ideas. Just looking at how much profit she had created with her intelligence in recent years made it clear that the term "genius" was indeed not something ordinary minds could measure.
"I've arranged for continued tracking reports. I believe we can completely control the direction of public opinion soon."
Laila nodded. "The movie is only a few weeks away from release. I don't want too many people running to boycott it when it premieres."
Although that might indeed bring her more attention, she knew the importance of moderation. If she didn't handle things well by then, what awaited her wouldn't be the warm attention of the public but rather a ridiculous hat.
"No problem. I know what to do."
"Of course, I believe in you. Keep it up." Laila encouraged him with a smiling face, ending the conversation.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she hung up the phone, Xiao Ye walked in.
"Laila, you might encounter a little trouble this time." His voice sounded a bit breathless as if he had just run several kilometers.
"What happened?" Laila asked.
"I checked the sponsors of those protesters. It's a second-hand clothing store owner named Donald. He specializes in Hollywood stars' discarded branded clothing."
Laila nodded in understanding.
Maintaining the glamorous facade of stars required a lot of money. If a piece of clothing was worn more than twice, it would undoubtedly be mocked by gossip media. Additionally, for some occasions requiring a red carpet-appearance, one could only wear a dress once.
For some second or third-tier stars, this burden was quite heavy. Lower-tier actors were usually doing bit parts, and no one cared about what they wore, nor did they need to walk the red carpet. Top-tier and first-tier stars had plenty of money to dress freely and even had many major fashion brands sponsoring them, eliminating the need to worry about what to wear.
So, second and third-tier stars were the most unfortunate. They needed to change their clothes frequently but often couldn't afford to buy new ones. This kind of beauty wasn't cheap at all and could easily overwhelm some stars without a well-thought-out plan.
Thus, second-hand clothing stores were born. Although second and third-tier stars needed to change clothes frequently, what they wore usually weren't low-quality brands. These brands had good quality, and even if worn a few times, no one would notice any issues. Therefore, they usually sold for good prices. Some girls who didn't have much money but loved fashion liked shopping at such places.
The stars who earned some money this way could then add some new seasonal styles to their wardrobes. In this way, both sides were happy, and the owner of the second-hand clothing store could make a small profit.
Even Laila knew a relatively familiar second-hand store owner, but she sold not her old clothes but costumes from movies.
Costumes worn by big names like Roy could be auctioned off for a good price. There were always some enthusiastic fans who wanted to get their hands on something their idols had used. Of course, the money earned from this was mostly donated to charitable foundations.