Chapter 20

I asked, "So, what's Tony up to these days? If you don't mind, maybe our editorial team can help out. Don't stress about it. I was close to the victim and saw what his wife went through, so I can't help but feel for Ms. Martinez. Helping out a bit more is the least I can do, especially since you and Ms. Martinez have given me so much info about the case. It's just fair."

I actually overheard Tammy and Anna chatting at the door, but if I straight-up asked for Tony's work address, it would look suspicious. So, I had to be subtle.

"He's working as a new media copywriter at an internet MCN. I got him that job!" Anna said proudly. It seemed like she, being a streamer in Silverlight City, had some connections in the industry, so she could hook Tony up with a job.

"Looks like you're doing pretty well as an influencer in Silverlight City. You've got quite the network," I complimented her.

Anna's eyes lit up, and she smiled sweetly. "Oh, I can't compare to you, Ms. Johnson. I've read some of your articles. You're pretty famous in the Silverlight City media scene as a former prosecutor and now a chief editor. Compared to you, I'm just a small-time streamer who knows a few small companies. It was just luck that Tony got hired after I sent his resume over. If you could introduce Tony to the Silverlight City Legal Journal, that would be way better than a small editor job. At least it would sound better."

It seemed like she had done her homework on me and knew about my background. She didn't seem very old but was pretty sharp.

I suggested, "Let's add each other on Facebook first. You can send me Tony's current resume, and I'll see if I can refer him."

Anna thanked me repeatedly and quickly stood up to add me on Facebook.

"Your profile picture is beautiful. Have you been to the Azure Isle Resort?" I complimented her. Anna's Facebook profile picture was a selfie of her in a pink swimsuit, wearing sunglasses, with the Azure Isle Resort hotel in the background, clearly taken intentionally.

Of course, I wouldn't know these details. Zoey had just visited there during her vacation this year and excitedly shared with me how beautiful the scenery was and how excellent the hotel service was. It was one of the top high-end hotels on Azure Isle.

Zoey's mom ran a business out of town and could afford it, but for Anna, with her income, it should be quite difficult to go there.

"I can't afford it. I spent a whole night photoshopping this picture," Anna laughed, embarrassed. "In our line of work, appearance is everything. We have to maintain our image everywhere, or no one will watch our live streams."

When it was time to pay the bill, Anna rushed to pay but was told by the waiter that it had already been paid in advance. Then she said, "Ms. Johnson, you're planning to help us and now you're treating me to this meal. I really feel bad about it. How much was the meal? I must transfer the money to you."

I declined, "No need. You've already helped me a lot."

This wasn't a lie.

After saying goodbye to Anna, I sat in my car for a while, opened the resume she sent me, and checked Tony's personal information.

He was around 30 years old. From his appearance, as Anna said, he did seem steady and reserved, fitting the demeanor of a man at that age.

He was currently working at Digital Leap Technologies Company as a new media copywriter. Yesterday, when Anna was arguing with Tammy, she mentioned that Tony didn't make much money as an editor.

The new media industry as a whole was low-income, limited by its single monetization method, mostly relying on e-commerce ads for revenue. The employees' salaries were naturally very little. Even if one became a chief editor, the income was still average.

I knew one of the investors at this company, Carol Lewis. She'd visited our office before to talk about some collaborations, and I was the one who met with her. She left a great impression on me-decisive and efficient. We discussed the collaboration in the morning, and by the afternoon, it was pretty much a done deal.

If I went straight to the company to ask Tony about what went down at the True Love Entertainment Club that night, he probably wouldn't spill the beans. I needed to get a basic understanding of him first. The best way to do that was to dig into the company.

I called Carol right away and told her that the case I was working on involved one of her company's employees. She was super straightforward and gave me the company's info and the contact details of the person in charge. She said she'd contact them immediately and that I could head over at 2 PM.

I glanced at the time; it was just after 1 PM. I checked the location of Digital Leap Technologies Company, which was about half an hour away from Jazz Age Restaurant, in the northern part of Silverlight City.

I opened the detailed info Carol sent me about the company and skimmed through it. It had about 300 employees, making it a medium-sized enterprise. For an internet company in Silverlight City, it was a decent size. But its business scope didn't seem to match Anna's description of a new media company. It included MCN, e-commerce, and various projects in the gaming industry.

Anna's description of the company seemed way off. It was impressive that a small new media company could have such a large presence, and that she, a relatively unknown home-based streamer, could get involved with them. It seemed this girl was not as simple as she appeared.

Anyway, Anna had little to do with the case itself. As for her and Tony's matters, they were just family issues, not my concern. I drove straight to Digital Leap Technologies Company.

When I got to the building, a senior executive greeted me personally. Judging by the employee badge around his neck, he was the company's Chief Operating Officer. I thought Carol was really giving me a lot of respect, sending a senior exec to meet me.

He was very polite and took me to the café on the ground floor of the company. After some small talk, we got straight to business.

He asked, "Ms. Lewis called me at noon, saying you wanted to know specific information about a company employee. Ms. Johnson, who would you like to know about, and what position do they hold?"

"I want to know about Tony Thompson. He's supposed to be a new media copywriter at your company," I said.

He frowned, like he'd never heard the name before, and smiled apologetically. "It's a basic execution position. We have a lot of employees, and our business interactions usually start at the middle management level. Let me check with the relevant department."

He made a phone call and said, "Hello? Is this James Robinson... Could you come to the café... There's something we need to discuss and resolve quickly."

In no time, James came rushing out of the elevator, looking disheveled with dark circles under his eyes, clearly from frequent overtime and lack of sleep.

Seeing him, the senior executive asked, "James, do you have someone named Tony Thompson in your department?"

"Tony Thompson?" James paused, a hint of disdain and amusement flashing in his eyes before quickly hiding it. He replied, "Yes, but he has already left the company."