Chapter 8

Tall palm trees lined the road in neat rows, behind which was a long wall. The streetlights on the wall emitted a bright yellow glow, illuminating the gentle, straight Bill Road in Santa Monica Valley. Everything here exuded the tranquility and order characteristic of a wealthy neighborhood, as if the chaos of the outside world could never penetrate.

The roar of a car engine shattered this peace. A black Ford sedan, disregarding the residential area, sped into Bill Road at over fifty miles per hour, turning sharply. The driver's skills were apparently not up to par, as the car skidded noticeably during the turn, fortunately without causing an accident.

The previous occupant had once been to the vicinity. After driving the Ford sedan onto the straight road, Murphy quickly accelerated to seventy miles per hour, racing forward based on his vague memory.

The palm trees and the bright yellow streetlights flashed past the car windows at high speed. Murphy kept looking to the left front, and after nearly half a minute, he finally saw a luxurious iron gate. The gate was open, like a huge mouth ready to swallow everything.

Murphy did not stop immediately but continued driving for another fifty feet before parking by the roadside. He picked up the camera from the passenger seat, got out of the car as quickly as possible, and ran towards the gate he had just seen.

As usual, Murphy ran while observing and turned on the camera.

The road was clearly visible under the bright yellow light. After a thorough observation, Murphy couldn't help but excitedly punch the air. He saw no police, police cars, or any signs of his competitors. This was definitely his exclusive story.

Only exclusives can fetch a high price!

Murphy wasn't too surprised. Due to the short distance, it took him less than two minutes to get here. This was deep in the valley, and the police would need some time to arrive.

Running to the open gate, Murphy didn't hesitate and charged in, disregarding that it was private property. After his prison experience, he had learned many lessons from his predecessor, one of which was to find a competent lawyer.

In his line of work, legal disputes were inevitable, and professional problems required professional solutions.

This was also one of the reasons he was desperate for money.

While running and filming, Murphy was also lost in thought. The cost of living a decent life in this country was really high.

After more than a year of experience, Murphy confirmed that America was definitely not the paradise some people once claimed it to be.

Murphy ran over two hundred feet and could vaguely see a mansion hidden behind the front courtyard's small forest. Though slightly out of breath, he was more excited.

Such a luxurious property would cost millions of dollars. A wealthy person being armed robbed would certainly be very appealing, and the TV station would pay a high price for it.

Despite his greed, Murphy did not lose his head. As he approached the mansion, he left the smooth stone path of the front courtyard and entered the adjacent forest, using it as cover to get closer to the mansion.

Throughout this process, the camera lens was always pointed at the mansion's entrance.

Time was limited, and he didn't miss any opportunity to film.

Murphy walked to the edge of the forest and, through the gaps in the greenery, saw a black Cadillac parked near the dimly lit entrance of the mansion. He instinctively turned on the camera's flashlight and aimed the lens at it.

After filming for just a second, a sharp sound suddenly came from the mansion. Murphy was startled and quickly turned off the camera light, took a step back, and crouched behind a large palm tree.

"Could I have arrived too quickly, and the robbers haven't left yet?"

That was clearly a gunshot. Sweat dripped from Murphy's forehead. Having been in prison, he knew how ruthless armed robbers could be.

"Should I retreat and leave before the robbers notice?"

This thought involuntarily appeared in Murphy's mind, but he hesitated for less than two seconds before rejecting it. This was a great opportunity.

The police hadn't arrived, and the robbers hadn't left. If he could capture some footage, what kind of impact would it have?

After a year in prison, he was no longer the naive and timid student he once was. The hellish life had forged a strong and determined side of him.

The entrance of the mansion was dim, and there was no light in the forest. Murphy confirmed that hiding here was relatively safe and the chances of being discovered were small. He aimed the camera at the mansion's entrance and waited, like a hunter waiting for prey.

Murphy had no idea what was happening inside the mansion, only that someone had called the police and someone had fired a shot...

He was waiting, waiting for the most valuable scenes to appear.

Time ticked by, and suddenly, dense footsteps and muffled arguments came from the mansion's entrance. Murphy was so tense that his hair stood on end, and more sweat dripped from his forehead. He could almost hear his heart beating.

But Murphy's hand was as steady as the Santa Monica Mountains behind him, never trembling, and the lens remained firmly aimed at the mansion's entrance.

The footsteps grew closer, and the arguments grew louder.

Finally, two tall, muscular black men emerged. They cautiously looked around, found no unexpected situations, and ran towards the Cadillac.

Murphy's lens remained focused on the two men, his eyes fixed on their black faces. He skillfully switched to a close-up, capturing them completely.

Despite the darkness and poor lighting, Murphy's filming skills were excellent, and the black men were clearly visible in the footage.

The black Cadillac started and sped away from the estate, following the road Murphy had come from.

Pushing through the greenery, Murphy left the forest and ran towards the mansion's entrance without hesitation. Since the distance was not far, it took him only a few seconds to reach the entrance. He lifted the camera, turned on the light, and filmed the open gate for a while. After listening carefully and hearing no sounds around, he clenched his fist and stepped onto the stairs leading into the mansion.

To capture shocking footage and get an exclusive that could fetch a high price, he had to use extraordinary means in such a critical moment.

Murphy cautiously walked up the stairs and through the gate. After a brief observation, finding no danger, he immediately aimed the camera forward, controlling the lens while moving forward.

After passing through the gate, he entered a large living room. Murphy's eyelids twitched. He saw a middle-aged man lying on the sofa, a bright red stain on his chest, blood soaking the sofa and the nearby floor. The pungent smell of blood and the faint smell of gunpowder mixed, causing an involuntary urge to vomit.

Murphy remained calm, his hands and the camera lens exceptionally steady. He first filmed the entire scene, then moved closer to capture several close-up shots. He then turned to the back of the sofa, where a Remington shotgun lay on the floor, a common home defense model.

After filming the shotgun, Murphy crossed the living room and went up to the second floor via the stairs, never stopping the filming. In the master bedroom on the second floor, a white woman lay on the floor, her back a bloody mess, showing no signs of life. The phone in her hand indicated she was likely the one who called the police.

As he had done downstairs, Murphy avoided the blood and filmed the scene with wide-angle and close-up shots, never checking the condition of the victims.

He knew exactly why he was there.

Leaving the master bedroom, he checked another room nearby but found nothing of value. Murphy quickly went downstairs. As he turned a corner, he saw through a glass window that two more people had died in the dining room. He went over and filmed the scene.

"I need to leave quickly!" Murphy muttered to himself, running as fast as he could towards the entrance. It had been over a minute since he entered, and the police could arrive at any moment. If they found him, not only would he face additional trouble, but the footage he had captured would be lost.

This was a very valuable piece of news!

Hugging the camera tightly, Murphy sprinted out of the estate, already hearing the distant sound of sirens. If he didn't leave now, it would be too late.

Jumping into the black Ford, Murphy threw the camera onto the passenger seat, started the car, and sped off. After turning out of Bill Road, he let out a sigh of relief. Not far ahead, he saw two police cars approaching, clearly heading to the crime scene.

Murphy drove past the two police cars, and the tension in his body dissipated, replaced by excitement.

He had been in this profession for some time and could judge the value of this footage!

Leaving Santa Monica Valley, Murphy found a place to park. After parking, he immediately punched the air.

"Great job, buddy!" he said to himself, looking in the rearview mirror, "This is our exclusive! Ours! We're going to make it big!"

The struggles of the past year had made Murphy fully understand the hardships of being a small person and the difficulty of success.

He now knew that to succeed, he had to seize every opportunity and move forward, regardless of anyone or anything that stood in his way.

To succeed in America, money was an essential foundation.

Thinking about how to sell the footage, Murphy waited for his emotions to calm down. He then took out his laptop from the back seat, connected it to the camera's memory card, and played the footage he had just captured.

The footage started from his entrance into the estate and ended with his departure from the mansion. Though it was only a few minutes long, Murphy knew it would bring him more income than ever before.

"Perfect!" he said to himself, looking at the screen, "You did a perfect job, buddy!"

After finishing the playback, Murphy watched it again. When he saw the two black men driving away, he paused the video.

In the footage, the car model, license plate, and the general appearance of the black men were clearly visible. If handed over to the police, it would be important evidence and leads.

Murphy frowned slightly. Should he cut this part out and give it to the police?