Chapter 8 It's Time to Release

Tall palm trees lined up neatly along the roadside, behind them a long fence with street lamps emitting a bright yellow glow, illuminating the smooth and straight Bill Road in the serene and orderly Santa Monica Valley. Everything here displayed the tranquility and order typical of affluent neighborhoods, as if the outside disturbances could never penetrate.

The roaring sound of a car engine shattered the tranquility, as a black Ford sedan disregarded the residential nature of the area, darting into Bill Road at over fifty miles per hour. Perhaps due to the driver's lack of skill, the car skidded noticeably during the turn, luckily avoiding a traffic accident.

Following the previous owner's path, Murphy accelerated the Ford sedan to seventy miles per hour once he reached a straight road, based on his vague memory.

The palm trees and bright yellow streetlights flew past the car window as Murphy gazed intently ahead, increasing his speed to seventy miles per hour.

Less than a minute later, he spotted a luxurious wrought iron gate, wide open as if waiting to swallow everything in its path.

Instead of immediately stopping the car, Murphy continued forward for another fifty feet before pulling over to the side of the road. He grabbed the camera from the passenger seat bracket and swiftly exited the car, running towards the open gate he had just seen.

As usual, Murphy observed while running, simultaneously turning on the camera.

The road was clearly visible under the bright yellow light, and after a quick observation, Murphy couldn't help but pump his fist in excitement. He didn't see any police, police cars, or fellow reporters. This was undoubtedly his exclusive scoop.

Exclusive footage could fetch a high price!

Murphy wasn't surprised by this. Due to the close proximity, he had rushed here in less than two minutes. This was deep in the valley, and the police would likely take some time to arrive.

Reaching the open gate, Murphy didn't hesitate. He rushed in without any hesitation, disregarding the fact that this was private property. Having experienced prison, he had learned many lessons from the previous owner, one of which was to hire an excellent lawyer.

In a profession like his, legal disputes were unavoidable, and it was essential to have professional assistance in resolving them.

This was one of the reasons he urgently needed money.

While running and filming, Murphy's mind wandered. Living a somewhat decent life in this country required a very high cost of living.

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

Murphy ran more than two hundred feet before faintly seeing the mansion hidden behind the front courtyard trees. Though he was a bit out of breath, he was more excited.

A property as luxurious as this couldn't be bought for less than a few million dollars. An armed robbery against such wealthy individuals would undoubtedly be highly attractive, and the television stations would pay a high price for it.

Despite the overwhelming desire for profit, Murphy didn't lose his senses. As he approached the mansion, he left the smooth stone path of the courtyard and slipped into the adjacent woods, using the cover of trees to approach the mansion.

Throughout the process, the lens of his handheld camera remained focused on the mansion's entrance.

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

Murphy reached the edge of the woods and, through a gap in the greenery, saw two muscular black men emerge from inside. They looked around cautiously, not noticing any unexpected situations, before running towards the Cadillac sedan.

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

Although the sky was dark and the lighting wasn't ideal, Murphy's filming skills were excellent, and the figures of the men were clearly visible in the footage.

The black Cadillac started, speeding away from the road Murphy had taken to enter the estate.

Emerging from the tree line, Murphy didn't hesitate. He ran towards the mansion's entrance, as this was a perfect opportunity.

There was no time to waste. The police could arrive at any moment, and if they found him, not only would he face additional trouble, but the footage he had captured would also be in jeopardy.

This was extremely valuable breaking news!

Clutching the camera tightly, Murphy sprinted out of the estate at a hundred meters dash speed, his ears already catching the distant sound of sirens. There was no time to lose.

Jumping into the black Ford sedan, Murphy tossed the handheld camera onto the passenger seat and drove forward. After turning onto Bill Road, he sighed in relief, but he knew he couldn't relax just yet. Moments later, two police cars rushed past him, obviously heading to reinforce the scene of the crime.

As Murphy's car brushed against the police cars, all 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 his car. As soon as he stopped, he pumped his fist vigorously.

"Well done, buddy!" he said to himself through the rearview mirror, gritting his teeth. "This is our exclusive! Ours! It's time to release it!"

Struggling for over a year, Murphy fully understood the hardships of survival as an ordinary person, as well as the difficulty of achieving success.

Now he knew very well that to succeed, he had to seize every opportunity and never stop moving forward, regardless of who or what he encountered.

To succeed in America, money was an essential foundation.

Thinking about how to sell the video, Murphy's mind calmed down a bit. He retrieved his laptop from the back seat and connected it to the storage disk of the handheld camera, playing back the footage he had just captured.

From the moment he entered the mansion gate to when he left

, although only three minutes had passed, Murphy knew that this would bring in much more income than anything else he had done before.

"Perfect!" he muttered to himself as he watched the footage. "You did a perfect job, buddy!"

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

In the footage, the model and license plate of the vehicle, as well as the general appearance of the men, were all clearly visible. If handed over to the police, it would be important evidence and clues.

Frowning slightly, Murphy wondered whether he should cut this part and hand it over to the police.