Chapter 69

Melissa made her way to the passenger seat, pulled open the car door and plopped down. To prevent any unexpected incidents that day, Melissa had intentionally worn a sporty outfit, ready to hold back Murphy if he acted impulsively. "Hey, it's not like you are going on a blind date today, so why rent such a flashy car?" Melissa casually asked, closing the car door and placing her bag on her lap. Murphy slowly turned his head and gave Melissa a blank look. "This was the only van left." Melissa assumed that Murphy might be angry, so she decided not to casually jest with him again. After all, the fact that he was able to rent any car, given he didn't have a driver's license, was remarkable enough. Melissa twirled her fingers, somewhat embarrassed and unsure how to respond to his comment. "So where are we going next?" Murphy asked, flicking ashes haphazardly while gazing ahead. He was still wearing a hat that day. It was a grey one and gave off a much more relaxed vibe than the last time. "We are going to Humphrey Group Tower Block A from Gate 1. They get off work at five." Melissa was well-prepared, having already planned out their schedule and the ideal observation point. Murphy took a deep drag from his cigarette, snuffed it out, and tossed the butt onto the road outside the car window. Melissa was somewhat taken aback by Murphy's carelessness. She used to respect him a lot because he was a dreamer, dedicated to what he wanted to do. But ever since Murphy was imprisoned, his mindset became extreme, and he fell into a state of desolation, appearing to have a strong anti-societal streak. Dealing with someone like him demanded caution. Upon hearing the address, Murphy adjusted his seat, pressed the accelerator, and began to drive off leisurely. His speed was quite fast, and thanks to Melissa's constant reminders, Murphy managed to not violate any traffic regulations. By the time they arrived at the Humphrey Group Tower Block A, they still had nearly an hour to spare. Murphy parked the car diagonally across from Gate 1, following Melissa's instructions. "We've got some time to kill." Said Murphy, glancing at his watch. "Are you thirsty? Do you want me to get you a drink?" Melissa said to Murphy, looking at his indifferent face, and thought about pleasing him with a small favor. Murphy reclined his seat further, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. He said without any energy. "Get me a box of cigarettes, too." Murphy certainly never minded accepting favors. It seems like he was used to having countless girls in the school trying to please him. "What brand of cigarettes?" As Melissa grabbed her phone and some cash, she asked while getting out of the car. "Any brand will do" Murphy replied at ease and put down the sun visor as the afternoon sun was dazzling. While leaning out of the car's window, Melissa asked Murphy "Wait for me, okay?" Murphy didn't respond. He was already positioned comfortably, eyes closed, resting with no hint of life left in him. After walking a good distance, Melissa found a teashop, from where she bought two hot drinks. She then went to a nearby tobacco shop and purchased several boxes of different brands of somewhat expensive cigarettes. She rushed back to the car as fast as possible. Thankfully, Murphy was still asleep and hadn't left. This put Melissa's mind slightly at ease. "Here are your cigarettes and your cappuccino" Melissa respectfully handed everything to Murphy, her voice sweeter than it had ever been. It might have been due to Melissa's fear of Murphy, who had almost committed murder. After a while, Murphy slowly opened his eyes. He took out a box of cigarettes from a plastic bag, throwing the rest to the back seat of the car and swiftly lit one. His facial shadows became more prominent while smoking. He took one of the cappuccinos from Melissa's hand, placed it in front of him, and complained without showing any emotion. "Why did you get me such a hot drink?" "Ah? I can buy you an iced one" Melissa responded. She should have known better since most men prefer iced drinks, unlike women who like to drink hot chocolate or hot tea. "No need." Murphy glanced at Melissa, speaking softly "Let's wait together." Checking the time, Melissa noticed it was still over half an hour till five o'clock. Were they going to just sit stiffly like this? So Melissa suggested "Murphy, can you tell me about the time when you and Nancy were still in school?" "No comment." Murphy uttered as he exhaled a long stream of smoke. What the hell? Melissa was trying to please a man who had committed crimes, and all she got was a refusal. Unacceptable! "Oh, okay then." Disappointed, Melissa responded as she cupped her hot mocha coffee. Leaning to the side, Murphy gave Melissa a look "Why don't you ask Nancy? You two are on pretty good terms." "Nevermind, I don't want to pick at her scars." Of course, Melissa and Nancy weren't that close, how could she possibly ask her about that. Murphy was silent for a long time, until cigarette ash burned and automatically fell on his clothes. He then said "If you're interested, I can tell you about the prison life." What the hell? Melissa had absolutely no interest in knowing anything about prison life. She wished to have nothing to do with prison for her entire life. But in order to please Murphy, Melissa had to put on a smile like a naive, sweet little girl, joyfully agreeing. "Sure, yeah!" "Prison is, in my view, the most boring system in the world." Upon discussing prison, this was Murphy’s first statement. Melissa was surprised by his remark, which sparked her interest to listen further. "When I first got there, I had a hard time fitting in. I was beaten up quite a few times for singing rock songs. But after a while, no one dared to touch me. I became the leader of various activities in the prison, moving from a chaotic, crowded lower-tier room to a secure, solitary upper-tier room. I bet you think I'm amazing now?" Murphy sneered, his expression unreadable. "Yeah, but why is that?" Melissa pretended to be fascinated and asked to keep the momentum. "It’s because I had the warden looking out for me. It was his suggestion that I got my own room. He told the higher-ups I wasn't mentally well, which was used as a reason to transfer me there. It was his praise later that reduced my sentence by a few months." Murphy calmly narrated, the light in his eyes growing dimmer. The hand holding the cigarette was slightly trembling. "Oh, you should really thank that warden. He was quite nice to you, probably admiring your rock talent." Melissa flattered continuously, cursing herself in her mind, Melissa, can you get any more stupid?