Chapter 108: An Unexpected Guest

"Have you studied this field specifically?" Dragon Two asked.

Whether it was the classic tricks of the underworld swindlers or the gruesome practice of mutilating victims for begging, Murphy could answer them all.

Dragon Two didn't believe for a second that Murphy hadn't done his research.

Recalling that Grandma Zhang, a former cat burglar in her youth, lived right downstairs from Murphy, Dragon Two asked again, "Did Hao Zhang tell you?"

"Grandma Zhang? No, not her," Murphy shook his head. "I dreamt it myself."

Dragon Two fell silent for a moment. Instead of pressing further, he led Murphy toward the end of the alley.

If the boy was unwilling to talk, Dragon Two wouldn't force him. There was no need to make up such nonsense.

Had Murphy known what was going through the man's mind, he would have loudly protested his innocence.

Murphy believed that, aside from his handsome looks, his greatest and most obvious virtue was his honesty and reliability. He never lied to his friends!

Although Dragon Two had a stubborn, foul temper, wore a perpetually deadpan face, and lacked any sense of romance, he was here to help him after all. Murphy felt the man was still worth befriending.

Unfortunately, since Dragon Two didn't speak his mind, Murphy had no opportunity to clear his name.

The further they walked toward the end of the alley, the sparser the pedestrians became.

In the end, they only saw a few motorcycle taxi drivers sitting on their bikes, gathered together and chatting.

Dragon Two stopped and turned to Murphy. "Go ask them for directions. Tell them you're traveling here alone, you don't have a job or colleagues, and nobody cares about you."

Murphy grimaced. "You're asking me to play bait for a sting operation."

"Not quite." Dragon Two turned him by the shoulders to face the drivers. "I'll be right behind you. Don't worry."

With that, he kicked Murphy forward.

Murphy stumbled and lunged forward, landing right in front of the motorcycle taxi drivers.

The drivers, a group of middle-aged men, stopped chatting upon seeing Murphy. In heavily accented local speech, one of them asked, "Where are you headed?"

"I... I don't know..." Murphy said, only to see the drivers looking utterly bewildered.

Remembering Dragon Two's instructions, he adjusted his expression to look suitably dejected. "I'm traveling by myself. I just lost my job, and I have no friends or family to talk to."

"If you know of any scenic spots or places good for clearing one's head, just take me there."

The drivers exchanged looks. Finally, a man in a leather jacket stepped forward and waved Murphy over. "Hop on. I know just the place. You'll definitely cheer up there."

Murphy swallowed hard and managed a weak smile. "Al... Alright then."

He was walking straight into the lion's den, fully aware of the danger.

Sting operations were highly discouraged!

Once Murphy got onto the back of the leather-jacketed man's motorcycle, the remaining drivers exchanged looks.

"Did we just catch ourselves a fresh mark?"

"Doesn't look like it. I'm just worried he might be an undercover. Isn't that how that coal mine got exposed a while back?"

"Alby knows what he's doing. He's worked under Brother Fly the longest. He won't have any trouble vetting a guy."

The others chimed in agreement.

"But speaking of which, there've been more people coming around here lately."

"Business is booming, after all—"

The drivers started laughing and joking again.

Dragon Two watched from the shadows for a moment, pulled out his phone to check the moving dot on the screen, and set off in that direction.

The man in the leather jacket drove Murphy to a street, stopping in front of a shop with a wooden sign hanging outside.

"This is a famous quiet bar around here. Hipsters and angry youths often come here to drink and talk about life." The man in the leather jacket rubbed his fingers together. "That'll be a hundred yuan."

Murphy's eyes widened. "Are you robbing me?"

"If I were robbing you, I wouldn't have brought you here." The leather-jacketed man bounced his leg with a careless, slack attitude. "This bar is hard to find, and the girls inside are top-tier."

"Top-tier? How high are we talking?"

"Like, three or four stories high," the leather-jacketed man said impatiently. "Pay up, sucker!"

Murphy had never seen girls of "three or four stories high" quality, but knowing it wasn't time to blow his cover yet, he could only pull a hundred-yuan bill from his pocket and hand it over.

The man flicked the bill, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. "Since you're so cooperative, here's a word of advice: don't drink just anything in there."

Murphy could only nod with a smile. "Gee, thanks."

A hundred-yuan piece of advice. Truly worth every penny.

The interior of the bar featured a retro design, dominated by concrete and wood. Warm amber lighting bathed the space, creating a cozy and tranquil atmosphere.

It was still early, so there weren't many people inside.

As Murphy walked through the door, he felt several gazes sweep over him.

Aside from sizing him up, those looks held no real malice.

A man wearing a peaked cap and sporting a mustache approached him. "Hey brother, first time here?"

"Is it that obvious?" Murphy asked, his brow furrowing slightly as he studied the man's face.

Though the mustachioed man seemed friendly, his smile was entirely fake.

While the corners of his mouth turned upward, his eyes were sharp, calculating, and laced with a subtle hostility.

And this is the "three or four stories high" quality?

"It's not about being obvious. My place is tucked away; outsiders never find it without an introduction." The mustache man looked at Murphy, adopting a thoughtful expression. "Ah, young man, you're quite handsome. You look a bit familiar."

Murphy interrupted with a laugh. "Is it because you see an equally handsome face every time you look in the mirror?"

Amused, the mustache man patted him on the shoulder and led him further inside. "Alright, fate brings us together. Let's go inside and chat."

"The people who come here are usually like-minded friends. We're all lonely birds with no harbor for our hearts, wandering souls. You don't need to explain anything here. We all just use aliases and make friends."

There was no loud music in the bar, only the soft, gentle strumming of an acoustic guitar.

In the inner room, a few young men and women sat in a circle with hand drums and guitars, chatting and laughing.

"Everyone, listen up!" the mustache man called out. "We have a new friend joining us. Come, introduce yourself."

Murphy looked at the faces of the young crowd. They were all youthful, with clean, innocent eyes.

"Hi everyone, I just arrived here for a trip. You can call me Fei."

"Fei?" a young girl gasped, covering her mouth. "Isn't that the same name as Brother Fly?"

The mustache man was also surprised. "Really? Young man, you share a name with me?"

"My 'Fei' is the one in 'felony' and 'folly,' so it's probably different from your 'Fly'?" Murphy's expression was earnest.

Brother Fly was amused by his explanation. "Who introduces themselves like that? But yes, my 'Fly' is indeed different from yours. Mine is the 'Fly' that means soaring in the sky."

He spread his arms before the young crowd. "We are all seekers of spiritual freedom. I don't even want my name to be bound by chains, wouldn't you agree?"

The young crowd laughed and chimed in unison, "Yes!"