141: Chapter 141 An Unshakeable Tail, No Such Card Found

In the rearview mirror, that black Lincoln Navigator was like a piece of gum stuck to their tail, biting hard behind the car. The white glare of its high beams pierced through the glass, making his eyes ache.

Lin Chen leaned back in the passenger seat, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest. His tone was calm, without a hint of panic: "Li Wei, go a bit faster."

Li Wei, gripping the steering wheel, lowered his wrists. He glanced at the rearview mirror out of the corner of his eye and stepped on the gas without hesitation. The black Bentley Mulsanne accelerated instantly, the engine letting out a low roar as it lunged forward through the traffic. Without turning his head, he said crisply, "Don't worry, I can shake them!"

Jack, in the back seat, leaned forward and stared intently at the black car behind them. He tapped his fingers on his knees and suddenly spoke: "That car is a Lincoln Navigator. This model is commonly used by Morgan's people. It's most likely Morgan's men."

Aila, sitting next to Jack, immediately picked up her tablet and opened the navigation upon hearing this. Her fingers slid rapidly across the screen, the cold light reflecting on her face. She spoke very quickly: "The traffic on the main road is getting denser, making it hard to shake them. I'll find a remote side road; a quick detour should lose them."

Lin Chen nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the highway ahead. It was just after the evening rush hour, and the eight-lane highway was still packed with flowing traffic. Lights of various colors flickered and interlaced, weaving a tapestry of red and white, while the city's neon lights in the distance blurred into glowing spots on the horizon. He said nothing more, only raising his hand to press his earpiece to confirm the communication line was clear. His expression remained indifferent throughout, as if the tracking vehicle behind them was merely an insignificant ant.

Li Wei was quick and sharp. Spotting a gap in the traffic, he jerked the steering wheel to change lanes into the leftmost passing lane. Using a truck ahead as cover, he accelerated again instantly. The needle on the Bentley's speedometer soared. As expected, the Lincoln Navigator followed immediately, its speed just as relentless. Clearly, they were prepared, and the driver's skills weren't bad either.

"They're sticking quite close. It seems they're determined to follow us." Jack frowned, watching the Lincoln in the rearview mirror, which maintained a constant ten-meter distance. His tone carried a hint of wariness. "Morgan is making it clear; he doesn't want us to get to the banquet peacefully."

Aila suddenly shouted, "There's an exit three kilometers ahead leading to a country road in the West Suburbs! The road is narrow and deserted there—perfect for shaking someone off!"

"Copy that," Li Wei replied, his eyes fixed on the road signs ahead, his fingers gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned slightly white. He had been driving for years and had practiced in all sorts of road conditions; a tail-shaking maneuver like this wasn't difficult for him.

The car soon reached the exit. Li Wei jerked the steering wheel, and the Bentley hugged the guardrail as it veered into the ramp. The tires screeched against the ground, and the car body tilted slightly, yet it remained very stable. The Lincoln Navigator followed immediately, but because it was bulkier than the Bentley, it was half a beat slower on the turn, and the distance between them instantly widened.

Below the ramp was the country road of the West Suburbs. The road surface changed from smooth asphalt to potholed concrete, with waist-high weeds growing along the sides that rustled in the wind. There were no streetlights on either side; only the car's high beams shone forward, revealing occasional broken tree stumps amidst the wild grass. The light was very dim, and even the distant shadows of the trees looked twisted and eerie, exuding a sense of desolation.

"This is it," Li Wei grunted, flooring the accelerator. The car moved as nimbly as a leopard on the potholed country road, weaving left and right, using the large trees and earthen slopes by the roadside to hide the car's body. He would slam on the brakes and then suddenly accelerate; after several sharp turns, the white light in the rearview mirror completely vanished.

After driving another five hundred meters, Li Wei found an open space with a clear view and parked the car in the shadow of a large tree, turning off the lights. Instantly, the surroundings fell into pitch darkness, leaving only the sounds of insects and the wind rustling the grass.

Jack immediately pushed open the car door and leaned out to look back. After confirming there were no traces of car lights on the country road, he finally sighed in relief, closed the door, and turned back. "We've completely lost them. Even if those people want to look, they won't be able to figure out where we went."

Li Wei leaned against the car seat and rubbed his wrists. His face was expressionless as he said flatly, "Morgan's people are quite persistent, but their skills are a bit lacking."

Lin Chen got out of the passenger seat and stood in the clearing. His gaze swept the surroundings to ensure there were no other anomalies before he took out his phone and dialed Chen Xi's number. The call was quickly answered, and Chen Xi's voice came through clearly: "Brother Chen, what's wrong?"

"Help me check a license plate. A black Lincoln Navigator. It followed us all the way on the highway just now. The plate number is 7NY389. Check it as soon as possible; I want to know everything about this car." Lin Chen's tone remained steady, without a ripple, but his speaking speed was slightly faster than usual, showing his importance on the matter.

"Okay, I'll check right away. Wait for my news." Chen Xi immediately agreed, and the crisp sound of typing could be heard over the phone.

Lin Chen hung up, tucked his phone into his pocket, and leaned against the hood of the Bentley. Jack walked over to him, handed him a bottle of water, and began to analyze: "Morgan sending people to follow us now is definitely for tonight's banquet. He wants to track our movements, and maybe even pull some stunts."

"It's more than that." Lin Chen took the water, unscrewed it, and took a sip, looking toward the distant city. "If he only wanted to track our movements, there'd be no need to tail us so aggressively. This is a warning and a test—to see how we react."

Aila leaned against the car door with her arms crossed, her brow slightly furrowed. "Are we still going to the banquet then? It's clearly a 'Hongmen Banquet'."

"Yes, why wouldn't we?" Lin Chen put down the water bottle, his tone certain. "If he wants to test us, we'll play along. But we have to be more careful from now on. Morgan's methods won't be this simple."

No one noticed that in the wild grass several hundred meters behind them, a faint light from a cell phone flashed and then quickly went out. Although the tracking Lincoln Navigator had been shaken off, the people in the car had long ago had an lookout hidden in the shadows keep an eye on Lin Chen and the others' parking position. This lookout was not Morgan's confidant but a pawn planted by John, and he was currently sending the situation here to John word for word.

Li Wei checked the time and said, "The banquet starts in an hour. If we leave now, we'll arrive just before it begins. Should we head out?"

"Wait for Chen Xi's news. We'll leave after checking the license plate." Lin Chen shook his head. He had always been prudent; he would not act easily without clarifying who the tail behind them was.

The group stood in the clearing waiting, no one wasting words. Jack and Li Wei occasionally checked the surroundings for movement, while Aila reopened the navigation to plan a new route to the banquet hotel to avoid being tracked again. The insects around them were still noisy, and the wild grass swayed constantly in the wind. The shadows cast by the high beams flickered on the ground. The atmosphere wasn't exactly relaxed, but there wasn't a hint of panic either. After all, they had successfully shaken off the tail and held the initiative.

Ten minutes passed in a flash.

Lin Chen's phone suddenly rang; it was Chen Xi calling. He immediately answered and put it to his ear: "How's the search going?"

On the other end of the phone, Chen Xi's tone carried a hint of helplessness and confusion. Her voice came through clearly, causing everyone present to fall silent instantly: "Brother Chen, I can't find it. This license plate is a clone; there's no corresponding information in the system at all."