70: Chapter 70: Gang's overtures conceal a test.

Lin Chen stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Julio.

Li Wei remained half a step away, guarding his side, his right hand tightly clutching a baton, his knuckles turning white. His eyes were vigilantly locked onto Julio; if the other man made the slightest move, he would act immediately. As the night deepened, the wind on the suburban highway carried a chill as it scraped past, making the withered grass by the roadside rustle. The off-road vehicle's headlights were still on, their pale beams casting mottled shadows on the concrete. Occasional insect chirps came from the distant grass, and it was so quiet that the sound of the wind blowing past was audible, making even their breathing seem exceptionally clear.

Julio waved his hand, letting the lackey who was holding Marcus get into the car first. The door of the off-road vehicle closed with a dull thud, leaving only him, Lin Chen, and Li Wei at the scene. He slowly stepped forward, his burly frame casting a long shadow under the headlights. The scorpion tattoo on his arm was faintly visible. The violence from earlier had vanished from his face, replaced by a slight smile, though it didn't reach his eyes, concealing an indiscernible calculation.

"Brother Lin Chen, you're quite young, but your mind is remarkably meticulous," Julio spoke first, his tone intentionally softened, carrying a hint of recruitment. "That kid Marcus has been with me for two years, and even I didn't see that he was hiding so many schemes. Yet you managed to find solid proof and laid it out so clearly. You're more capable than the old foxes in my gang."

Lin Chen looked at him indifferently without responding, merely raising an eyebrow to signal him to continue. He knew clearly that Julio's sudden change to friendly terms was definitely not simple praise; there was certainly another motive behind it—nothing more than recruitment or probing. He only needed to wait and see, taking care not to fall easily into a trap.

"My Wild Scorpion Gang has been around Los Angeles for many years, and we value capable people above all else." Julio took another step forward, now less than two meters from Lin Chen. His voice dropped lower, carrying blatant temptation. "Work with me, and I guarantee you can walk tall in Los Angeles. You won't have to pay a cent of protection money in the Chinese District. Whether it's gray-market connections or legitimate channels, I can help you set them up. In this territory, no one will dare lay a finger on you from now on."

Hearing this, Li Wei's brow furrowed even tighter. He quietly nudged Lin Chen with his elbow, his eyes full of warning, signaling him not to agree. The gang's waters were too deep; once you waded in, you couldn't get out.

Lin Chen nodded slightly, his face remaining expressionless. His tone was neither humble nor arrogant as he refused both bluntly and tactfully: "Thank you for the high regard, Boss Julio. I am just an ordinary Chinese man without any great talent. I only want to earn money steadily and live my own life. I don't wish to get involved in gang matters, so I'm afraid I must decline your kind intentions."

His attitude was clear: he would not be recruited, nor would he offend the other party. He gave Julio a way out while maintaining his own bottom line. He knew that he currently lacked the strength to challenge the gang, and there was no need to get involved in their conflicts. Steadily laying out his plans for real estate and oil futures was the real priority. Keeping his distance from the Wild Scorpion Gang was the safest choice.

Hearing this, the smile on Julio's face faded slightly, and a trace of scrutiny flashed in his eyes. He stared into Lin Chen's eyes as if trying to see something within them. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Fine. Everyone has their own ambitions; I won't force you."

But as soon as those words left his mouth, his tone abruptly turned cold, carrying a clear warning and probe. The ferocity in his eyes also emerged. "But let me put the ugly words first. Since you don't want to get involved in gang business, then stay quietly within your own little patch of land. Don't cause trouble in the Slum District, and don't even think about crossing the Wild Scorpion Gang. I hope you won't be ungrateful; otherwise, Marcus will be your cautionary tale."

The threat in these words was more than obvious. On the surface, he was letting Lin Chen go, but in reality, he was implying he would be watching him, testing his ambition. If Lin Chen overstepped even slightly, the Wild Scorpion Gang would never show mercy.

Lin Chen understood perfectly, but he remained calm on the surface, nodding slightly. "Rest assured, Boss Julio. I have always been law-abiding. I won't take the initiative to cause trouble, nor will I become an enemy of the Wild Scorpion Gang."

"It's best that way." Julio stared at him for a few seconds, as if confirming he was telling the truth, yet also as if he still harbored wariness. Finally, he waved his hand. "Go on then, don't just stand here. We'll be seeing each other around the Slum District in the future. I hope we can always coexist in peace."

"Brother Chen, we should go." Seeing the conversation end, Li Wei immediately spoke up to urge him. He didn't want to stay there for another second. Julio's gaze was too terrifying; he felt like the man might attack at any moment. The longer they stayed, the more could go wrong. It was safer to leave early.

Lin Chen nodded and said no more to Julio, turning to walk toward the pickup truck with Li Wei. After just two steps, the Doubao AI in his mind suddenly popped up a pale blue window. The red warning text was particularly striking: "Detected that Julio harbors strong wariness toward the host. This recruitment attempt was not sincere; the core purpose was to probe the host's ambition and strength; it is predicted that Julio will subsequently dispatch subordinates to monitor the host 24 hours a day; high vigilance is required."

Lin Chen's footsteps paused slightly, and he immediately understood. It was exactly as he had thought—Julio hadn't let down his guard at all. He remained calm on the surface and continued walking quickly, but his mind had already begun calculating countermeasures. While being monitored by a gang wasn't a good thing, as long as he didn't show any flaws and carried out his plans quietly, Julio wouldn't be able to find any fault. At most, it would be a waste of effort for them.

Li Wei quickly opened the pickup truck door, letting Lin Chen get in first, while he circled to the driver's seat. Once inside, he immediately turned the key. The engine roared, and he slammed on the gas. The pickup surged forward, its headlights cutting through the night as it drove toward the Slum District.

Lin Chen leaned back in the passenger seat and turned to look out the window behind them. Julio's off-road vehicle was still parked there, its headlights still on, likely watching their retreating figures. He raised his hand and pressed near his ear, telling Doubao AI to start real-time monitoring and alert him immediately if anyone was following.

"Brother Chen, that Julio is too crafty. Friendly on the surface, but full of schemes behind the scenes. It's a good thing you didn't agree to his offer," Li Wei said indignantly while driving. Having spent so many years in the Slum District, he had seen plenty of gang intrigue; he had seen through Julio's intentions at a glance.

"He was never sincerely recruiting me; it was just a probe," Lin Chen spoke indifferently, his tone calm. "Be careful in your actions from now on. Don't leave any openings. If he wants to monitor us, let him. Once we've established a firm foothold, even if he wants to move against us, he'll have to think twice."

"Understood!" Li Wei replied, slowing down slightly and checking the rearview mirror vigilantly. Only after confirming no cars were following did he breathe a small sigh of relief.

The pickup left the suburban highway and turned into the narrow alleys of the Slum District, the headlights sweeping across the dilapidated houses and walls. After they left, Julio's off-road vehicle also started up, but it didn't follow them. Instead, it drove in the opposite direction. In the back seat, Julio leaned against the backrest, his eyes gloomy as he coldly instructed the lackey beside him: "Send two men to watch Lin Chen's every move. Where he goes, who he contacts, and what he does—record it all. Report back to me immediately if anything happens."

"Yes, Boss Julio." The lackey lowered his head and responded, not daring to say a single unnecessary word.

Julio watched the scenery receding rapidly outside the window, his fingers lightly tapping his knee as he muttered to himself, "A young Chinese man, meticulous, with a skilled subordinate... not simple at all. If he can be used by me, that's best. If not, I'd better eliminate him early to avoid nourishing a tiger that will eventually cause trouble."

Meanwhile, Lin Chen and Li Wei's pickup had already entered the Chinese Slum District and stopped in front of the Grocery Store. The two got out and locked the doors. Just as they were about to walk into the Grocery Store, no one noticed that behind a low slope in the distance, a dark figure slowly stood up from the withered grass.

The dark figure was wrapped in a black hoodie, the brim pulled very low to cover most of his face. He held an old-fashioned film camera, the lens still pointed in the direction of the highway from earlier. Every conversation and every action between Lin Chen and Julio just now had been captured by his camera, recorded on the film.

The dark figure tucked the camera away into his clothes, looked up at the backs of Lin Chen and Li Wei walking into the Grocery Store, then glanced in the direction where Julio's off-road vehicle had departed. Without lingering for a moment, he turned and walked toward the dense woods deep within the Slum District.

The night was thick, and it was pitch black in the dense woods. Only the calls of unknown birds could be heard. The dark figure's steps were swift and silent, and in a short while, he had completely vanished into the woods.

The photographing shadow turned and walked into the darkness.