Because Gustave's Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato was so conspicuous among the assembled vehicles, it didn't take long after entering the Daikoku PA for the hip-hop driver to approach and tap on the window.
"Tell me you're not seriously planning to race me in a stock car, are you?"
"What's the problem with that?" Gustave rolled down the window and asked with genuine curiosity.
"Look, I'm not trying to insult you, but although your Aston Martin is rare and has decent displacement, its top speed can't even break 300 kilometers per hour without modifications."
"See that Porsche over there?"
The young man pointed to a dark blue Porsche 911 parked about fifty meters away.
"That's yours?"
"Exactly. That's what I'll be racing you with tonight—a Porsche 911GT3 RS with a 4.0-liter flat-six. Stock, it produces 500 horsepower and 460 Newton-meters of torque. Thanks to its lightweight construction, it's actually pretty comparable to your Aston Martin in terms of power-to-weight ratio."
"But here's the thing—every car that comes to Daikoku, especially the ones that run the Bayshore Route, has been heavily modified. My 911GT3 RS now puts out 980 horsepower and 940 Newton-meters of torque. Forget acceleration—this thing can hit 360 kilometers per hour without breaking a sweat. How exactly do you plan to compete with a factory car?"
Surprisingly, the hip-hop driver turned out to be genuinely concerned for Gustave's welfare. He laid out all his vehicle's specifications with complete honesty.
"If we were on a closed track, my Aston Martin wouldn't stand a chance against you," Gustave admitted calmly. "But we're running on public highways in Tokyo. Can your 911GT3 RS maintain maximum speed the entire time? Most of the run will be at speeds over 200 kilometers per hour, dealing with traffic and constantly changing road conditions. At those speeds, with those variables, it's anyone's race."
Gustave was well aware of the performance gap between their vehicles. On a professional circuit, he'd concede defeat without hesitation. But on the Bayshore Route, where constant traffic avoidance was required, he was confident his superior driving skills could overcome the horsepower disadvantage.
"You're absolutely insane!"
The hip-hop driver had thought he was reckless, but Gustave's casual confidence about taking a stock Aston Martin against his heavily modified 911GT3 RS was on another level entirely.
"Hey, Kondo! This Aston Martin isn't actually what you're racing tonight, is it?"
At that moment, a cheerful-looking young man in a racing suit approached and casually patted the Aston Martin's roof.
"That's exactly right, Fujiwara. This lunatic wants to pit his factory Aston Martin against my modified 911GT3 RS."
Kondo shook his head in amused disbelief.
"This I have to see. Let me get a look at this crazy person."
Fujiwara leaned down to peer through the window, curious about who could be so audacious.
"First time at Daikoku?" he asked after studying Gustave's unfamiliar face.
"Yes, it's my first time here."
"What should I call you?"
"Gustave."
"Gustave? You're from overseas?"
"French international student, actually."
Now Fujiwara understood. That explained why he'd never seen this face before in Tokyo's racing scene.
"And the kid in the passenger seat? He's not seriously coming along for the ride tonight, is he?"
"I couldn't help it," Gustave said with an exaggerated helpless gesture. "My friend's kid insisted on tagging along tonight, so I had no choice but to bring him."
After all, it had been Conan who'd demanded to come witness the race.
"As someone with experience here, let me give you some advice," Fujiwara said, his tone becoming more serious. "It's one thing to run a stock car against modified ones, but the Bayshore Route is no joke. One wrong move can cause a serious accident. Fine if you want to risk your own neck, but don't drag innocent people down with you."
"We Mid Night guys are all crazy, but we've never seen anyone quite this reckless."
Fujiwara couldn't hide his amazement at Gustave's decision to bring a child along for such dangerous underground racing.
"I appreciate the warning. I know my limits," Gustave replied with a confident smile.
"You've got serious guts!" Fujiwara gave him a thumbs-up before walking away.
After Fujiwara left, Kondo was about to explain the rules for their upcoming race when Gustave spoke first:
"That guy Fujiwara—he's racing tonight too?"
Kondo was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't expected Gustave to be thinking about other competitors when his own race was approaching. After a moment's pause, he answered:
"Yeah, his ride is that Dodge Viper SRT. After modifications, it's pushing 2,150 horsepower and 2,000 Newton-meters of torque. He'll definitely be running tonight."
"Holy hell! With power numbers like that, what's he planning to do, launch himself into orbit?"
Even Gustave was genuinely shocked by those specifications. Those performance figures were extreme even by professional racing standards—though professional race cars had displacement restrictions and other regulations. If professional racers could run powerplants like the Viper SRT, the numbers would be even more insane.
But for someone to modify a production car to those levels suggested they were trying to achieve flight without wings.
"Him? He's having the ultimate showdown tonight against the Pagani Zonda F."
"See that guy in casual clothes with glasses? That's Saionji, and he owns the Pagani. After his modifications, that car produces 1,950 horsepower and 2,090 Newton-meters of torque."
"Tonight's main event is Fujiwara versus Saionji. These two are settling who's the absolute king of the Bayshore Route once and for all."
Kondo described the evening's headline attraction—Dodge Viper SRT versus Pagani Zonda F. Both cars' specifications were absolutely mental, and their drivers were equally unhinged.
"When does their showdown start?"
Gustave definitely wanted to witness such an epic battle.
"Three o'clock sharp."
"Perfect!"
Kondo turned to leave, but after a few steps, he remembered he'd forgotten to explain the rules of his own race against Gustave. The discussion about Fujiwara and Saionji had completely derailed his thoughts.
"Furansu-boy (French-boy), you nearly made me forget the important stuff! Our race starts at exactly one o'clock. We'll launch from Daikoku PA, head toward Yokohama, make the full Bayside Loop, then return to Daikoku PA. First one back wins."
"Here's the route map."
He pulled out a detailed map with the specific course marked in red ink.
"Any questions about the route?"
After showing Gustave the planned circuit, Kondo waited for confirmation.
"Got it, no problems here."
After examining the map, Gustave knew he'd already won. While this route was indeed part of the Bayshore Route, the circular nature meant it demanded exceptional driving skill from the pilot. Sometimes excessive horsepower could actually become a liability rather than an advantage.
"No issues then—we'll launch exactly at one o'clock!"