No one could have predicted it.
The winners weren't O'Neal.
They weren't Dominic.
Instead, victory belonged to two complete unknowns—one driving a silver supercar, the other a purple beast.
No one even knew what brands these machines were.
The two racers everyone had pinned their hopes on, the supposed titans of the West Coast? They hadn't even reached the finish line.
What a cruel twist of irony.
After a stunned silence, the crowd erupted into a tidal wave of cheers.
Because at the end of the day—it didn't matter who the champion was. To have made it here at all was legendary. Even if the winner had crossed the line in a beaten-up delivery van, that driver would still be celebrated as a genius, a rising star, a new god of the West Coast.
The Silver Marauder and Medusa's car rolled to a halt. In perfect sync, both doors swung open—same timing, same angle.
It was a scene ripped straight from the movies.
Too stylish. Too cool.
The crowd lost its mind.
Leon stepped out first, smiling as he waved to the roaring fans. Letty followed right after, beautiful and confident. Together with the gleaming cars, they painted the perfect picture: handsome man, stunning woman, and unstoppable machines.
The celebration had only just begun.
Tonight, Leon was the undisputed victor.
Tonight, he became the God of the West Coast.
And after tonight? Who knew? The East Coast might be next.
The following morning dawned bright and clear.
Leon slept in, stretched across his bed with a blissful smile.
Winning the race meant that by the rules, every opponent's car—damaged or not—was now his. Keys had been handed over, one by one.
Some racers were gracious, sincerely impressed by his skill, giving him a thumbs-up as they surrendered their cars. Others were bitter, reluctant, glaring daggers at him. But with the whole crowd watching—and Leon standing tall—they had no choice but to bow their heads and hand over the keys.
Fortunately, most of the cars weren't destroyed. A few had taken heavy damage, sure, but the majority were still fully drivable.
Leon was more than satisfied. This haul wasn't a loss—it was a windfall.
And then the system spoke.
It offered to handle the auction process automatically. No need to repair the damaged cars; they'd simply be sold at a discount. By the next day, the money would be in his account.
Leon had thought it sounded good. Convenient.
But nothing could prepare him for the final numbers.
"Ding. Auction complete. Total earnings: 640 million USD."
The voice rang in his ears like divine music.
Leon's eyes flew open. He shot upright in bed, heart pounding.
"How much!? Six hundred million!?"
For a second, he thought the system was pulling a prank.
"You may check your account."
Trembling, Leon opened his account—and nearly fainted.
There it was. A string of digits so long it didn't feel real.
640,000,000 dollars.
More money than he had ever imagined.
"Ahahaha! YESSS!" Leon threw himself onto the bed, rolling around like a child, laughing until his cheeks hurt.
In his old life, he had been a wage slave, paycheck to paycheck, always broke by the end of the month.
But here? Overnight, he had become a billionaire.
The joy was intoxicating. He felt like he was dreaming, and he never wanted to wake up.
He pinched himself hard—pain shot up his arm.
Not a dream. Reality.
He couldn't stop grinning. Couldn't stop laughing.
And the system wasn't finished.
"Congratulations. Level up. Reward granted: Soft-Metal Car Body upgrade. Bonus: 100 million USD."
Leon gawked at the screen as his balance climbed again.
640 million. Plus 100 million. His account now stood at 700 million dollars.
"Seven hundred million!" Leon screamed, fists pumping. "I'm rich! I'm unstoppable!"
His joy was infectious—even if no one else was there to see it.
But the system's tone grew serious.
"Recommendation: upgrade the Silver Marauder."
Leon blinked. "Upgrade it? The Marauder's already unbeatable. Why waste money? It's already cruising at 700 km/h—nothing can touch it!"
The system disagreed.
"No machine is perfect. Relying on the same setup invites danger. Enemies will study your car, exploit weaknesses. Others may create vehicles capable of matching or even surpassing the Marauder's current limits. If you stagnate, you will fall."
Leon's grin faded. He knew the system was right.
Seven hundred kilometers per hour felt invincible—but humans were clever. Someone would eventually close the gap. And when that happened, all the prestige, the glory, the empire he had built could crumble overnight.
He clenched his fists. No. That couldn't be allowed.
The Marauder had to evolve.
"What are the upgrade options?"
The system responded immediately:
Option One: Purchase a brand-new supercar, the Diomas Nilo. Cost: 700 million USD.
Option Two: Reforge a new car using the Silver Marauder's materials. Cost: 500 million USD.
Option Three: Retain the Marauder's body, but replace engine and power systems. Downsides: mismatched components reduce stability. Cost: 200 million USD.
Leon's breath caught.
Diomas Nilo.
The name wasn't just a car. It was a legend—from anime, from childhood dreams. The ultimate machine of the Four-Wheel Brothers. Powered by MG stones, able to unleash devastating gravity waves, a car capable of tearing apart rivals with sheer force.
Even a mass-produced version of that machine could annihilate the Russian Silver Fox, the upgraded Jumpers, even the German WGP runner-up.
It was absurdly powerful. The stuff of fantasy.
To think it could become reality? Leon's blood boiled with excitement.
Turning a dream car from fiction into his new weapon? Nothing could be cooler.
But one worry gnawed at him.
"What about my upgrades? The bulletproof glass, the reinforced tires, the soft-metal frame… will I lose them if I switch cars?" Leon's voice grew anxious.
These were treasures he had painstakingly earned. Throwing them away for a shiny new chassis would feel like sacrilege.
If the system stripped him of all his enhancements, forcing him to start over, Leon really might cry.
His heart pounded.
Because the new era of cars was about to begin.
A new beast was on the horizon.
~~----------------------
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