"I knew it."
Confirming that Dom and his crew had been hitting the highways again explained everything.
Mia's disappearance wasn't personal.
As one of the most famous underground racing crews on the West Coast, Dom's reputation was massive. But in recent years, their "side hustle" had attracted a different kind of attention.
High-value semi-trucks had been getting hijacked across California with alarming frequency.
The hijackers were professionals. They stole the cargo but never hurt the drivers, which meant witnesses survived.
The FBI and the LAPD had gathered plenty of intel from these drivers. The consensus was clear: the hijackers were a tight-knit team with driving skills that bordered on the supernatural. Their cars were heavily modified, capable of matching highway speeds with precision.
With that much information, it was only a matter of time before the authorities connected the dots.
The only reason Dom hadn't been caught yet was a combination of bureaucratic infighting between the FBI and the LAPD, and Dom's own extreme caution.
Based on Hunter's investigation, Dom's crew operated in cycles. They would identify a target, spend weeks gathering intel, mapping the route, and prepping the terrain. During this "blackout period," they went radio silent to avoid leaks.
Once the job was done, they would lay low until the heat died down.
Mia wasn't just grounded. She was under lockdown because the crew was in "Active Operation" mode.
Realizing this, Hunter relaxed.
He had been burying himself in skill grinding anyway. The initial frustration of not seeing Mia had faded as he became addicted to the dopamine hit of watching his EXP bars fill up.
Another day at the garage ended. Once again, Hunter was the last one there.
His Mechanics skill had hit Lv 4. The next level required a staggering 10,000 EXP.
Worse, the law of diminishing returns had kicked in.
Fixing minor issues—oil changes, tire rotations—now yielded less than a third of the EXP they used to. To make any real progress, he needed complex, challenging repairs.
So, even when the shop was quiet, Hunter actively hunted for difficult problems to fix, scraping together every point he could get.
Everyone else had left, but Hunter waited.
Old Parker had hinted earlier that there would be another side job tonight.
Hunter needed the cash.
His other skills were stalling.
Driving: Burned too much gas.Cooking: Required expensive, exotic ingredients to maximize EXP gain.Marksmanship: The biggest money pit. Bullets weren't free, and the System demanded precision at increasing distances. After barely scraping his way to Lv 2, Hunter felt like a novice again as the difficulty spiked. He needed to buy a semi-automatic rifle to progress, and that meant serious money.
Blame his predecessor for being broke. Hunter was playing catch-up.
Parker finally returned, nearly thirty minutes late.
"Damn it. Hey, sorry Hunter, I'm late."
Parker looked relieved to see Hunter still waiting. His grin widened.
"Let's go. I'm buying you a drink."
Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Parker, what's the situation tonight?"
"Get in. I'll explain on the way."
Parker waved him over and locked the garage gates.
Hunter hopped into the passenger seat of the vintage Camaro, looking around the worn interior.
"You need to buy a car," Parker noted with a chuckle.
Hunter nodded. "I've been thinking about it."
But buying a car wasn't simple. Even a decent used car cost a few thousand dollars. To fix it up to his standards—especially with his Lv 4 Mechanics skill itching for perfection—would cost thousands more in parts.
And frankly, Hunter didn't want a beater.
He wanted a blank canvas. A car with massive modification potential that he could build into a monster.
During his time at the shop, he had learned a lot about legitimate tuning. The side jobs had taught him the illegal stuff.
He was confident that with $70,000 or $80,000, he could build a car that rivaled supercars worth five times that amount.
The problem?
"I'm broke," Hunter said bluntly.
Parker laughed. He knew the kid's situation.
"Don't worry," Parker reassured him. "With your skills and your ability to learn..."
"Hunter, it won't be long before you're the most famous tuner in Los Angeles. Hell, maybe all of California."
"When that happens, money won't be an issue. You'll have more than you know what to do with."
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