Hollywood Taxes: A Tycoon in TV Land

Chapter 13: The Drag Race

Chapter 13: The Drag Race

Under Toretto's command, Hector collected the entry fees from all the racers, but there was a hiccup when it came to O'Conner.

The guy claimed he had no money. Ron couldn't help but smirk discreetly; let's not even mention that an FBI agent makes nearly fifty grand a year, plus all sorts of investigation reimbursements.

How could he not scrape together $2,000? It was clearly a ploy to cause trouble.

Ultimately, O'Conner managed to garner some attention from Toretto by promising to use his well-modified car as collateral to enter the race.

Meanwhile, Ron's car went unnoticed, simply because Toretto stated, "His car is modified by me."

"Howard, Rajesh, do you see that hefty guy? I'm racing with him shortly, so you two should hop into his car.

His name is Hector, and he's a friendly dude. They're throwing a party tonight with plenty of girls, and I told him you could tag along. Just go and try your luck," Ron instructed, tapping on his car window and pointing at Hector.

As soon as they heard about the party, Howard and Rajesh's eyes lit up, and they dashed after a curvy Mexican beauty swaying her hips. Ron shook his head and climbed into his own car.

The racers quickly took their positions, and five cars lined up at the starting line under the direction of the starter.

O'Conner made a rookie mistake and accidentally crossed the starting line, prompting a chorus of boos as he had to back up.

"What a rookie! Toretto, I really don't understand why you agreed to let this amateur race," Ron complained loudly to Toretto through his open window.

"Because I like his car," Toretto replied simply.

With that, Ron couldn't argue anymore.

In a show of mutual provocation, the five cars revved their engines in neutral, awaiting the signal. Once Hector and the roadblock crew were ready, the starter shouted, "Go!"

The five cars shot off the line like arrows released from a bow, flames spewing from their exhausts.

Toretto took the lead, Ron followed closely behind in second, with the other two cars in third and fourth positions, and O'Conner lagging in the back.

Ron glanced in the rearview mirror and shook his head; the kid was just too inexperienced. The transmission and throttle weren't in sync, causing his car to sway at launch—a disgrace for a professional driver.

Tonight's race was a drag race, and many believed it was merely a matter of horsepower. However, it was more about how well the driver understood their vehicle.

The timing of gear shifts and the pressure on the throttle were all technical skills, and since Ron's expertise came from Toretto, it made sense for him to be right beside him.

Seeing his lag, O'Conner panicked and activated his onboard computer, releasing all the nitrous oxide. The mild yellow flame from his exhaust instantly transformed into a fierce blue blaze.

The green Mitsubishi Eclipse surged forward as if it had been equipped with a rocket engine, racing past the third and fourth cars in a flurry of curses beginning with "F," quickly positioning itself alongside Toretto and Ron.

Then, in a flash, he zoomed ahead.

"Fxxk!" Ron muttered under his breath; this kid was cheating! Today, his car was the standard version without any nitrous upgrades!

Ron felt helpless, but that didn't mean Toretto was in the same boat. He had already noticed the modifications on O'Conner's car during the pre-race inspection.

Calmly, Toretto engaged his nitrous, sending a powerful surge through the four connected canisters into the engine. The immense force pinned Toretto back in his seat, and his red Mazda rocketed forward, soon catching up to O'Conner.

The race had turned into a battle between two dragons.

One was an inexperienced tinkerer, while the other was a professional car modification expert. The gap in skill was evident in the rapidly widening distance between the two cars.

O'Conner, desperate, opened another nitrous bottle, pushing the speed further, but as it approached 140 mph, his car stalled.

The excessive acceleration caused the car to shake violently, and parts secured to the chassis began to fall off, sending sparks flying as they scraped along the asphalt. Meanwhile, smoke billowed from the engine cover.

"Boom!" His car gradually lost power because of the fallen components, and no matter how hard O'Conner pressed the gas, it showed no signs of moving.

In simple terms, it had broken down.

"See ya, rookie," Ron called out as he zipped past O'Conner, with the other two cars following suit as they crossed the finish line.

"Here's everything you wanted!" Hector raised $8,000 and the car registration high for all to see before handing it over to Toretto.

Toretto excitedly placed the money in Letty's hands and lifted her onto the car roof. "You are my prize!"

O'Conner somehow managed to restart his car, grinning foolishly.

"What are you smiling about?" Ron asked, approaching with a girl in his arms.

"I almost beat the legendary Toretto!"

"Sure you did," Ron rolled his eyes, wondering what kind of fool thought that way.

"You didn't beat me, and now your car isn't even yours anymore," Toretto said, walking over. "You were all over the place with your gear shifts; that's not how you double-clutch! A win is a win!"

Toretto spread his arms wide, basking in the crowd's cheers. But the cheers didn't last long; the lookout among the racers suddenly shouted, "Crap! The cops are here!"

Chaos erupted as the racers scrambled back to their cars, racing to escape.

"FXXK! My chance for a hot date just went down the drain!" Ron slammed his hand on the hood of his car, jumped inside, and glanced at O'Conner's fleeing direction before starting his engine. "Damn FBI, did they have to make a move tonight?"

"Pull over! This is the Los Angeles Police Department! Please stop for inspection!" Two police cars followed closely behind Ron.

"Pull over? Not a chance!" Ron floored the gas pedal. "What am I supposed to do, lose face after getting caught by these guys?"

Ron seriously suspected he was being singled out; why else would so many cars be ignored while they chose to pursue him?

"This must be FBI retaliation!" As Ron spotted a tall stack of garbage cans ahead, he quickly devised a plan.

As his car glided past, he gently turned the steering wheel, bumping into the pyramid of trash cans, causing them to topple over and crash into the two police cars behind him.

Taking advantage of their obstructed view, Ron executed a drift and smoothly slipped into a side alley, turning off his lights and engine in one fluid motion.

By the time the police cars emerged from behind the garbage cans, the street was empty, and they had no choice but to leave in search of another target.

Feeling triumphant, Ron watched the police cars retreat. "Ha! With the FBI's level of competence, they think they can trouble me? Pathetic!"