The hum of neon lights and thundering bass rolled over the Manchester night. Jeff followed the directions his AI fed him, winding down narrow industrial streets until the glow of a hundred modified cars lit up an abandoned lot.
The underground racing scene.
Engines revved like predators testing their growl. Smoke rose from spinning tires. Women in neon jackets walked between rows of chrome and candy-painted hoods. Jeff parked his matte-grey beast among them, drawing stares. His car didn't gleam, didn't scream it stalked.
A young racer in a bright-red Civic eyed it and whistled ."Looks stock, old man. You lost?"
Jeff smirked, leaning against the hood. "Want to put your money where your mouth is?"
It didn't take long before word spread the quiet stranger with the strange ride was willing to race for pinks. Five challengers lined up over the course of the night. Jeff took them one after another.
The first thought his Civic's nitrous could beat him. Jeff shifted into race mode, and the V16 howled like a storm. The Civic disappeared in his rear-view before the first corner.
The second, a Subaru WRX, tried to muscle him on the turns. Adaptive drivetrain laughed at it, chewing corners like they were nothing.
By the fifth race, whispers rippled through the crowd. Who the hell is this guy? Where'd he come from? Jeff didn't bother answering. He just collected the slips, stacking them like poker chips.
When the dust cleared, he'd won himself a Nissan GT-R, a BMW M3, a Lambo Gallardo, and a few others not worth listing. Plus a fat stack of cash from side bets. Enough to fund upgrades and build a proper stable.
Jeff slid into the driver's seat of his car, AI quietly reporting :"Acquired assets: 7 vehicles. Cash: +$120,000."
Not a bad night's work.
Back at the safehouse, Jeff cracked open a beer, boots propped on the table, his phone screen glowing in the dark. Out of habit, he opened the news feed.
The date caught his eye: April 15, 2011.
A headline blared: "Brazilian Police in Chaos Vault Dragged Through Rio Streets in Daring Heist."
Jeff froze, scrolling down. Grainy videos played two black muscle cars, chained to a massive steel vault, tearing through downtown Rio. Police cruisers flipped and crushed like toys. The footage was shaky, chaotic, but unmistakable.
His breath caught. He knew this. He'd seen it before on a movie screen. Fast Five.
Jeff leaned back in his chair, the realization washing over him. So that's it… this world is the Fast & Furious timeline. And if Rio just happened… then I'm right on time.
The system chimed softly in his head:[World Event Detected — Timeline Confirmed. Fast Five Era.]
Jeff chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, Remy… welcome to the family business."