Leon's flawless driving had already made the East Coast racers burn with jealousy.
They couldn't stand how much attention the West Coast had been getting lately—especially because of him.
And now that Leon was about to take on the Million-Dollar Highway, they finally saw an opening to tear him down.
"Pfft, that amateur thinks he can handle that road?"
"With those clumsy moves, he'll be over the cliff in no time."
"Hey, this isn't your comfy West Coast track, buddy!"
"Go home and come back when you've mastered parallel parking."
"That road's killed over a thousand people. He'll be next!"
The East Coast chat filled with venomous comments.
They just couldn't stand seeing an Asian guy outperform them.
Sure, they'd seen Leon's talent with their own eyes.
They knew he was good—
but that only made them hate him more.
The stronger Leon became, the smaller their own chances of fame.
So they did what sore losers always do—
vented behind their keyboards.
They mocked his speed, calling him reckless.
"The Million-Dollar Highway's way too narrow.
At that speed, he'll never make it through the turns."
"Yeah right! If he can drift those curves, I'll eat my own crap live!"
"If he hits 300 km/h without dying, I'll stream myself eating it too!"
"Please, this mountain road's a third the width of a freeway.
Even the best drivers wouldn't dare push past 200."
The East Coast crowd grabbed their snacks, grinning,
ready to watch Leon crash and burn.
Sure enough, moments later, Leon entered the Million-Dollar Highway.
Even from the very first stretch, he could tell—this road was different.
The entrance alone was barely a quarter the width of a normal freeway.
When Leon drifted into it, the car barely fit—
his front bumper and rear wing were almost scraping the cliff walls.
Anyone else would've already hit the railings and spun out.
But not Leon.
He was calm as ever.
"Hit the wall already!"
"Come on, crash!"
"Did they widen the road or what?"
"This guy's cheating—there's no way he didn't hit anything!"
The East Coast chat raged in disbelief,
their envy boiling over.
But things didn't go the way they wanted.
Leon cleared the entrance effortlessly,
sliding into the main stretch of the Million-Dollar Highway.
The road was even narrower here—
barely enough for two cars to pass side by side.
The higher he climbed, the steeper the drop beside him became.
Five kilometers in, the left side had already turned into a bottomless abyss.
The road was carved into the cliffside,
with fog drifting below and a stream glinting faintly through the trees.
One wrong move, and he'd be nothing but dust and twisted metal.
No wonder almost no one drove this way anymore.
One doze, one twitch, one bad turn—
and the next morning, your grave would be getting visitors.
But to Leon, the peril didn't matter.
The road might be small, but he had the skill.
He couldn't unleash his 900 km/h top speed here—
but 300, maybe even 400? That was easy.
Just then, the system spoke up:
"Recommendation: switch to Extreme Drift Tires."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Extreme what?"
"A special tire designed for mountain roads," the AI explained.
"It offers exceptional traction and can execute 180-degree drifts without rollover."
Meaning: he could swing from one sharp turn into the next
without losing grip or control.
Leon's eyes lit up. "Now that's what I'm talking about. How much?"
"Ten million dollars per tire.
Airless. Never wears out.
Incorporates all the advantages of the Quantum Tire—
with even greater traction and cornering stability."
Ten million a tire.
Once upon a time, Leon would've thought that price was insane.
But now?
It was pocket change.
Four tires. Forty million.
And somehow, that still felt cheap.
"Do it." Leon grinned.
A notification pinged.
"Order confirmed. Installation complete. Enjoy your drive."
He instantly felt the difference.
The car hugged the road like it was glued to it.
If his old tires were like wearing ice skates—
these were solid wooden clogs.
Absolutely stable.
"Let's go!" Leon pushed the throttle.
The Diomas roared to life.
Its engine howled as it rocketed forward,
the headlights slicing through the darkness of the mountain road.
Tracy was still streaming from the air,
but she could barely watch.
Her heart was in her throat.
"Oh god… I can't watch this…" she whispered, eyes squeezed shut.
Meanwhile, the East Coast trolls were having a field day:
"Come on, faster! Don't slow down now!"
"Yeah, yeah—floor it! Let's see that car fly!"
"Haha, straight into the valley!"
They laughed, jeering, their comments flying across the chat—
Until suddenly…
the laughter stopped.
Because on the next turn—
Leon drifted.
And not just any drift.
It was a hairpin curve so sharp it made professional drivers blanch.
Yet Leon's car slid perfectly through it—
tight on the inner lane, no oversteer, no slip.
Even with an oncoming car, there'd be no collision.
Smooth. Controlled. Perfect.
The car shot out of the curve like a bullet,
no fishtailing, no correction needed.
Just one clean, effortless motion.
It was like watching an extension of his body—
fluid, instinctive, flawless.
The entire chat went silent.
Then—
"What the hell just happened!?"
"That turn was impossible!"
"Bro, that was 666-level god driving!"
"I don't even get what I saw—but it was amazing!"
"Did the stream skip ahead? There's no way he just did that!"
The East Coast crowd stared in stunned disbelief.
This wasn't normal physics anymore.
At that speed, momentum should've thrown him straight off the cliff.
He should've needed to slide before turning.
But Leon?
He just turned the wheel—and the car obeyed.
It was as if inertia itself bowed to him.
A miracle on wheels.
A god-tier corner.
~~----------------------
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