After entering Detroit, no further trouble came, and Zhang Jie's lips curved slightly.
Indeed, sometimes spending a little money can solve many big problems. Otherwise, the bodies of those three guys would have been enough to attract the attention of the police.
It's worth noting that the abandoned factory was a place Zhang Jie specifically sought out, with few surveillance cameras nearby. Coupled with his silenced gun, resolving the fight quickly wouldn't attract too much attention.
Fortunately, that last little guy didn't intend to get involved, otherwise, it would have been too much trouble for Zhang Jie to deal with those things himself.
After all, in the middle of nowhere, where would he find a cleaner?
Come on, he's just an unknown two-star silver assassin!
To be honest, Detroit didn't leave a great impression on Zhang Jie, as its industry didn't seem as developed as he imagined. However, after driving into town, he noticed quite a few modified cars.
As expected of the Motor City, the car modification scene here is extremely vibrant. His stock camaro seemed a bit shabby here.
But the V8 engine combined with its cool exterior was already enough. Modifications were another matter, at least for now, they weren't obvious.
From the looks of it, the people of Detroit seemed quite passionate. Look at those two guys on the street, enthusiastically exchanging greetings about each other's ancestry.
Well, overall, it's still civilized, I suppose.
At least no more black thugs would be eyeing his car.
Now it's time for business. After all, his purpose in coming to Detroit was to modify his car. He wasn't sure if his current funds would be enough. He'd check first and take on more tasks if needed.
It was strange, though. Recent missions had been quite odd, and there were almost no high-star missions, only low-star ones. Veronica had also been silent.
This was a rare moment of peace.
After visiting several car modification shops, Zhang Jie drove away, grumbling.
"Damn it! Are these people all crazy? It would cost me 200,000 USD to modify this car?"
Zhang Jie couldn't describe his anger at that moment. It was like a Chinese tourist going to a Chinese restaurant and still getting ripped off.
Do I look like I have that much money?
He only had a little over 70,000 USD on him now. Where would he get the remaining 130,000?
A frustrated Zhang Jie could only continue asking at every shop until he reached the last modification shop.
Seeing Zhang Jie's disgusted expression, the owner offered him a friendly suggestion.
"Friend, listen, I know you might find it hard to believe, but that's just how modifications are in Detroit. Don't think it's too expensive."
"If you really can't afford it, you can go to the Packard factory racetrack on Saturday night. If you can win that race, you'll get 50,000 USD or a chance for a brand new modification upgrade."
The owner patted the camaro's hood: "Of course, the premise is that you have the skill. If your luck is bad, you could lose your life."
Oh?
An underground street race?
That really fits the style of Detroit.
Zhang Jie glanced at his proficiency panel.
Vehicle Driving: Lv2 (64/100)
With this level, winning the race shouldn't be too difficult, right?
Although the driving skills of those modification masters were also impressive.
Seeing Zhang Jie's eager expression, the owner smiled, then took a piece of paper, wrote a number, and handed it to Zhang Jie.
"Saturday night at 8 PM, Packard factory."
Zhang Jie took the note, glanced at it, folded it, and put it in his pocket: "Thank you. I hope Lady Luck will be on my side and let me win a chance for a modification."
The owner just smiled and said nothing.
Just then, two black brothers walked in.
"Yo, Wood, got any good stuff lately?"
After entering, he nodded to the owner, then his gaze fell on the camaro.
He walked around the car, tapping the fender of the camaro ss with his hand, producing a dull metallic sound.
"A 2010 car?"
He grinned, "How many miles in four years? A hundred thousand? A hundred and fifty thousand?"
He lifted the hood, and dust scattered like snowflakes.
Sunlight streamed through the repair shop's roof, dappling the engine, where the chrome parts had long since oxidized to a matte finish.
"6.2L V8 and no supercharger? What a waste, brother!"
His finger traced the throttle body, his fingertip stained with carbon buildup. "Flash a Stage 2 tune, swap the intake, and you'll wake this old girl up."
"Quick, replace this crappy intake manifold. I've got a Kevlar one in my warehouse, 20% off for you."
"Yo, still the original ECU?" He whistled, "This thing's cleaner than a virgin in a church."
Then he squatted down to look at the wheels and suspension. Oil was already seeping from the shock absorbers. "Rear axle not welded solid?"
"20-inch Forgeline wheels with Nitto tires? The stance is okay... but is this suspension height for grandmas going grocery shopping?"
A police siren sounded in the distance, approaching and then fading away.
He stood up, wiping his hands on his jeans.
He finished evaluating the camaro, muttering as he observed it, then his gaze fell on Zhang Jie.
Since Wood hadn't spoken, it meant the car wasn't his, so it must belong to this young man.
So he stepped forward, extending his hand, "Hello, nice to meet you, Tej Parker."
Zhang Jie glanced at the bottom right corner of his view, where a new proficiency was displayed.
Vehicle Modification: Lv0 (3/100)
Just listening to you ramble on actually gave me a new proficiency?
Zhang Jie was also greatly surprised.
"Hello, Zhang Jie."
"Any interest in modifying this car?"
Before Zhang Jie could answer, Wood smiled and said, "Alright, Tej, he's here to modify his car, but he's on a budget."
Tej heard this and sized Zhang Jie up, then suddenly chuckled: "Oh, my apologies, that's my mistake. But your wallet does look quite young."
Zhang Jie naturally understood what Tej meant and didn't mind too much. After all, he was indeed quite broke, with some money, but not a lot.
"Wood told me there's a race at the Packard factory on Saturday night. Perhaps I can win a chance for a modification."
Hearing Zhang Jie's words, Tej was unimpressed, "With your current vehicle's condition, winning that race might not be easy."
Zhang Jie took out two franklins, and Tej raised an eyebrow, "But I can help you out a bit, but you'll have to cover the cost."
Hearing Tej say that, Wood also smiled.
"It's not good for you to solicit customers in my shop."
Tej grinned: "But I might bring you more customers."
Facing Tej's double entendre, Wood didn't say much, but one thing was true: Wood recognized Tej's modification skills.
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