The Dark horse

Michael decided to grab lunch before the challenge. Vegas was famous for its luxurious endless buffet. Michael decided to visit the famous Wicked spoon Restaurant. When he walked into the restaurant, he was astonished. He had been to Chinese buffets before and was disgusted by the poor service and setting.

This place looked like a high-end restaurant; He paid the $48 for a lunch buffet. As he walked around and saw the endless food, a wicked smile emerged on his face.

A buffet was a good deal to most people because they can eat as much as they want. However, he had an inventory with near infinite storage, This place was heaven for him. It was filled with luxurious food: Caviar, Lobster, Oyster Etc… He quickly grabbed a plate and started piling the food. He first tasted a bit of everything, then decided to store the things he liked.

Freddy was the restaurant manager of the Wicked Spoon. He was keeping an eye on a teenager who was making the food in the buffet line disappear. "Damn him! he is going back to the line for the twentieth time!" Freddy cursed under his breath. He had never seen anyone that could eat this much food. He first thought the kid was secretly packing up the food to take it home; however, he could not find any boxes or bags near the kid.

He decided to ask him to leave politely. Sometimes buffet restaurants have to do this when they encounter a prodigious eater. Technically as a private establishment, they reserved the right to refuse service. However, doing that might affect the restaurant's reputation so they normally refrained from doing so. This time he had to bite the bullet. This kid was too much.

The kid manager Freddy was talking about is naturally Michael. He had been stuffing everything in his inventory. He was just about to head to the line for the twenty-first time when he was blocked by a manager.

The manager looked like he was in a bad mood. His face was twisted like his mouth was stuffed with sour candies. "Sir I think you have had enough. Too much food is unhealthy for you" Freddy just wanted this kid to leave as soon as possible.

"But I am still hungry. I wanted more lobster" Michael just wanted to troll the restaurant for a while. He might be cautious against casinos but he could let loose against a buffet restaurant. He was planning on leaving anyway. He did not want them to go bankrupt.

"Please sir, We have refunded your credit card. Please do not visit us again." Freddy was incensed. He had lost nearly all the food they had in the inventory. He would have to close the restaurant early today and order more ingredients.

Michael chuckled and left without making a further scene. People were already staring at him like he was a monster. He did not care because ever since he stepped out of the airport he changed his face to a disguise. This was why he casually took up the racing challenge. Even if he lost he did not care.

Michael then drove back to the racetrack. When he got there Daniel was already waiting for him.

"Thought you were going to chicken out and not show up. At least you have courage. I will try to not embarrass you too much." replied Daniel

"Are you going to spend all day talking, or are you going to race?" Michael just wanted to get the challenge over with. He enjoyed racing but he thought the presence of morons will ruin even the most joyous occasion.

Daniel snorted and turned to the car. He decided to go first. The Amateur Challenge's official car was a Mazda Miata; the Miata was one of the best-selling budget sports cars of all time. It was cheap, rear-wheel drive and had a perfect 50-50 weight distribution. That meant it was a great car for the race track due to its balance.

Daniel started his lap and raced across the track. The Amateur Challenge record was 2:28:52 (Mins:Secs: Milliseconds). Daniel finished in 2:22:32; Even though he was only six seconds faster, that six seconds was the difference between a professional and amateur. As he pulled in and stepped out of the car, everyone was cheering and congratulating him. Daniel turned to Michael and sneered; there is no way Michael could beat him, so he was looking forward to embarrassing him.

Michael ignored him and got into his car. He immediately entered a meditative state. He wanted his mind to be clear so he could respond to the track immediately.

Paul was alerted by the loud cheering coming from the race track. He walked over to check out the reason for the spectacle. He realized Daniel was participating in the Amateur Race Challenge; He was not surprised to find out that he set a new track record. However, when he saw the other contestant he was astonished. Wasn't that the genius he was instructing earlier today? Perhaps he really might be able to give Daniel a good fight.

Michael started the race with a clear mind. He kept his instructions from the morning in the back of his mind as he let his body respond to the race track. He felt like the car was an extension of his body. The lap was over before he knew it.

As the lap record was displayed the spectators were stunned silly. The time was 2:18:12; setting a new track record. This time was way beyond an amateur. If this time was set by an experienced professional driver then they might believe it. But a twenty-something-year-old amateur? That was impossible. Michael got out of the car and walked past Daniel with a smile on his face.

Daniels jaw was opened so wide that you could fit a watermelon in it. Michael did not want to linger and get pestered by spectators so he quickly headed to his car. When he was walking to his car he noticed the instructor from the morning was waiting for him.

"Are you sure you do not want to consider a professional racing career?" Paul really hoped Michael would change his mind. He had never seen such a talented racer in his life. "You will get everything. Money, fame, chicks, anything you want."

"No thanks I like racing but I do not want to make it my job." Michael replied. With the system, he will eventually become a person who could buy his own racing team if he wanted. Why would he be a driver when he could be the owner?

Michael drove to his motel and meditated until the evening. In the evening he went around and visited every buffet restaurant in Las Vegas. That night Michael got banned from 18 restaurants. He stored enough food for years. He did not have to worry about food spoiling in the inventory so he had no regrets. He went to bed with a smile, unlike all the restaurant managers in town. However, Michael was not cruel. He had already secretly mailed them some cash explaining that it was just a prank.