Street Racing

Since Simon started participating in underground street races at the age of 15, the prize money from these races had become his primary source of income.

Thanks to street racing, Simon not only covered the cost of buying and tuning his cars but also managed to save up $30,000. However, that amount wasn't nearly enough to cover his university tuition and living expenses for a year.

University fees had always been a constant worry for Simon. His parents were just ordinary oil workers, and after deducting various expenses, insurance, and loans, their income left little to spare. In the absence of any significant changes, things were fine, but any unexpected event could easily plunge them into financial ruin.

This was the harsh reality of life for many working-class people in the United States.

Having understood this long ago, Simon had already started considering his future. Though aware that the world was complicated, he knew one thing for sure: pursuing higher education was never a bad choice.

For Simon, attending university was a must.

But the tuition in the United States wasn't something an average person could afford. With tuition, living expenses, and additional costs, Simon would need around $200,000 for four years.

However, he currently only had $30,000.

As for his parents, Simon knew they could contribute a maximum of one or two thousand dollars, which meant this amount would only cover one year's worth of tuition and fees. The rest would have to come from part-time work or student loans.

The problem was, student loans in the U.S. were notorious. As evidenced by the former Black president, who took over twenty years to pay off his student loans, the debt was a heavy burden.

After graduating and entering the elite class to earn a high salary, it still took him twenty years to pay off the loans. It was clear how draining these loans could be for the average student.

Therefore, in order to achieve financial independence as soon as possible, Simon wasn't about to let any opportunity to make money slip by.

Street racing, while illegal, was undeniably a quick way to earn money.

Of course, the catch was that you had to win every race.

By the time Simon had finished fine-tuning his car and preparing for the race, it was already 11 PM.

Sliding into the driver's seat of the tuned-up car, Simon started the engine.

"I'm going to pick up Meg. You guys head to the track first," Simon told Letty as he pulled up to her.

"Don't be late!" Letty reminded him.

"Don't worry!" Simon grinned, waving her off.

After saying goodbye to Letty, Simon drove his car quietly to Meg's house.

He sent her a text, then settled back in his car to wait.

Before long, the light in Meg's second-floor room lit up. The window opened, and soon after, Simon saw Meg's head poking out of the window.

Once she ensured no one was watching, Meg, dressed in athletic gear, carefully climbed out the window. She then jumped onto the tree outside her house, expertly sliding down to the ground.

As the school cheerleading captain, Meg was quite agile.

She hopped over the fence, jumped into the car, and shouted, "Let's go!"

"Right away, ma'am!" Simon responded, starting the car.

While Simon was driving, Meg casually started changing clothes.

In no time, she swapped her athletic wear for a short skirt, high heels, and a tight-fitting blouse.

"Drive carefully. I need to do my makeup," Meg said as she pulled out a makeup kit.

Already accustomed to this routine, Simon smiled. "As you wish!"

By the time Meg finished applying a light makeup, Simon had almost reached the race venue.

As the undefeated champion of the quarter-mile drag races, Simon's arrival at the track was met with cheers from the crowd of street racers.

After parking his car, Simon wrapped an arm around Meg as they walked toward the starting line.

"Hey, buddy!"

"Hey, man!"

"Go, Simon!"

As they walked, various racers and beautiful women greeted Simon, and he naturally responded to each of them.

When he reached Dominic and his crew, he greeted them with a grin.

"I'm here, Dom. I'm not late, am I?"

"Just in time!"

"So, how are we racing today?" Simon asked.

Dominic nodded. "Same as always. Two thousand per race. Winner takes it all."

"No problem," Simon said nonchalantly.

"Okay, Hector, you handle the money," Dominic called out.

At Dominic's signal, a Latino man stepped forward.

"Got it, Dom," Hector replied.

"Meg, take the money out," Simon said to Meg.

She nodded and reached into her shirt, pulling out the two thousand dollars she had brought from the car, handing it to Hector.

Once Simon finished paying, the other four racers also handed over their money to Hector.

After all the payments were made, Hector started organizing the race.

The street racers quickly positioned their cars along the sides of the road, effectively blocking off the racing path.

Meanwhile, two beautiful twin sisters sprayed red spray paint on the road to mark the start and finish lines.

With everything set up, Simon and the other racers drove their cars to the starting line.

After parking their cars, Simon and the others began their pre-race preparations.

For this type of drag race, it wasn't just about the car's performance; driving technique played a crucial role. Timing shifts, clutch control, and other factors were key.

Simon's Supra, though tuned to perfection, still faced stiff competition from the other cars in the race.

Simply relying on the twin-turbo engine, Simon didn't have full confidence in winning. So, he decided to use his nitrous boost system for this race.

After pressing a hidden button on the console, a screen slowly rose up.

Simon tapped a few buttons, and the two pressure gauges on the console gradually started to show some pressure.

This indicated that the air compressor had started, storing compressed air for the nitrous system.

Once the pressure was stable, Simon opened the valve connected to the liquid nitrogen tank.

With everything ready, Simon just had to press a button to mix the compressed air with the liquid nitrogen and inject it into the engine for a massive boost.

After setting everything up, Simon turned on the music, sat back, and waited.

It seemed like the universe didn't want Simon to wait long. Just as he finished listening to a song, someone monitoring the police frequency over the radio sent out the signal to start.

Hector, receiving the signal, quickly faced the drivers and signaled that they were ready to go.

At this signal, all the racers simultaneously slammed their foot on the gas pedal.

As Hector prepared to lower his hands, Simon, sensing the perfect moment, shifted into first gear and revved the engine.

The moment Hector dropped his hands and the race began, Simon instantly released the brake, launching forward like a bullet.