After dropping Aiden, home.
Noah got out of the car to check how the tyres were after that drift.
“I need to get them checked,” He said as his hand landed on the tyre.
Taking his phone out of his back pocket, he went through his contacts searching for a name in mind.
The phone rang a few times until someone picked up.
“Hello, Noah?”
“Hey, how are you doing? I wanted to ask you about a good mechanic. I want to replace my car’s tyres,” Noah replied.
Jackson’s surprised voice came.
“Tyre replacement… You must’ve put them tyres under some serious pressure knowing you.” He said with a light chuckle escaping his mouth.
“But yeah, I know a good mechanic. Wanna meet up at his place? my car also needs some work.”
“Sure, send me the address.”
After receiving the address, Noah sent Jackson a text.
“I will be there in an hour.”
Noah then entered the lykan and drove to the mechanic.
An hour soon passed…
Jackson seated on a small table with the mechanic saw a lykan pulling up inside.
“That’s the guy I was telling you about, be careful when you are talking to him. He isn’t someone who can be messed with.” Jackson whispered, in a serious tone.
“I got it.” The man nodded.
Jackson leaned in slightly as Noah approached, “Good to see you again, man.” Said Jackson, as he shook Noah’s hands.
Noah gave Jackson a quick, knowing smirk.
“Good to see you too.”
His eyes briefly flickered with something unreadable as he activated his memory glance.
Images flashed by in an instant, What he saw… well, let’s just say Jackson wasn’t exactly who he seemed.
But Noah kept his face neutral, deciding to deal with it later.
Noah offered the mechanic a polite nod with a firm handshake.
“Noah Thompson. Good to meet you.”
The mechanic, a strong-looking Mexican man nodded respectfully.
“Alvarez, sir. Jackson here told me you’re in the market for some new tyres pero.”
Noah’s eyes shifted to his Lykan, his gaze over the wheels.
He ran his hand thoughtfully along the wheel, his lips curving into a slight smile.
“These Pirelli P Zeros, they’ve done their job,” he said, almost to himself. “But it’s time for an upgrade.”
“I want some Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.”
Alvarez’s eyebrows rose a fraction as he nodded.
“The Pilots are an excellent choice, especially for a Lykan like this.”
“You’ll get a good grip on the surface and endurance.”
Noah offered a knowing smile.
“Exactly. A car like this needs some premium tyres, ones that are durable and deserve their price.”
Alvarez ran his hand over the tyre once more before standing up.
“Well, we’re in luck. I’ve got a few sets of the Pilot Sport 4S in stock.”
“The price for the tyres alone should be $6,000, and if you want installation, it’ll be another $500. That includes alignment of course.”
Noah gave a slight nod.
He could’ve swapped them himself, but there was something he valued more…It was time.
“Go ahead and install them too,” he said. “I’ll leave it in your hands.”
Alvarez nodded, a touch of appreciation in his eyes.
“Good choice, Mr. Thompson. This’ll take just under an hour—best not to rush these things. You’re welcome to wait in the lounge, or if you’d prefer, Jackson and I can grab you a coffee from across the street.”
Noah waved his hand. “No need, I’ll wait here. Besides…” he added, glancing at Jackson with a smirk.
“I’ve got company.”
Noah sat down at a nearby table, his arms crossed as he watched Alvarez and his team get to work on the Lykan.
“He is a good mechanic,” He thought, noticing how Alvarez worked—no unnecessary chatter.
Jackson sat by Noah’s side, “He’s good isn’t he?” Jackson commented. “He doesn’t beat around the bush, and he is efficient. That’s why I always come to him.”
“By the way, I’m quite impressed you know your tyres, huh?”
Noah shrugged with a faint smirk ” He’s good yeah. I just know a bit about tyres here and there, nothing fancy.”
Jackson chuckled, shaking his head. “You are too humble. If I didn’t know you more I’d have thought you’d just be another flashy driver with no substance.”
As the car lowered, Alvarez looked up, wiping his hands on a white cloth.
“All set, Mr. Thompson.”
“It Should be ready to handle anything you throw at it.”
Noah nodded in approval. “Thanks, Alvarez. Appreciate the work.”
“What did you just say, You-!!!”
Jackson shouted abruptly.
“I’m on my way, don’t do anything,” Jackson said, gritting his teeth.
Noah watched as Jackson’s face twisted with anxiety.
“Something must’ve happened, it’s quite important too.” He thought, looking at Jackson’s expression.
[Ding! Ultimate Choice System has been activated]
Option 1: Help Jackson.
[Reward: Basic Goldcraft Skill]
Option 2: Act Oblivious to Jackson’s trouble.
[Reward: Several Thousand Dollars]
“Option 1,” Noah chose without hesitation.
It was killing two birds with one stone, he would gain a new skill and he would be able to get closer to Jackson.
“Plus, any skill from the system would be better than some pocket change.”
“What’s wrong? Is it urgent?”
Noah asked, glancing at Jackson, whose fists were clenched tight and his face contorted.
Jackson hesitated.
“Family issue. Something’s gone wrong at one of my father’s businesses.”
“Got it,” Noah replied, turning to face his car. “Get in, I will drive you there.”
Jackson hesitated, “It’s dangerous Noah… I don’t wa-”
“Don’t worry about it, just get in. We don’t have much time if it’s urgent.” Noah cut him off, as he opened the lykan door.
“Hurry what are you doing standing there!” He shouted to wake Jackson from his daze.
“Oh, O-Okay.” He said, as he jogged to the car and got in.
The Lykan’s engine roared to life like a beast.
Noah quickly drove out of the mechanic’s lot, his face on the road ahead.
“Put the location here,” Noah, said as he motioned to Jackson the GPS.”
Noah stomped on the gas, sending them forward at an astonishing speed.
The Lykan shot forward, like a dark bullet through the pulse of the city streets.
Lights blurred past as he swerved sharply, cutting between lanes, cars seemed frozen in place next to the Lykan’s velocity.
Jackson, who had initially accepted the ride, started regretting his choice.
“This guy… he’s gonna kill us.” He thought, with a dark look on his face.
He knew how skilled Noah was at driving, but knowing and experiencing were two different things.
Each corner Noah took seemed sharper, more reckless than the last, the lykan barely missed parked cars.
He swallowed, catching a glimpse of Noah’s grin as they bolted past a honking truck at a speed that defied reason.
“Bro? Slow down a little, at this point, we are going to be flying high.” Jackson muttered, his voice a shade higher than usual, as the Lykan nearly kissed the side mirror of a sedan.
“Slow down? Aren’t we in a hurry?” Noah replied, flashing a grin.
Jackson forced a nod, his gaze darting back to the road.
“Maybe… we could slow it down just a notch?” he added, almost hopefully.
A split-second pause.
“Thank you,” Jackson said as he watched the car decelerate.
Jackson barely managed a breath before Noah downshifted, the engine violently roaring.
“Arri– uh– safe,” he stammered, his words tangled with the pull of the forces pressing him against the seat.
Launching them into another tight corner. Jackson was slammed back into his seat, his grip on the handle so tight his knuckles turned white.
Noah gave him a quick, sidelong glance with a smirk playing at his lips as if mocking Jackson’s discomfort.
“You were saying?”
Jackson swallowed hard, struggling to stay composed.
“I was
trying
to say ’Arriving safely,’ but I don’t think you understand what the word ’safe,’ means” he managed, his voice shaky.
Noah brought the Lykan to a screeching halt outside the dimly lit warehouse, its headlights casting an eerie glow on the dark, hulking structure.
Noah brought the Lykan to a stop outside a suspicious-looking warehouse.
Jackson jumped out before the car had fully stopped, muttering rapidly into his phone, his jaw clenched as he paced just a few steps away.
Around them, a few burner-looking black cars were parked, and the windows were darkened.
Noah glanced at the darkened windows on the cars with a calm look on his face.
There were two men standing by the entrance, the Lykan’s arrival drew their attention.
“Hey, do you think…” One of them said, looking at the other person.
“Not sure, but let’s go.” He said, walking over to Jackson.
Their expressions twisted into rough scowls as they eyed Jackson.
One of them spoke first, raising his hand dismissively. “Move along, this isn’t the place for you.”
Jackson didn’t respond verbally. Instead, he took a solid step forward and, without warning, swung his fist hard, catching the first man square in the jaw.
The impact was swift and unforgiving, sending the man into dreamland as he collapsed to the ground, his head lolling as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Thud.
“You-” The man barely scowled.
He barely had enough time to process what happened, his face tightening in alarm before Jackson delivered a kick aimed low.
The man’s face contorted to one of pure agony as he doubled over, hands instinctively covering his groin as he slumped, his knees buckling.