While Hunter was enjoying his "charitable" nightlife, Dom Toretto was in a much darker mood miles away.
Mia hung up the phone and looked at Dom and Letty standing beside her.
Earlier that morning, Slant—one of Vince's close friends—had visited the hospital. Seeing Vince in such a miserable state (bedridden for at least three months), Slant flew into a rage.
Without telling Dom, he grabbed two other guys and went to "teach Hunter a lesson."
The result? All three were dismantled.
Broken arms. Broken legs.
Even Old Parker, Dom's business partner at the garage, had been dragged into the mess, forced to pay Hunter a severance package to smooth things over.
Dom had spoken to Parker. He knew the details.
He had decided not to retaliate against the "Chinese kid" out of respect for Mia.
But deep down? He was still furious. That kid had slept with his sister and hospitalized his best friend.
So, Dom decided to ground Mia again. He wanted her to forget about Hunter.
But then came the phone call.
They were having dinner when Mia's phone rang. Her expression gave it away immediately.
Dom had been angry at first. He ordered her to put it on speaker, intending to hear exactly how this smooth-talker was seducing his sister. He was ready to drive over there and beat him up himself.
Instead, he heard the bombshell.
The FBI is watching.
Mia looked at her brother nervously.
"Dom..."
Before she could finish, Dom shot her a stern look, cutting her off.
"Mia. Go to your room."
Mia frowned. For years, Dom had protected her, keeping her completely insulated from his criminal activities.
"Dom, I'm not a child anymore."
Dom didn't speak. He just stared at her, his eyes hard and unyielding.
After a tense standoff, Mia huffed in frustration and stomped off to her room.
Once she was gone, Letty stepped forward and hugged Dom gently.
"Dom," she whispered. "How much do you trust that kid's word?"
Dom was silent for a long moment.
"You checked his background, right? Parker didn't lie. His file is clean."
"Sure, it's suspicious that he could take down Vince and Slant so easily."
"But he has no connection to the LAPD or the FBI. He's a ghost."
Letty was the core of the crew. She knew exactly what they were doing.
California was the economic engine of America. Los Angeles was its logistics hub. Silicon Valley was just up the coast.
For years, they had been hijacking trucks carrying high-value electronics—DVD players, cameras, laptops. They had stolen millions of dollars' worth of goods.
An FBI investigation wasn't a surprise. It was inevitable.
So, despite his shock, Dom found Hunter's warning highly credible.
Letty could feel Dom's heart pounding against her chest.
As the leader, Dom was the most rattled. The walls were closing in.
But he forced himself to be calm. He had to make a decision.
"We need to lay low," Letty advised. "We still have half the haul from the last job sitting in the warehouse."
"I was planning to move a batch the day after tomorrow."
"We should cancel it. Sit on the goods for a while."
Dom frowned. He thought about the bills. The crew needed money. The cars needed parts.
"No," Dom said finally. "The deal goes through. The price is already set."
"Just be careful."
Letty knew he was gambling. She opened her mouth to argue but closed it.
"Okay. I'll handle it."
She trusted Dom more than she trusted the vague warning of some kid who slept with Mia.
The Next Morning.
Hunter lit a cigarette and lay back in the motel bed, feeling lazy.
Last night had been... wild.
In his past life, he had heard that the US "charity industry" was well-developed. But until he got that $40,000 yesterday, he hadn't been able to participate.
Last night, he finally extended a helping hand to two struggling young women in need of employment.
They were so poor they couldn't even afford a full set of clothes. Hunter, being a kind soul, supported them until late into the night.
The girls were very grateful. And enthusiastic.
They had a deep, three-way exchange of ideas regarding the US economy, the job market for immigrants, and cultural integration.
Everyone was satisfied.
After a night of hard work, Hunter discovered that thanks to the "enthusiastic gratitude" of the two ladies, his [Reproduction] skill had leveled up again.
He lingered in bed until the motel owner called to ask if he was extending his stay.
Hunter checked out.
He planned to stay in LA for a while longer.
Eventually, he would head to New York. The Big Apple.
If this world was truly a fusion of Hollywood movies, New York would be the epicenter of chaos and opportunity.
But for now, he needed a new base. His old apartment was compromised.
Hunter spent the day riding around LA, grinding another 300 EXP for his Driving skill.
Finally, he found a suitable apartment building near Chinatown.
It was old, but it had character. And anonymity.
He paid the deposit and moved in.
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