Chapter One: The Last Straw and the First LoadTesla, Inc.BATS:TSLAuti682375 Scroats McGoats stood behind the the Laxas Dealership for the last time, staring at the mountain of scrap he’d just sorted. Copper coils, busted alternators, a stack of catalytic converters worth more than his monthly paycheck — all of it headed straight into the boss’s pockets. He wiped his hands on his jeans, leaving streaks of grease that looked like war paint. “Funny thing,” he muttered, “I’m the one doing the hauling, but somehow I’m the one getting dragged.” Inside, the boss laughed loud enough for the walls to vibrate. Scroats didn’t need to hear the words. He knew the tone — the kind people used when they were counting money that wasn’t theirs to count. That was it. No yelling. No dramatic exit. Just a quiet decision that felt like tightening the last bolt on a long-overdue repair. He grabbed his dented toolbox, the one with the squeaky latch, and walked out the back door. The sun hit him square in the face — warm, bright, and annoyingly optimistic. It felt like a sign, or maybe just a reminder that the world didn’t care what he did next. But he did. Halfway across the gravel lot, he stopped. There, leaning against the fence, was an old flatbed trailer the shop had written off years ago. Rusted, ugly, and stubborn — just like him. Scroats ran a hand along the rail. “You and me,” he said, “we’re gonna haul our own fortune for once.” He hitched the trailer to his beat‑up truck, the engine coughing awake like it had been waiting for this moment. As he pulled onto the road, a gust of wind slipped a folded paper out of his shirt pocket — the map he’d been given months ago, the one he’d ignored. It fluttered open on the passenger seat, revealing a new mark he didn’t remember seeing before. Scroats smirked. “Alright then. Trash hauling with a side of destiny.” He shifted into gear, the trailer rattling behind him like applause, and drove toward the first stop on a road he didn’t yet understand. The adventure of Scroats McGoats had officially begun.