Black Test Car

Upon learning that the media has wind of Tiger's latest car model's accident, the company decides to gather information on Yamato's new model through corporate espionage. The plan targets Yamato's planning department and uses covert information gathering to gain an edge. This move sets the counter-attack in motion before production starts.

Asahina enlists his girlfriend Masako to entertain Mawatari, Yamato's planning chief, under the pretense of socializing. The aim is to coax out details about Yamato's car model. The arrangement strains their personal and professional loyalties as they proceed.

With the collected data deemed inconclusive, Onoda, Tiger's planning chief, pressures Yamato's chief of design to reveal the car's specs, threatening to reveal he accepted a kickback. The coercion intensifies the espionage operation. Yamato's side begins to fear a data leak.

Mori agrees and hands over the specs of Yamato's Mypet. Tiger is shocked to find Mypet's design closely resembles Pioneer, hinting at a leak or copying. Despite this, Oguri orders Tiger to begin producing more Pioneer models.

Armed with the resemblance, Tiger escalates production plans; director Oguri orders more Pioneer models to capitalize on the perceived similarity. The revelation shifts Tiger's strategic focus toward expanding Pioneer production rather than pursuing Yamato's new model. The rivalry deepens as production targets shift.

With the help of an interpreter and Masako, Tiger learns Yamato's price for Mypet and decides to set Pioneer’s price at 990,000 yen to undercut the competition. The price adjustment demonstrates Tiger's effort to leverage information into a market advantage. The move tightens the rivalry and raises tensions with Yamato.

Entertaining Mawatari begins to take a toll on Asahina and Masako's relationship, creating personal conflict amid corporate intrigue. Masako eventually leaves Asahina as the espionage affair strains trust. The personal fallout mirrors the ethical cost of Tiger's methods.

Onoda and Asahina interrogate Shimamoto, Oguri's nephew, at his home, pressing him for involvement in Yamato's spying. Shimamoto denies any connection, maintaining his innocence. The interrogation deepens suspicion of insider networks while yielding little concrete proof.

Through the nurse who checked up on Tiger's president, Onoda learns that Hiraki, son of one of Tiger's founders, is secretly a Yamato spy. Hiraki reveals he was forced into espionage, coerced by Mawatari and Motoba who threatened to expose his affair. He explains how the nurse was used to bug the president's hospital room and how the first Pioneer was delivered to a man named Yoshino, linked to the Manchukuo Imperial Army.

Realizing he has been tricked into confessing, Hiraki commits suicide after Onoda's team secretly records his confession. The taped confession confirms Yamato's manipulation and Tiger's vulnerability to insider threats. The moment marks a turning point in Tiger Motors' internal dynamics.

Disgusted by Onoda's coercive methods, Asahina resigns from Tiger. Sales of Pioneer rise, offering Tiger a counter-narrative to Yamato's spying. In response, Mawatari resigns from Yamato, signaling a shift in leadership on both sides.

Sometime later, Asahina reconciles with Masako and takes a job at a small store, trying to rebuild after the turmoil. The relationship finds a quieter footing away from corporate machinations. The couple's resilience contrasts with the high-stakes espionage that defined the earlier chapters.

A Pioneer drives past, prompting Masako to remark that it's a pretty car. Asahina counters that it is dirty and black as pitch, underscoring the moral ambiguity of their world. The closing moment juxtaposes superficial appeal with tainted truth.