Kai stood behind Salt & Smoke, shutters creaking open, the grill's iron still warm from yesterday's fire.
[Transaction Log Mission Complete: Il Ponte's operations exposed.
Reward: +2 Skill Points
New Mission: Steal a rival vendor's client list to deepen underworld leverage.
Reward: +3 Skill Points,+5 Free Attributes Points $10,000.
Penalty: Il Ponte hostility increase.
Time Limit: 48 hours.]
The inspector's summons burned in his pocket: "Dockmaster's office, noon. Explain your profits." Il Ponte's noose tightened, their bridge-marked crate a trap he'd dodged, but not for long.
A week had passed since Salt & Smoke opened, its legend growing like weeds through Naples' cracks. Seven days, €4,957 earned, €3,257 over the first five, €500 on the sixth, €1,200 yesterday. The Farmland Realm's crates, tucked behind the stall, fed the fire tomatoes that sang on the tongue, eggs richer than gold, no different to the eye. No one questioned them; no one could, everyone just enjoyed the blissful feeling it gave. Kai's hands moved, grilling flatbreads, pouring citrus tea, the crowd swelling with fishermen, mechanics, and the grizzled dockworker who never missed a day.
The sixteen-year-old boy, mismatched sneakers scuffing the cobblestones, swept the stall's edges, his silence a contract. A friend had joined him yesterday, another slum kid with hungry eyes, making Kai's crew three. Small, sharp, loyal. The System noted:
[Crew Growth: 3 members. Reputation Tier 2: The Chef Who Gives It Away.]
Kai slid a free tart to the boy, his nod sealing the bond. Naples didn't give; Kai did, and the docks loved him for it.
By 9:00 AM, the grill hissed, chili oil dripping like fire. The crowd was twenty deep, elbows jabbing, coins clinking. Kai served €300, his hands a blur, the System tallying in silence. The inspector's summons loomed, but the new mission, to steal a rival's client list, pulled harder. Il Ponte's transaction log, stolen last night, had named shipments to Vomero, payments to a "silent partner." Kai's gut said the partner was big, bigger than the brown-shirted thugs who watched his stall. He needed names, leverage, and a blade to cut deeper.
Milo slipped in at 10:00, hood up, eyes red from a night of code. "Rival vendor, one block east," he muttered, fingers twitching over a burner phone. "Greasy bastard, sells fish pies, Il Ponte's lapdog. His client list is digital, locked in a tablet. I can crack it." Kai nodded, flipping a flatbread. "Warehouse again. Tonight." Milo's grin was sharp. "For a lemon roll? Done."
The System hummed: [ Client List Mission: 20% progress.]
Kai ignored it, his eyes on the docks, where a brown-shirted agent lingered, not watching but waiting. The inspector's visit was hours away, and Kai's profits—€4,957 in a week—were too loud for Naples' shadows. Abele's voice echoed, rough from tavern flames: "Rise too fast, kid, and the city bites." Kai poured tea, the citrus sharp, his mind sharper.
At noon, the inspector arrived, dockmaster's vest tight on his frame, clipboard in hand. His eyes were cold, scanning the stall like it was a crime scene. Kai served a fisherman, his voice steady. "Food's good, yeah?" The inspector scribbled, silent, then left, his summons unanswered. The System pinged: [Inspector Threat: Ongoing scrutiny. Client List Mission critical.] Kai's jaw tightened. Il Ponte wasn't just testing; they were hunting.
The docks buzzed through the afternoon, Salt & Smoke pulling €800 by 3:00 PM. The boy and his friend swept, watched, and learned. Kai grilled, the crowd relentless, drawn by the legend of the chef who fought and fed. A ferry guard tipped extra, muttering, "Worth every cent." Kai's mind was elsewhere: tonight's warehouse, the rival's tablet, Il Ponte's silent partner. The System's timer ticked: 46 hours left.
Santo appeared at 4:00, leaning against a crate, burn scar glinting in the sun. "Il Ponte's tied to men in Posillipo, high up," he said, voice flat, eyes on the crowd. "They don't like your noise, Kai." No threat, just a fact, dropped clean. Kai nodded, serving a flatbread. Santo's insight was a piece of the map, pointing to Naples' elite. Posillipo rich, untouchable, where Il Ponte's strings led.
Night fell, Naples sinking into a haze of diesel and salt. Kai locked Salt & Smoke, €1,200 for the day, last week's total at €4,957. He met Milo in an alley, the kid and his friend trailing as lookouts. The warehouse was a block away, its windows dark, the rival vendor's stall nearby, unguarded. Milo's phone glowed, hacking the tablet's signal. "It's inside, back room," he whispered. Kai nodded, Stealth skill humming, his steps silent, body low, a ghost in the docks' maze.
The warehouse door was unlocked, a trap or sloppiness. Kai slipped in, Milo behind, the kids outside signaling clear. The back room was a clutter of crates, a tablet glowing on a desk. Kai moved, Stealth keeping his boots from creaking, his breath a whisper. Milo hacked the lock, the tablet's screen flashing names, addresses, and payments. Clients tied to Il Ponte, and one name stood out: Vincent Warrick, Warrick Enterprises. The silent partner, a billionaire in Naples' shadows. Kai's pulse quickened, the System noting: [Client List Mission: 80%. Extract without detection.]
A shadow moved outside. Kai froze, Stealth holding him still, Milo ducking behind a crate. A guard, not Il Ponte's usual, paced the alley, radio crackling. Kai grabbed the tablet, slipping it into his jacket, and retreated, Milo looping the warehouse's camera feed empty. The kid signaled, their eyes sharp, earning their tarts. Back at Salt & Smoke, Milo cracked the tablet's data, confirming Warrick's role—Il Ponte's bank, their power. Kai's mind churned, Abele's voice echoing: "Kings hide in plain sight."
The System pinged: [Client List Mission Complete: Vincent Warrick exposed. Reward: +3 Skill Points, +5 Free Attributes $10,000. Il Ponte hostility increased.] Kai locked the tablet in a Farmland Realm crate, its produce flawless, unquestioned. He'd burned Il Ponte again, but the docks felt heavier, their eyes closer. As he shut the stall, a lemon rolled from a crate, not his—a Farmland Realm fruit, carved with a bridge. Il Ponte's mark, a threat sharper than any knife.
"System Add 2 attribute points to strength, 2 to dexterity, and the last to Intellect"
[Confirmed
New threat detected, Operator. Prepare for retaliation.]
Kai De Luca: Operator Profile
Name: Kai De Luca
Age: 23
Origin: Naples slums, Italy
System Tier: Silver
Revenue (7 Days): €4,957
Personal Fund: $21,000
System Missions Completed:
Weekly Revenue (€1,000): +2 Skill Points, $3,000
Identify Illness Source: +2 Skill Points, $5,000
Neutralize Counterfeit Threat: +1 Skill Point
Infiltrate Il Ponte Meeting: +2 Skill Points, $3,000
Steal Client List: +3 Skill Points, $10,000
Active Mission: None
Attributes:
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 6
Perception: 8
Intellect: 14
Charisma: 6
Skills:
Cooking (Intermediate): Street-level cuisine, cultural recipes, food theory
Business Development (Basic): Startup logistics, pricing, risk assessment
Negotiation (Intro): Strategic conversation, passive influence
Combat (Basic): Urban self-defense stances, reflex drills
Street Brawling (Basic): Unarmed street fighting, 3 points assigned
Knife Fighting (Basic): Blade techniques, unassigned
Hand-to-Hand (Basic): Close-quarters combat, unassigned
Grappling (Basic): Holds and takedowns, unassigned
Improvised Weapons (Basic): Using surroundings, unassigned
Stealth (Basic): Silent movement, evasion, unassigned
Programming (Passive): Background thread, basic code intuition
Urban Psychology (Passive): Reputation-driven crowd insight
Skill Points Available: 6
Assets:
Salt & Smoke Stall: Operational, Naples docks, legal cover
Farmland Realm: Hyper-productive, self-tending crops/livestock, disguised exports
Startup Capital: $250,000 (System-restricted, $234,000 remaining after setup and expenses)
Certifications: Business license, food vendor approval
Reputation: Tier 2 – Rising Firebrand, "The Chef Who Gives It Away"
Allies: Milo (hacker, trust point gained), a sixteen-year-old boy (runner), a boy's friend (runner)