Kai stood behind Salt & Smoke, shutters creaking open, the grill sparking to life under his hands.
[Client List Mission Complete: Vincent Warrick exposed.
Reward: +3 Skill Points, +5 Free Attribute Points, $10,000.
New Mission: Contact Vincent Warrick's network to counter Il Ponte's influence.
Reward: +5 Skill Points, +5 Free Attribute Points, $20,000.
Penalty: Stall seizure risk.
Time Limit: 72 hours.]
The carved lemon from last night, its bridge symbol etched deep, sat heavy in a Farmland Realm crate. Il Ponte's threat lingered, and the inspector's summons "Dockmaster's office, noon, day after tomorrow" was a blade at his throat.
Eight days since Salt & Smoke opened, and the docks hummed with Kai's name. The chef who fed the hungry, fought off thugs, and burned Il Ponte's schemes. Kai's hands moved, flatbreads sizzling, citrus tea steaming, the crowd swelling with fishermen and mechanics drawn by the legend.
The sixteen-year-old boy, mismatched sneakers scuffing the cobblestones, swept the stall's edges, his friend beside him, their silence a contract. Kai's crew—three now, with Milo, it grew sharper each day. He slid them free tarts, their nods sealing loyalty.
[Crew Growth: 3 members. Reputation Tier 2: The Chef Who Gives It Away.]
Kai grilled, his mind on Warrick, the billionaire behind Il Ponte, his name a shadow cast from Posillipo's heights.
By 9:00 AM, the grill hissed, chili oil dripping like fire. The crowd was twenty-five deep, coins clinking, elbows jabbing. Kai served, his hands a blur, the System tallying in silence. Warrick's network targeted elite contacts hidden in Naples' rich districts, tied to Il Ponte's cash. Milo had traced a lead: a Posillipo café, a front for Warrick's deals. Kai needed to make contact, turn their game without breaking his own.
Milo slipped in at 10:00, hood up, eyes red from a night of code as usual. "Café's in Vomero, not Posillipo," he muttered, fingers twitching over a burner phone. "Warrick's man meets there, low-level, talks too much. I've got his signal." Kai nodded, folding a flatbread. "Tonight. You crack, I talk." Milo's grin was sharp. "Lemon roll says I'm in."
The System hummed: [Warrick Network Mission: 20% progress.]
Kai ignored it, his eyes on the docks, where a brown-shirted agent lingered, not watching but waiting. The inspector's summons was tomorrow, and Il Ponte's carved lemon meant they knew Kai had their client list. Abele's voice echoed, rough from tavern flames: "Play their game, kid, but keep your knife close." Kai poured tea, the citrus sharp, his mind sharper.
Santo appeared at 11:00, leaning against a crate. "Warrick's name pulls strings in Posillipo," he said, voice flat, eyes on the crowd. "Il Ponte's his muscle, not his brain.". Kai nodded, serving a flatbread. Santo's insight always pointed to a thread about the underworld that Kai could pull.
The docks buzzed through noon, Salt & Smoke a furnace, the crowd relentless. A ferry guard tipped extra, muttering, "Food's worth fighting for." Kai's mind was on Vomero, the café, Warrick's man. The System's timer ticked: 70 hours left. He served, the grill hissing, his crew watching the edges. The boy and his friend moved crates, their eyes sharp, earning their tarts.
Night fell, Naples sinking into a haze of diesel and salt. Kai locked Salt & Smoke, meeting Milo in an alley, the kids trailing as lookouts. Vomero's streets were cleaner than the docks, but the shadows were just as thick. The café, a glass-fronted hole called Luce Nera, glowed softly, its patrons in suits too sharp for their slouches. Kai moved, Stealth skill humming, his steps silent, body low. Milo hacked the café's Wi-Fi, pinpointing the target—a wiry man, mid-30s, sipping espresso, phone glowing with messages.
Kai slipped inside, blending with the crowd, Stealth keeping him a ghost. He sat two tables away, ordering tea, his ears catching fragments: "Warrick wants the docks quiet," "new player's too loud." Kai's pulse quickened, the System noting: [Warrick Network Mission: 50%. Make contact without exposure.]
Milo signaled, his phone showing the man's messages, orders from Warrick, tied to Il Ponte's shipments. Kai leaned in, voice low, casual. "Good coffee?" The man glanced up, eyes narrow, but Kai's Negotiation skill smoothed the edge. "Better in Posillipo," the man muttered, a slip.
The conversation was brief, Kai probing without pushing, the man's guard dropping just enough. Names, places, a shipment schedule—enough to counter Il Ponte's moves. Kai left, the System pinging: [Warrick Network Mission: 80%. Secure intel and extract.] A guard outside stirred, radio crackling, but Kai's Stealth held, slipping him into the night. Milo and the kids waited, their signals clear, their loyalty iron.
Back at Salt & Smoke, Kai locked the intel in a Farmland Realm crate. The System hummed: [Warrick Network Mission Complete: Intel secured.
Reward: +5 Skill Points, +5 Free Attribute Points, $20,000. ]
Kai's crew gathered, the kids no longer silent. "I'm Nico," the sixteen-year-old said, sneakers scuffed but steady. "That's Luca," he nodded to his friend, eyes hungry but loyal. Kai tossed them lemon rolls. "Keep up, guaglione," he said, the Naples slang a nod to their roots.
The docks slept, but Kai didn't. Tomorrow's summons loomed, the inspector waiting to question his profits. He looked at his slum apartment's key, its rust a reminder of where he started. With $41,000 in the System's bank, he could move—Vomero, maybe, a step above the docks' grime. The thought sparked, a flicker of something new. The System's voice cut through: [New threat detected: Inspector's summons, noon tomorrow. Il Ponte's retaliation grows, Operator.]
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: $46,000
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: 11 (10 initial + 10 from missions – 3 used)
Attribute Points Available: 5 (from Warrick mission, unassigned)
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, $214,000 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), Nico (runner), Luca (runner)