Chapter 10: Secret Announcement

In the corners of the "Venosa" café, where the dim light created an atmosphere of mystery and calm, Marco was sitting alone at a small table, holding his coffee cup. He seemed strangely calm, even though his head was spinning with thoughts. The voices of the customers in the café harmonized with the whispers of the air that was coming in through the open windows. But Marco was not interested in all that. His focus was on something much bigger.

Franco and Salvo entered the café quietly, and sat at a nearby table. Marco did not notice their presence at first. He could not hide his plan from them for long. Finally, he looked at them and said in a low but decisive voice:

"It's time."

Franco, who was watching Marco closely, raised an eyebrow. "It's time? What do you mean?"

Marco smiled mischievously and replied, "I've decided. I'm going to form a gang. We'll be the force that will control this game."

Salvo, who had always been more serious in his actions, looked at Marco with a piercing gaze. "Gang? You mean you're going to start gathering members and plan to infiltrate the game?"

"Exactly." Marco said, folding his hands on the table energetically. "I know it's time for us to take control of everything. And our headquarters will be this café, 'Venosa', our center of operations."

Franco smiled mysteriously. "Who wouldn't want to join a gang run by someone who loves pizza?"

Salvo glared at him sharply. "But have you thought about the consequences? There are already many gangs competing for the same goal."

Marco nodded slowly. "I know. But we don't need to be the biggest gang. We just need to be the smartest."

Franco said, crossing his arms. "And what's your plan? How will it start?"

"First, we'll build a loyal team. People who can handle pressure, who can work in the shadows without attracting attention. We'll be like shadows moving in the night, and we'll strike when the time is right."

Salvo frowned. "You know we'll need a lot of resources, right? Money, weapons, information… everything."

Marco nodded again and said confidently, "Of course. But we have something the rest of the gangs don't have: we have the café. In this place, we'll gather information, exchange ideas, and work on our plans in secret."

Franco looked at Marco in surprise. "You mean we'll make this place a recruiting center?"

"Exactly. We need people with different skills, from spymasters to economists, even negotiators. But we won't take just any ordinary person. They have to be strong, smart, and willing to take risks."

Salvo looked around and said: "And from here we will build everything. But will everyone here cooperate with us? The café is not a simple place, Lucino might be more knowledgeable than you think."

Marco smiled thoughtfully. "I have studied Lucino well. He will not bother us, but will be part of the game without knowing it. He can be useful to us in distributing money or even in sending messages between members."

Franco, who was starting to feel excited about the idea, said: "If the plan is that precise, then who do we start recruiting?"

"First, we will start with those we know well. We will make some of the café customers part of the team. These people know how to act under pressure. After that, we will get information about the rest of the gangs, we will plan ways to reduce their power and expand our influence."

Salvo muttered: "And you are ready to take all this risk?"

"I am ready. This will be our only chance to take control. We need to be careful, but decisive."

Marco took a deep breath, then added, "We will start recruiting our first members tomorrow. But before that, we must have a complete base of information. We cannot trust anyone in this game, and this requires strategic planning."

Franco thought for a moment, then said, "And you will be the leader?"

"Of course!" Marco answered confidently. "Leadership does not come from strength alone, but from the mind. And I have enough cunning and strength to manage this game."

"So, we are ready," Salvo said with a narrow smile.

Marco smiled firmly and pointed to the table where the coffee cups and pizza were spread out. "It's time to play. And it will start in 'Venosa'."

As he took the last bite of his pizza slice, Marco felt very confident. Everything was going as planned. Inside, he knew that the game had begun, and that in the end he would be the one to control all the gangs.

The mission now was clear: make 'Venosa' the most powerful gang in the game.