The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

With an extra listener, Andrei spoke even more enthusiastically and loudly, but the other old men gradually left when they saw Leo coming over, losing interest in listening to the story.

Seeing that the last person had left, and Andrei still looked like he hadn't had enough, Leo sat down and greeted him with a big smile:

"Hello, I'm Leo Volpe. We've met a few times before, but I haven't introduced myself yet."

Andrei had just spoken a few words to Leo, and Leo bet that he wasn't a cold person.

Perhaps we can gather some more information from him?

Andrei's eyes peered over from above his gold-rimmed reading glasses:

"Oh, a little fox has come to Malzamemi."

Italian surnames often have special meanings.

Some surnames directly indicate which region of which province they come from;

Some surnames represent the ancient administrative official positions of their ancestors;

Some surnames can directly reflect aristocratic status;

Some surnames also have special meanings.

The word "Volpe," which is Leo's surname, means clever or quick-witted in Italian.

However, it has a more common usage—often appearing in conjunction with "fox" and translated as "cunning."

Leo thought Andrei was easy to talk to and even joked with him, so he figured things would go smoothly from here on out. He took the initiative to befriend him, saying:

"I've only been in Marzamemi for a short time, please take good care of me in the future."

He severely underestimated the genes ingrained in the Sicilian people.

How can something that has been passed down for thousands of years change so easily?

Andrei smiled, said "put it on the tab," and got up to leave, leaving Leo behind.

"Did you know? There are no foxes in Sicily because they don't fit the environment here. Goodbye, little guy."

Time waits for no one; this task has only 24 hours to be completed.

Leo didn't dare gamble that going to the tavern at night would definitely bring him something, because he had never been there before.

If Andrei leaves, he will be completely helpless.

Even though his skills were on cooldown, he didn't want to give up!

So, watching Andrei's departing figure, he tentatively asked:

"Did you mention why Sicilians don't drink sweet coffee in the afternoon? I arrived late and didn't hear you clearly."

Andrei teleported back to his original spot:

"This custom dates back to the Arab conquest of Sicily—"

......

"Marco, refill my coffee and give this little fox a chocolate ice cream, put it on my tab! By the way, little fox, did you know that the origins of dark chocolate are also inextricably linked to Sicily? Let me tell you—"

Andrei's face was radiant, the blush on his cheeks even more dazzling than the setting sun outside.

Marco brought over the chocolate ice cream, but he didn't have any coffee with him.

"You drank too much coffee today, you can't drink anymore. Have you forgotten about your heart condition, Andre? Go home now."

"Haha, today was so enjoyable!" Andrei said with a strong voice, showing no signs of having been talking non-stop for several hours. "Little fox, there is so much you don't know. Today I'll finish telling you the history of 867 AD. We'll talk about the story of dark chocolate next time."

You started your story from the beginning, from the creation of the world by Pangu. All I know is... well, I don't even have the energy to complain.

He was exhausted that afternoon, his head filled with too much useless knowledge.

The CD featuring torture and forced confessions had long since ended, but he didn't dare ask the keyword "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Even if he doesn't ask, Andrei will keep rambling on and on; if he asks again, he won't be able to go back today.

"Marco is right, you need to take care of your health." Leo gave up on trying to extract information from the other man and just wanted to end this history lesson as soon as possible. "If you collapse, where will I learn about the history of Sicily? Sandro almost had a heart attack this time because he was so angry with his son. You must take this as a warning."

The afternoon's companionship wasn't wasted; without using any skills, Andrei did reveal some information to Leo:

"I advised Sandro not to have so many children before, but he insisted that having many sons would produce a qualified heir. Now look what's happened, he's almost driven to his death by his sons."

The little fox was overjoyed and activated its skill [Torture and Interrogation]:

"I'm afraid it's not that simple..."

Andrei was about to end the conversation, finish his coffee, and go home, but three seconds later he suddenly sat up straight and started chattering away again:

"All six sons are outstanding, each one is a top performer in their respective fields, forcing the youngest, Angie, to go to the city to learn advanced knowledge in order to avoid being outdone by his older brothers. So it's Sandro's fault for having so many children."

Andrei was getting old, and the intense afternoon of explanations had left him in a state of near-death, but he was still in high spirits, so Leo's skill worked again!

Having finally gotten the answer he wanted, Leo secretly breathed a sigh of relief:

"Perhaps Sandro felt more at ease going out to sea with his son. You should know how ruthless the sea can be."

Why are Sicilians naturally cautious and not easily trusting?

Andrei took off his reading glasses, rubbed his eyes, and a strange look flashed across his face:

"Could he have twenty sons? If all the crew members were his sons, I'd recommend him for the Sicilian Guinness World Records, and I'd personally write him a letter of recommendation!"

Leo was taken aback:

"Does Sandro have that many crew members?"

This isn't just platitudes; I'm genuinely surprised.

A fleet of twenty people can carry out long-distance operations for more than 15 days, which is quite large for Karzamemi, a small fishing village with only more than 300 people.

Leo continued:

"I'm sorry, I'm new to Marzamemi and don't know much about the situation. I thought the villagers were like Natale, going out to sea in groups of three or five. I didn't expect there to be such a large fleet... No wonder everyone says Sandro's fleet is impressive."

Andrei was really leaving this time. He stood up and patted Leo on the shoulder:

"The size of the fleet has nothing to do with how powerful it is. One person can go out and return with a full load. There are plenty of people like that in Malzamemi... Goodbye, little fox!"

Leo watched Andrei's figure disappear, and said:

"Thanks."

He couldn't make big money collecting seashells and crabs; he had to go to sea.

However, they lacked the funds to buy boats and equipment, so their solution was to join the locals' fleet of boats.

Judging from the current situation, this will be a rather long process.

Andrei's words opened up a new avenue for Leo's thinking.

Yes, one person can go out to sea.

Working alone means that the sea area you go to is not too far, the task is not too difficult, the equipment required is not too complicated, and the corresponding risks are also reduced, making it suitable for beginners.

If others can do it, why can't I, Leo?