The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Leo rushed back to the fish market, even preparing to use force to suppress the attackers along the way. He had even thought of his starting moves: a few precise strikes.

Unexpectedly, the dock was peaceful...

There wasn't even a hint of anger, let alone a "power struggle".

The villagers stood in small groups, sharing how they had bought great value for their money at incredibly low prices that day.

The fishermen who hadn't left yet gathered together to smoke and chat, discussing the interesting things that had happened at sea in the past few days.

Of all the people in the square, Leo was undoubtedly the most irritable.

"Where are people fighting?" He circled around again, but the result was the same.

......

The fish market was operating normally, so Leo went to the village center, which was densely packed with shops.

Because it was a timed task with only one hour, he ran the entire way.

When we arrived at the destination, we didn't have time to go inside and take a closer look. We just peeked in briefly and, finding nothing amiss, quickly moved on to the next one.

"Clang clang—"

Marco, who was brushing his coffee cup, felt a gentle breeze brush against his back.

He turned off the tap, wiped his hands, and turned around to find the wind chimes by the door jingling, but no new guests were in sight.

"Who was so kind as to fan me a couple of times when they knew I was hot?" he asked the customer with a smile.

Marco's most notable trait is his unpredictable temper; he can change his mind faster than turning the pages of a book. In reality, he just has a bad memory.

Just over an hour later, he had completely forgotten about what happened that morning and was having a great time joking around with customers.

An old man with a thick beard replied:

"It was that new penniless guy who ran away in a flash, like someone was running him over."

Marco's expression darkened.

Leo?

Old Paul has already brought people all the way here?

Marco's heart leaped again, and he became even more worried!

He walked out of the coffee shop with two cigarettes in his hand.

"Not even one cigarette is enough for you?" Andrei walked in and teased Marco with a smile when he saw Marco holding two cigarettes.

Marco replied coldly:

"I'm addicted, is that okay?"

Andrei came in and asked the other customers:

"Who among you offended him?"

Old Nino shakily raised his coffee cup:

"Nobody provoked him. He was joking just a second ago."

The bearded customer at another table waved his hand, signaling everyone to continue their conversation:

"Isn't Marco always like this? One minute he's happy, the next he's in a bad mood. Just ignore him, he'll be fine in a bit."

......

It was a sweltering day, and it was still morning. After running two laps, Leo felt dizzy from the heat.

With time running out, he gritted his teeth and stomped his foot...

"I'm not doing it anymore!"

They searched all the densely populated areas of Marzamemi and found no conflict.

The system probably has another bug.

Leo decided to go back to the shipyard to catch up on his sleep before heading to the lighthouse for a big meal.

That damn mission ruined his mood for going to the beach!

But I still want to eat ice cream...

He bought a single-scoop mini ice cream cone for 1500 lira from a roadside shop. Although it was the cheapest, Italians have a knack for making ice cream, and it still tasted delicious.

......

Lately, Leo has been choosing to take the main roads, afraid of running into some kid on the side streets and being mistaken for a bad guy.

As he approached the shipyard, he vaguely heard urgent meows coming from a certain direction, and it wasn't just one cat, but a whole group.

This was followed by a series of howls and the loud laughter of several children.

Leo remembered the Sicilian rule: don't worry about other people's business, just live your own life.

He suppressed his curiosity and continued toward the shipyard.

But the further I walked, the more uneasy I felt, and a sense of unease began to rise in my heart.

After turning a corner, the shipyard gates came into view, and Leo's unease became a reality.

The meowing cats and the children's laughter were indeed coming from the shipyard!

A dozen or so stray cats were locked in a fierce battle, and every time one of them took flight, several more "clouds" made of cat hair would appear in the air.

The clouds were colorful, some straight and some curly, and the scene was so exciting that it could rival the "pillow fight" that Leo had participated in before.

The pillow fight also had an audience—seven or eight teenagers providing passionate live commentary, who would let out a series of excited screams whenever their favorite contestant won a round.

Although we weren't very close, several "dirty things" had already appeared on the small ice cream cone.

Leo swallowed the small cone with his eyes closed.

The ice cream was sweet, but his heart was bitter.

The ice cream was cold, but he got carried away.

"Stop right there!"

You guys ruined all my ice cream!!

The children were startled by the sudden appearance of the adults.

Seeing this adult giving orders to the stray cat made me think he was a bit ridiculous.

They dared not speak to strangers, and stood further away, silently watching the battle unfold.

Only one little boy laughed and said to Leo:

"They fought for a long time and wouldn't stop."

The child speaking is Marco's son, Longo.

Longo had met Leo a few times at the coffee shop, so he wasn't afraid of him.

But no sooner had the words left his mouth than the pillow fight ended.

Although they were still growling and making warning noises, the stray cats scattered.

This man who suddenly appeared seemed more attractive than his annoying companion.

As Leo frowned and swept the cat hair off the floor with his foot, he said to Longo:

"These cats all have to give me face. They don't even dare to meow at my command, believe it or not?"

Longo shook his head:

"I don't believe it!"

"Then I'll show you a magic trick." Leo threw the basin of crabs on the ground.

The low growls around them gradually subsided, and all the wild cats stealthily moved closer to the large basin.

"How did you do that?" Longo asked, his eyes wide.

Before Leo arrived, they had been trying to mediate between the wildcats, but to no avail.

Why have these stray cats become so obedient since Leo came?

Leo said smugly:

"I told you, even these stray cats have to give me face."

We caught too many crabs recently, and Leo couldn't finish them all by himself, so the rest ended up in the bellies of these wild cats.

It's no exaggeration to say that he has some connections with all the wildcats in Marzamemi.

These little creatures are quite clever; they know that Leo will be back with his "lunch" at this time, so they're waiting for him at the shipyard entrance.

But Leo had had too many affairs and philanderings outside, and Sicily was a complicated place, so a fight broke out.

After playing with the children, Leo picked up the large basin and said to the stray cats:

"Alright, that's enough. The cafeteria is closed today. Find something to eat yourself."

When the wild cats saw that the basin was empty, they scurried away, leaping and bounding across the walls.

Only a big, fat orange cat meowed at Leo for a while. Seeing that Leo was unmoved, it licked its paws a few times and limped away.

The cat left, the child left, and Leo swept up the cat hair at the door before closing the shipyard gate.

But just three minutes later, the shipyard gates reopened.

Leo appeared with the last piece of sesame bread:

"You always eat the most, but how can you still lose when you eat so much?"

......

Leo found the injured orange cat on the shore.

This was the cat he knew best in the village, because it was a big eater and affectionate, so he was a little biased towards it.

This cat spends about half the day on a stretch of coastline very close to the shipyard, so it's not hard to find.

Leo sat down next to it, and the two brothers each took a bite of the sesame bread.

After finishing his bread, Leo felt sleepy and decided to go back to sleep.

"Too many unexpected things happened this morning... Being a godfather isn't easy."

After finishing the last bite of bread, Leo wiped his mouth, the orange cat stretched, and the two of them walked away in opposite directions in perfect unison.