Galactic Exchange: The Merchant Sovereign - Chapter 10: Of Beans, Shadows, and Smugglers

... ai walked through the outskirts of Old Jakarta, Earth-side. It was early morning. Sunlight filtered through rusted slats of corrugated roofs and tangled power lines. This part of the city had long been left behind by Earth’s progress—but Kai saw treasure here.

Stimulants. Caffeines. Fermented snacks. All common on Earth—but considered rare luxury items in many parts of the galaxy.

In a small, local café run by a wrinkled woman named Bu Mira, Kai sampled a bitter, ...