The sun had barely risen, painting the city in hues of orange and pink.

    Ethan stood behind the counter of his food truck, flipping a batch of sizzling bacon while the scent of fresh coffee wafted through the small space.

    The streets were already alive with movement, people rushing to start their day.

    It was the perfect time to catch the breakfast crowd, and Ethan''s truck was parked in one of the system''s suggested locations — a bustling intersection near a business district.

    "Alright," Ethan muttered to himself, wiping his hands on his apron. "Let''s do this."

    The orders came quickly, a steady stream of customers lining up at the window.

    "One breakfast burrito, extra cheese!"

    "Two egg sandwiches and a coffee!"

    "Can you make the hash browns extra crispy?"

    Ethan worked fast, his hands moving on instinct. A week ago, he might have been overwhelmed, but now the rhythm felt natural.

    Between orders, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, balancing it between his shoulder and ear while flipping a pancake on the grill.

    "Hello?" he said, a bit breathless.

    "Hey, boss, it''s Kara," came the voice on the other end.

    Ethan recognized the faint hum of her truck''s engine in the background.

    "What''s up?"

    "I''m out of napkins," she said. "The ones you stocked yesterday ran out faster than I thought. What do I do?"

    Ethan glanced at the clock. It was barely 8 a.m.

    Luis, ever the quiet one, simply nodded in agreement. "The locations you gave us were spot on," he said. "I don''t think we''d have had half as many customers without it. Thanks Boss,"

    Ethan glanced around at his team, feeling a sense of camaraderie that he hadn''t felt in a long time.

    "You all did good," he said. "This was the first big test, and you passed with flying colors."

    Kara raised an eyebrow. "You''re not about to get all sentimental on us, are you?"

    Ethan chuckled. "Don''t push your luck."

    After a few more minutes of chatting, Ethan pulled out a notebook he had been keeping in his pocket.

    "Alright, let''s talk about the afternoon shift," he said, flipping to a fresh page. "It''s going to be different from the morning crowd. Fewer breakfast orders, more lunch items. Make sure you''re stocked up on sandwiches, burgers, and tacos."

    The group nodded, jotting down notes on their phones.

    "And remember," Ethan continued, "speed is key. The lunch crowd won''t be as patient as the breakfast crowd. They''ve got less time to spare, so keep the lines moving."

    Danny raised his hand like they were in school.

    "Yes, Danny?" Ethan asked with a smirk.

    "Can we talk about how crazy it was this morning?" Danny said, shaking his head. "I mean, seriously, people were lining up like it was some celebrity chef''s food truck!"

    Ethan waved a hand dismissively. "Good food speaks for itself. If you make something worth eating, people will show up. That''s all there is to it."

    Danny grinned. "If you say so, boss."

    As the conversation wound down, Ethan felt a sense of satisfaction. They had pulled off a successful morning shift, and he was confident they could handle the afternoon rush just as well.

    And as he looked at his team, he realized that he wasn''t in this alone anymore.

    Although the amount of people showing up though was irregular.