Dossier
Fencing is the activity that completes the theft economy. A stolen car, a robbed safe, a lifted piece of cargo from the Port Gellhorn docks: the goods have value but the value is only accessible through a fence. The fence network is distributed, specialized, and takes a cut that reflects the risk the fence accepts.
This economy has always run beneath the surface. In Leonida the context adds specificity: a port town fence handles maritime cargo. A Vice City contact handles the kind of goods that move through the nightlife economy. The Keys has buyers for boat-related equipment. The fence network maps onto the geography of the criminal economy.
The mechanic works through contact interaction at fence locations or through phone contact with established buyers. The sale price depends on the goods type, the fence's specialization, and the heat level currently attached to the stolen goods. Hot goods sell for less. Goods moved quickly after the theft sell for more.
Repeat business with the same fence develops the relationship and improves the terms. New fence contacts unlock through mission completion and through the social network that the protagonist builds in Vice City. The fence network is the financial infrastructure of the criminal side of the game.