Factory Incident

In the delicatessen, Lorenzo's eyes lingered on Deborah as she introduced herself, captivated.

Honestly, Lorenzo was smitten; it was undeniable that her stunning beauty had taken his breath away.

He wouldn't pretend to be insincere, claiming, "It was love at first sight, I felt we shared something special." That's just not true.

Truth be told, it was her extraordinary, flawless beauty that ensnared Lorenzo at that very moment. He'd seen his fair share of beautiful faces throughout his life, but none held a candle to Deborah's radiance.

"Are you alright?" Deborah inquired, noticing Lorenzo's prolonged gaze.

Jolted back to reality, Lorenzo replied with a warm smile, "Yes, I'm fine. It's a pleasure to meet you, Deborah."

Deborah gave a slight nod, her gaze shifting briefly to a quiet Adam, then back to Lorenzo, before she apologized, "I hope I didn't come off too strong just now."

Lorenzo chuckled, reassuring her with a wave, "Not at all, don't worry about it."

Deborah gave a nod, adding, "I'm really sorry. Please enjoy your meal at our deli. I'll excuse myself now."

Just as she was about to leave, Lorenzo called out to her, "Are you hungry? I can order something for you."

Deborah shook her head, declining politely, "Thank you for the offer, but I'm good. I've already eaten." With those words, she departed.

Watching her leave before she disappeared into a room, Lorenzo turned to Adam, saying, "Adam, I get that you have feelings for her, but, unfortunately... I do too. Maybe you should consider setting your sights elsewhere."

Adam's frown deepened at Lorenzo's words, "What are you suggesting?"

Lorenzo draped an arm around Adam's shoulders, half-teasing, "Let's be honest. You barely have the courage to speak to her. She's not the one for you, so I'll take it from here..."

Adam shrugged off Lorenzo's arm, defiantly retorting, "I'll be the one she chooses someday! And I'll muster the courage to face her confidently..."

Lorenzo shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips. "You're stubborn," he observed. Then, locking eyes with Adam, he continued, "Let me tell you something, Adam... I don't think she's into guys like you. It'd be easier on you to just give up now and save yourself the heartache."

Adam shot back, "That could easily apply to you too. I doubt she's into you either."

Lorenzo couldn't help but laugh at Adam's comeback. "Did you see how she was with me? Did you notice? I even touched her hand!" He leaned in, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, "It was soft... Smooth... Holding her hand felt like touching an angel..."

Adam felt a flush of jealousy, recalling how Lorenzo had indeed managed to touch Deborah's hand and engage her effortlessly.

Lorenzo's description, almost like a temptation, was too much for Adam. Frustrated, he blurted out, "Damn it. One day I'll touch her hand too, Lorenzo! Mark my words! And I'll do much more!"

Lorenzo regarded him with a bemused look. "Really? You can't even talk to her now—"

"One day—not now!" Adam interrupted, his pride wounded.

Lorenzo sighed, "If you're so set on pursuing what might be a beautiful yet thorny flower, be my guest. But don't say I didn't warn you about the thorns." He finished off his sandwich with this final note.

Adam looked perplexed. "You're speaking in ways I can't even follow, Lorenzo..."

Lorenzo chuckled to himself, reminded of their different paths. Adam hadn't had the benefit of an education, lacking even the basics of reading or arithmetic.

If not for Lorenzo's consciousness inhabiting this body, the original Lorenzo would have been as uneducated as Adam. They had both been left to fend for themselves from a young age.

Noticing Adam had finished his meal too, Lorenzo suggested, "Let's head to the counter and settle up for our meal."

The sandwiches, priced at a modest 15 cents, were within reach for Lorenzo and Adam, though they still felt it pinched their wallets a bit.

"After this, I'll definitely be back, Fat Moe. Thanks for the awesome meal." Lorenzo expressed his gratitude to Fat Moe as he paid.

"Thank you as well," Fat Moe replied with a smile, visibly touched by the compliment, as he waved goodbye to Lorenzo and Adam making their way out of the deli.

"You seemed unusually nice back there—not the Lorenzo I'm used to. You're acting strange today," Adam remarked, eyeing Lorenzo curiously.

Lorenzo just laughed off the comment. "Ah, you're unaware, but that Fat Moe is Deborah's brother," he revealed, a smirk playing on his lips. "I'm just laying the groundwork with my future brother-in-law."

Adam's eyes bulged in surprise. "What? Fat Moe is Deborah's brother?"

Lorenzo nodded. "Exactly. You're just finding this out now?"

Adam couldn't help but swear under his breath. "Damn. Had I known, I would've complimented him, called him 'Handsome Moe' or something!"

Lorenzo chuckled at the idea. "Ha, 'Handsome Moe', that's brilliant!"

"Think I can go back and make a good impression on Fat Moe?" Adam inquired, hopeful.

"You could go back, but you'd just end up embarrassing yourself," Lorenzo pointed out.

Adam sighed, resigning himself to the situation. "Fine, tomorrow, I'll lay it on thick with the compliments."

Lorenzo nodded, half-joking, "Sure, maybe you should just focus on charming Fat Moe instead of pining after my Deborah."

With a playful shove, Adam retorted, "Man, you're such a jerk, you know that?"

---

Over the following days, life for Lorenzo and Adam fell into a familiar pattern, with their days beginning early at the factory from 6 AM until 3 PM. Despite the daily grind, they made it a point to visit the Gelly family's delicatessen regularly.

Deborah and Fat Moe, the Gelly siblings, were the main attraction for the two friends at the deli.

One of these visits saw Lorenzo and Adam attempting to sneak a peek at Deborah dancing, something they seemed to have tried before. However, this time, Deborah appeared more vigilant, prompting the pair to abandon their attempt after a brief moment.

The inability to engage Deborah in conversation left Lorenzo and Adam feeling somewhat dejected in the days that followed.

---

As the days rolled on, Lorenzo maintained his routine, juggling his factory job with visits to the Gelly family's deli, despite the strain on his finances.

It dawned on Lorenzo that it had been five days since he found himself in this unfamiliar world, a realization that brought with it a mix of emotions and reflections on his new life.

Determined to maintain his newfound routine, Lorenzo resolved to continue working at the factory and visiting the delicatessen in hopes of winning Deborah's heart. However, his sixth day at the factory took an unexpected turn.

As usual, Lorenzo was immersed in his work, assembling weapons with a proficiency that had recently earned him a pay raise to $6. But amidst the monotony, a sudden commotion erupted.

Workers nearby halted their tasks and rushed towards the source of the disturbance. Driven by curiosity, Lorenzo decided to investigate.

"Quick, quick! Treat him immediately!"

"Oh, lord. What happened to him... Poor boy..."

Approaching the crowd, Lorenzo was greeted by the concerned murmurs of his colleagues, particularly the women.

Seizing the shoulder of a bystander, Lorenzo inquired, "What happened?"

"I don't know, I'm just as in the dark as you are..." The man shrugged, equally bewildered.

Navigating through the throng of people, Lorenzo managed to reach the center of the commotion. To his shock, he found Adam at the heart of the gathering, the focus of everyone's concern.

Lorenzo's heart skipped as he took in the sight of Adam, gravely injured and barely recognizable. His face was a mess of blood, and the swelling around his eyes and mouth was so severe, yet Lorenzo immediately knew it was Adam. In this strange world, Adam was the closest thing Lorenzo had to a friend.

"Adam!" he shouted, rushing to his side. "What happened to you?"

"Be careful with him, he's badly hurt," a woman cautioned Lorenzo as he approached.

"I'm his friend," Lorenzo quickly explained.

The woman nodded in understanding. "I know," she said. Lorenzo had started to make a name for himself in the factory due to his efficiency and skill at assembling weapons.

Fury and concern etched across Lorenzo's face as he demanded, "Who did this to him?" He looked down at Adam, the usually buoyant young man now lying battered and bruised before him. Several of Adam's teeth were missing, and blood trickled from his mouth, painting a stark contrast to the cheerful disposition he typically carried.

"We're not sure who—" The woman began, her explanation cut short by the sound of Adam's coughing.

Adam struggled to cough, his efforts to open his swollen eyes painfully evident.

Lorenzo gently supported Adam, his own eyes widening with concern. "Adam, who did this to you?"

It was clear that speaking was a struggle for Adam.

"You said you were just going out for a quick smoke break, and now you come back like this?" Lorenzo's tone mixed worry with disbelief as he looked at Adam.

"It was... Antonio..." Adam managed to say, each word a battle. "I saw him... with a group of guys, and they..."

Lorenzo pressed for more details, "What happened? What did they do?"

With great effort, Adam whispered, "They were taking weapons... from the inventory..." His voice trailed off, underscoring the gravity of what he had witnessed.

Hearing Adam's account, Lorenzo and the woman by his side were stunned.

"After they saw me... they came over... and beat me up..." Adam's voice was halting, and despite the damage to his eyes, tears mixed with blood streamed down his face. "Hu... Hng..."

Lorenzo enveloped Adam in a hug, offering words of comfort. "Hey, buddy, everything's going to be okay..." He then addressed the woman, "Have you called for medical help?"

The woman confirmed, "Yes, I have. And I've alerted management as well."

Lorenzo's response was a nod, but his expression hardened. His mind raced with suspicions that some within the factory's management might be complicit in this crime, possibly linked to the Barzini family.

It was well-known that Antonio was affiliated with the Barzini family, but his presence in the factory indicated a deeper problem. It suggested that someone in management, or perhaps the entire management, was involved and had allowed Antonio and his accomplices to enter the premises to steal weapons.

Lorenzo doubted the management's willingness to fully cover Adam's medical expenses. Given the possible entanglement with the mafia, even if management wasn't entirely in cahoots with the Barzini family, they might still seek to minimize the cost of Adam's medical care. This could mean that Adam would not receive the full compensation or care he deserved, leaving him in a precarious position.

In that moment, the harsh realities of their situation weighed heavily on Lorenzo.