Chapter 28 : The Refrigerator Man
One week later, Aldric arrived at the warehouse several minutes early once again. The previous evening, Emma had told him that the temporary agency had called her: Patrick needed an extra pair of hands for the day. The sun had barely risen, and the first employees were already finishing loading the trucks. As soon as he spotted Patrick standing beside the first truck, he walked over.
"Good morning."
"There you are! I'm glad to see you back."
Patrick folded the sheet of paper he had been holding.
"I'm happy to be back."
"Come on. We've got another busy day ahead of us."
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SIDE QUEST
Complete Another Day of Work
Difficulty: C
Objective
Complete a second successful workday.
Reward
+800 XP
Reputation +1
???
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Aldric dismissed the notification before joining the other movers, who were finishing loading the equipment. Lucas was the first to notice him.
"Hey, big guy!"
Karim looked up as well.
"So... no lifting wardrobes by yourself today, okay?"
Mathieu burst out laughing.
"The boss would like to keep the floor in one piece."
Aldric looked at them with complete seriousness.
"I have fully understood the lesson."
His answer made the whole team laugh. Patrick shook his head with a smile.
"Good. That'll save us a few heart attacks."
The truck soon left the warehouse for the new job site. During the drive, Lucas told several stories that had the whole crew laughing. Aldric listened attentively, speaking only when someone asked him a question.
The job began shortly after they arrived. From the very first boxes, Aldric put everything he had learned into practice. He watched his coworkers before acting, matched their pace, and asked for help whenever a piece of furniture was meant to be carried by two people, even though he knew perfectly well he could move it on his own.
Several times, Patrick watched him discreetly. The progress Aldric had made in just one day was remarkable. He no longer needed to be reminded of the rules. He followed them naturally. While most new hires were eager to prove what they could do, Aldric seemed far more concerned with working well alongside the rest of the team.
Patrick allowed himself a faint smile. He learns fast. The thought crossed his mind as he watched Aldric help Karim carry a dresser down a staircase. The young man matched his partner's movements so naturally that they looked as though they had been working together for weeks.
The day was slowly drawing to a close. The truck was almost fully loaded, and the apartment was gradually being emptied room by room. For the past several hours, everything had gone without a single problem.
Patrick glanced around the apartment before letting out a sigh.
"Well... there's only one piece left."
Lucas followed his gaze toward the kitchen.
"Oh..."
Karim grimaced.
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"I had a feeling."
In one corner of the room stood a massive American-style refrigerator. It was wider than a standard doorway, nearly as tall as a man, and covered in stainless steel.
Patrick walked over to it and rested a hand on the door.
"This one's going to be a pain."
Lucas let out a long sigh.
"As always."
"Let's do it."
The four movers took their positions around the refrigerator. Patrick gave the final instructions, everyone found a solid grip, and at his signal, they lifted together.
The refrigerator barely left the floor.
"Again!"
They tried once more.
This time, the refrigerator rose a few inches before dropping heavily back onto the floor.
Lucas exhaled through clenched teeth. Karim tightened his jaw. Mathieu slipped slightly on the tile before regaining his balance. At last, Patrick let go.
"Seriously..."
He ran a hand across his forehead.
"I swear this thing weighs more than I do."
Lucas burst out laughing despite being out of breath.
"That's not exactly a high bar."
"Very funny."
They switched positions. Patrick asked Karim to take his place while Mathieu shifted slightly to distribute the weight more evenly.
"One last try."
The entire team took a deep breath.
"Lift!"
Their muscles tensed as the refrigerator rose off the ground, only to tilt dangerously to the right. The effort lasted barely a second before it crashed straight back down onto the floor.
Patrick muttered a curse under his breath.
"No..."
He stared at the refrigerator for several seconds without saying a word, clearly searching for another solution. Standing slightly back from the group, Aldric had been quietly observing the entire scene. He wasn't paying attention to his coworkers' strength, but to the way they worked together. Their movements lacked coordination. Each of them lifted a fraction of a second later than the others, causing the refrigerator to tilt to one side before the weight could be properly balanced.
He waited until Patrick gave up on another attempt before stepping forward.
"May I try?"
"Go ahead."
He took a deep breath. This time, it wasn't just about moving a piece of furniture. He also had to do it without drawing any more attention to himself than he already had with the wardrobe.
He slid his hands beneath the base of the refrigerator, adjusted his grip, gauged its weight, then applied just enough strength to lift it.
The refrigerator rose smoothly off the floor. Aldric made no sudden movements. His arms remained perfectly steady as he walked forward at a measured pace, passed through the doorway, turned carefully to avoid scraping the wall, and made his way down the first few steps.
A few moments later, he reached the truck. He set the refrigerator down exactly where he had been instructed, released his grip, and turned around.
No one spoke. Lucas looked back and forth between the refrigerator and Aldric in disbelief. Karim's mouth hung slightly open, unable to find a single word, while Mathieu still seemed to be processing what he had just witnessed.
At last, he muttered almost involuntarily,
"He's not human..."
Patrick burst out laughing.
"Damn... You could've told us that earlier."
"You asked me not to carry everything by myself."
That answer triggered another round of laughter from the entire team.
"Fair enough. But I didn't think you'd take that instruction quite so literally."
Lucas walked over to Aldric and rested a hand on the still-warm steel side of the refrigerator.
"I think I'm just going to cancel my gym membership."
The rest of the move wrapped up in a much lighter atmosphere. After the refrigerator incident, everyone seemed to have found a second wind. The last few boxes were quickly carried into the house, and the truck was emptied in just a few minutes. Eventually, Lucas pointed at Aldric with a grin before bursting out laughing.
"Seriously... I still can't believe you carried that thing by yourself."
Karim slowly shook his head.
"Neither can I."
Lucas stroked his chin.
"He needs a nickname."
Patrick rolled his eyes.
"Oh no..."
"Yes. Grizzly."
Karim made a face.
"Nah."
"Bulldozer."
"Not great."
Mathieu raised a hand.
"Mr. Fridge?"
Lucas burst out laughing.
"I like that one."
Patrick raised a hand to stop the suggestions.
"No."
The whole team turned toward him, and he pointed at Aldric.
"Him... He's the Refrigerator Man."
Lucas clapped his hands.
"That's it!"
Karim nodded immediately.
"That one's perfect."
Mathieu laughed.
"Hey, Refrigerator Man!"
Even Patrick looked pleased with his idea.
"Is it an honorary title?"
Lucas laughed even harder.
"If you want it to be."
"Then I gladly accept it."
That answer sent the entire team into another fit of laughter.
The drive back to the warehouse was surprisingly lively. The jokes kept coming, and Aldric noticed that his coworkers now spoke to him far more naturally than they had on his first day.
Once the truck had been unloaded and all the equipment put away, Patrick headed into the office to finish the last of the paperwork. Aldric waited outside the door until the team leader motioned for him to come in.
Patrick signed several documents before handing one of them to Aldric.
"Here."
Aldric took it.
Patrick continued writing for a few moments before looking up.
"You're back tomorrow."
"Are you satisfied with my work?"
"Yes. Very satisfied."
He set his pen down on the desk and began counting on his fingers.
"You're always on time. You work hard. You follow instructions. And most importantly... I'd hire dependable guys like you any day."
Aldric inclined his head.
"Thank you."
Patrick then handed him his pay envelope with a smile.
"See you tomorrow, Refrigerator Man."
"See you tomorrow."
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QUEST COMPLETE
Repeat Employment
Rewards
+900 XP
Reputation +2
NEW TITLE UNLOCKED
The Refrigerator Man
Status: Hidden
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He slipped the envelope into the inside pocket of his jacket before leaving the warehouse. The sun was beginning to sink over the streets of Paris. Workers were heading home, cafés were gradually filling up, and the first evening traffic jams were beginning to form. Aldric started walking toward the nearest metro station.