Giovanni Battista Ferretti – known to everyone as Nanni – stationed himself every morning by the construction site with the precision of a Swiss watch. His gear was always the same: a faded baseball cap, a jacket of indeterminate color, and a thermal mug of coffee he sipped like it was liquid gold. To the workers, he wasn’t a man, he was a nuisance. One of those relentless, unstoppable ones, like taxes or a rainy weekend.

«Hey, pal! You gonna use that hammer, or should I grab you a how-to guide?» he barked one morning, pointing at a young worker fumbling awkwardly. «What’s this ? Building houses or filming TikToks?»

The young man ignored him, but the older workers nearly fell over laughing. You couldn’t win with Nanni. He had an uncanny ability to spot every weakness and deliver sharp, cutting jabs. To him, perfection wasn’t a choice. It was mandatory. Mediocrity? A cardinal sin.

The construction site was his stage. Outside of it, life was dull: a wife who yelled at every little thing, a son obsessed with cryptocurrency , «stuff you can’t even touch, let alone spend!» and grandkids who couldn’t tell a spade from a shovel. But here, amid the dust and the noise, the world still made sense.

That morning, though, everything changed. As Nanni settled into his usual spot, he noticed an intruder. A woman. Thin as a twig and with the stern demeanor of a retired school principal, she stood there with a parasol that looked more like a weapon than a fashion accessory.

«And who might you be?» Nanni asked, his eyes narrowing like a hawk sizing up prey.

«The new queen of the site,» she replied without missing a beat. «Got a problem with that?»

Nanni’s jaw dropped – a rare sight. «This is my turf. If you’re staying, you stay quiet.»

«Oh, really?»she shot back, tilting her head slightly. «What are you, the king of cranes? Look at yourself – you’re like an old piece of furniture someone left out on the curb.»

The workers froze. Some ducked behind beams, stifling their laughter. Nanni’s face flushed red, but before he could retort, the woman pulled out a pair of foldable binoculars and aimed them at a freshly erected column.

«That one’s crooked,» she declared. «Three degrees off. If it’s still standing by Christmas, lunch is on me.»

Nanni stared, first in shock, then in fury. «And what do you know about it?»

«I was an architect for thirty years,» she said, folding her binoculars with an elegant flick. «I’ve seen more construction sites than you’ve seen hammers.»

Her name was Maria, and she showed up again the next day. And the day after. Armed with her binoculars and parasol, she claimed a spot next to Nanni, challenging him on every detail. The tension between them was palpable. For the workers, their clashes became the highlight of the day.

«That concrete? Too watery,» Maria remarked one morning.

«You don’t know what you’re talking about,» Nanni shot back. «It’s the perfect mix.»

«Perfect for what? Pancakes?»

The workers burst out laughing. Even the young TikTok fan got a double scolding when he paused to glance at his phone.

«Is this really the time to play with that thing?» barked Nanni. «We’re building a world here, not your follower count!»

«And your helmet?» Maria added, zeroing in on him with her binoculars. «What is this, Mardi Gras?»

Every day followed the same script: critiques of beams, cement mixes, uniforms, and even the color of the cranes. The workers, initially frustrated, began to look forward to the routine. The site manager, watching them argue over the depth of a trench, sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Those two will drive us nuts. But you know what? We’re getting more done.”

And maybe he was right. Nanni and Maria, with their obsession for detail and relentless banter, had turned the site into the most efficient in town.

One day, Maria pulled a laser measuring tool from her coat and pointed it at a beam.

«Let’s see if you’ve got the guts to face cold, hard numbers, Ferretti.»

Nanni looked at her and, to everyone’s surprise, laughed—a real, hearty laugh that echoed above the hum of the site.

«You know something, Maria? You’re insufferable.»

«And you’re hopeless.»

Yet when the young TikTok worker wandered over again, his helmet still askew, they both stopped and stared at him in unison.

«Excuse me, but… what exactly do you two even do here every day?» he asked.

Maria peered at him through her binoculars. «We’re the guardians of the site.»

«No,» Nanni corrected, adjusting his cap. «We’re your future.»

The young man froze, bewildered. An older worker clapped him on the shoulder and said, «Don’t even try to figure them out. Just be glad they’re here. As long as those two are around, this place won’t fall apart.»

Maria and Nanni walked off, still arguing about a new beam. Their work wasn’t done. Because sometimes, the world stays upright thanks to those who never stop pointing out its flaws.