Chapter 41: The Transport Team

In terms of treatment, being a Senior Consultant was quite good.

On one hand, as O’Berain had said, it was a relatively free “position.”
Unless it involved matters of major importance to the Investigation Department, most things wouldn’t trouble her.
Her schedule was highly flexible. She had more chances to do what she wanted, without needing to consider fixed working hours or location restrictions.

On the other hand, the Senior Consultant had a private office, offering greater privacy—a detail of great significance to her.
Not only did it shield her from a lot of unwelcome attention, but it also meant she no longer had to constantly worry about whether her behavior might ruin her image.

On the way here, Lu Xiao Na had delivered a full 360-degree, no-dead-angle ideological lecture on the importance of image.
She had not only emphasized how crucial personal image was but also criticized every casual detail of Luo Yan’s behavior, offering “standard” demonstrations for every aspect in need of improvement.

She hadn’t paid much attention to it in the car.
After all, to her, Lu Xiao Na’s so-called “demonstrations” were no different from makeup or women’s clothing—things that merely emphasized a woman’s beauty or charm.
In a way, it was a good thing. But having to restrain herself like that? Whether she could get used to it was one issue—accepting it was another entirely.

Not that it was completely unacceptable…
But being forced by reality to gradually lower her bottom line gave her a strange, unsettled feeling.

Now, as she tried to follow the “norms” Lu Xiao Na had so thoroughly drilled into her, a vague shame welled up in her chest, prompting resistance and rejection.

Still, when she arrived at the company and felt countless eyes staring at her, she couldn’t help but care again.

For instance, while meeting O’Berain, she had instinctively crossed her legs—just as Lu Xiao Na had suggested.
Wearing a black OL hip-hugging skirt and stockings, if she sat the way she normally did, there was not only the risk of a wardrobe mishap, but it would also undermine her presence.
So she crossed her legs tightly, just as instructed.

It turns out that if women don’t pay attention to these details, they lose more than just their image.

Luo Yan, who was beginning to understand this, found herself gradually accepting the change.
But even pretending for that short while had made her feel uncomfortable.
To keep it up for an entire day? That felt utterly impossible.

“Women really are troublesome,” Luo Yan thought, now fully experiencing it for herself.

After familiarizing herself with her future work environment, Luo Yan—who had nothing urgent to do—sat down and began to slack off at her desk.

The computer desktop had many internal programs exclusive to the Neo Aonan Energy Group.
But without an authorized account, most couldn’t be opened.

She randomly clicked a few and found herself stuck on the login screens, so she gave up.

Instead, she opened the browser.
She skimmed some articles about the mines and then browsed through content related to ability users to pass the time.

As she was scrolling, something in the corner of the page caught her eye—a dress ad.

“This dress…”

She vaguely remembered having one very similar in her closet—a purple dress with a cinched waist.
On the model, it was paired with leggings and high heels, radiating a noble elegance.

It’s quite pretty. If I wore it, I’d probably look even better than the model…

She stared at the photo with interest.
The idea of “I have one just like this—I should try it on too” suddenly came to mind.

But almost immediately, she caught herself.

That’s a dangerous thought.

She shook her head helplessly.

This was definitely the young lady Lu’s influence.
Lately, she had been forced to try on all kinds of outfits… especially that morning, when she had changed into seven or eight in a row. By the end, she was completely fed up.

But thinking back, it was actually quite an achievement… and oddly captivating.

Urban legends are true. When it comes to women’s clothing, once you try it, there’s no turning back.

Just as she was secretly sighing, Shen Hui knocked and entered the room.

“There’s a transport team preparing to head to the Aros mine. Does Consultant Luo want to go with them?”

“I’ll go,” Luo Yan replied with a nod.

Shen Hui nodded back. “I wish you a smooth journey.”

Neo Aonan Energy Group Headquarters, B3 — Underground Garage

“What? The new Senior Consultant is coming with us? Are you sure we’re not just bringing along a burden?”

The captain of the transport team, Lin Yuanyao, frowned slightly.

Before Luo Yan even reported in today, those in higher positions within the Neo Aonan Energy Group had already received her personnel file.
They knew of her. They had reviewed her publicly available résumé.
To Lin Yuanyao, she was just a young woman with no relevant experience—her only obvious assets being her face and figure.
Needless to say, he wasn’t impressed.

A bulky middle-aged man in a protective suit, Hansen, grinned and said, “One more or one less doesn’t matter. Just treat her like a piece of ore.”

The young man seated at the front of the transport vehicle, Xiao Wang, joked, “That’s not the same. Ore doesn’t move. And Consultant Luo is way easier on the eyes than those green-glowing rocks.”

Laughter erupted among the younger team members.

They’d all seen her beauty with their own eyes.
Though they didn’t say it out loud, they were clearly pleased that she’d be joining the trip.

Lin Yuanyao shot them a glare and muttered, “At least the rocks don’t talk back.”

A man with graying temples, Zhou Jianzhong, added in a calm voice, “The captain’s concerns are valid. We’re transporting Odegaard ore. That stuff attracts mutated beasts, and it’s a strategic resource everyone wants their hands on. It wouldn’t be strange to run into trouble. And if something does happen, Consultant Luo might slow us down. We can’t exactly abandon her, and if we try to protect her, we might compromise the whole team. Don’t take this too lightly, boys.”

Xiao Wang pouted. “So what do we do? She’s a Senior Consultant. Even if we don’t want her along, we’ve got no choice but to bite the bullet.”

“Stop complaining. Just help me think of something—how do we—”

Before Lin Yuanyao could finish, someone in the team made a shushing gesture.

She narrowed her eyes and looked toward the elevator.