That night, Lu Mingming was assigned to an employee room on the fourth floor due to her promotion. She shared a double bed with Hong Yu, having her own bedroom, bathroom, and dressing room, no longer needing to squeeze in with others.
The bald man personally delivered two sets of suits for Lu Mingming to practice in. "After you join the Interstellar Alliance, you'll wear similar clothes every day. It's best to get used to them early. Go change and show me."
Lu Mingming accepted them, glancing at them casually. The fabric seemed to be the finest, with gold embroidery visible beneath the material, elegant and understated. She went into the bathroom, quickly undressed, and stood before the large mirror, putting on the clothes one by one. The well-tailored suit fit Lu Mingming perfectly. The white shirt hugged her waistline, the hip-length blazer made her look elegant and dignified, the hip-hugging skirt accentuated her perky backside, and the white stockings left a slight mark on her thighs, making her look incredibly alluring. Finally, she put on a pair of low-heeled shoes, which visually elongated her legs slightly.
Lu Mingming was accustomed to wearing clothes a size larger at home and in the slave quarters. Wearing clothes that accentuated her figure felt completely unfamiliar. She stood indecisively before the mirror, her gaze slowly moving from her face to her chest, and finally resting on the smooth curve of the hip-hugging skirt. *What should I do? It feels like this outfit is a little too small.* Lu Mingming reassured herself. *Should I go ask the bald man to exchange it?*
Five minutes... Ten minutes... She waited and waited, but no one came out. The bald man muttered, "Could something happen even while changing clothes? Is your sister always this slow at changing?" He turned to ask Lu Hong Yu. Lu Hong Yu kept her head down, ignoring him, doodling and writing in a white sketchbook, much like a child with severe autism. The bald man, knowing the basic situation of Lu Mingming's family, quickly lost interest. He shouted towards the bathroom, "Lu Mingming, how long will you take to change?"
"Coming, coming!" Lu Mingming's voice followed closely. She stood at the doorway, fidgeting shyly. "I feel like the clothes might be a bit small. Can I exchange them later?"
"Oh, it's no big deal. Come out and show me the effect first. If it's not good, I'll get you another one," the bald man said casually, completely unconcerned. "We have the most money in Star Luo Chessboard, so don't be afraid." Hearing that she could exchange them, Lu Mingming breathed a sigh of relief, dug her fingernails into her palms, and walked out of the room. Unlike her usual attire, she seemed to have transformed from a tattered, down-on-her-luck little slave into a high-ranking professional, elegant yet capable.
As soon as she emerged, the bald man and Hong Yu's gazes fixed on Lu Mingming, making her feel quite self-conscious. "Damn, I think these clothes look great!" The bald man stared for three seconds, then his eyes lit up. But he quickly noticed Lu Mingming's strange expression and hastily averted his gaze, comforting her. "Don't worry too much, these clothes suit you perfectly. If you were to use this outfit as a spy, they would be so captivated by your beauty they wouldn't be able to move, let alone suspect your identity. Go for it, do a good job." The bald man left excitedly, leaving Hong Yu and Lu Mingming staring at each other.
"I, I'll go back and change," Lu Mingming said to her little cub, feeling strangely embarrassed deep down. Hong Yu nodded, his expression exceedingly serious. As soon as Lu Mingming left, he couldn't help but touch his slightly warm earlobe. Amidst the soft rustling of fabric, Hong Yu abruptly stopped his actions, his expression hardening, a flicker of violence flashing in his eyes. He irritably scribbled over all the patterns he had drawn, turning them into a dark, messy patch.
…
With the bald man's strong endorsement, there was no need to change the outfit.
The next day, Lu Mingming had to wear the mature attire to Lu Yan's office. Once permitted, Lu Mingming entered, carrying a stack of blank files as a guise, pretending to be working for the Alliance officially. Hearing the sound, Lu Yan looked up and focused for a second, then slowly shifted his gaze away, as if unimpressed. *I really should have changed.* Lu Mingming's courage deflated slightly. Just as Lu Mingming thought Lu Yan was dissatisfied with the outfit, Lu Yan said, "I will help you become the most outstanding spy." The man's voice was low and hoarse, sounding like a whisper in her ear.
"Oh, I see... Okay." Faced with the unexpected compliment, Lu Mingming was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond. She had expected to work under Lu Yan with constant low pressure and immense stress, but the day turned out to be just a day of solid secretarial work. Apart from occasionally fetching water or relaying messages for the bald man, there was nothing else to do. The only condition was that she had to maintain excellent etiquette and a stable demeanor at all times. Lu Mingming felt a bit unaccustomed to her first "stand duty." Especially the shoes; even with the low heels, her legs felt numb, and her waist ached, leaving her completely without strength. Even after a hot bath after work, she hadn't recovered. This would continue for two more days. No, possibly for countless more days. Although she hadn't experienced it yet, Lu Mingming already felt boredom and tedium. *I can't help it, this is the path I chose, I have to see it through.* With such thoughts, Lu Mingming placed a soft insole into her low-heeled shoes to relieve her feet.
The next day. As she arrived at Lu Yan's office door, the bald man was just locking it. Seeing Lu Mingming's figure, the bald man smiled. "Mingming, you're here at just the right time. Today, you won't be working in the office; your main activity today is training at the training ground." Lu Mingming's mind suddenly sparked. Spies not only trained in basic etiquette but also mastered some fundamental defensive and offensive skills, such as the breathing techniques and firearm usage taught by the old woman. Lu Mingming suddenly remembered something and asked, "What about my outfit then?"
"Wear it as usual!" The bald man didn't see anything wrong with it. "If you can successfully shoot accurately and evade danger while wearing this, you'll be an excellent spy, so you need to practice now."
"Alright." Understanding dawned on Lu Mingming, and she headed straight for the training ground. However, the distance was too great, and Lu Mingming was unsure if she could perform well on her first attempt. Her hand holding the gun trembled. Even facing an immobile target, she trembled nervously under Lu Yan's scrutinizing gaze. *Never mind. At worst, I'll just miss by a bit.* Lu Mingming took a deep breath, focused on the bullseye, and fired the first shot.
"Bang—" The gunshot echoed, and the target board in the distance fell. The machine's voice boomed across the practice range: "Beep—Training Area B, Stall 24 hit the six-ring."
*Only the six-ring...* Lu Mingming was completely unsatisfied with her performance on the previous shot. Under the old woman's supervision, she usually hovered around the seven-ring. She felt a pang of frustration. "Hitting the six-ring on your first practical operation is quite good. It would be even better if you were more accurate." Lu Yan uncrossed his arms and walked closer. "Like this—"