Chapter 154: Lecture

After finishing the painting, Evelyn threw herself back into work at the base.

The base held a commendation ceremony for this, where Evelyn, Jerry, and Theodore were all awarded the honor of Exceptional Teamwork.

After all, during the previous rescue operation, Evelyn and Jerry had worked together seamlessly, leading the team deep into the mountains and perfectly completing their mission.

Theodore, as the command center coordinator, provided crucial support and played an important role as well.

Their performance had been noticed by the higher-ups, who gave them great recognition.

Jerry was clearly overwhelmed by this honor. The moment he heard his name called, he couldn't quite process it.

It felt like a dream to him. Without Evelyn and Theodore's help, he could never have achieved this.

He followed Evelyn and Theodore onto the stage, and, facing the crowded audience below, said emotionally, "I'm truly, truly honored to receive this award."

"Actually, those who know me understand that I used to be pretty reckless and stubborn. When Ms. White joined the base, I had many misunderstandings about her and made a lot of mistakes."

Jerry turned to look at Evelyn standing beside him, and she responded with a gentle smile.

He continued: "I'm very grateful for Ms. White's guidance, which helped me recognize my shortcomings and make timely corrections. From now on, I'll keep working hard, follow orders from my superiors, and complete my missions successfully!"

Applause erupted from below, not only congratulating Jerry on his commendation, but also admiring his courage to admit his past prejudices and bravely change himself.

Evelyn smiled and said quietly, "This is also thanks to your own efforts. You don't need to give me all the credit."

She could tell that Jerry was a capable person, but with some extreme and rigid ideas before. He had quickly recognized his shortcomings and openly admitted and corrected them, which already put him ahead of many people.

The military leadership also took this opportunity to announce that the integrated command system plan was officially being implemented, with Evelyn assigned to host the first internal seminar.

This was no small task, and it was assigned by the military district. Evelyn felt a bit nervous.

She couldn't make any mistakes at such an important event, especially not professional ones.

In the following days, Evelyn devoted herself to preparing for the seminar, making sure every detail was polished perfectly.

Before she knew it, the day of the seminar arrived. Arthur noticed she was under a lot of pressure and walked over to comfort her: "It's okay, Evelyn, just be yourself."

"I know what you're capable of. You don't need to feel too much pressure. Just do what you've prepared."

Evelyn looked up at him, opening her mouth as if to speak but stopping.

She understood that feeling pressure was normal, but it still felt like a stone weighing on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Arthur smiled and put his arm around her shoulder, whispering encouragement in her ear: "You're the best. The kids and I will be right there in the audience with you."

The four children gathered around, looking at her with anticipation.

Ella pulled out an origami heart she'd made earlier from her pocket and handed it to Evelyn: "Mommy, here's a little heart for you. You have to do great!"

Evelyn burst out laughing and took the heart, putting it in her bag: "Okay, Mommy will do great and won't let you down!"

That piece of origami was like a lucky charm, helping her feel at ease.

Looking at the children's smiling faces, she felt as if she'd been injected with strength, and turned to walk onto the stage.

The seminar was about emotional stability and logical judgment in crisis decision-making, which was right up Evelyn's alley.

After all, during training and rescue operations, she had repeatedly shown excellent judgment, staying calm at all times and adapting on the spot to solve every unexpected situation.

Evelyn was nervous at first, but within a few minutes, she was speaking fluently, not just covering theoretical knowledge but combining it with real examples that captivated everyone in the audience.

She also engaged confidently with experts, discussing the importance of emotions and judgment in operations.

Two hours flew by, and even when the seminar ended, everyone still wanted more.

"I'm very happy to share my insights with everyone."

Evelyn looked at the audience with a smile, making her final summary: "I also hope everyone can take something away from this. Maintaining a good mindset during operations can make things twice as effective. Though I understand this isn't easy to do, which is why we need to strengthen our training."

"Only with thorough preparation can we perform calmly and confidently in actual operations, and better accomplish our goals!"

Her professional demeanor earned the respect of the entire audience once again, bringing the seminar to a perfect close.

"That's Evelyn for you—she can explain these concepts in such an easy-to-understand way while still addressing core issues, benefiting everyone."

"I really don't know how she does it. If ordinary people had even half her ability, they'd be laughing in their sleep!"

"Her professional level is comparable to a professor, and her adaptability is first-rate."

Everyone praised her highly, sitting in their seats, savoring what they'd learned.

Evelyn slowly walked down from the stage, and the children immediately rushed over, shouting: "Mommy, you were amazing! We were completely absorbed!"

"I learned so much! What you said made so much sense, Mommy!"

"It's all thanks to your encouragement!"

Evelyn smiled and pinched their cheeks, her voice full of affection: "Otherwise Mommy couldn't have done so well."

She had moments of panic, too, but thinking of Arthur and the children cheering her on from the audience immediately calmed her down.

"What about me?"

Arthur stood nearby and leaned in, deliberately asking: "Don't I get any credit for cheering you on?"

Evelyn glanced at him lightly: "Stop being silly in public. Are you really competing with the kids over this?"

But she still reached out to hold his hand, the corners of her mouth lifting—everything understood without words.

Her feelings for Arthur went without saying. Even without words, just a look was enough to understand each other's hearts.

"Alright, Mommy must be tired too," Arthur said with a smile. "Let's walk her back to her quarters to rest."