"Yoh! Just look at you two.." Themba said, shaking his head. "Overdressed like you're going to a fancy city lunch and not a mine. My friend, that suit of yours—" he pointed at Yanchen's tailored jacket "—she's gonna cook you alive under this sun."
He turned to Liu Fan with the same teasing tone. "And you! Oh man, those shiny shoes? Give them twenty minutes and they'll be covered in mud. You'll be crying for polish by the end of the day."
Yanchen glanced down at his shoes, then back at Themba with a faint smirk. "Noted."
Themba slapped the side of the truck. "Best to wear light clothes out here, my friends. Loose shirts, strong boots. Today's not for looking good, it's for getting dirty."
He gestured toward the pits ahead, the rhythmic clang of metal echoing in the dry air. "We're going to explore each mine one by one. I want you to see them yourself, smell the earth, feel the rock under your feet, so when you choose the best site, you'll know it's the right one."
