King of the Wilderness

The show has entered the contestant launch phase.

Lin Yu’an watched on television as he rode a speedboat, speeding through the cold bay, and finally stepping alone onto that desolate shore.

When the speedboat departed, leaving only his solitary figure and the howling wind in the frame, Emily gently rested her head on his shoulder.

She said nothing, but Lin Yu’an could clearly feel the slight trembling coming from her body.

He extended his arms, embracing both his wives tightly. He knew that for the audience, it was a thrilling adventure.

But for his family, it was a wait of over fifty days filled with anguish and worry.

On TV, Lin Yu’an began his first day of survival.

The joy of finding a freshwater lake, the wisdom in choosing a campsite, the efficiency in building a temporary shelter... Every successful decision made Aliya and Emily utter small exclamations of amazement.

When they saw that he built a sturdy A-frame shelter and lit a warm bonfire within a little over two hours, their anxious hearts eased slightly.

"Amazing..." Aliya sincerely exclaimed, "In such a place, you seem... like you’ve come home."

The episode ended with a freeze-frame of Lin Yu’an lying in his sleeping bag, gazing at the flickering flames with a calm and determined look.

The voiceover with a magnetic tone: "The six legendary contestants have embarked on their frozen battlefield. Will the harsh Labrador reveal its fangs, or offer gifts?"

"Who can persist to the end in this ultimate contest of will and nature? Same time next week, on ’Wilderness Solo Living: Frozen Throne’, we’ll be waiting to see."

As the ending theme played, the first episode officially concluded. But the storm it started had only just begun.

At the end of the show, the Discovery Channel released a three-minute extended trailer for the next episode and the entire season.

The trailer was filled with high-energy, expectation-triggering scenes:

Vonia sewing a leather coat with animal sinew; Kelly struggling to draw a longbow in a blizzard; Lin Yu’an discovering a mysterious green safe on the shore;

and even a blurry silhouette of him later confronting a giant porcupine with a spear...

But what set the internet ablaze was the trailer’s final scene.

In a massive snowstorm, outside Lin Yu’an’s shelter, a small, white, fluffy figure was stumbling towards him.

The camera froze on a close-up of Lin Yu’an opening the door to meet eyes with the little polar bear.

The screen abruptly cut off.

"Boom!"

If the previous content had just thrown boulders into the ocean of public opinion, then this ending was like detonating an underwater nuclear bomb!

[Is that... a polar bear cub?! Didn’t I see it wrong?!]

[Oh my God! Lin encountered a polar bear cub! It looks... so pitiful! Where’s its mom?]

This seemingly fairytale-like question instantly ignited every viewer’s nerves with fear.

They knew better than anyone that in the Arctic Circle, the appearance of a cub means only one thing.

[The mother bear! She must be nearby! Lin’s doomed!]

[Fuck! This is the worst-case scenario! A mother polar bear with a cub is the most dangerous, unpredictable, and aggressive creature on land! Bar none!]

[Is the production crew insane?! How could they place the contestants in an area with roaming mother bears?! Go save him now!]

[Compared to this, the previous black bear was like a gentle teddy dog! Lin is really in big trouble this time!]

[It’s over, God Lin is really going to crash this time! His bow and arrow are no different from a toothpick to an adult mother polar bear!]

Previously, the fiercely arguing factions were united at this moment by a more grand and primal sense of fear.

Everyone’s focus shifted instantly from who would be champion to whether Lin Yu’an could survive the next episode.

The bullet comments on Bilibili also transitioned from initially "awsl" to being overwhelmed with "Danger" and "Protect!"

[Danger Danger Danger Danger! God Lin, run!!!]

[Don’t touch that little cutie! Its mom can tear you in half!]

[The crew is inhumane! This is no longer a survival challenge; it’s a battle royale!]

[I would rather God Lin quit the show than face a mother bear! That’s not even a fair opponent!]

[I’m getting nervous now, my palms are sweaty. Please, nothing bad happens!]

[Don’t worry upstairs, the crew provided bear spray, at worst, God Lin quits on the spot.]

Animal protection organizations that were criticizing Lin Yu’an for hunting black bears before, now fell into an extremely awkward silence.

They realized they couldn’t use their previous logic to condemn anymore.

Do they publish a tweet saying they hope the angry mother bear will avenge its dead black bear kin? That would be openly advocating violence.

Ultimately, they could only churn out a politically correct statement: "We strongly urge the Discovery Channel to immediately intervene to ensure the safety of both the contestant and the polar bears, avoiding any form of conflict!"

Within just an hour, a more impactful hashtag "#LinAndThePolarBear" spread like a virus.

It quickly replaced all previous topics and topped the global trending list!

Under this topic, there was no more arguing or opposition, only pure tension towards unknown dangers and concern for the contestant’s safety.

Countless viewers began to spontaneously search online for material and videos on mother polar bear aggressiveness.

And every search result left them feeling even more desperate about their idol’s situation.

Mark and the higher-ups at the Discovery Channel watched the skyrocketing ratings and online buzz, along with the new suspenseful and fear-filled topic, with beaming smiles.

They knew they had made the right bet.

They not only created suspense, but conjured the strongest emotional resonance in drama—concern.

The whole world’s audience now connected their hearts with the man standing alone on the ice field, about to face an unknown fate.

That’s exactly the effect they wanted.

Lin Yu’an, along with all the uncertainty he brought, had taken this show to unprecedented new heights.

Meanwhile, at the center of the storm, in the home theater at the Eagle’s Nest, there was a warm and peaceful tranquility.

"Is that... December?" Emily looked at the screen at that small, pitiful figure, her voice filled with maternal glow.

Aliya also sat up excitedly: "So that’s how you met! My God, it looked so small and pitiful then..."

Lin Yu’an smiled, pulling his two wives and the two babies sleeping in their arms closer to him.

"Yes," he looked at the frozen frame on the screen, his eyes turning incomparably soft, "That’s our December. Our story is just beginning."

Just then, a sudden ring of the phone pierced the calm in the theater.

Lin Yu’an glanced at the caller ID; it was the show’s producer, Mark.

He answered the call, and before he could even speak, Mark’s voice boomed like a volcanic eruption!

"Lin! My God! Did you see that?! Did you fucking see that?!"

Mark’s volume was so loud that Lin Yu’an had to hold the phone at a distance. He could even hear the background cheers and champagne popping sounds over the call.

"Calm down, Mark," Lin Yu’an, infected by his excitement, said with a smile, "I just finished watching it. Good editing; it’s very suspenseful."

"Good? Suspenseful?!" Mark’s volume went up another octave. "Lin! This isn’t good! This is epic! This is a miracle! Do you know what we just created?!"