Chapter 124: Luo Jiahai Expresses Anger

Qin Yun, Luo Jiahai, He Jian, Shang Bo, and Guo Yao were the final five candidates to advance to the final interview.

Liu Wei said that many people met the basic wilderness survival criteria, but since this show was foreign, language proficiency was a hard requirement.

We can't have contestants speaking Chinese on air while the production team scrambles to translate.

Technically, it's not impossible—after all, the show is prerecorded, not live—but language barriers still create serious problems, and that's a clear rule for wilderness survival programs.

So many contestants, despite meeting all other hard requirements, were eliminated at the language stage.

The four others who made it to the final interview—Luo Jiahai and the rest—all spoke fluent English with no issues whatsoever.

But Qin Yun—Liu Wei scratched his head and asked quietly, "Mr. Qin, I saw you speak Spanish and German in your livestreams—you must know English too, right?"

If he doesn't know English, that'd be ridiculous—I'd get fired by the higher-ups.

Qin Yun smiled. "Don't worry, Director Liu. If I can handle Spanish and German, how could I not know English? Those languages are all part of the Indo-European family—very similar."

Liu Wei exhaled in relief, thinking to himself—he was just worrying for nothing.

At this moment, only ten people remained in the conference room: five contestants and five recommenders. Of course, aside from Liu Wei, the others were all officially assigned by Douyin to handle reception.

Aside from Luo Jiahai, who had his eyes closed, either sleeping or doing something else, the rest were chatting enthusiastically with Qin Yun.

Guo Yao said: "Mr. Qin, how did you grow up? In an environment like Yao Mei Peak, you didn't even need an oxygen tank—that's insane. Even the Sherpas on Mount Zhufeng aren't this good."

"Yeah, Mr. Qin," He Jian sighed. "I watched your unprotected free solo climb. Your guts are unreal."

Qin Yun smiled. "Born with it. I've always adapted naturally to high-altitude hypoxia—there's nothing I can do about it."

Across from them, Shang Bo had a buzz cut, sun-darkened skin, and looked powerfully built, his posture as straight as a young pine.

He seemed a bit simple, scratching his head: "Of the five of us, Mr. Qin has the best chance—I think I'm probably out of it."

He Jian lowered his voice, glanced at Luo Jiahai on the sofa, then said: "Besides Mr. Qin, I think Miss Guo has the highest chance."

Shang Bo and Guo Yao immediately turned to him—especially Guo Yao, who had no confidence herself, but now saw He Jian's knowing expression.

"What do you mean?"

He Jian continued: "Don't forget, wilderness survival is a variety show. The selection process will naturally produce candidates who are all very similar. The key is how you choose the right one when they're nearly identical."

Qin Yun pondered—he began to understand He Jian's point.

"Put simply, it's a variety show. Under the basic framework, they want variety and watchability. If China sends two men, what's the point for the producers? They'll definitely aim for differentiation."

After He Jian's analysis, Shang Bo instantly lost morale, while Guo Yao found the sly-looking He Jian oddly endearing at that moment.

Just then, the door opened and several figures entered one after another.

Liu Wei quickly said: "Mr. Qin, the interviewers are here—I'll step out."

Qin Yun looked at the newcomers: five people total. Four were clearly Douyin staff; the lone foreigner was undoubtedly George Bryant, as Liu Wei had mentioned.

After entering, they each took their seats, leaving the central position for George.

George was a white man in his forties. His gaze swept over everyone and quickly locked onto Qin Yun.

"Qin, I look forward to your performance."

He spoke in English—everyone present understood.

He Jian and the others weren't fazed, but Luo Jiahai, seated in the center sofa, suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a flicker of resentment.

"Mr. Bryant, thank you—I will."

George nodded slightly. "Just call me George."

Then he turned to the man beside him: "Mr. Liu, shall we begin?"

"Alright," the man called Mr. Liu looked at them. "Please be seated. This interview will consist only of Q&A—no other elements. We've already screened your professional abilities. Your presence here means you've been approved by both us and the production team."

Qin Yun and the others took their seats.

Seeing this, Mr. Liu began introducing each person, especially George, detailing his identity fully—his tone made it clear George held veto power.

This made Luo Jiahai's eyes gleam slightly; he glanced at Qin Yun, silently hoping George would eliminate him outright.

Then the so-called predetermined selection would be nothing but a joke.

After the introductions, George Bryant spoke: "Thank you all for attending this interview. For this season of Wilderness Survival, we've formed a strategic partnership with Douyin, so we'll select two candidates from China. I've reviewed your backgrounds. The reason we're conducting this face-to-face assessment is to gain deeper insight and make a more suitable evaluation."

Beside him, Mr. Liu took over: "Though only two spots are available, even if you fail, Douyin will provide traffic support—provided your platform remains Douyin."

He Jian and Guo Yao exchanged glances, both visibly tempted.

He Jian had over a hundred thousand followers on Constable, but Constable's scale paled next to Douyin's, and its focus was mainly in the north, with content several tiers behind Douyin's.

He'd long considered switching to Douyin but never dared commit.

If Douyin truly offered traffic support, switching would be fine. Most importantly, he was just an ordinary person—even if he moved to Douyin, he didn't need to abandon his Constable account; he could just update both simultaneously.

Still, Douyin probably wouldn't allow him to run both accounts at once.

For Guo Yao, Mr. Liu's words were the final straw. She decided that even if she failed this interview, she'd leave Douyu and try Douyin—her contract with Douyu was nearly up anyway.

But Mr. Liu's words meant nothing to Qin Yun and Luo Jiahai—both were top streamers who no longer needed traffic support.

"Let's begin. First question: How do you view the Wilderness Survival program? You have three minutes to think."

George's first question left everyone baffled, but regardless of the reason, all five immediately began thinking.

Three minutes passed quickly. George smiled and pointed at Guo Yao: "Let's give priority to our lady—Miss Guo Yao, please answer first."

Guo Yao was nervous but didn't hesitate. She took a deep breath and said: "First, I love Wilderness Survival. Since it premiered, I haven't missed a single episode. To me, it's not just entertainment—it's a trial forcing modern people out of their comfort zones. It helps more people rediscover and respect nature."

Seeing George nod slightly, Guo Yao felt a little more at ease. She continued: "It's also an extreme rational survival game—any small mistake means going home. For me, the show's meaning lies in showing how fragile humans are without civilized society."

In Qin Yun's view, her answer sounded a bit like flattery toward the producers—but it was understandable.

George and the others exchanged glances, each writing something on paper.

The second to answer was Shang Bo—his response was even worse than Guo Yao's, just empty platitudes. The third, He Jian, was much the same.

"Mr. Luo Jiahai, please respond."

Seeing Qin Yun's calm, composed demeanor, Luo Jiahai resented why he had to answer fourth—was it because his Douyin followers were fewer than Qin Yun's?

But such thoughts couldn't be spoken aloud.

"Surviving in the wild, for me, is a journey into nature—a self-cultivation. The Wild Survival program is a comprehensive test of a contestant's physical endurance, willpower, and survival knowledge; even a slight weakness in any area could lead to elimination. On this show, if you don't understand risk avoidance or planning, you cannot survive. It brings together..."

Luo Jiahai's eloquence was impressive—he spoke nonstop for five or six minutes before finally stopping.

Unfortunately, no matter how much he talked, George and the others merely smiled and nodded, offering no further response.

This left him disheartened; he cursed inwardly: Damn it, what the hell kind of question is this foreigner asking?

"Mr. Qin, please answer."

Instantly, all eyes turned to Qin Yun.

Qin Yun, having seen big scenes before, was naturally unafraid. He spoke calmly: "I believe the main purpose of creating the Wild Survival program is to let viewers safely die—participating in adventures in a leisurely, cinematic way, thrilling yet risk-free, centered on spiritually conquering nature. We contestants, in plain terms, are just the audience's puppets."

As soon as he spoke, everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Only Luo Jiahai sneered: Fuck, showboating.

"In plain terms, since it's a show, ratings must be considered. How do you get good ratings? A compelling program is the baseline. People love watching Wild Survival because only in the wild can we awaken the genetic sensitivity to survival, danger, and resources. This program throws people directly into the most primal state of survival—you must find water, find food, fight the environment, fight fear."

"In real life, even if you work hard, you may not get returns. But in the wild, the rules are simple: do the right thing and live; do the wrong thing and die."

"Thank you, Mr. Qin, for your answer. Next question: What are your individual strengths? We'll start with Mr. Qin."

George showed no sign of satisfaction or dissatisfaction on his face—he simply asked the second question.

Luo Jiahai was furious again: Fuck, why does he get to answer first?

Qin Yun thought for a moment and said: "Mr. George and the other leaders have surely seen my livestreams. I believe my survival skills meet the program's requirements. But I'd like to point out—you've probably noticed too—that the footage I shoot, whether in composition or other aspects, is exceptionally beautiful."

George's eyes flickered slightly brighter; Luo Jiahai instantly smirked.

Fuck, I just gave myself away.

If it weren't for the fact that every single frame of yours looks like professional filming, I wouldn't have confirmed you've got a production team behind you.

"Hehe, that's certainly true," Luo Jiahai couldn't help speaking up, smiling broadly. "Mr. Qin's shots are full of aesthetic beauty—only someone with formal training could capture them."

But the moment he said that, George seemed even more satisfied.

"Excellent. Mr. Qin's video footage is indeed exceptionally beautiful—that's precisely what our program team lacks."

Since Wild Survival isn't live-streamed, every contestant must bring their own filming equipment. This leads to many contestants shooting footage that looks like shit, making the editing team's job agonizing.

Some fail to capture any exciting scenes and must rely solely on cameras the program team has placed in the wild.

After all, it's still a reality show.

Luo Jiahai was furious: Fuck, can't you even hear my subtext? This kid is faking it, faking it! You foreign idiot, are you stupid?

George clearly heard the subtext—but whether Qin Yun filmed himself was already obvious in the livestreams; only Luo Jiahai refused to believe it, stubbornly convinced Qin Yun had a team backing him.

Soon, the interview came to an end.

George stood up and announced: "Qin, congratulations—you've been selected as the contestant for China. As for the second slot, we need further evaluation. The result will be announced on our official website in a few days. Thank you for coming."

Luo Jiahai shot to his feet: "Mr. George, is my strength really not enough to earn one of these slots?"

"Sorry, we need to conduct an evaluation. Please wait for further notice."

"But—"

Qin Yun, He Jian, Shang Bo, and Guo Yao stepped out of the conference room; inside, Luo Jiahai's complaints still echoed.

Guo Yao smiled and congratulated: "Mr. Qin, you earned this slot without doubt—I truly hope I can join you in this Wild Survival."

"We will," Qin Yun nodded to the group as they walked. "We're all in this circle. Growing the pie together matters more than anything."

"Mr. Qin, what a grand vision."

After bidding farewell, Liu Wei pulled Qin Yun into another office to sign a series of contracts.

"Mr. Qin, this Wild Survival is different from previous seasons," Liu Wei said as Qin Yun finished signing and stepped out of the office. "This time, survival isn't about finding a way out—it's about enduring in the wild until only one person remains. That person wins automatically."

Qin Yun halted, frowning slightly.

Thus, the show's duration became uncertain—it could be long, or short, entirely dependent on luck.