Chapter 124

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 candidates met the basic wilderness survival criteria, but since this show was foreign-produced, language proficiency was a strict requirement.

We can't have contestants speaking Chinese on air while the production team handles translation.

It's not impossible—after all, the show is pre-recorded, not live—but language barriers still create problems, and this is 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 my superiors.

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 Indo-European—they're fundamentally similar."

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

Inside the conference room, only ten people remained: five contestants and five recommenders. Of course, aside from Liu Wei, the others were all official Douyin staff assigned to host the event.

Aside from Luo Jiahai, who sat with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep or lost in thought, the rest were chatting enthusiastically with Qin Yun.

Guo Yao said: "Mr. Qin, how are you built? In an environment like Yao Mei Peak, you don't even need an oxygen tank—it's insane. Even Sherpas on Everest don't reach this level."

"Yeah, Mr. Qin," He Jian sighed. "I watched your free solo climb without any protection. 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 him, Shang Bo had a buzz cut, sun-darkened skin, and a physique that looked strong and lean, standing tall like a pine tree.

He seemed a bit simple, scratching his head: "Of the five of us, Mr. Qin has the best chance—I doubt I'll make 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 in herself but now saw He Jian's knowing expression.

"What do you mean?"

He Jian continued: "Don't forget—wilderness survival is a TV show. The selected contestants will all be roughly equal. The key is how you choose the right one when everyone's nearly identical."

Qin Yun pondered, beginning 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 grew dejected, while Guo Yao found the sly-looking He Jian oddly endearing.

Just then, the door opened and several figures entered.

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 must be George Bryant, as Liu Wei had mentioned.

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

George was a white man in his forties. His gaze swept over the group 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 phased, 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."

He turned to the man beside him. "Mr. Liu, shall we begin?"

"Alright," said the man addressed as Mr. Liu, looking at them. "Please take your seats. This interview consists only of Q&A—no other assessments. We've already screened your professional abilities. Your presence here means you've been approved by both us and the show's production team."

Qin Yun and the others sat down.

Mr. Liu then began introducing each person, especially George, detailing his full identity and subtly implying 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 "fixed selection" would be a joke.

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

Beside him, Mr. Liu continued: "Although only two slots are available, even if you don't make it, Douyin will provide traffic support—all on the condition that your platform remains on Douyin."

He Jian and Guo Yao exchanged glances, both intrigued.

He Jian had over a hundred thousand followers on Constable, but Constable's scale was far smaller than Douyin's, primarily focused in the north, and its content was several tiers behind Douyin's.

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

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

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

For Guo Yao, Mr. Liu's words were the final push. 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 or Luo Jiahai—both were major 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 was baffling, but regardless of the reason, all five immediately began thinking.

Three minutes passed quickly. George smiled and pointed at Guo Yao. "Let's give the ladies priority—Miss Guo, 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 test of modern people stepping out of their comfort zones. It helps more people rediscover and respect nature."

Seeing George nod slightly, Guo Yao relaxed a little. She continued: "It's also an extreme rational survival game—any small mistake means elimination. For me, the show's meaning lies in showing how fragile humans are without civilization."

In Qin Yun's view, her answer was a bit too flattering to the producers—but understandable.

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

The second speaker was Shang Bo—his answer 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 calm and composed, Luo Jiahai resented why he had to answer fourth—was it because his Douyin followers were fewer than Qin Yun's?

But he couldn't voice this thought.

"Wilderness Survival, for me, is a journey into the wild for self-cultivation. The show is a comprehensive test of survival skills, physical endurance, willpower, and knowledge. Weakness in any area can lead to elimination. In this program, if you don't understand risk avoidance or planning, you won't survive. It brings together..."

Luo Jiahai spoke well, going on for five or six minutes before stopping.

But no matter how much he said, George and the others merely smiled and nodded—no further reaction.

This left him discouraged. He cursed inwardly: Damn it, what the hell kind of question is this?

"Mr. Qin, please respond."

Instantly, all eyes turned to Qin Yun.

Qin Yun, having faced big stages before, wasn't intimidated. He spoke calmly: "I believe the main purpose of Wilderness Survival is to let viewers safely 'die'—to experience adventure vicariously, thrilling yet risk-free, all about spiritually conquering nature. We contestants are, in essence, the audience's puppets."

At this, everyone in the room burst out laughing.

Only Luo Jiahai sneered: Fuck, showboating.

"Put simply, since it's a show, ratings matter. How do you get good ratings? The show must be entertaining. People love Wilderness Survival because only in the wild can we awaken the genes that make us sensitive to survival, danger, and resources. This show throws people directly into the most primitive survival state—you must find water, find food, fight the environment, fight fear."

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

"Thank you, Mr. Qin. Second question: What are your individual strengths? Mr. Qin, you go first."

From his expression, it was impossible to tell if George was satisfied—he simply moved straight to the next question.

Luo Jiahai was furious again: What the fuck? Why does he go first?

Qin Yun thought for a moment. "Mr. George and the other directors have all seen my livestreams. I believe my survival skills meet the show's requirements. But I'd like to add—you've probably noticed that my footage, whether in composition or other aspects, is exceptionally beautiful."

George's eyes brightened slightly; Luo Jiahai instantly smirked.

Fuck, you just gave yourself away.

If your footage didn't look like it was shot by professionals, I wouldn't have confirmed you have a production team behind you.

"Heh, that's true," Luo Jiahai couldn't help but speak up, smiling. "Mr. Qin's shots are full of beauty—only someone with formal training could capture them like that."

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

"Indeed. Mr. Qin's videos are exceptionally beautiful—that's precisely what our production team lacks."

Since Wilderness Survival isn't live, every contestant must carry their own filming equipment. This leads to many contestants filming like shit, making the editors' jobs hellish.

Some fail to capture any exciting footage and rely solely on cameras the crew placed in the wilderness.

After all, it's still a reality show.

Luo Jiahai was furious: Fuck, can't you even read between the lines? This guy's faking it, faking it! Are you an idiot, foreigner?

George clearly understood—but whether Qin Yun filmed himself was obvious from his livestreams. Only Luo Jiahai refused to believe it, stubbornly convinced Qin Yun had a team behind him.

Soon, the interview came to an end.

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

Luo Jiahai shot to his feet: "Mr. George, isn't my ability enough to earn one of these slots?"

"Sorry, we need further evaluation. Please wait for official notification."

"But—"

Qin Yun, He Jian, Shang Bo, and Guo Yao exited the conference room. Inside, Luo Jiahai's complaints still echoed.

Guo Yao smiled and congratulated: "Mr. Qin, you earned this slot—truly deserved. I truly hope I can join you on this Wilderness Survival journey."

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

"Mr. Qin, you've got real vision."

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

"Mr. Qin, this season's Wilderness Survival is different from previous ones," Liu Wei said as Qin Yun finished signing and stepped out. "This time, it's not about finding an exit—it's about surviving in the wild until only one person remains. That person wins automatically."

Qin Yun stopped walking, frowning slightly.

That meant the show's duration was unpredictable—it could be very long, or very short, entirely up to luck.