Chapter 125: Absurdity Has Opened the Door for Absurdity

This wilderness survival program, besides its uncontrollable duration, required Qin Yun to arrive early at a training camp organized by the production team for a ten-day intensive training.

The training camp was mandatory, gathering all fifty participants from around the world for targeted drills.

After all, the area around Atlin Lake in Canada presented an extremely hellish challenge for many, and the production team didn't want mass eliminations right at the start—this would only highlight the cruelty of the environment without benefiting the show in any way.

Therefore, before January 1st next year, Qin Yun must reserve sufficient time for the wilderness survival program.

After leaving ByteDance, Qin Yun felt no regret. His current goal was to go out on his own, so the wilderness survival program was a rare shortcut for him, sparing him the need to accumulate basics from scratch.

After having lunch with Liu Wei, he returned to the hotel.

ByteDance's efficiency was even higher than he'd imagined; just a few hours later, the wilderness survival account on Douyin jointly released a silhouette preview of the Chinese contestants.

In other words, the participants were confirmed.

Glancing at the silhouette, Qin Yun immediately knew who it was. No surprise—it was exactly as He Jian had said, the other Chinese slot went to Guo Yao.

He figured Luo Jiahai must be furious; he'd thought the second slot was his for the taking, only to have it snatched by someone outside the Douyin ecosystem.

The reality was indeed so—Luo Jiahai was so angry his liver hurt.

"I'm a top streamer with thirty million followers on Douyin—am I really that insignificant here? Fine, I'll accept Qin Yun getting the slot, but Guo Yao? A Douyu streamer? Is she really better than me? What can she even bring to Douyin?"

Though furious, Luo Jiahai knew the decision was final, so he chose to post his own video to vent.

"Sorry, as everyone knows, the two Chinese slots for this wilderness survival program have been filled—I, Hai Ge, didn't make it."

"To my over thirty million fans, Hai Ge is sorry—I've let you down."

"I accept Qin Yun taking one slot—after all, his fanbase is larger than mine. But the other one? I genuinely can't understand why Douyin did this."

"Does representing China in this competition outweigh certain factors?"

"Everyone knows this program is international—contestants and viewers alike come from all over the globe. When the show starts, contestants might be fine, but viewers will inevitably develop biases."

"That is, if you represent China and get eliminated on day one, what will international viewers think? They'll just think Chinese people are weak."

"So shouldn't the official team pick someone with more experience?"

"Me—Hai Ge—a top streamer with over thirty million followers—all my longtime fans know my outdoor skills, yet…"

Luo Jiahai's video brought him a surge of traffic, and even Douyin secretly boosted its recommendation, increasing its exposure further.

As a result, the other contestant hadn't even shown her face yet, but she was already gaining fame and drawing widespread anticipation.

Whether this anticipation was positive or negative, Guo Yao now faced greater pressure.

"Big Brother Qin, what if I totally mess up? Won't I embarrass our country?"

That night, Guo Yao suddenly showed up at Qin Yun's door, insisting on treating him to dinner.

Considering they were both Chinese contestants, Qin Yun didn't refuse and gladly agreed.

Seeing Guo Yao's worried expression, Qin Yun chuckled: "You're overthinking this. You represent only yourself, and I represent only myself. Sure, labels will be slapped on us, but this show's been on for how many seasons? Countless contestants get eliminated every time—if we followed your logic, every country's face would've been lost long ago, and the biggest losers would be the Americans."

Guo Yao downed her beer in one gulp, smiling bitterly: "Luo Jiahai's video trash-talked me, belittling me—I'm terrified I'll get eliminated on day one. If that happens, I'll be finished in this industry."

"Do you regret signing up?"

Guo Yao paused, then shook her head firmly: "I've hit my ceiling at Douyu. My monthly income of thirty to forty thousand is enough to live on, but getting rich is impossible. No matter how well I do outdoors on Douyu, it still can't compete with gaming and entertainment. I've always wanted to leave Douyu and try Douyin."

"Then there you go," Qin Yun shrugged. "Without this show, switching to Douyin might not have helped you—but joining this program is a rocket boost for your exposure. Believe me, once the official announcement drops your identity, your account will explode in popularity in no time."

Hearing this, Guo Yao's anxiety eased slightly.

She knew all this already—she just feared elimination on day one.

"Put it bluntly—even if you get eliminated on day one," Qin Yun continued, "it's still better than staying at Douyu. After all, you were selected by China for this wilderness survival program—that's an implicit statement that you're among the best. And…"

He glanced up and down at her: "Your physique and appearance are excellent—those are major bonuses on Douyin. Becoming a top streamer is practically guaranteed for you. You don't need to worry about these pointless rumors."

Guo Yao touched her face—her skin wasn't great—but Qin Yun was right; her figure and looks were still decent, just roughened by years of outdoor exposure.

She looked at Qin Yun—he still bore traces of high-altitude desert life, but his baseline condition was far superior to hers; his skin made her, a woman, feel ashamed.

"Big Brother Qin, how do you take care of your skin?"

…

The next day, the weather was overcast and rainy, shrouded in mist.

After washing up, Qin Yun received a WeChat message.

"Sorry, I slipped up yesterday—quickly change hotels. I'm afraid Song Ya will come looking for you."

The message came from Zhang Chao.

Qin Yun thought: knowing Song Ya, she'd never come—she'd never risk the humiliation.

Before the thought finished, a loud banging came at the door.

Qin Yun frowned and opened it—two familiar figures appeared before him.

Song Ya and her mother, Zhu Yan.

Seeing this man, whose demeanor and physique were utterly transformed, Song Ya's breath caught.

The videos had shown Qin Yun's transformation was drastic, but seeing him in person, the sheer vitality radiating from him still left her stunned.

How could someone change so drastically in such a short time?

"What are you doing here?"

Qin Yun didn't step aside—he blocked the doorway, staring coldly at them.

Song Ya's expression darkened slightly; she tugged Zhu Yan's arm. "Mom, there's nothing to say. Let's go."

Zhu Yan glared at Song Ya. "Go where? Xiao Yun is doing so well now—he's making big money. Why divorce? You two should get back together immediately."

Qin Yun nearly spat blood at those words.

But Zhu Yan didn't see it. She looked up at Qin Yun, smiling before speaking: "Xiao Yun, I always knew you'd amount to something. Look—you've become a top Douyin streamer! I looked into it—top Douyin streamers earn tens of millions a year."

"I know you still have feelings for Xiao Ya. Your divorce was just a rash decision. So I hope you two can reconcile. After all, girls as beautiful, fit, and sweet as Xiao Ya are rare."

"After you reconcile with Xiao Ya, you two…"

Qin Yun raised his hand, suppressing the urge to curse—he was a famous streamer now, couldn't just swear at will.

"Auntie, you've got the wrong person. I don't know you. Please leave."

Zhu Yan's face instantly changed.

Her earlier gentle demeanor vanished like a sudden storm.

"Qin Yun, what do you mean? You refuse to reconcile with Xiao Ya?"

Qin Yun's gaze passed over her, ignoring her, and fixed on Song Ya: "If you want to be dignified, be dignified all the way. Don't embarrass each other. Song Ya, don't destroy the last good impression you have in my mind."

Song Ya's eyes reddened; she yanked Zhu Yan's arm hard. "Mom, let's go."

"Go where?" Zhu Yan shook her off, her shrill voice echoing down the hotel corridor. She pointed a finger at Qin Yun's nose. "You ungrateful Qin Yun! When you were down and out, Xiao Ya didn't abandon you. The house was ours, the car was ours, the bride price was only two hundred thousand from your family—ask around, with Xiao Ya's looks and status, where else would you get such a deal?"

"Now that you've made it, you turn your back on us? Forget it. Either reconcile, or pay Xiao Ya compensation for her lost youth."

Qin Yun laughed. So it was all about money. The Song family wasn't ultra-rich, but they were comfortable—how could Zhu Yan be so shameless?

"First, the house and car have nothing to do with me—they were pre-marital assets. Second, I paid the mortgage myself. Third, Song Ya's youth is youth—but isn't mine youth too? And finally, we're already divorced. Dragging this up is meaningless."

"Mom, stop this," Song Ya pleaded softly beside her, but Zhu Yan ignored her.

She planted her hands on her hips like a shrew: "Meaningless? I'll tell you, Qin Yun—one million yuan. Without one million, I won't leave. Otherwise, I'll leak to the press how you abandoned your wife and ruin your influencer career."

Qin Yun was speechless with rage. He'd always thought Zhu Yan was unreasonable, but he never imagined she could be this absurd—this was pure farce.

He lost patience, his face hardening: "Song Ya, take your mother and leave immediately—or I'm calling the police."

"Call the police?" Zhu Yan's eyes bulged; she lunged to scratch his face. "You dare call the police? Go ahead—abuse us, but the cops won't side with you… Don't pull me… Song Ya, stop it!"

Song Ya used all her strength, dragging Zhu Yan toward the elevator.

She'd been a fool to believe her mother came to urge Qin Yun to reconcile—she'd only come for money. Now she regretted it deeply.

Reconciliation? She was willing—Qin Yun was so successful now, he could give her a better life.

But money? She, Song Ya, wasn't a prostitute—she still had some pride.

Yet Qin Yun's coldness made her both heartbroken and furious.

*Bang!

Qin Yun slammed the door shut and immediately started packing—he'd avoid Beijing as much as possible from now on.

Just as he finished packing and was about to leave, the system's voice and its interface reappeared before him.

【Publishing check-in task: Host must enter the Forbidden City through the Meridian Gate and exit through the Shenwu Gate, completing check-ins at fifty designated scenic spots within the palace complex to fulfill the task.】