Chapter 16: The Captain

“Doctor Xue, what is Xiao Yi’s current physical condition?”

After hanging up the phone, Shen Mengsan returned and asked the doctor who was examining Xiao Yi.

“All vital indicators are normal—even far exceeding typical human levels. As for hidden injuries, our current equipment cannot detect them.”

“But I just took his pulse—his pulse is steady and strong, showing no signs of internal injury. Overall, he’s fine; he might even be stronger than you all.”

As he spoke, Doctor Xue couldn’t help glancing at Xiao Yi, puzzled over how Xiao Yi, surviving in the wild, had maintained such perfect physical metrics.

Finally, Doctor Xue continued with a sense of responsibility: “I still recommend Xiao Yi withdraw from the competition and undergo a full medical checkup to ensure his safety—he just faced a black bear.”

Seeing Doctor Xue’s concern, Shen Mengsan grew conflicted, but ultimately turned to Xiao Yi and asked:

“Xiao Yi, what’s your own decision?”

Hearing this, Xiao Yi felt a surge of relief—Shen Mengsan’s words at least confirmed he hadn’t lost his eligibility to continue.

For Xiao Yi, this was the best news possible—he’d faced a black bear; who else could threaten him in the Arctic wilderness? That ten million was his for the taking.

“No need for further checks—the black bear never even touched me…”

Then he recalled—his fist had briefly made contact with the bear’s massive face—and amended his statement:

“There were two brief contacts, but both were fleeting—no real issue. I know my own body; everything’s normal.”

Seeing Xiao Yi had made his choice, Shen Mengsan and the others said nothing more—it was Xiao Yi’s own decision.

Shen Mengsan then continued: “If that’s settled, our task today is complete. We’ll take our leave now—may all your future challenges go smoothly, Xiao Yi.”

As he spoke, Shen Mengsan couldn’t help shaking his head with a faint smile.

It was only the second day of the survival challenge, and this guy had already summoned their rescue team twice—both times passively.

Then, under Xiao Yi’s watchful gaze, Shen Mengsan led the rescue team away.

As for Xiao Yi, he slowly trailed behind at a distance, wondering: Would this count as cheating?

In Xiao Yi’s view, whether by air or water, Shen Mengsan’s team would inevitably pass near his shelter today.

If they came by water, the path in front of his shelter was the fastest, most direct route to this location.

If they came by air, the only nearby flat, open area suitable for landing a rescue helicopter was just beyond his shelter.

Whether Shen Mengsan’s group noticed Xiao Yi following them—no one knew.

Strictly speaking, Xiao Yi wasn’t breaking any rules—wilderness survival demands adaptability, tailored to circumstances and individuals.

Shen Mengsan’s arrival gave Xiao Yi the chance to follow—this, too, was a form of adaptive flexibility.

At the central command center, Li Yong had noticed this too—but he had no intention of warning Shen Mengsan.

After all, Xiao Yi’s decision to follow Shen Mengsan was his own cleverness at work.

Of course, if Shen Mengsan hadn’t taken the path near Xiao Yi’s shelter, Xiao Yi would simply have been unlucky—possibly even wandering farther. There was still an element of luck involved.

Clearly, Xiao Yi’s guess proved correct—this time, Shen Mengsan’s team arrived by helicopter.

The helicopter’s landing site was precisely the large open area near the front of Xiao Yi’s shelter—now already flooded with standing water.

As for Xiao Yi, he had no interest in watching the rescue team anymore—he returned to his shelter to assess today’s losses.

Upon inspection, he found things weren’t bad—there was some leakage, but still within his acceptable limits.

When the sun rose tomorrow, he’d take the soaked items outside to dry—they’d be fully evaporated in about half a day.

Of course, Xiao Yi was grateful he’d chosen to build his shelter on higher ground.

He’d considered placing it at the helicopter landing site—it was more open and easier to construct—but after weighing options, he chose the elevated spot.

Next, Xiao Yi planned to rest—he’d expended too much energy today.

In his entire life before, he’d never experienced such a thrilling and disastrous day.

Lying on his crude, self-made bed, recalling today’s events, Xiao Yi himself found it surreal.

Of the two quilts he’d selected for their medicinal properties, one was soaked through, but the other was only slightly damp.

This dry quilt allowed him to survive tonight’s chill without serious trouble—it should be fine.

Finally, Xiao Yi called out toward the drone:

“Friends, today was a day to train the mind and spirit, a day to remind us of the wild’s dangers. In the days ahead, we must be even more cautious. And that’s it for today’s livestream—everyone, log off and rest.”

With that, Xiao Yi closed his eyes to rest. Honestly, two days ago he’d been wandering through urban neon lights and nightlife.

Now he was stranded in a remote wilderness—saying he’d fully adapted was pure fiction.

“Looks like Brother Xiao Shen really is tired. If so, I’m going to sleep too—looking forward to tomorrow’s even more amazing wilderness challenge from Xiao Shen.”

“I don’t see it at all—he seems full of energy, especially after just beating up Xiong Zai.”

“You can’t judge things by appearances. How dangerous was that? You weren’t there—you can’t understand.”

“True, it was extremely dangerous. Luckily, there was no direct confrontation. Even if Xiao Shen is strong, he’s still just human—his strength is greater, but his body is still flesh and bone, unable to withstand the blows of a black bear.”

“Exactly. With that bear’s thick hide and tough flesh, even taking a few punches from Xiao Shen, it could still fight on. But what if Xiao Yi had taken one swipe from that bear? The consequences are unthinkable.”

“These are all hypotheticals. Don’t overthink them—everyone, wash up and sleep.”

“Brothers who like watching Xiao Shen sleep, feel free to stay—I’m logging off. See you all tomorrow.”

……

……

“Captain, I don’t get it—how did that guy escape the black bear?”

Inside the helicopter, a rescue team member couldn’t help asking Shen Mengsan.

When they received the alert, central command told them Xiao Yi had been cornered by a black bear in a narrow area.

In such a situation, no human could possibly escape alone.

From the perspective of these professionals, the best choice would’ve been to find a defensible corner and wait for rescue, holding off the bear.

After all, an adult black bear can reach speeds of 48 kilometers per hour—twice the speed of an average human.

In short: humans can’t outrun bears!

And when they found Xiao Yi, he was already in an open area—with no trace of the black bear nearby.

Clearly, how Xiao Yi escaped had breached their knowledge boundaries.

Seeing someone ask, the others also turned curiously to Shen Mengsan—they weren’t the only ones puzzled.

All hoped the experienced captain could offer a plausible explanation.

Seeing their gazes, Shen Mengsan fell silent—he had no idea himself. In truth, he was just as curious.

Had Xiao Yi not just escaped, he would’ve asked him directly about what happened the moment they met.

Meeting their expectant looks, Shen Mengsan could only say: “Watch the replay—you’ll find out what happened.”

“…”

“…”

“That’s right! The captain’s right!”