Chapter 51

“Captain, I just fought alongside that bear and even fed two of them? Is this even real? I think I’m dreaming.”

After hearing Xiao Yi’s account and witnessing him feeding the bears, someone from Rescue Team 6 couldn’t help but rub their eyes and mutter, “Is this really happening?”

Their rescue team had been deeply involved in operations concerning Xiao Yi and that bear cub.

Shen Mengsan, upon hearing this, rolled his eyes and retorted, “How can you doubt it if you didn’t see it yourself?”

But even he had been stunned by what just happened; even though he’d heard Xiao Yi’s explanation, he still found it hard to believe.

He knew that although the bear was popular online, Xiao Yi absolutely hated it—would kill it on the spot if given the chance.

He’d only looked away from Xiao Yi’s livestream for two hours, and yet everything in this wilderness had already become unrecognizable.

Even the members of Rescue Team 4 who had followed along were left speechless after hearing Xiao Yi’s story.

But they didn’t care—they actually felt delighted, since each of their ten team members would receive 1,000 Chinese yuan in bonus pay.

They loved this kind of job: no work, yet still getting paid. They were even a little envious of Rescue Team 6.

…

…

Of course, Xiao Yi wasn’t paying attention to either rescue team anymore; after explaining, he returned to his shelter to rest.

After all, this night had worn him out—and it had been wildly dramatic.

During his encounter with the rescue teams, Xiao Yi could have asked for an antibiotic, which might have improved the wounded bear’s chances of survival.

But clearly, Xiao Yi wouldn’t do that—according to the show’s rules, if a contestant requested medicine from the rescue teams, they’d be automatically disqualified.

Xiao Yi’s bond with those two dumb bears wasn’t worth ten million yuan.

“Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! He and those two bears only have an internal-organ relationship—and those bears owe him, Xiao Yi!”

Helping those two bears without damaging his Chinese yuan income was already him being charitable.

Want him to lose Chinese yuan? Not a chance—not even a window.

As he thought of this, Xiao Yi gradually drifted into sleep; with two bears keeping watch nearby, he slept soundly enough.

As for Shen Mengsan and the others, after watching Xiao Yi disappear from view, they glanced at the bear cub still vigilantly observing them from afar.

They didn’t bother staying—after exchanging glances, they turned back the way they came.

Even Shen Mengsan secretly grumbled: next time there’s a rescue mission involving Xiao Yi, couldn’t they just wire the money?

The person being rescued didn’t even need them here—look, another wasted trip.

But honestly, this was perfect!

Once again, praise Xiao Shen!

As the wilderness returned to its familiar darkness, the bear cub finally relaxed and lay back down among the sandgrass.

He glanced at his unconscious, foolish younger brother, and felt a flicker of anxiety.

You’ve got to hold on!

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…

Though the wilderness had fallen completely silent, the bustling city still held countless lit windows.

Xiao Yi had provided too much material today; they were certain that with tonight’s footage, tomorrow would see a full-scale internet explosion.

Whoever organized and posted first would seize the lion’s share of tomorrow’s traffic.

The night passed without incident; the next morning, just as many had predicted.

News of Xiao Yi’s actions the previous night quickly flooded the headlines of apps like Yinfu and Sushou.

“How Fierce Can a Human Be?”

“What Does It Look Like When Human, Wolf, and Bear Dance Together?”

“This Tough Guy Is Xiao Yi!”

“Animals Also Have Warmth!”

“The Man Who Scared Off the Wolf Pack!”

…

…

On every app, bizarre headlines abounded—all designed to grab attention.

But clearly, they worked: at least five of today’s top ten trending topics were directly tied to last night’s wilderness battle.

Of course, the reason this battle became known to everyone overnight was twofold.

First, the Wilderness Challenge show itself had enormous viewership; second, nearly eight million livestream viewers had spread the word.

But most importantly, it was the official promotion by Yinfu—the platform with the largest traffic.

After all, this show was a major investment by Yinfu; now that it had become a talking point, how could Yinfu, the current leader in traffic, let this momentum die?

Moreover, to date, this show had been more than worth its cost for Yinfu, significantly boosting their livestreaming division.

Naturally, Yinfu’s senior management was extremely satisfied with the show’s results and performance, so they naturally chose to invest more—this promotion was just one of many resources.

…

…

“Roar!”

A bear mother’s roar shattered the wilderness’s silence, followed by the sound of an owl flapping its wings.

Clearly, that roar had startled the many animals still sleeping in the forest.

The creature that had roared was none other than the bear cub, after a brief rest.

Now, staring at the motionless wounded black bear beside him, he let out a mournful cry.

“Roar!”

Then he sprinted toward Xiao Yi’s shelter and roared again—as if calling out to Xiao Yi.

As for Xiao Yi, he was deep in sleep.

But when a roar sounded right beside his ear, he instinctively opened his eyes in alertness.

He then remembered—immediately grabbing his wooden stick, he opened the shelter door and shouted at the dumb bear outside.

“What are you yelling for? Is he dead?”

“Roar! Roar!”

All he got in response was the cub’s urgent roars, its eyes constantly darting toward the wounded black bear.

Seeing this, Xiao Yi understood the cub’s meaning.

He muttered under his breath, “Did the bear actually die? If so, maybe I can improve tonight’s meal.”

Though he muttered, his movements were swift—he rushed over to the wounded black bear, looked at its still form, and confirmed his earlier thought.

Still, Xiao Yi felt a small pang of sadness; after all, he’d spent eleven free attribute points saving this bear—even though saving it was only one factor.

He placed his hand over the wounded bear’s nostrils—and felt a small surge of relief.

Though its breath was faint, almost imperceptible, the bear was still breathing.

Clearly, this giant had survived the most dangerous half of its ordeal; with injuries this severe, the first night was always the deadliest.

Now it depended on when the bear would open its eyes—ultimately, how strong its will to live was.

But truly, what incredible vitality.