King of the Wilderness

Day twenty, late at night.

A piercing electronic ringtone echoed throughout the entire shelter! It was the satellite phone placed in the waterproof box in the corner by Lin Yu’an.

Lin Yu’an sat up from his sleeping bag, his brow slightly furrowed.

He knew that at this point, when the production team used this emergency communication line, it could only mean one thing: the situation had exceeded their expectations.

He opened the box and answered the call.

”Lin! Can you hear me? Is that you?” The anxious voice of the executive producer Mark came from the other end of the line.

”It’s me, Mark, I’m fine.” Lin Yu’an’s voice was calm and steady, forming a stark contrast to the anxiety on the other end of the call.

”God! It’s good you’re okay!” Mark clearly sighed in relief.

”Our meteorological consultant just sent out an emergency alert. The intensity of this storm has far surpassed our historical data models! The wind speed might have reached hurricane levels!”

”We must ensure the safety of every contestant! Listen, Lin, we’ve contacted the heavy helicopter base of the Canadian Coast Guard, and they’re standing by.”

”As soon as the storm center passes and if there’s even a half-hour window for flying, we’ll immediately dispatch aircraft to support you, or to withdraw you from the competition! How is your situation now? Do you need emergency rescue?”

Mark’s voice was filled with urgency and concern; in the face of a disaster of this magnitude, the safety of any contestant was the top priority.

”I’m fine, Mark.” He repeated, his tone carrying an air of absolute confidence.

”My shelter is very sturdy, and I have enough fuel and food. I don’t need emergency support, nor do I intend to withdraw from the competition.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, as if shocked by Lin Yu’an’s composure.

”...Alright, Lin. It’s your decision.” There was a hint of admiration in Mark’s voice.

”But, keep the communication line open. If there’s any accident, call us immediately! Don’t try to be a hero!”

”Understood.”

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu’an placed the satellite phone back into the waterproof box.

He knew that at this moment, other contestants might be enduring unimaginable ordeals in their makeshift shelters, or they might already be back home enjoying a tasty steak.

The time came to day twenty-one.

Lin Yu’an woke up in a near-deafening silence.

He opened his eyes in his sleeping bag, and the wind that had roared for two days and nights, shaking the entire shelter with low-frequency resonance that kept him from sleeping peacefully, had completely disappeared.

It was as if the world had been muted, replaced by a deep silence that was soothing to his ears.

The only sound he could hear was the barely audible crackling of the charred wood in the fireplace.

The storm had finally passed.

He immediately got up and, with the weak afterglow from the fireplace, carefully inspected every inch of the shelter’s structure as part of his routine.

The walls were solid as a rock, the roof sturdy as Mount Tai, and the airflow in the chimney had become stable and smooth now that the internal and external air pressures were balanced again.

He walked to the door, grasped the rough wooden latch, and lifted it forcefully out of the slot.

Then, he placed his palm on the heavy door, took a deep breath, and pushed outward with force.

The door, however, didn’t budge one bit.

A solid and firm resistance came from outside, as if someone on the other side was struggling against him.

”Hmm?”

He frowned, stepped back half a step, lowered his center of gravity, and pressed his shoulder against the door, increasing his effort.

The wooden structure of the door emitted a dull creak, but the door was still firmly resisted by a huge external force, moving outwards less than a centimeter.

”It’s probably buried in snow.”

He immediately understood the situation: the accumulated snow at the door, battered and pressed repeatedly by the storm with winds exceeding a hundred kilometers per hour, was no longer fluffy snowflakes.

It had become densely packed, hard as ice, and formed a solid ”snow wall.”

”Pushing outward is impossible.”

He quickly changed his strategy, explaining to the camera, ”Fortunately, this door I designed can open both inwards and outwards. Now, I can only pull it inward.”

He hooked his fingers into the groove on the inside of the door panel, planted his feet firmly on the solid ground, leaned back, and exerted all his strength backward!

”Creak—creak—!”

A harsh scraping noise came from between the door panel and the frame, followed by a muffled ”poof,” as he forcibly pulled the door open into a crack.

A rush of white, powdery dry snow, like flour, instantly poured down from above the door crack, scattering all over the shelter floor.

Then, a blast of cold, fresh air, carrying the pure scent following a snowstorm, surged into the shelter.

He continued to exert himself, pulling the door completely open.

”Whush—”

The snow wall accumulated at the door, losing its support, immediately collapsed inward.

A large volume of highly compressed block and powder snow instantly filled the entrance of the shelter, piling up over half a meter high and nearly blocking the entire doorway.

But Lin Yu’an was entirely unbothered by this, his gaze passing through the open doorway, looking out at the world beyond, and he was utterly awestruck by the scene before him.

The entire world seemed to be reshaped by the masterful hands of nature using ice, snow, and sunshine.

The sky was a thoroughly washed azure blue, so deep it seemed unreal.

From the pale blue at the horizon, it gradually transitioned to an indigo at the zenith, pure as a gigantic, flawless sapphire, with not a single cloud or impurity.

The dazzling sunlight rose from the horizon, illuminating the endless snow field covered by freshly fallen snow.

Every tiny snow crystal, like an independent prism, refracted and decomposed sunlight, finally converging into diamond-like brilliance!

This white world was so bright it was blinding, so bright it nearly made it impossible for him to open his eyes.

He squinted, adapted for a moment, and finally could clearly see the surroundings.

The terrain around the shelter had been completely transformed, the familiar trees and rocks mostly covered by thick snow drifts!

”Good morning, everyone, as you can see, the storm has passed, but it left us with a brand new world.” He spoke to the camera, his voice slightly elevated due to excitement.

He did not go out immediately but returned to the shelter, changed into warmer, waterproof clothing, and then started clearing the snow accumulated at the entrance.

He used the wooden board previously used as a digging shovel, shoveling out the snow that had flowed inside, each scoop was hefty as the snow was densely packed.

After clearing a thoroughfare and closing the door from the outside, he stood complete within this reshaped world.

He took a deep breath of the cold, biting but extraordinarily pure air, basking in the warmth of sunlight on his face.

A surge of post-crisis joy and a yearning to explore this new world filled his mind instantly!

However, he did not rush out immediately but turned back and examined his shelter once again.

The first thing he did was not exploring, but performing a comprehensive safety inspection of his shelter.

He walked around the shelter, carefully checking the joints between the stone base and wooden walls, then turned his gaze to the roof.

Looking at the half-meter-thick layer of snow densely pressed by wind on the roof, he frowned slightly.

”The snow is too thick, the density of this wet snow is immense, far heavier than dry powder snow.”

”With such weight constantly pressing on the roof, although not dangerous in the short term, it might cause excessive pressure at some uncertain point.”

”Additionally, the chimney is crucial, I must ensure there is not excessive accumulation around it, preventing smoke emission or causing side pressure on the stone structure.”

He immediately took action, moved to the wall, grabbed the lowest timber on the wall, placed his feet in the gaps of the stone base, and steadily climbed onto the roof with several pushes.

He lightly tapped the chimney’s stone walls with the back of the axe.

”Thump! Thump!”

A dull yet solid sound came forth, the structure was still stable without any sign of loosening, after confirming the chimney safety, he began to deal with the snow.

He hung the axe back on his waist, then kneeled on the roof, using his hands and the flat wooden board previously used as a shovel to push the snow around the chimney to the roof’s edge.

His movements were cautious to avoid causing major disturbance to the soil insulation layer below, a large amount of snow was pushed from the roof and fell into the snowfield below.

After clearing the snow around the chimney and significantly reducing the overall load on the roof, he slid back down from the roof, landing steadily on the soft snowfield.

He stepped back a few paces, standing at a slightly distant place, fully scrutinizing his storm-survived home.

Doing so, he noticed another unexpected delight.

The raging blizzard, while attempting to damage his shelter, had inadvertently made a perfect ”upgrade” to it.

The strong winds carried vast amounts of snow, continuously striking the shelter’s three walls, then compounding and solidifying.

At this moment, outside his wooden walls, a snow embankment over a meter thick had formed.

This snow embankment, like a robust white wall, completely encased the lower part of his shelter.

Lin Yu’an walked to the snow wall, pressed it with his hand, finding it was extremely hard, like ice brick.

”This is simply a natural snow house structure.”

”This snow wall inadvertently added a third insulation system to my shelter.”

”Snow itself is a poor heat conductor because it traps a large amount of static air inside.”

”Now, this one-meter-thick compact snow layer can greatly impede indoor heat from escaping through the walls and completely block any invading cold winds.”

”In terms of warmth and wind resistance, its effectiveness may be better than adding another layer of wooden walls.”

He caressed the cold but solid snow wall, then glanced at the distant sunlit, shimmering ice-sealed bay.

It made him feel an immense sense of accomplishment and unparalleled security.

Nature had tested his shelter with its most fierce way, but he not only survived the test but also drew strength from this disaster, becoming more indestructible.

This indestructible shelter is what qualified him to stand here, calmly appreciating the grandeur post-storm scenery.

He returned inside the shelter, preparing for today’s exploration, carefully checked the recurved bow, then slung the quiver and backpack, finally putting on snowshoes and hanging the axe on his waist.

Officially began his first patrol of this ”White New World.”

————

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