King of the Wilderness

Chapter 719: Chapter 338: Adopting a New Hound! (Part 3)

”Yu’an, have some water.”

”Thank you, Uncle Liang.” Lin Yu’an took the water and drank a few large gulps.

Outside, a light drizzle had started falling. Inside the car, there was a brief silence, with only the wipers rhythmically brushing against the windshield.

Finally, Liang Wenbin sighed and spoke with a tone that was both concerned and consultative.

”Yu’an, this time... although you’ve done a great job, you’ve also made a huge mistake.”

Hearing this, Lin Yu’an put down the water bottle and listened quietly.

”Luckily, luckily your program was not in a live broadcast format.” Liang Wenbin’s voice carried a hint of lingering fear.

”Imagine, if you had encountered an armed poaching gang with hundreds of thousands of people watching live, or even gotten into a shootout...”

”I can’t even imagine the consequences! What started as a good thing could have turned into a disastrous public relations nightmare.”

He glanced at Lin Yu’an, lowering his voice even further: ”While you were making your statement, my phone was almost exploding with calls.”

”The Jilin Culture and Tourism and Sichuan Culture and Tourism departments had both heard about the situation. The people in charge of the Changbai Mountain and Mount Siguniang projects were very shocked and... very nervous.”

”They held an emergency conference call overnight and initially decided to conduct a comprehensive reassessment and safety review of the subsequent recording plans.”

Liang Wenbin emphasized the word ’reassessment’ heavily in his tone.

Lin Yu’an immediately understood the subtext behind this official talk.

”Uncle Liang, you mean...”

”Let me be frank with you,” Liang Wenbin’s expression grew serious, ”the so-called meeting discussions could very well mean an indefinite delay.”

”Yu’an, you need to prepare for the worst-case scenario. The challenges of Changbai Mountain and Mount Siguniang, it’s almost certain, are going to be scrapped.”

He patted Lin Yu’an’s shoulder, explaining helplessly: ”We all thought that the biggest risks came from the wilderness itself - wild animals, extreme weather, natural disasters.”

”We had prepared countless contingency plans and equipped the top-notch rescue teams. But we all neglected the fact that people can be more unpredictable and deadlier than nature.”

”Now that such an incident has occurred, which local official would dare to take responsibility for your next challenge’s safety?”

”If a similar situation arises again, with a poaching gang or ruthless individuals in some region, that responsibility is too heavy for anyone to bear.”

The atmosphere inside the car grew somewhat oppressive.

Lin Yu’an remained silent. He was neither angry nor argumentative. He understood the domestic approach to such matters.

This wasn’t a question of right or wrong. It was a practical issue of responsibility, public opinion, and risk avoidance. Under these circumstances, any argument would be powerless.

He quietly watched the street view speed past the window, his mind racing.

The Changbai Mountain and Mount Siguniang projects were the most critical stops in his entire program series.

For this, he had secured millions of US dollars in sponsorships and signed agreements with TikTok and Tencent Video, the two largest platforms in the country.

If the projects were postponed or even canceled, he would face not just the shattering of a dream, but also huge commercial breaches and a credibility crisis.

The commercial value he had painstakingly built up could take a severe hit as a result.

This absolutely cannot be allowed to happen!

Several minutes later, as the vehicle slowly pulled into the hotel’s underground parking lot, Lin Yu’an had already made his decision.

He turned his head, looking at Liang Wenbin who was still worrying about him, and his face returned to its characteristic resolute expression.

”Uncle Liang, I understand, and I fully respect the thoughts of the leadership.” His voice was calm and forceful, with no hint of complaint.

”Safety first, I understand this principle better than anyone. The subsequent challenge plans will be put on hold for now.”

Seeing Lin Yu’an being so understanding made Liang Wenbin feel rather apologetic: ”Yu’an, you...”

”Don’t worry.” Lin Yu’an interrupted him, ”I will personally handle the communication with sponsors and platforms. I might not be able to climb the mountains, but the program won’t stop.”

”I will come up with an entirely new project plan, one that can showcase the grandeur of Huaxia while minimizing risk.”

Liang Wenbin was momentarily taken aback, looking at the young man in front of him who had, within just a few minutes, found a way to break free from a massive setback.

”Great!” Liang Wenbin gave his shoulder a heavy pat, entirely relieved. His eyes filled with admiration, ”Whatever you need me to do, just say the word anytime!”

Lin Yu’an bid farewell to Liang Wenbin and returned to the hotel.

Upon opening the luxurious suite, he realized he had once again returned to civilization.

Standing in front of the large floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the bright lights of Kunming City waking up, he couldn’t help but feel a bit disoriented, even after having been through similar scenes multiple times.

He didn’t dwell on the thrilling events of the day nor worry about the impending commercial challenges.

Shedding the muddy and sweaty jacket, he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

The scorching hot water, like long-awaited rain, poured down from above, washing away every inch of fatigue from his muscles.

It also seemed to cleanse the primal and wild elements lingering in his soul until the skin began to tingle, and he finally turned off the water.

Wrapping himself in a soft bathrobe, he collapsed heavily onto the cloud-soft bed, instantly plunging into a deep, ocean-like sleep.

Until seven o’clock the next morning, the precise biological clock ingrained in his body prompted him to open his eyes on time.

Outside the window, Kunming was already bathed in the morning light.

Lin Yu’an sat up, feeling an unprecedented sense of relaxation in his body and mental fullness.

The battle was far from over; the battlefield had merely shifted from the primal jungle to modern society.

————

(AL is awesome!)

(By the way, listening to the advice about opening other instances, the restrictions in the country are indeed too many, getting stuck in many unseen places during writing, after all, a thorough check brought up many protected animals.)