At Chengdu Airport, Wang Lun finished checking in and then waited in the departure hall. Of course, he couldn't be idle during this time; he continued reviewing the materials. To be honest, there was a lot of material, and he didn't have much time, so even he didn't have much hope. Unless he had special abilities or a photographic memory, but was that possible? A photographic memory—if he had one, he wouldn't have failed to even get into a university. Special abilities—that was even more impossible; those were all fantasy.
Wang Lun was engrossed in the data on his phone, completely unaware that an elderly gentleman had taken up the seat next to him. The kind-hearted man, seeing Wang Lun's focus on his phone, asked, "Young man, where are you going?" When Wang Lun didn't react, he patted him on the shoulder. Startled, Wang Lun turned and saw the elderly man, asking, "Oh, sir, is there something you need?"
The old man said, "It's nothing, I was just bored by myself, and I saw you were always looking at your phone, so I thought I'd chat. Sorry to bother you."
Wang Lun turned off his phone and said, "It's okay, I was just getting a little annoyed by all this anyway."
The old man asked, "What are you looking at?"
Wang Lun "has some information on plants and animals."
The old man said, "What are you looking at these for? Don't young people spend their time scrolling through TikTok and reading novels?"
Wang Lun said, "I was selected to participate in wilderness survival, so I'm just cramming for the mission. Even if it's not quick, it'll still be useful."
The old man said, "Oh, would you like me to tell you about it? Don't underestimate me just because I'm old. I used to lecture at Sichuan Agricultural University."
Wang Lun was delighted and said, "Really? Thank you for your help. I have a lot of questions that I can't understand even after reading them."
The old man said, "It's alright. I'm just killing time anyway. Besides, I'm happy to have someone to talk to."
Wang Lun said, "Well, thank you." Then he opened his phone and asked the old man for advice.
This conversation went on and on until the boarding announcement came. It turned out they were both going to Shanghai, and even on the same flight. So, once on the plane, the old man asked the flight attendant to change his seat, and he sat next to Wang Lun to continue his story. Wang Lun was naturally delighted; having a teacher was far better than reading texts. Plus, the old man's explanations were full of experience, making it a very rewarding experience for him.
However, all good things must come to an end. Upon arriving in Shanghai, the old man was picked up by his family after getting off the plane, while Wang Lun had to take a taxi to Wukesong Arena himself, otherwise he wouldn't even have a place to stay. After all, why would a decent person waste money when there's something free? However, before leaving, the old man said to Wang Lun, "Keep going, I hope you come back safely." Wang Lun was very grateful for this. During this period of teaching, Wang Lun, with his associate's degree, could clearly feel that the old man's teaching level was definitely extraordinary. After all, Wang Lun knew his own limitations; even spending ten times the time wouldn't yield the same results as these few hours. However, what he didn't know was that the old man's assessment of him was, "He's a bit dumber than the other students I teach; his memory and comprehension are far worse. The only thing he has that's good luck."
Wang Lun took a taxi to Wugensong Stadium, found the staff, confirmed his participation in the competition, and signed the relevant contracts. The staff took him to a nearby hotel to rest and told him not to wander around unless necessary, and to stay at the hotel as much as possible. During this time, Wang Lun inquired about meals for the next two days, and the staff assured him that food and lodging would be provided at the hotel, as the organizers had arranged everything. Wang Lun was relieved; after all, why would he waste money if he could eat and stay for free? Besides, where could he go? He was unfamiliar with the area, and going out would cost money. Given Wang Lun's frugal nature, if food and lodging were provided, he could stay in the hotel for a month without leaving.
During this time, Wang Lun stayed in his hotel room, watching various videos and reviewing materials, only leaving the room to eat. As time passed, most of the contestants arrived. On the afternoon of the 30th, Wang Lun ate dinner early, planning to have a late-night snack later. He felt it was a shame he hadn't had a late-night snack the previous night. Back in his room, a while later, someone knocked on the door. Opening it, he found a staff member who told him to meet at the stadium at 8 PM to assign teams and collect supplies. Wang Lun figured he had plenty of time, so he took a bath, grabbed some fruit, and slowly made his way there. Besides, he was responsible for getting autographs for his colleagues. Although he didn't recognize many celebrities, he could tell by the fans outside the entrance. Luckily, Wang Lun arrived at the stadium early; otherwise, he would have had to take another bath later.
As the appointed time arrived, all the contestants arrived at the stadium. No one chose to be late; after all, nobody's a fool. Wang Lun, who arrived early, successfully got the celebrity's autograph, though he was embarrassed to admit that only one celebrity could sign five or six autographs. He did, however, ask Wu Jing for a few more, until she finally refused to sign anymore.
After being guided to his seat by the staff, Wang Lun looked around and noticed that the men were on one side and the women on the other. He had a feeling that the organizers were up to something. If he could go back now, he probably would have already slipped away. After all, he considered himself just there to make up the numbers, and it wasn't worth risking his life. But he couldn't go back. "Three Pure Ones, please save this poor believer!" he cried. "Even if I'm just a believer who only contacts you when I need something, I'm still a believer!" In short, whoever believes in whoever is effective, if none of them work, then it's just feudal superstition and unbelievable.
At 8:00 AM sharp, the host took the stage, gave his opening remarks, and then launched into a long, rambling monologue. The main content was roughly as follows: First, he talked about the organizers' various achievements, basically a lot of boasting. Then he explained that during the competition, each participant would have a wristband and three cameras, broadcasting live. The wristbands were for location tracking, measuring various health indicators, and controlling the cameras. The cameras were only to be used for personal privacy matters—things that needed to be blurred out—by controlling the camera to avoid detection. The cameras, on the other hand, were high-tech, using optics, night vision, and a whole host of technical terms that Wang Lun didn't understand. Basically, the message was: don't appear naked in front of the cameras, but you also can't avoid being in front of them. If you don't appear for an extended period, the rescue team will arrive. If there are special circumstances, you can continue participating in the competition; if you are injured and unable to participate, you will be taken away; if you can participate, you will remain. If there are no special circumstances, you will be taken away, disqualified, and your prize money will be taken back. Then, it was explained that during the competition, all plants and animals encountered could be hunted, except for humans. If there were any particularly important animals, the organizers would notify the participants via camera. While this was being explained, staff distributed wristbands to each participant and reminded them to wear them. Participants were encouraged to be civilized and promote good behavior. Those who violated ethics or laws would be punished by the organizers, including but not limited to disqualification and the revocation of prize money.
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