Three days later, at 11:00 AM, everyone in the company was silent, all watching the online selection video for wilderness survival on their computers. This was supposed to be a completely fair, just, and transparent process, with 200 contestants randomly selected from the applicants on the spot. After three days of registration, the number of applicants had skyrocketed from over ten million in ten minutes to a staggering 256 million. In other words, selecting 200 people from 256 million is a probability lower than winning the lottery (the author's math skills are poor and they can't calculate it).
The host stood on the stage, facing the camera, expressing gratitude and praising the organizers. He then mentioned that selected participants would be contacted by phone, and that those who didn't wish to participate would be randomly selected by the organizers—a process that would no longer be publicly announced. He also mentioned that selected participants should assemble at the Wugensong Stadium in Shanghai within two days, before June 30th. In short, he was trying to pique people's interest.
After half an hour of babble, the lottery—or rather, the contestant selection process—started promptly at 11:30. An old man pressed a button on the computer, and various names flashed rapidly across the large screen. After nearly ten seconds, the first name appeared: Liu Dazhu, a name no one had ever heard of. The same procedure repeated until the 172nd name, Wang Lun. All the colleagues watching the video in the company were shocked. This was the first name they knew! Colleague C exclaimed, "Lunlun, you've been chosen!" Wang Lun replied, "Chosen? What do you mean? There are so many people with the same name across the country. I have to wait for their profiles to come out."
At that moment, Wang Lun heard his colleague B say, "Wang Lun, male, 26 years old, from Sichuan, ID card..."
Colleague A: "Wow, our company actually selected one."
At that moment, the boss came out of his office and said, "Wang Lun, you're really lucky; you actually got selected."
Wang Lun smiled and said, "I don't know either. I've never been very lucky. I used to buy 50-cent scratch cards and even 50-cent ones, and I never won. Who knew I'd actually be chosen this time?"
Colleague C: "Lunlun, do you want to participate? I have a lot of video materials."
Wang Lun said, "I don't know either. I want to go, but I don't want to go. I want to go because the prize money is really too high, it's really tempting. I don't want to go because I'm afraid I might go but not come back alive, and if I encounter any injuries or disabilities, that would be even more frustrating."
The boss said, "Whether you go or not, I'll say it again: if you go, the company will continue to pay your salaries and keep your positions."
Colleague C said, "Lunlun, just go. If you can't keep going, just come back."
Colleague B: "Teacher Wang, if you go, could you please get me Wang Yuan's autograph?"
Colleague A chimed in, "Get me some too, I'll take anyone's, it would be best if I had them all, then I can sell autographs later."
Colleague C: "Yes, yes, I want one too."
Wang Lun was speechless, so he said, "Fine, if I go, I'll give you everything. If you don't, I'll beg you while clinging to your legs."
Colleague C: "That's more like it."
The boss said, "After reviewing these, only Wang Lun from our company was selected. Wang Lun, you don't need to come in this afternoon. Go back and think it over carefully. If you're going, then just go directly to Shanghai to meet up. If you're not going, then just return to your post tomorrow."
Colleague C interjected at this moment, "Boss, those who were selected get a holiday, shouldn't those of us who weren't selected also get a holiday to comfort our weak hearts?" After saying that, he looked at the boss with teary eyes.
The boss didn't even look at him and said, "With your weak mind, you're not this type. Wang Lun, you should go back now."
Wang Lun said, "Well then, boss, I'll be going now."
The boss nodded and said, "Hmm, I'll think about it carefully."
Wang Lun nodded, shut down his computer, picked up his backpack, and went out.
The next day, contrary to his usual habits, Wang Lun slept in late, not getting up until 9:30. By the time he finished washing up, it was almost 10:00. He took out his phone and sent a message in the company group chat: "I've gone to get your autographs, remember to reimburse your airfare!" Colleague C replied, "Lunlun, remember to get a few more handsome guys' autographs, and take photos too!"
Colleague A: "I'm not picky, as long as it's a celebrity, it's fine."
Colleague B: "Me too, it would be best to get two more Wang Yuan cards."
The boss said, "Give me one too."
Colleague C: "Boss, you're missing this one thing."
The boss said, "This is for your boss's wife."
Colleague C: "Oh..."
Wang Lun took out the backpack he had packed yesterday, opened the door and went out, because the taxi he had taken was already at the entrance of the community, and he had already made a phone call.
After getting into the car, I took out my phone to check and replied, "Received, now on board, heading to the airport."
Colleague C: "Good luck and have a safe trip!"
Colleague B: "Good luck and have a safe trip!"
Colleague A: "Good luck and have a safe trip!"
The boss said, "Good luck and have a safe trip!"
Wang Lun saw it and quietly said, "Thank you." After that, he kept looking at his phone, at the various videos and related materials his colleagues had sent him, as well as some information about plants and animals that he had found the night before.
Along the way, the only sounds were car horns and the wind from the highway; there were no other noises. The only other thing was that the driver kept glancing in the rearview mirror, perhaps thinking the man looked familiar. Finally, just before reaching the airport, the driver couldn't help but ask, "Young man, are you going to participate in a wilderness survival competition? You look familiar."
Wang Lun turned off his phone and said, "Yeah, we all thought we wouldn't be selected, but who knew we would be."
The driver said, "Yes, none of my family was selected. You're really lucky."
Wang Lun: "No way, I'm usually really unlucky, I don't know how I got selected."
The driver said, "Who cares? Since you're going, just do your best. Our whole family supports you."
Wang Lun smiled and said, "Thank you. I don't know how long I can last. Maybe I'll come back the same day I go."
The driver said, "No way, judging from your appearance, you're not going to be back that day. Maybe you'll be the final champion."
Wang Lun said, "Thank you for your kind words."
The driver parked the car at the entrance of the airport waiting hall. After Wang Lun got out of the car with his bag, the driver watched his retreating figure and said, "Why don't I have such good luck? Only three people were selected from the whole of Chengdu, and he was the only man among them. Sigh, different people have different fates." After saying that, he started the car and drove away.
Wang Lun went to check in, unaware that only three people from Rongcheng had been selected, one of whom was someone he knew. He also had no idea what their encounter would be like, or if they would simply meet as strangers. No one knew; all they could do was wait and see how things unfolded.
Similarly, no one knows how Wang Lun decided to participate in the competition. After all, this competition is risky; although the prize money is high, the risks are even greater for ordinary people.
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