"Here there is no politeness, no consolation. Only the most rigorous tests and the most direct eliminations. You have seven days to prove you deserve a place in the true wilderness and a shot at the one‑million‑dollar prize."
The chief instructor scanned the candidates. "During these seven days you will face comprehensive assessments of physical fitness, skills, and psychology. There will be eliminations after each assessment. We don't want theorists or armchair survivalists; we want tough, practical people who can survive in extreme conditions. Put down your gear. The first test, timed shelter construction, starts now."
The candidates were led to a forest clearing and each issued a single multipurpose survival knife and a length of paracord. Their task was to build a one‑person shelter within three hours using only natural materials that would resist cold nights and possible rain.
Many well‑prepared contestants scattered quickly, cutting branches and choosing sites. Lin Yu'an held back for a moment, studying terrain, wind direction, and tree species. The site had many pine and birch trees and slightly damp ground. He selected a sheltered, slightly elevated spot with several moderately thick fallen trunks nearby.
Most built quick A‑frame or lean‑to shelters, but Lin Yu'an took a different approach. He remembered a semi‑subterranean dugout technique used in guerrilla warfare and traditional rural shelters. Though true digging would be impractical without tools, he exploited a natural depression beside fallen logs and a gentle slope. He sharpened thick branches into support poles, arranged a semicircular frame using logs and earth, and layered the interior with dry pine needles and birch bark for insulation and moisture resistance.
His motions were efficient rather than frantic. Rather than simply covering with leaves, he wove a fence‑like lattice of flexible branches, stuffed it with pine needles, hay, and moss, then overlaid large birch bark pieces and lashed them with paracord. The wall became thick, warm, and breathable. The entrance was deliberately small and cleverly obscured by vegetation, making the shelter blend with the surroundings.
"Hey, Asian kid, building a rat hole?" a tall, bearded man who had withdrawn last season jeered. He had returned determined this year. Lin Yu'an ignored him and, in a brief flash of defiance, raised a middle finger before returning to work. The man scowled but the cameras rolled on.
Three hours later the whistle blew. Rick Hawke inspected shelters. Some candidates' structures were unstable, others leaked, and several offered poor rain protection. When Rick reached Lin Yu'an's small, inconspicuous hideout he frowned, then crouched to examine the layered construction. Surprise crossed his face as he patted the thick wall.
"Your shelter stays dry. Interesting. Explain your thinking," Rick said.
Lin Yu'an calmly described his modified semi‑subterranean design and how he used terrain, fallen logs, and a multi‑layer infill for insulation, wind resistance, and concealment. Rick asked if the method was inspired by Chinese semi‑subterranean shelters. Lin Yu'an nodded, explaining it drew on traditional techniques passed down through wartime and rural practices. Rick hesitated, glanced at the director, then nodded thoughtfully and moved on.
After the first assessment five contestants were eliminated for failing structural or waterproofing standards. Lin Yu'an passed comfortably thanks to his practical design. The bearded man who mocked him nearly failed because of a leak.
Over the following days the evaluations intensified. In the primitive fire test Lin Yu'an demonstrated patience and technique. He produced fire by bow drill, then used a magnesium striker to relight tinder, completing the task in three minutes. His consistency and speed earned impressed looks.
For water procurement many contestants improvised filters using charcoal and socks or boiled water in small pots. Lin Yu'an pioneered a straightforward method: he filled a food‑grade plastic bag with water and suspended it over a low fire, using solar and conduction heating to purify it. Because polyethylene and similar plastics melt around 120 °C, the water would evaporate before the bag burned if heated carefully. As the first to use this approach, he received extra credit; others who later copied it earned only passing marks.
The final assessment combined navigation and foraging. Contestants received a simple map and compass and had to locate three hidden markers in unfamiliar mountain forest within a time limit, collecting designated survival supplies along the route. Many rushed off without checking equipment; some discovered their compasses were unreliable or misread the map and quickly lost their bearings.
Lin Yu'an spent several preparatory minutes checking his compass, studying the map, and memorizing key terrain features such as contour lines and the river's direction. He noticed the organizers' map was deliberately imprecise. Adapting quickly, he used local landmarks and careful observation to find the first marker methodically. His score placed him among the top performers.
By the end of the initial phase the training camp had weeded out weaker candidates, leaving a smaller group of capable, focused contestants ready for more demanding tests.