King of the Wilderness-Chapter 80 - 79: Return to the Civilized World
At the moment he saw Aliya, all his calmness, determination, and composure gradually dissolved.
He suddenly stood up, spread his arms, and embraced Aliya tightly, greedily breathing in that familiar and reassuring scent.
Aliya also hugged him tightly in return.
Both of them had slightly reddened eyes, yet surprisingly did not shed any tears.
All the longing, all the hardships, all the victories, in that moment, transformed into this silent embrace.
Michelle King and the rest of the staff smiled, quietly watching this warm scene from the side, without interrupting.
They faithfully recorded this moment, the most heartwarming and complete ending in the history of "Alone in the Wilderness."
After the emotions had calmed a little, Lin Yu’an started organizing his belongings on this land.
This was more than just packing; it was a farewell ceremony for the ninety-two days of arduous survival.
He folded the soft deer hide and the stiff bear skin.
He put the hunter’s hat he made for himself on his head, then placed another hat he made for Aliya on her head with his own hands.
That fishing rod made of Pacific Yew wood, the homemade oil saw chain hand saw, several rough yet practical pottery jars, and the bark map covered with various markings...
Also the fired clay bricks, a pair of antlers, handmade utensils—each item was chosen as if it were a treasured souvenir and packed away carefully.
"Lin, these bear meats... do you need us to help pack them?" Michelle King asked kindly.
Lin Yu’an was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
He walked to the bear’s carcass, selected the finest pieces of already-cut fresh meat and some of the smoked jerky, about a dozen kilograms, and wrapped them in waterproof oilcloth.
"These are enough for me to take back and share with my family. As for the rest..."
He looked up, gazing at the forest not far away where the little foxes often roamed, with a hint of complex emotions in his eyes.
"On this land, solitude is not exclusive to humans. They’re clever and working hard to learn survival. This winter is equally harsh for them."
"Now that I’m leaving, I’ll leave the rest of the bear meat here."
"I hope that little guy finds this gift. I hope this food helps it safely pass through this harsh winter."
He moved a large amount of bear meat and bear fat to a pile of stones near his shelter.
This was a surprising yet sensible decision, to forgo readily available massive food supplies and leave them as a gift to this land.
This act made all the staff present feel an even deeper respect for Lin Yu’an.
When Lin Yu’an had packed all the "trophies" he decided to take away and loaded them onto the helicopter, the crew began their finishing work.
They dismantled the stone house and did their best to restore the area to its original state.
"Alright, Lin, Aliya, it’s time to go home." Michelle said with a smile.
Lin Yu’an took one last, deep look at this land he had battled and conquered, then took Aliya’s hand and boarded the enormous Bell helicopter.
As the helicopter’s rotor blades thundered to life once more, the magnificent snowy mountains and dark green forests by Chilco Lake grew smaller in their view.
The entire wilderness returned to silence, as if no one had ever been there.
Long after, a fiery red little fox cautiously emerged from the bushes.
It sniffed carefully at the old site of Lin Yu’an’s shelter, finally discovering the pile of bear meat and fat.
Its eyes were filled with indescribable emotions, sitting like a puppy next to the pile of bear meat, looking up in the direction where the helicopter disappeared...
The helicopter carrying Lin Yu’an did not directly fly to a major city.
Instead, it first took them to a small airport in the inland of British Columbia Province—Williams Lake Airport.
There, Lin Yu’an, in accordance with Canadian regulations, handed over the bear skins and deer hides to the relevant personnel for tanning, to conform with local laws.
Afterwards, he and Aliya bid farewell to most of the filming crew and transferred to a passenger plane heading to Seattle.
In the VIP lounge of Williams Lake Airport, the chief director Mark Johnson personally met them.
He hugged Lin Yu’an tightly and solemnly handed him a check that had been prepared a long time ago.
Mark said, "Lin, this is your glory! One million US dollars! Post-tax. We’ve already handled all the tax issues, this is what you deserve."
"Also, regarding that reality show’s recommendation, you need to consider it soon. They’ll assist you with follow-up matters."
Lin Yu’an took the check, light yet heavy, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
"No problem, Mark, I’ll give you a definite answer soon."
"If nothing unexpected happens, I’m likely to participate in that show, though there may be a lot I still need to understand."
After a bit more small talk, Mark returned to Los Angeles on the program crew’s private plane.
The passenger plane carrying Lin Yu’an soon also took off from Williams Lake Airport, heading south, eventually landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington State, USA.
Seattle is one of the largest American medical centers closest to Chilco Lake.
In accordance with the program’s regulations and principles for competitor health, all contestants undergo a two-day comprehensive health check at this hospital after leaving the wilderness.
Lin Yu’an’s examination results showed that although he lost nearly ten kilograms, all of his physiological indicators were very healthy.
His body fat content was very low, clearly showing the outlines of his muscles, with muscle quality even higher than before the competition.
The doctors attributed all this to his long-term intake of high-protein natural food and continuous high-intensity labor in the wilderness.
But Lin Yu’an knew in his heart that the Golden Finger Space undoubtedly contributed to his improved muscle quality.
It was the ninety-fifth day.
After confirming his health was intact, Lin Yu’an finally embarked on the last leg of his journey home.
A commercial flight departing from Seattle flew for several hours, smoothly landing at Texas’ Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
A black taxi carried them and the belongings brought from the wilderness through familiar streets, finally stopping in front of their cozy apartment building.
Opening the door, seeing the familiar arrangement inside and the city lights outside the window, Lin Yu’an felt a sense of being in a different world.
Lin Yu’an put down the luggage, then from behind, tightly embraced Aliya once more.
