Chapter 78: Chapter 77: Medical Team Arrives

Day eighty-seven has arrived.

The harsh winter at the Chilco Lakefront has mercilessly demonstrated its power.

Several days of overcast weather and snowfall have made the whole world seem dark and oppressive.

Outside Clay Jenkins’ cabin shelter, the stinging net in which he once had high hopes has yielded no harvest for three days.

Today, even the net that had performed heroically for him is thoroughly frozen by the lakeside. He has completely lost a source of food supply.

For now, he can barely fish, but as the bait sinks into the freezing lake water, not a single tremor is felt.

His supply of venison jerky is down to the last few pieces, and the smoked fish is also nearly depleted.

Yet this is not the worst of it.

What is more terrifying is the mental exhaustion and the magnified sense of loneliness, along with the longing for family.

He has now lost the desire to actively explore, with his daily activities confined to the short hundred meters between the shelter and the ice fishing hole.

He no longer talks to the camera, only silently and mechanically repeating the bare necessities for survival—adding wood, melting snow, cooking jerky, waiting.

At midday, the familiar roar of a helicopter broke the land’s dead silence as it approached from afar.

It was the routine medical inspection helicopter from the show.

Clay slowly walked out of the cabin, watching the helicopter land on the snow not far away.

He did not tidy himself up as usual, just stood there quietly, with a look of near-catatonic calm in his eyes.

Safety supervisor David and accompanying physician Dr. Anderson jumped out of the cabin, quickly walking toward him.

“Clay, how do you feel?”

David looked at his obviously thinner and slightly haggard face and asked with concern.

Clay simply shook his head, saying nothing.

Dr. Anderson immediately opened his medical kit and began a series of physical examinations for Clay.

He measured Clay’s blood pressure, heart rate, checked his weight loss, and drew a small tube of blood for rapid health index analysis.

The examination results were far from optimistic.

Dr. Anderson’s expression was extraordinarily serious as he showed Clay the data on the tablet.

“Clay, your weight has dropped by over 30%, your blood pressure is low, and your heart rate is unstable.”

“More importantly, your blood tests indicate that several crucial trace elements and glucose levels are below safe values.”

“This can easily lead to problems in your mental state, and your body is starting to ’consume’ itself.”

He paused, speaking in a heavy tone: “Medically speaking, your physical condition is already very poor now; if this continues, it could cause irreversible damage to your overall body functions.”

“Clay, the aim of ’Alone in the Wilderness’ is to challenge limits, but never at the cost of life!”

“As the program’s medical director, I must be responsible for your health. I strongly urge you to end this challenge immediately.”

Clay listened quietly, without retorting. He knew Dr. Anderson was stating facts.

He could clearly feel his body’s weakness; every time he stood up, he felt dizzy, and hunger and cold kept him awake at night.

Clay was silent for a long time, his gaze directed at the distant snow-covered mountains, seemingly making a final struggle.

He was a proud hunter, a tough Marine reconnaissance soldier, never imagined to end this way.

Ultimately, he nodded heavily, his voice hoarse as he spoke: “I…I accept this outcome.”

The moment he uttered this decision, he seemed to be completely drained of strength. A great, silent sense of loss flooded over him!

He raised his head to look at David, asking the last and most concerning question on his mind.

“Who else…who else is still persisting?”

“Is it Ron? That old soldier?”

In his view, only someone with Ron’s resolute will, a retired veteran, could possibly persist alongside him until now.

David and Anderson exchanged a glance, seeing a hint of complex emotion in each other’s eyes.

David stepped forward, gently patting Clay’s shoulder, his tone full of respect.

“No, Clay. Ron withdrew around seventy days.”

Looking at Clay’s bewildered eyes, he decided to let him know that his loss was not so bad.

“Clay, there is still one person holding on. It’s Lin, that young man from China.”

“Lin?”

Surprise flickered in Clay’s eyes.

In his vague recollection, he was a university student “not doing his proper duty.”

David continued: “Moreover… not long after you hunted the black-tailed deer, around the fortieth day, he successfully hunted a larger mule deer.”

This news made Clay’s pupils slightly contract! He too hunted a deer?

However, what David said next was the true shock like a thunderclap in Clay’s mind!

“And that isn’t all. About two weeks ago, on the seventy-third day…”

“Lin… by himself, using a bow and arrow, fought and successfully hunted a full-grown American Black Bear.”

“What!”

Clay jerked his head up, his face, which appeared numb due to weakness, finally showed disbelief and extreme shock!

He even wondered if he was hallucinating due to hunger.

Lin… hunted a full-grown black bear!

Being a top hunting guide himself, he knew better than anyone that without a gun, completing such a feat alone in this wilderness requires terrifying skills, courage, and luck!

That has surpassed ordinary hunting; it was a genuine life-and-death battle!

Only those who have survived on this land can truly understand the difficulty and danger!

Clay was too shocked to speak. In his mind appeared that young, seemingly somewhat delicate face of the Easterner, unable to connect him with the bear-hunting warrior.

At this moment, all dissatisfaction and loss were instantly replaced by a more complex emotion—that was inner admiration for a stronger competitor!

He lost, but lost convincingly.

Clay slowly exhaled, the pride and pressure always weighing on him as the leader, dissipated completely at this moment.

A wry yet relieved smile appeared on his face, realizing he, Clay, had always been the pursuer! This performance is enough to make him proud!

He murmured to himself, “Black Bear…that young lad…He really is a strong one.”

Clay looked at David again, no longer confused, instead with a hint of curiosity and anticipation.

He sincerely said, “If I have the chance, I really want… want to meet him, I want to know how he did it.”

Amidst the loud roar of the helicopter’s rotor, he was slowly hoisted up and placed into the warm cabin.

After speaking, he took one last glance at the land where he fought for eighty-seven days, heading toward the helicopter that could return him to the civilized world.

As the helicopter slowly ascended, he took one last look at the scene below through the cabin window.

White snow, forest, Ice River… everything seemed so distant, so unreal.

A strong man has retired…while another new legend is alone in this frozen wilderness, awaiting the final crown!

————

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