HUN Chapter 139: The Invitation to "Alone: Frozen Throne"

After completing the dog training journey, Lin Yu'an's attention once again returned to the massive wooden cabin that now stood tall among the trees.

Having worked hard all day, Lin Yu'an carefully washed his face and changed into a clean T-shirt before sitting down at the temporarily assembled wooden table.

Just as he was resting for a moment, preparing to tidy up the cabin, his satellite phone rarely rang.

"Hello, is this Mr. Lin Yu'an?" came an energetic voice with a standard American accent from the other end.

"Yes, it is." Lin Yu'an wiped his hands, somewhat puzzled.

"Excellent! Lin, this is Mark. How are you doing, buddy?"

Hearing this name, a slight smile curved Lin Yu'an's lips. He certainly remembered Mark Johnson, the producer of the "Alone" program.

"Mark, I'm doing well. How about you? Still in that steel jungle of New York?" Lin Yu'an leaned against the window, his tone relaxed and teasing.

"Haha, no choice there. Someone has to sit in the office so the world can see the stories of wilderness warriors like you guys."

Mark laughed heartily, his voice carrying the familiarity of an old friend.

"I've seen the first batch of footage from 'Life Below Zero,' and it's absolutely fantastic! Your life in Alaska is even more exciting than I imagined!"

"Seriously, the story of you and those neighbors has the potential to become the next legend!"

"Thank you, we're just living our lives."

"By the way, how are you feeling now? I mean, you've been filming 'Life Below Zero' for almost half a year now. Are you still adjusting well?" Mark asked with concern.

"Everything's great, thank you for introducing me to Richard back then."

Lin Yu'an looked out at the land through the window and said, "This is exactly the life I wanted. David and Mike from the production crew are also very professional, and we work together very well."

The two chatted about recent developments for a while before Mark changed the subject to the main point.

His tone became serious, “Lin, actually, besides checking in on you, I called today about something more important."

"I'm calling on behalf of the History Channel to invite you to participate in a brand new challenge!"

Mark paused, seemingly building atmosphere, then said word by word, “We're about to launch a special spin-off series of 'Alone'!"

"'Alone: Frozen Throne'"

Mark emphasized, “It's not a regular series, but a battle of champions! We don't accept open applications, invitation only."

"The most special rule of this show is deployment in winter! We expect to officially start competition in early November!"

"Anyone who can survive 50 days on the Labrador coastline will share a total prize pool of $500,000!"

Five hundred thousand dollars, that was a huge temptation for anyone.

But Lin Yu'an's mind was calm at this moment. This money held far less appeal than the satisfaction he gained from building his homestead with his own hands on this land in Wiseman.

Mark continued, “We've drafted an invitation list of six contestants total, all the most beloved figures from past seasons of 'Alone'!"

He seemed able to guess what Lin Yu'an was thinking, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

"Of course, our initial goal was to invite all champion contestants like you."

"But honestly, we hit walls. Roland from Season 7 said he'd already proven everything and didn't want to starve again."

"Jordan from Season 6 said he'd rather spend time with his family. We respect their choices, perhaps they don't want to experience that hell-like ordeal again."

"Or maybe champion contestants want to forever maintain the legends they've created, afraid of being broken in a new challenge."

"Lin, you're the last champion contestant we're contacting! We truly hope you can become the cornerstone of this 'Frozen Throne.'"

After hearing Mark's explanation, Lin Yu'an fell into contemplation, rapidly evaluating in his mind.

Go, or not go?

His first reaction was to refuse, he no longer needed to fight desperately for money or fame.

But the extreme cold challenge of the Frozen Throne was like a spark that ignited the fire that had never been extinguished deep in his heart.

He craved the feeling of competing on the same stage with those masters, craved testing his limits again in even harsher environments!

But practical problems lay before him. He carefully evaluated the timing.

Mark said deployment would be in early November, with a competition period of at least fifty days, meaning he would miss all of November and December.

And during that time, Alaska would already be locked in by heavy snow, the most critical filming period for "Life Below Zero."

As one of the main characters, he couldn't possibly leave at this time.

Lin Yu'an finally spoke, his voice calm and clear, “Mark, your proposal is very attractive. I like this feeling of confronting nature and competing with masters."

"But timing is a big problem for me. November through December is the most important filming period for me in 'Life Below Zero.' I can't be in two places at once."

Mark seemed to have anticipated this question, this was also why they had saved him for last, as there were many aspects that needed coordination.

He immediately provided a solution, “Lin, just having you interested is fantastic! You don't need to worry about the timing issue at all. As long as you nod yes, leave the rest to me!"

His tone was full of confidence, “I'll personally communicate with Richard. He's been a good friend of mine for years, and I was the one who strongly recommended you to him initially."

"I believe he'll understand. We can completely adjust your filming schedule to leave you this fifty-day window."

"As long as we can make this 'battle of champions' happen, he'll be willing to give us the green light!"

With the biggest concern resolved, Lin Yu'an's mind became completely active. He then presented his core requirement.

"Mark, since this is a battle of champions, I don't want to play house with a bunch of rookies."

Lin Yu'an's tone became formal, “I don't want one of these six people to be someone who only lasted 8 days and quit crying because they missed home."

"If they're all at that level, then for me it's not a challenge, it's an insult! I hope you understand."

"I understand! I completely understand!" Mark immediately said.

"That's exactly why I need you to join! I guarantee we'll match you with the strongest opponents!"

Lin Yu'an mentioned a name, “Clay from Season 8. I hope you can invite him. I really admire his abilities."

"He's a top-tier archer who just had bad luck, but he absolutely has championship-level skills."

"I hope I can have another fair competition with him in the wilderness!"

"For the others, your production team can arrange as you see fit, but I hope you can guarantee their average skill level."

Mark excitedly agreed, “No problem! Lin, your suggestion is fantastic! We'll contact Clay immediately!"

That evening, Mark called again, bringing both good news and bad news.

"Lin, I regret to inform you that Clay declined our invitation." Mark's tone was full of regret.

"We talked with him for a long time, but he said the Season 8 experience left him physically and mentally exhausted. He doesn't want to go through that feeling again, it was too extreme."

"And when he heard you were participating and had specifically invited him along, he refused even more firmly. He said you're someone with both skill and luck combined, and he'd prefer to be a teammate rather than an opponent."

Lin Yu'an was somewhat surprised by this, but he could understand Clay's choice.

"However," Mark changed his tone.

"We found you another equally strong opponent, a true female warrior. The Season 6 runner-up, Woniya Thibeault, has accepted the invitation!"

Woniya! This name made Lin Yu'an's eyes immediately light up with interest.

He certainly remembered her, that woman who lived alone for 73 days on the edge of the Arctic Circle. Her resilience and creativity had won everyone's respect.

Lin Yu'an said concisely, “Very good. With Woniya there, this duel will have sufficient substance."

"Fantastic!" Mark's voice sounded like he'd just closed a huge deal.

"So, Lin, for the final details, our deployment time is set for November 3rd. This means the moment you land, you'll face Labrador's early winter."

"Temperatures will drop rapidly, heavy snow could arrive at any time," and you'll have no adaptation period, you'll go directly into 'Frozen Throne' survival mode!"

"I have no problem with that."

"Oh, and Lin, this show is still in the confidential stage. We hope you can help us keep it secret."

"This series may have a very long production cycle, not as quick as the regular 'Alone' series."

"So you should have a psychological expectation about the broadcast time, if all goes well, it will likely air as early as next May."

Lin Yu'an was silent for a moment before saying, “I understand, Mark, but I still want to emphasize, no scripts. This condition needs to be clearly written into the contract."

"Of course, Lin, this spin-off series will be absolutely zero script! Don't worry!"

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while longer, finalizing some cooperation details, before ending the call.

Lin Yu'an had accepted Mark's invitation. He still needed to tell Aliya about his decision.

He opened his laptop and skillfully connected to the Starlink network provided by the white flat antenna on the roof.

He clicked on the video calling software and dialed Aliya's number.

The call was answered almost instantly.

Aliya's face immediately appeared on screen, wearing a gentle smile.

Thanks to Starlink's high-speed stable network, the image had no delay or lag, as if she were sitting right across from him.

"Hi, darling."

Aliya's voice came through the computer, clear and warm, without any static. Her background was the bright afternoon sunlight of Montana.

"Hi." Lin Yu'an's face also showed a gentle smile.

He picked up the laptop, adjusted the angle, and fully presented the wooden cabin bathed in the evening glow behind him.

"Look at our home, it's growing bigger every day."

"Wow! It looks amazing! Those wood colors are so beautiful in the sunset."

Aliya on screen exclaimed with genuine admiration. She leaned closer to the screen, the high-definition quality allowing her to clearly see the beautiful grain patterns on the logs.

"It's still waiting for its mistress to arrive." Lin Yu'an's romantic words flowed naturally yet with complete sincerity.

Aliya's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes sparkling with the light of happiness.

"Speaking of which, you'll never guess what I was doing this afternoon! Look!"

She skillfully operated her phone, sharing her screen to Lin Yu'an's computer. An extremely professional and beautiful 3D interior design rendering immediately appeared.

"Ta-da! I communicated with the designer for a long time and finally finalized the blueprint for our home!"

Lin Yu'an was immediately captivated, unconsciously leaning forward.

It was a style he really loved, modern Scandinavian minimalism that perfectly merged the ruggedness of raw wood with the simplicity of contemporary design.

"Quick, start with the first floor and give me a tour of our new home." Lin Yu'an urged like a child eager to unwrap a gift.

Aliya laughed on the video, her finger sliding across her phone screen.

"Alright, sir Welcome to your kingdom First is the first floor, which I designed as a completely open, transparent space."

The living area occupied the largest space. The centerpiece of the rendering was a massive fireplace built with deep gray natural slate.

Rising from floor to the second-floor vaulted ceiling, it radiated primitive yet solid strength.

In front of the fireplace were modern beige fabric sofas and a heavy coffee table made from a single piece of wood.

"I specifically asked the designer to make this fireplace big enough, imposing enough."

"I know you love fireplaces, they're the heart of a home! I imagine winter nights when our whole family gathers here, firelight illuminating everyone's faces. How warm that would be."

"I love this design. I plan to personally collect the stones." Lin Yu'an looked at the screen design, already thinking about implementation plans.

"I knew you'd like it." Aliya on screen smiled, continuing to move the view.

The kitchen and dining room seamlessly connected with the living room. The kitchen was open-concept with a huge island, topped with durable black matte stone.

The cabinets had a simple handleless design in stable deep gray, forming perfect warm-cool contrast with the warm wood walls.

A long solid wood dining table that could seat more than ten people sat quietly by the window, with endless forest visible outside.

"This table is big enough so when the whole family comes over, we can all sit together." Aliya's voice was full of anticipation for a lively future life.

The master bedroom suite was located in the quietest east side of the first floor. Aliya had specially designed an independent walk-in closet and spacious bathroom with separate bathtub and shower.

Aliya explained seriously in the video, “We also need a space that belongs to us, that's private. After a busy day, I want you to be able to completely relax here!"

"Look, this bathtub, I chose an extra deep and long model, big enough for both of us."

After saying this, her playful voice came through the speakers. Seeing her winking at the camera, Lin Yu'an's Adam's apple unconsciously bobbed as he could already imagine that scene.

Aliya switched the view to upstairs, “The second floor, in the future this will be the children's domain."

Two independent bedrooms were neatly arranged, each room having large south-facing windows ensuring abundant sunlight.

The second floor's common area was a comfortable family activity room with an L-shaped corner sofa and a huge bookshelf covering an entire wall.

Finally, Aliya pulled the view to the top floor.

This was a small world that would temporarily belong entirely to Lin Yu'an. Half was his workshop, the rendering showed professional computer equipment and a huge worktable where he could edit videos and study blueprints.

The other half was an incredibly dreamy stargazing platform, with huge angled skylights facing directly toward the pure northern sky.

Aliya's voice became incredibly gentle, “When the aurora erupts, you can hold me in the warmest room, say nothing, and just quietly watch that sky full of aurora until dawn."

Looking at this design filled with ingenuity and love, Lin Yu'an's heart was completely filled with unprecedented satisfaction and anticipation for the future.

This was no longer a cold design drawing, but a preview of every happy moment of his future life!

"Aliya... thank you. It's even more perfect than I imagined."

"Silly, this is our home. I just drew it out."

"I miss you so much, and the children too." Lin Yu'an looked at his beloved's clear face on screen, not hiding the longing in his heart.

"Every day I imagine what it will be like when you come here, imagining the children chasing Whiskey on the grass, imagining you preparing dinner for us in the kitchen."

"We feel the same way, counting down the days until we go to Alaska every day." Aliya's voice carried a hint of emotion.

"So hurry up and finish building our home, my hero. We're waiting for you."

"I promise." Lin Yu'an nodded firmly.

This promise was the most steadfast belief in his heart at this moment!

The two gazed quietly at each other through the video for a moment, the warm silence full of unspoken love.

Lin Yu'an knew it was time to discuss that serious matter.

"Aliya."

He cleared his throat, his tone becoming somewhat solemn, “There's something else I need to tell you."

Aliya on screen asked with concern, “What is it, darling? Did you run into some trouble?"

"No, it's not trouble."

"This afternoon, I got a call from Mark, the producer from 'Alone.'"

"Mark?" Aliya obviously remembered the name too.

"What did he want with you?"

"He invited me to participate in a new show called 'Alone: Frozen Throne', a 'battle of champions' inviting legendary contestants from past seasons."

Lin Yu'an quickly and concisely recounted to Aliya the show's rules, location, and timing.

As he spoke, Aliya's brow gradually furrowed.

When she heard the competition location was the Labrador coastline and deployment time was early November in harsh winter, the worry in her eyes almost spilled from the screen.

"Labrador? November?" Aliya's voice unconsciously rose.

"The winters there are even colder than Chilko Lake! You want to go alone to that kind of place for fifty days? No, this is too dangerous!"

Her first reaction was undisguised worry, not about anything else, but purely concern for his safety.

She had experienced the torment of Lin Yu'an's competition participation, spending every day in prayer. She didn't want to go through that again!

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