Chapter 212: Chapter 209: The Mysterious Mission of the Adventure Channel
In the sealed hydrostatic device, a dark green solution surged, and a shadow flickered and was gone as if nothing had happened.
Wang Yongbo had come to join Bi Fang to go to the airport; he was headed to discuss overseas business with MeTube, while Bi Fang was off to participate in the Amy Show. They had arranged to take the same flight. Guided by the housekeeper, Wang Yongbo made his way to the basement and laid eyes on the “swimming pool” that glowed with a dim green light.
“It’s kind of creepy.”
In the silent basement, Wang Yongbo examined the unique pool, puzzled by Bi Fang’s peculiar taste in having such a large “swimming pool” underground. Just as he was about to take a closer look, suddenly, a pale hand slammed against the glass wall!
“Ah!”
Wang Yongbo let out a shriek, stumbling backward as a face slowly emerged from behind the hand in the green solution.
It was Bi Fang.
“Phew, you almost scared me to death.” Recognizing who was in the water, Wang Yongbo almost cursed out loud. If not for the fact that he frequently watched Bi Fang’s live streams, conditioning himself to be fearless, he might have had a heart attack right there!
Bi Fang, floating in the water, showed a smile and gestured with his hand against the glass to wait a moment as he started to depressurize the hydrostatic device.
Ten minutes later, Bi Fang emerged from the water.
“What is this thing?”
“A training device; it’s filled with a medicinal solution that helps relieve fatigue from exercise. Mainly, I use it to adapt to some extreme environments. After returning from scuba diving in Qaidam, I had it custom-made; it just arrived a few days ago.”
Wang Yongbo exclaimed, “You’re this dedicated and not famous? That would be an outrage.”
Wiping himself with a towel, Bi Fang answered with a laugh, “Aren’t I already famous? Could there possibly be any host on Wolf Fang more famous than me?”
Touching the technologically advanced “swimming pool,” Wang Yongbo suddenly asked, “This thing must’ve been expensive, right?”
Pressing his hand against the glass, Bi Fang looked at the green solution inside: “Just in this pool of water, I’ve put in nearly sixty thousand dollars worth of Chinese medicine, good only for twelve hours. So, expensive or not?”
Wang Yongbo’s tongue clicked in astonishment; no wonder people say extreme sports are for the wealthy, with clothing alone costing over a hundred thousand. He was getting a firsthand look at how much money gets burned in this industry.
“What about the matter we discussed last time? Have you thought it over?”
Bi Fang put on his jacket, curious, “The Amy Show? Didn’t I already agree to it?”
“Not that, the one about the Discovery Channel.”
“Oh. That’s fine, I’ve told them. We can collaborate.”
Bi Fang’s schedule had been quite packed over the last few days, with requests for interviews from the Associated Press, Guowen Media, the East Asian Daily, BBC, and many other media outlets all wanting to feature Bi Fang to the point where he had almost forgotten what was most important—the content of his next live stream.
Since he had the option to modify his tasks, Bi Fang was less concerned about the missions issued by the System and therefore took the cooperation invitation from the World Geography Channel more seriously.
They wanted to purchase the TV broadcasting rights for Bi Fang’s live streams.
These broadcasting rights were still with Bi Fang; when he signed the contract with Bilibili last time, he had the foresight to sell only the online video broadcasting rights, which did not include television rights.
Furthermore, the World Explorer Channel also wanted to work with Bi Fang to tailor-make a Wilderness Survivalist program.
This was an excellent opportunity to transition from the web to television.
In the previous world, shows like Bear Grylls’ “Wilderness Survivalist,” Grandpa De’s “Running Wild,” “Survival 1+1,” “Primitive Survival 21 Days,” and many other world-renowned outdoor programs were almost exclusively produced by this TV channel, which also created many high-quality documentaries. It was definitely a powerful TV channel.
Wang Yongbo asked, “Have the specifics been worked out?”
“Not yet, they’re being pretty secretive, even told me not to panic when the time comes.”
Bi Fang scratched his head, marveling that indeed the Explorer Channel knew how to play it cool, maintaining a serious and mysterious demeanor.
Having packed their bags, the two men left the basement.
What Wang Yongbo didn’t see was that inside the dim green hydrostatic device, the red number 51 was slowly darkening.
Before leaving, Bi Fang instructed the cleaning staff he had hired, “Just come to clean every two days. If there’s an issue, you can call me.”
“All right.”
Three days later.
When Bi Fang arrived at the set of the Amy Show, he was surprised to find the studio entrance already packed, surrounded by fans holding support signs. The moment they saw Bi Fang, they screamed excitedly, with the flash of cameras continuously going off and the sound of photography and cheers filling the air.
Having received the news in advance, they had waited for several hours, and they actually saw him in person!
“God Fang, oh my god, I love you!”
“Master Fang! It’s Master Fang!”
“An autograph, can I have an autograph, please?”
“Can I have a hug?”
The female fans screamed crazily as Bi Fang walked on the red carpet, making so much noise the security guards felt their eardrums might burst. If it wasn’t for the barrier of guards and railings, they even suspected these frenzied women would rush forward and tear Bi Fang apart!
Facing the international fans, Bi Fang smiled and took their notebooks, signing them one by one. A very few even grabbed his hand and refused to let go, but luckily he was strong enough to pull away.
As Bi Fang passed by a teenager about Étienne’s age, he paused and curiously asked, “What’s your name?”
“Who? Me? My name is Peter, Peter Parker!” A blushing and excited Peter, completely incredulous that his idol was actually asking for his name, handed over his notebook.
“I’m such a fan. I really admire you so much; you are the greatest explorer of this century, no, the greatest in history. I dream of becoming someone like you. I want to be brave, strong, and powerful too.” Once his idol prompted him, Peter’s floodgates of words burst open. “Can you teach me how you train? You looked so cool when you fought four guys at once. Is it Huaxia kung fu?”
“Yes, it is Huaxia kung fu. But if you want to become as strong as me, there’s something I must tell you,” Bi Fang said with a smile. He stylishly signed his Chinese name, specially adding a Chinese phrase afterward, then propped the pen in the notebook and handed it back to Peter, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
After speaking, Bi Fang turned and entered the studio, leaving Peter holding the notebook, pondering intently.
“With great power comes great responsibility?”
Peter kept mulling over these words, finding them increasingly meaningful, as though it was his destiny to live by them.
Could this be the reason why God Fang is willing to migrate geese?
Incredible!
Inside the studio, a slightly chubby-faced Amy in a suit was eagerly awaiting Bi Fang’s arrival. As soon as he appeared, he came forward with a big hug.
“God Fang! I actually met you in person, it’s unbelievable—dude, I’m in the presence of a living legend!”
“A living legend? You’re exaggerating. I’m just a man with an adventurous hobby,” Bi Fang responded with a laugh.
“No, not an exaggeration at all,” Amy released Bi Fang. “You have no idea how legendary the things you do are. You know what my reaction was when I heard someone was going to pilot a hang glider and lead a flock of geese across Europe? Madman! A complete madman.”
Amy’s expression was animated: “Only a god could accomplish that, so you’re God Fang. That nickname is so fitting, especially after I watched all your videos. My God, I’ve never interviewed a hero like you.”
Bi Fang responded courteously to Amy’s praise: “Your talk show is also impressive; it’s known worldwide and is definitely one of the most successful shows I’ve seen. I believe the sole reason is because you, and not someone else, are the host.”
The director, watching the mutual business flattery, couldn’t help interrupting, “Sorry to cut in, but it’s six o’clock now. We need to start shooting officially at eight, so we should start preparing as soon as possible.”
“Oh, right, you see I got so excited I forgot about that,” Amy said with a slight smile, turning to Bi Fang, “So, before we begin the official recording, there are a few things I’d like to ask Mr. Bi. Is there anything I shouldn’t mention, like your past experiences? Or anything else?”
Bi Fang pondered for a moment before shaking his head, “No, if there’s something you want to ask, then just go ahead and ask.”
“Okay, after the show finishes, if there’s anything impolite, we can cut it out. Also, we’ve prepared a little game; have a look and see if it’s suitable. If it’s not, we can make changes.”
Amy nodded, pulling Bi Fang to the front of the stage, and began explaining some key points about the broadcast, as well as the schedule. They ran through a rehearsal to ensure that there would be no surprises during the show.
After seven o’clock, the audience gradually arrived.
By eight o’clock, the show officially began.