American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 92 Arc'teryx Brand Friends

Lin Yu'an learned at an astonishing speed, and soon he was able to master the techniques taught by Earl and form his own shooting style.

At the end of the final training session, Earl handed Lin Yu'an a heavy, long plastic box containing a high-magnification sniper rifle scope with an adjustable stand!
Earl said casually, “That old man Hope doesn’t like drilling holes in his artwork, but you need this.”

"I've already asked him to prepare the installation interface. Figure out how to calibrate it yourself. Consider this my graduation gift to you."

"It's a pity you're not an American. You're incredibly talented! Otherwise, I would definitely recommend you for the U.S. Marine Corps."

"Fortunately, your ambition lies in the wilderness. Remember, don't waste your talent; you're a born sniper!"

Lin Yu'an looked at the scope in his hand, then at Earl's weathered face. The last person to appreciate him was Principal Li, and he couldn't help but feel a little sad.

He didn't say thank you to Earl, but simply hugged him and nodded emphatically.

A few days after receiving the Winchester M70, Lin Yu-an and the Bilibili operations team recounted their previous Texas farm hunt.

It was carefully edited into a 20-minute video titled "Back to Civilized World! I Shoot Wild Boars in Texas!"

This video stands in stark contrast to the previous extreme survival experience at Lake Chirko.

The scene is no longer one of loneliness and struggle, but rather one filled with the Texas sunshine, the cowboy's passion, the hound's bravery, and the hunting spirit of teamwork.

Lin Yu'an's professional technical exchanges with the veteran hunters, and his carefree attitude as he sat around the campfire with everyone, enjoying roasted pork chops and ice-cold beer, all showcased the life that netizens yearn for.

In particular, the Arc'teryx hard-shell jacket he wore throughout the trip demonstrated its outstanding performance in the variable Texas environment, whether it was the morning dew or the scratches from the bushes.

The iconic Archaeopteryx fossil logo stands out prominently under high-definition lenses.

The video, once released, once again ignited a frenzy on Bilibili.

The video garnered over 30 million views in just one day, with the barrage and comment sections overflowing with enthusiastic support from fans.

[Wow! Ange looks so handsome! That outfit, that compound bow, he's even more handsome than Hawkeye!]

This is life! Hunting dogs, barbecue, beer! It's making my blood boil!

[Uncle's Arc'teryx outfit is so stylish! I've already ordered the same one! Even though I'm just walking the dog in the park downstairs, I can't lose in terms of presence!]

[Newbie question! Are compound bows really suitable for hunting in the wild? Won't they break easily?]

Am I the only one who noticed that Ango said he was raised by Vietnam War veterans?

[I noticed that too! It turns out Principal Li is a veteran who has seen combat! Indeed! You can unconditionally trust Chinese soldiers!]

The video's phenomenal popularity and Lin Yu-an's image immediately attracted the attention of Arc'teryx.

For top outdoor brands like Arc'teryx, the spokespeople or partners they seek are not just celebrities with high online popularity.

Instead, it requires impeccable outdoor professionalism and an image that is highly consistent with the brand's spirit.

A week later, Lao Mao, the operations director of Bilibili, called me via video call, his tone filled with barely concealed excitement.

"Uncle! This is fantastic news! Arc'teryx's Canadian headquarters has officially extended an invitation to you for a brand ambassadorship through our Bilibili business channels!"

"They are very satisfied with your image and temperament, and your influence in the wilderness and outdoor community has also shown them huge commercial potential!"

Lin Yu'an calmly asked, "What are their intentions for cooperation?"

"It's not very clear yet, but their only requirement is that if you do outdoor shooting in the future, you will need to wear the outdoor equipment they sponsor."

"It sounds good, but I need to speak directly with their manager to confirm a lot of details."

"Okay, then I'll arrange a meeting."

Soon after, a high-level online meeting was held on schedule.

On one end of the video is Lin Yu'an, who is sitting calmly in the study of his apartment.

On the other end is the core team of Arc'teryx's Canadian marketing department.

The brand's representative was a brand director named Katherine Walker, who appeared to be around forty years old.

After a simple yet professional opening, Catherine spoke first, her voice clear, powerful, and full of confidence.

"Mr. Herman, please allow me, on behalf of Arc'teryx, to express my highest respect for your exceptional abilities and resilience demonstrated in 'Solo in the Wilderness'."

"Your 'farm hunt' was fantastic!"

"Especially the image of chasing wild boars while wearing the Alfa SV jacket perfectly embodies our brand philosophy—pursuing peak performance in harsh environments!"

Catherine did not rush to discuss cooperation matters, but first gave Lin Yu'an the highest recognition.

"We also learned that you turned off the tipping function during your first live stream on Bilibili. You value long-term reputation more than short-term traffic monetization."

"This also coincides with our brand management philosophy of Arc'teryx, which never engages in large-scale advertising blitzes, but relies on the hard power of our products and serving our core user group well."

These words surprised Lin Yu'an; he hadn't expected the other party to have conducted such a thorough background check.

Catherine continued, "So, what we want to talk about today isn't a simple product promotion, but a long-term brand partnership." Lin Yu'an nodded, signaling her to continue.

Catherine pulled up a beautifully designed PowerPoint presentation and said, "Our initial collaboration proposal is a one-year brand ambassador contract with an endorsement fee of $500,000."

"In addition to that, and what we consider even more important is comprehensive equipment support."

She switched to the next page, which displayed images of the highest-end equipment from the entire Archaeopteryx series.

"From the moment you become our friend, you will receive our latest products every quarter."

At this point, the product technical consultant interjected, "We hope you can become our product's 'ultimate tester'."

"You will be conducting firsthand user testing of our product in the harshest environments."

"The data you provide will be compared with the data from the laboratory to improve the most valuable data for the research and development of the next generation of products."

These words completely moved Lin Yu'an.

This is no longer a simple "Party A" and "Party B", but a cooperative relationship of mutual benefit.

He pondered for a moment and then raised his core question: "Ms. Catherine, I am honored to receive such a generous invitation to cooperate."

"But I'd like to know what specific obligations I'll have in this collaboration? For example, how many print ads will I need to shoot for the brand each year? How much product exposure and voiceover will I need in the videos?"

This is the most sensitive part of all business collaborations.

Catherine smiled and gave him an answer that surprised him once again.

“Mr. Herman, we have almost no ‘hard’ obligations to you. We don’t need you to shoot any commercials for us, nor do we need you to make any stiff, lip-synced announcements in the videos.”

"Our only request is that you continue to be yourself in the 'Life Below Zero' program and your Bilibili video creations."

"Keep wearing our gear, go climbing, go hunting, go building, go exploring."

"Every instance of your actual use is the best demonstration of our product! Your camera lens is our best advertisement!"

"Of course, we may need to use some of your images or video clips at certain promotional events for our official social media or brand brochures, but all of this will be clearly defined in the contract."

Hearing this, Lin Yu'an had basically agreed.

"I also have another principle: I will not make any exaggerated or false claims in my content. I will only subjectively evaluate products based on my most genuine user experience."

"If I feel that a piece of equipment has a shortcoming in a certain environment, I will point it out truthfully."

Catherine said, “Mr. Herman, this is exactly what we want to hear! We need your most honest and professional feedback, whether it’s the strengths or the weaknesses.”

At this point, both sides have reached a high degree of consensus on all their core concepts.

Lin Yu'an's tone became more relaxed: "Then, Ms. Catherine, I agree to this cooperation in principle. The next step is for professional legal personnel to handle the coordination."

"Of course, Mr. Herman, I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

The entire contract confirmation process, though tedious, went exceptionally smoothly.

About two days later, a final version of the contract that fully protected the rights and interests of both parties was finally finalized.

That evening, with a lawyer present, Lin Yu-an and Catherine, who was in Vancouver, signed the electronic contract through an encrypted online signing system.

The moment the screen displayed "Signing Successful," Lin Yu-an's first top-tier commercial endorsement deal was finalized.

He has officially become a brand ambassador for Arc'teryx!

Just three days after signing the contract.

Several cardboard boxes bearing the Archaeopteryx fossil logo were delivered to Lin Yu-an's apartment building.

"Oh my god, honey! Did they... send you the entire store?"

Arya stared in astonishment at the cardboard boxes that filled half the living room, covering her mouth in surprise.

Lin Yu'an smiled and shook his head as he opened all the boxes.

The latest Alpha SV and Beta SV hardshell jackets come in his preferred understated black and military green colors.

Several pairs of Gore-Tex hiking boots and mountaineering boots with different functions, and down jackets and cotton-padded jackets for extreme cold environments using the most advanced filling technology.

And various materials for base layers, mid-layer clothing, gloves, hats, backpacks... each piece represents one of the highest standards of outdoor gear today.

The endorsement deal for Arc'teryx has been finalized.

At this moment, nothing is more important than staying by Arya's side and waiting for the birth of their twin babies.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(I've received your monthly pass requests! Here it comes, everyone! The update is here!)

(End of this chapter)