American Football: King of the Bay Area

It was another brand new day, another fresh start. Lu Ke woke up early as usual and set off on his slow jog to school, following his daily route.

The UCLA campus, located in the Westwood District of Los Angeles, was a bustling area. To the west was the coastal highway, leading all the way to Malibu, home to countless millionaires and celebrities. To the east was the heart of Los Angeles, clustered with Hollywood-related attractions like the Walk of Fame and the Kodak Theater. To the north lay Beverly Hills, the premier residential area for Hollywood stars. To the south was Santa Monica, with its beaches, ocean, and sunshine.

The distance from his apartment to campus was about five kilometers. Now, to complete the system’s daily training mission, Lu Ke ran to school on time every day. He would do a lap around the campus before heading to the training field to finish the remaining distance. Afterward, he would shower in the training field’s locker room and get ready to start his day of classes.

This way, he could not only complete his training but also save on daily transportation costs, all without interfering with his studies and practice. It killed multiple birds with one stone.

Upon entering the Westwood District campus, the whole area revealed its semi-open layout: wide roads, a classic library, modern academic buildings, towering trees, and young students... His view was filled with the vibrant energy of the sun and a bright, youthful spirit. A California like this was always hard to resist.

”Good morning.”

”Good morning!”

The campus didn’t have a formal main gate, but to prevent outside vehicles, there was a barrier at the entrance to check cars coming in and out, with a guard on duty at all times in the adjacent booth. For the past five months, Lu Ke had run past on schedule every morning, forming a familiar routine. The guards already recognized him, so they would actively greet him each day, and Lu Ke would always nod back in acknowledgment.

”Last night’s game was incredible!” The guard pumped his fist at Lu Ke, his animated expression clearly conveying his current excitement and elation. This made Lu Ke chuckle. He raised his right hand in a salute and called back, ”Thanks.” But he didn’t break his stride, continuing forward at his running pace.

”Good morning!” Not long after he ran on, someone shouted from the side of the road. Lu Ke didn’t register it at first, but then he saw a group of about five or six people to his right. They were all waving their right hands, shouting excitedly, ”Good morning!” The voices rose and fell.

Lu Ke was taken aback for a moment. He didn’t know them, not a single one, but he still gave a polite wave to acknowledge their greeting. After he ran past, wild, celebratory screams erupted behind him, and the early morning campus instantly grew boisterous.

But that was only the beginning.

Along the running path that circled the campus, people would greet him every now and then. Some just gave a smiling nod, while others shouted excitedly. One person even ran up to join him, jogging side-by-side without saying a word, just staring at him with a goofy, happy grin. It was so intense that Lu Ke started to feel a little creeped out. Thankfully, the person’s stamina wasn’t great. After less than five minutes, he couldn’t keep up, and Lu Ke took the opportunity to pull away, gradually leaving him behind.

Normally, a lap around the campus took him about twenty-five to thirty minutes, but today he finished it in under eighteen. The increase in speed was significant, so much so that his breathing was a bit unstable when he entered the training field.

The point of the daily ten-kilometer run wasn’t speed, but endurance and stability. However, Lu Ke now realized he should start trying interval running, completing the ten-kilometer task at different speeds. During a game, stamina wasn’t consumed at a constant rate, but one that was always changing.

But before he could fully gather his thoughts, a wave of cheers and shouts erupted, startling him. Following the sound, he saw more than a dozen people gathered in the stands. They were currently pumping their fists enthusiastically, roaring and screaming wildly at him, just like little girls at a concert seeing their idol.

Lu Ke hadn’t expected this at all, and his running path even veered off course.

It was only a little past seven in the morning. Usually, since most classes started at nine, the entire campus was just beginning to wake up and was still quiet. The only person at the training field would be the staff member on duty; you wouldn’t see anyone else at all. But now, a small crowd had actually appeared in the stands, and they were screaming their heads off?

’This world has definitely gone crazy!’

Coming back to his senses, Lu Ke listened carefully and realized they were chanting, ”Bambi! Bambi!” The rising and falling voices trembled, even cracking and growing hoarse from sheer excitement. The scene was actually quite comical, and Lu Ke couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

Apparently, last night’s game had turned Lu Ke into a campus-wide star.

In high schools and universities in the United States, the sports culture is incredibly strong. In high school, the most popular students were undoubtedly the quarterback, the basketball team captain, and so on. In college, the games were more professional, closely tied to the Alliance. Students would celebrate wildly after a victory and might even go on a rampage after a loss. Even students who weren’t interested in sports were no exception; it was a matter of school pride.

Having lived in the United States for so many years, Lu Ke was aware of this. However, he had never imagined that he would one day be the main character, at least not this quickly. After all, he was Chinese—a Chinese person who still hadn’t managed to integrate into the mainstream of this immigrant society.

Lu Ke waved to his supporters, giving them a simple greeting, but he didn’t stop running. He kept going, lowering his head and starting his laps. Today’s run felt particularly strange because of the constant odd noises coming from the stands. It was as if he were the male lead in a teen drama, complete with an ever-present Aura and a group of infatuated fans trailing behind him—

’Though ”infatuated fans” seemed like the wrong term for the enthusiastic guys in the stands, it was the only word that came to mind.’

Watching Lu Ke run with such focus, Jeff started jumping up and down. ”Nate, I’m telling you, he’s the savior! He’s the Brown Bear Team’s savior!” He couldn’t contain his excitement. ”The game ended last night, the season’s over, and he’s not taking a break or slacking off. He’s still being strict with himself! This is incredible! Jesus Christ! Why didn’t the school discover him sooner?”

If Lu Ke had heard that assessment, he would have complained quite seriously. He knew the season was over, too. If he could, he would have liked to rest for a day or two—not to be lazy, but to relax and recalibrate. A balance of work and rest was necessary to aim for higher goals.

But that was the problem. As of yesterday, his daily training plan was at ”13/14.” In other words, if he gave up today, the previous thirteen days of training would be for nothing. But if he pushed through today, he could earn another basic stat point. There was no way Lu Ke was going to miss out on that.

So, he wasn’t being ”self-disciplined” so much as ”passively forced.” However, once he really got into the run, Lu Ke discovered it wasn’t as painful as he’d imagined. It was probably because his body had gotten used to it after five months of persistence and was now better adapted to the rhythm. ’Maybe I should keep this up tomorrow, too,’ he thought.

”Uh, have you ever considered that it might be because he’s Asian?” Nate, however, sensitively pointed out this fact.

Jeff, however, dismissed it with a ”Shit!” and said, ”I don’t care if he’s from China or the United Kingdom. The point is, he’s got the skill, he’s got the talent, he’s got the grit, and he can lead us to victory and make those arrogant Trojans hang their heads! I like him! I support him! He’s my hero!”

After saying that, Jeff turned to his other buddies and yelled, ”What do you guys think?”

”Of course!”

”Absolutely!”

”Definitely!”

...A clamor of responses rose and fell, sparking another round of cheers. They had partied until dawn last night and hadn’t slept at all. Even now, they clearly showed no signs of fatigue. This victory was enough to keep them celebrating for three days and three nights.

Was there anything more perfect than ending the season by trampling over the corpses of their rivals? Yes, there was: pulling off a shocking comeback with four Touchdowns in the fourth quarter!

”Bambi! Bambi!” Seeing Lu Ke gradually slow his pace, Jeff couldn’t wait to shout, ”Bambi, can you sign my scarf?”

Lu Ke paused, breathing out long and inhaling slowly to regulate his breathing. He stared at Jeff with a look of utter astonishment and gave a reflexive nod. The next moment, the group of supporters leaped down from the stands and swarmed over, surrounding him completely. ”God, Bambi, last night’s game was incredible! You are God! God!”

Lu Ke looked at the team-support scarf held out in front of him, along with a marker. This was an absolute first for him. In fact, even for the team’s starters, autograph culture wasn’t that prevalent. After all, the college league wasn’t the Professional Alliance. Fan support stemmed more from school pride than from admiration and support for individual stars.

”I tried to buy your jersey, but... the school store didn’t have any, so I went with a scarf. I hope you don’t mind,” Jeff said excitedly, all in one breath, without getting red in the face or losing his wind.

”No, of course not.” Lu Ke took the scarf and the marker. ”What’s your name?”

”Jeff. I’m Jeff Locke!” Jeff’s eyes shone brightly as he looked at Lu Ke. ”I’m your biggest fan! You’re seriously amazing! Wow!”

Jeff’s elation and excitement seemed to be contagious. A smile involuntarily spread across Lu Ke’s lips as he signed his first-ever fan autograph on the silk scarf:

”To Jeff Locke, thank you for your support. Lu Ke.”

He chose to sign his name in Chinese. It was his roots, and it was his soul.