American Football: King of the Bay Area

Objectively speaking, the Heisman Trophy winner basked in the limelight, the center of all attention. Every football player in the NCAA yearned for the recognition that came with the award, fighting and striving for it. Even the press corps fixed their gaze on them. In every draft, the Heisman winner was the undisputed favorite for the number one pick.

Cam Newton. That name had been legendary throughout the past season. However, he played for Auburn University in the Southeastern Conference, and they never faced off against teams from the Pac-12 Conference. So, it wasn’t until today that Lu Ke could finally put a face to the name.

Seeing Cam’s towering pride and arrogance, Lu Ke had no intention of letting him keep running his mouth. He just shrugged. ”Sorry, Tom.”

This time, Lu Ke’s joke was a reference to Tom Brady, another top quarterback in the NFL. Tom’s performance in college had been unremarkable, and he was only selected by the New England Patriots with the 199th pick in the draft. Who would have known that after entering the league, Tom would go on to create an era of his own.

The subtext of Lu Ke’s remark was: ’So what if you’re a Heisman Trophy winner? That’s just college glory. The league has chewed up and spit out countless Heisman winners.’

That simple sentence was like a sharp slap across Cam’s face. The flames burning in his eyes were almost visible to the naked eye, his terrifying gaze looking ready to devour Lu Ke whole. His muscles tensed to their absolute limit. It was clear his anger had spiraled completely out of control and was about to erupt.

Lu Ke, however, remained completely unhurried. He calmly turned to his two friends. ”It’s so boring here, with all these flies buzzing around. What do you say we head back?”

”Fuck!” Cam’s temper exploded, and he rushed forward, swinging his fists. But Logan was no pushover. He was standing right in front and threw up his hands to block the incoming massive fist.

Before the two could start grappling, a gunshot—BANG!—tore through the air, shocking everyone into sobriety. Lu Ke and Marcus both lunged forward to pull Logan away, while Cam’s buddies also dragged him back. Then, the bar owner’s gruff voice boomed, ”I’m not kidding! Either quiet down or get the hell out!”

Having immigrated to the United States at age eight, Lu Ke had always known that firearms were commonplace in this country. But this was the first time he’d heard a gunshot up close. A hint of surprise flickered in his eyes, and he asked with curiosity, ”Do you take that baby out hunting often?”

The bar owner shot Lu Ke a glance, a hint of a resigned smile in his eyes. He didn’t answer, instead rapping his knuckles on the table. ”If you’re going to keep drinking lemonade, you’d best find another bar. This ain’t New York.” People in the Midwest always had a chip on their shoulder when it came to big cities like New York, sometimes even outright hostility.

Lu Ke chuckled. ”Sorry, he’s not of age yet.” He patted Logan’s shoulder, deadpanning the comment. The legal drinking age in the United States is twenty-one, and Logan was, of course, well past that. Lu Ke was just joking, and it got a laugh out of everyone.

He took some cash from his pocket and placed it on the bar to cover the lemonade and a tip. Then, Lu Ke motioned for Logan and Marcus to leave.

”Hey! You guys got names?” Cam shouted, unable to let it go. His body, however, stayed put; they all knew the bar owner wasn’t messing around. ”Which one of you cowards is all talk?”

”And which loser can’t handle losing?” Lu Ke retorted casually, drawing another round of laughter. ”If you’ve really got it, settle it on the field. Don’t stand here whining and crying like a little kid.” He was throwing the same taunt right back at him. After all, it was Cam who had an itchy mouth and started the provocation in the first place.

With that said, Lu Ke didn’t wait for a reply. He pushed open the bar door and walked out, the other two following in single file, leaving a string of curses echoing behind them.

The three of them exchanged a glance, then simultaneously burst into laughter.

Once they reached the adjacent parking lot, Marcus shook his head in amazement. ”Bambi, are you for real? You really didn’t recognize Cam Newton?”

”What do you think? I’m a journalism major.” Of course Lu Ke knew who he was; he just hadn’t put the face to the name at first. Besides, there were four of them all crowded together, and Lu Ke hadn’t looked closely, so he didn’t pick him out.

Marcus and Logan grinned even wider. Logan spoke up, ”Actually, all four of those guys are big names. Nick Fairley, Marcell Dareus, and James Carpenter. They’re all probably second-round picks, at least.”

”So? You scared?” Lu Ke shot back. In response, Logan gave him a solid punch to the chest and boomed, ”Let ’em come. I can take all of them down by myself.”

”You sure they wouldn’t be the ones pinning you down?” Marcus chimed in, and the three of them roared with laughter again.

The Rookie Training Camp was a gathering of young men, all of them flushed with success, brimming with confidence, proud, arrogant, and hot-tempered. It was predictable that there would be no shortage of conflict. They hadn’t even set foot inside the camp yet, and the friction had already begun.

”Isn’t the Rookie Training Camp supposed to be a huge deal? Even if there aren’t fans swarming the place, there should at least be a ton of reporters, scouts, and staff, right? So why was the bar so empty? Unbelievable! And we still managed to run into a few sissies. Totally killed the mood!” Logan grumbled. The three of them, in two cars driving one after the other, arrived at the hotel designated by the officials. After parking in the lot, they headed toward the lobby.

Although the Rookie Training Camp didn’t officially begin until tomorrow, all the rookies were required to check in at the hotel lobby this afternoon.

SWOOSH. The automatic glass doors slid open, and a wave of scorching air and bustling noise washed over them. The lobby was a sea of people. A quick glance revealed not a single empty spot in sight. It felt less like a hotel lobby and more like a summer music festival. The oppressive heat seared their skin, and they could feel the blood begin to warm in their veins, slowly coming to a boil.

Recalling the quiet scene at the bar with only two or three people, the three of them were dumbfounded. The stark contrast was baffling, leaving their minds full of questions.

”Welcome to the Indianapolis Marriott Hotel.” A doorman in a black uniform approached them with a polite smile. ”How may I help you?” His gaze fell upon the three of them before he asked tentatively, ”The NFL Rookie Training Camp?”

Logan gave a distracted nod. Snapping back to his senses, he asked urgently, ”What’s going on with all these people? Are they all here for the Rookie Training Camp?”

Two hundred people, three hundred people—those had just been numbers they’d heard. The reality of the sight was overwhelming, far more impactful than any mere figure. What’s more, while the rookies were the stars of the show, they weren’t the most numerous group at the camp. It was obvious now: the bar was empty because everyone was gathered here.

”Yes,” the doorman said with a broad smile. ”A lot of people have just arrived and are in the process of checking in. Once you’re done, you can head up to your rooms to rest or stay in the lobby and make some new friends.” The doorman glanced around. ”Do you need any help with your luggage?”

”Yes, thanks.” Logan proactively placed his luggage on the cart. They would be at the camp for four days. The league provided uniforms, but they still brought their own casual clothes, along with extra underwear, socks, and cleats. He then turned his head, calling to Lu Ke and Marcus, ”Hey, let’s get our stuff on here. Let’s go check in and see our room assignments.”

Logan and Marcus charged ahead boisterously, but Lu Ke’s steps slowed, his heart pounding. ’This is it, the Rookie Training Camp.’ Six months ago, he would have done anything to be here, but it had felt like an impossible dream. Now, he was standing right in the middle of it all, in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel.

He loved it here, even the scorching air that seemed to thin the oxygen in his lungs.

A casual scan of the room revealed more than a few familiar faces.

Offensive tackle Tyron Smith from the University of Southern California, Defensive End JJ Watt from Wisconsin, quarterback Jack Locke from the University of Washington, Defensive End Cameron Jordan from UC Berkeley, cornerback Patrick Peterson from Louisiana State University...

Some were opponents the Brown Bear Team had faced during the season, some were faces from official NCAA media coverage, and some were just names he’d heard on the radio or read online. A few were even juniors who had declared for the draft early, though most were graduating seniors. These players were all first or second-round prospects, destined to enter the Professional Alliance and bask in the spotlight, with no worries about their draft stock. As for whether they would live up to the hype or turn out to be massive busts after turning pro, only time would tell.

Lu Ke was certain that he was looking at future superstars. They were all in the same room, on the same stage—at the very same starting line! ’Does this mean that one day, I can also become a top superstar, the center of everyone’s attention?’ The mere thought sent a thrill through him.

DING. A sound suddenly rang in his head. It wasn’t a flash of inspiration, but... a System mission? Lu Ke didn’t react for a moment. ’Why would a System mission appear now? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?’

After summoning the System and opening the unread message, Lu Ke saw a brightly colored phrase: Special Mission!