American Football: King of the Bay Area

「In the stands.」

”Whoa!” Lin Shuyuan threw his hands in the air, fists clenched, and jumped to his feet. Unable to contain his excitement, he cheered loudly, his eyes wide with disbelief. He couldn’t believe it—the Chinese guy had scored a touchdown! He actually scored a touchdown!

Even though he wasn’t a die-hard football fan, the practice game had already made it clear that this one-on-one showdown was no joke. The difficulty of scoring a touchdown was beyond imagination. And now, a Chinese man had become the first quarterback to score one today!

”Whoa!” Lin Shuyuan truly couldn’t suppress his euphoria and let out another shout. ”Ahhhhh!” The excitement, the joy, the elation surged through his veins. All he wanted to do was cheer his heart out, but the next moment, he realized he was the only one standing and cheering.

Lin Shuyuan looked left and right, asking his fellow reporters, ”Wasn’t that incredible?”

A reporter next to him chuckled. ”Incredible, it really was! Is this your first time watching a football game live?” He saw right through Lin Shuyuan’s ”amateur” status, which made Lin Shuyuan lower his hands sheepishly. ”The magic of sports is being there in person. Believe me, a play that amazing in a real game would make the whole stadium explode.”

”Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.” Lin Shuyuan sat down, his face flushed with excitement. He had originally thought this interview assignment would be dreadfully boring, but now things were starting to get more and more interesting.

”But the question is, was that a fluke, or can he perform like that consistently?” another reporter nearby chimed in.

Then another reporter added, ”Yeah, yeah, it’s like this quarterback just appeared out of nowhere. It’s really bizarre. Does anyone know what his deal is? Why is there no information on him? It’s the twenty-first century, how is that possible!”

”He’s a backup player from UCLA. In the last game of the season against the University of Southern California, he came on in the fourth quarter when they were down by three touchdowns and led a comeback victory. In the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin, he came on after the official timeout in the final quarter, down by one touchdown, and led another comeback victory.” Lin Shuyuan eagerly shared all the information he knew.

Some reporters gasped, ”What?”

Some nodded repeatedly. ”Right, we dug that up already. Any new info?”

And another reporter asked, ”The intel I got says he was just a practice squad player before his senior year. Is that true?”

WHOOSH! A series of sharp intakes of breath could be heard. Even for these worldly reporters, the surprises kept coming. The buzz of conversation grew louder, creating a lively scene.

「On the sidelines.」

”This guy can really throw the ball!”

”Did you see that fourth down play? The play design was simple and effective. That was seriously impressive.”

”A perfect score on the Fonderick test—that’s not just for show.”

”A total domination. He just completely steamrolled him. Von Miller is such a beast, but he only managed one sack.”

”What do you think? How does he compare to the other quarterbacks? I mean…”

...

The chirping voices buzzed endlessly in his ears. Even without turning his head, Cam Newton could feel the gazes converging on him. Those sharp, scorching stares were like a thousand tiny needles, and he felt like he was about to suffocate, about to explode!

Cam’s hands were clenched into tight fists, his face ashen, his body as stiff and cold as a corpse. Extreme rage made his body begin to tremble slightly. His eyes were locked on Lu Ke not far away, whose triumphant, smug look filled him with disgust and hatred. ’Impulse... just a little more impulse, and I’ll beat that guy to a pulp with my bare fists!’

’This was supposed to be my stage! This was my moment! And now some nobody is stealing my spotlight? The scouts, the reporters, the coaches—everyone’s eyes are on that guy. Even the other players are no exception; every single one of them is looking over!’

’A clown, that’s what he is! A clown! Am I the only one who sees his true colors? He’s just a show-off, a vain clown pandering to the crowd!’

”Cam? You okay?” a voice asked from the side. But Cam wasn’t having any of it. He violently shoved the person away and, burning with rage, snarled, ”Get lost!”

「At the back of the end zone.」

”Did I see that right? Did that quarterback just score a touchdown all by himself?” In the area where the coaches and scouts were gathered, a discussion started to bubble up. The whole point of the practice game was to evaluate players, and after seeing a display of talent like that, they naturally had to share their thoughts. ”And he beat Von Miller to do it? If you told me right now that I was crazy, I’d believe you.”

”Eliot, you’re not crazy. You should have seen his passing mechanics. Standard form, appropriate power, fluid release, and subtle control. He’s definitely a good prospect.” The one who spoke was Joe Lombardi. A coach next to him then joked, ”Joe, is that why you picked him first earlier?”

Joe didn’t deny it, nodding decisively and stating objectively, ”Yes. His passing technique and mechanics, his fundamentals are very solid.”

”Come on, Joe, didn’t you see? His physical attributes are terrible.” Carl Smith rolled his eyes and couldn’t help but complain, ”Look at his weight, then look at his explosive muscle power—it’s pathetic. Logically, with his weight and leg length, his speed and vertical should be decent, but his test numbers were far from satisfying. I don’t think he’s cut out to be an athlete at all. Forget football, he couldn’t even handle those sissy sports.”

Kip Kester couldn’t help but look up at Carl. His full-on attack even carried a trace of hostility and disgust. On the first day, when they met in the hotel lobby, Carl had taken a disliking to Lu Ke. ’Is it just a personality clash, or is it racism?’

Joe met Carl’s gaze calmly and said unhurriedly, ”Tom Brady’s physical tests at the Rookie Training Camp were a complete mess too.”

As one of the four elite quarterbacks in the Alliance, Tom’s journey was incredibly rough. He was a backup in his freshman and sophomore years, played a full junior year, only to end up sharing the starting position with another quarterback in his senior year, taking turns on the field. At the draft, scouts were not optimistic about Tom’s prospects. His arm strength, speed, physique, and other stats were all considered subpar among the rookies that year, and his college performance didn’t have many highlights.

In the end, the New England Patriots selected Tom in the sixth round with the 199th pick. At the time, everyone was baffled by the choice—many thought that even for the sixth round, picking Tom was a waste. After entering the Alliance, Tom was merely the team’s fourth-string quarterback in his first season.

”Jesus Christ, are you now comparing that Chinese-American quarterback to Tom Brady?” Carl’s face was full of disbelief. He even let out a derisive laugh and looked around at the other coaches and scouts, who couldn’t help but chuckle along.

Joe still looked unbothered. ”I’m just saying, let’s not be too certain about things. Draft data isn’t everything.” ’Back then, all the scouts and coaches were so sure about Tom. Are we just repeating the same mistake now?’

”Joe, are you saying the Saints Team is interested?” Kip asked.

Joe shrugged. ”Why not? The team needs to add a backup quarterback, and Drew needs a successor.” He was referring to the New Orleans Saints’ elite quarterback, Drew Brees.

However, everyone thought Joe had a point. Not because they recognized Lu Ke’s ability, but because Drew was still young. At thirty-two, he was in the prime age for a quarterback. If they chose a backup quarterback or successor now, he could learn from Drew for three or four years and then take over, which was a very suitable plan. This also meant that this ”successor” would need to sit on the bench for at least three or four years, which seemed quite fitting for Lu Ke.

Back when Aaron Rodgers was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, he served as Brett Favre’s backup for three years.

”A successor to Drew Brees?” Carl scoffed. ”This is a joke, right?”

”Perhaps he’s just not a good fit for the Seattle Seahawks,” Joe said, still smiling, with no intention of arguing with Carl. His understated tone carried a kind of lofty pride and confidence, which made Carl choke on his words. He hatefully averted his gaze and said no more.

”Joe, are you serious?” Kip had been silent, but now he couldn’t hold back his curiosity and had to ask.

Joe chuckled lightly. ”Isn’t the point of the Rookie Training Camp to discover new talent? If we remain complacent, refuse to open our minds, and just focus on a few players, then is there any point in holding the camp at all?” With that one sentence, the surrounding coaches all exchanged glances, each with their own thoughts.

「On the field.」

A smile spread across Lu Ke’s face, his eyes filled with excitement and exhilaration. It wasn’t just because he had won the practice match, but because he had found a way to hold his own in a near-professional level of competition—a positive sign. Of course, completing the special mission was another piece of good news. ”Guys, guys, we have to make some room. The next group of players is waiting to get on. This isn’t our stage anymore.”

His light and cheerful tone made everyone laugh. They surrounded Lu Ke like satellites around a planet as they left the field, happily waving to the next group of players. ”Good luck, bros!”

The practice game was still going on, but for Lu Ke, his part was over for now. After returning to the sidelines, he saw Cam Newton and Richard Sherman in the crowd, their expressions not very friendly. He saw Von Miller, JJ Watt, and Aldon Smith, their eyes filled with a soaring fighting spirit.

Finally, he saw Marcus, Logan, Raheem, and David. Their faces beaming with joy, they rushed over, wildly slapping Lu Ke’s back, shoulders, and chest, shouting excitedly, ”Dude, you’re the man! You’re the man!”