American Football: King of the Bay Area

”465000.” A string of numbers was written in black and white, and while there weren’t as many zeros as he might have dreamed of, the figure was still dazzling.

The annual salary was four hundred sixty-five thousand US Dollars for a two-year term. On top of that, there were bonuses: twenty thousand US Dollars for every game won, with no cap.

An annual salary of four hundred sixty-five thousand, and that was before bonuses and benefits. ’So, what does that really amount to?’

To put it in perspective, the average annual salary for a senior software engineer in Silicon Valley is one hundred fifty thousand US Dollars, a figure well above the national average in the United States. But behind that seemingly high salary were incredibly high taxes—about thirty-five percent—and an exorbitant cost of living, with average annual expenses in Silicon Valley running at sixty thousand US Dollars.

In other words, a high salary didn’t necessarily guarantee a high standard of living; it might only be enough to barely maintain a basic lifestyle.

Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning were both skilled immigrants, and the couple’s combined annual income was quite good. But living in the San Francisco area, even though the Haight-Ashbury District wasn’t the most expensive neighborhood, they could still only be considered an ordinary middle-class family.

Now, Lu Ke’s annual salary alone was more than his parents’ combined incomes! It was simply incredible!

Of course, as an undrafted player, Lu Ke’s contract was practically nothing in the Alliance.

This year’s number one draft pick, Cam Newton, had signed a four-year, twenty-two million US Dollar contract—now *that* was a truly astronomical sum. Moreover, the amount was fully guaranteed. In simple terms, as long as he signed on the dotted line, the twenty-two million was in his pocket—there were no clauses about games played, daily training, or the impact of injuries. There were no strings attached whatsoever.

Being the number one draft pick wasn’t just about the glory; it was also about the money. In comparison, Lu Ke’s contract was a mere drop in the bucket.

According to Alliance regulations, undrafted players had to sign for a minimum of two years, with a minimum guaranteed salary of four hundred sixty-five thousand US Dollars. This was to protect the interests of new players; only free agents who were past their rookie years could sign one-year contracts.

In other words, the 49ers had signed Lu Ke to the minimum guaranteed contract—this was what Jonas meant by ”the numbers are reasonable.” Although they had signed the contract and hired Lu Ke as the team’s third quarterback, the 49ers remained skeptical about his prospects and future. They clearly didn’t have high hopes, positioning him as a transitional, emergency player.

This was the reality for an undrafted player.

If it weren’t for the Alliance’s regulations, as the first officially signed Chinese-American quarterback in history, his salary would likely have been even lower, just as actresses in Hollywood are always paid less than male actors, and Asian actors are always paid less than white actors. In the great melting pot of the United States, this was a social norm.

But after thirteen years—thirteen whole years of running and fighting, of overcoming the limitations of his physical gifts, breaking through the barriers of racial discrimination, and surpassing the blockade of countless talented players—he had, as a quarterback, finally earned the validation of an official contract! This was the most precious thing of all! The dream was officially setting sail!

This contract, in black and white, was the best affirmation and the best proof—he had done it!

The reality of it all became clearer than ever before. Exhilaration and excitement surged through his veins, but Lu Ke clenched his right fist and gradually calmed himself down.

’The Rugby Superstar System. It all came from there.’ Without the System, he would still be a young man clutching a dream but ultimately doomed to mediocrity. Now, with the System, anything was possible. He would not let this chance slip by, and he certainly wouldn’t relax. With the support and help of the System, Lu Ke firmly believed that this undrafted player’s contract was only the beginning!

Letting out a long breath, Lu Ke looked up at Jonas and asked seriously, ”Are there any other parts of this contract that I should pay close attention to?”

A glimmer flashed in Jonas’s eyes.

For most rookies, the salary was the only number they cared about. But true veterans knew that a contract was filled with countless clauses that could strip that long string of zeros down to nothing. For example, clauses requiring a certain number of starts, otherwise the player’s salary would be a completely different figure. Things like that.

This rookie before him, however, had managed to maintain a rare shred of clarity and composure. It wasn’t much, but it was precious. Jonas couldn’t help but recall the rumors about this Chinese-American quarterback. ’A perfect score on the Fonderick test... what does that really mean for the Alliance?’

The thought was fleeting. Jonas put on a professional smile. ”I’ve already made notes on the parts that warrant attention. You can read through them in detail. If you have any questions, email me. I’ll do my best to answer everything before the official signing.”

”Okay. Thank you.” Lu Ke didn’t waste any more words. He decisively extended his right hand and said with a smile, ”It’s a pleasure to work with you.”

Jonas nodded lightly. ”A pleasure to work with you.”

The meeting was over. After watching Jonas leave, Lu Ke walked toward the parking lot in a daze. A gust of cold wind brought him back to his senses, and he realized what a mess he was: he was still in his practice gear, sweat still damp on his skin, holding his towel and helmet, and now, he was also clutching a draft of the contract and several business cards.

In the whirlwind of events, he had completely forgotten. Everything had happened so fast, one thing after another, that his brain had no time to catch up. Thinking about it, he couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile. Then, with a little bounce in his step, he strolled toward the locker room.

He changed out of his practice gear, rinsed off in the shower, changed into his street clothes, packed his bag, and then sauntered back out to the parking lot.

The summer days were always exceptionally long. The sunset blazed across the sky for over an hour, yet still hadn’t completely disappeared. The entire sky was dyed a bright, translucent orange, and the vast stretches of green below slowly faded to an inky black, outlining the hazy contours of the city’s network.

From a distance, Lu Ke spotted his ride. It was a Chevrolet pickup truck, navy blue and a little beat-up, but its performance was still solid.

It had been his sixteenth birthday present—not brand new, but second-hand. It was only three years old when he got it. The truck had been with him from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and then all over the North American continent as he traveled for tryouts. It wasn’t a flashy vehicle, but it was practical and absolutely durable.

But right now, his navy-blue ride was white.

Literally white. The entire pickup was buried under a massive pile of white objects that looked like plastic or styrofoam. They stuffed the entire cab, covered the roof, filled half the truck bed, and even spilled out onto the ground, scattering everywhere.

Next to it, thirty or forty cardboard boxes lay discarded in a total mess. They were presumably the packaging for all the white plastic or foam.

Lu Ke blinked, staring at his truck in disbelief. He quickened his pace. As he got closer, the white objects looked less like styrofoam or plastic and more like slips of paper. They were flat, lightweight, and snow-white. A gust of wind sent a flurry of them tumbling across the pavement.

But a second later, Lu Ke stopped in his tracks, unable to believe his eyes. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He took a closer look, confirming his suspicion, and his jaw dropped as he broke into a helpless laugh. He glanced around, and the sheer absurdity of the scene washed over him, his smile blooming into a brilliant grin that he couldn’t hold back.

These weren’t slips of paper. They were condoms.

Yes, his pickup truck was buried under a veritable mountain of condoms, as if a massive party was about to break out. Although he didn’t count them, Lu Ke was sure there were at least thirty cardboard boxes. ’So just how many condoms are there?’

That was a difficult question.

Walking closer, Lu Ke found the situation more and more absurd. He looked around, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. This was clearly a prank, and the culprit wasn’t hard to guess. ”Logan Newman, if you don’t come out, I can stand here all night!” Standing beside his car door, the individual items became crystal clear, and Lu Ke couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

There was no response, not a sound. The parking lot was empty except for four unfamiliar cars. Lu Ke was certain Logan’s vehicle wasn’t among them—his was a black SUV that Lu Ke and Jay always mocked as a ”nanny van.”

But Lu Ke wasn’t in a hurry. He stood his ground. ”Logan, you should know my patience has always been better than yours.” After a moment, an idea struck him, and he raised his voice again, adding, ”Marcus Lynch, if you come out now, maybe I’ll consider paying for half of this prank!”

”Him! It was him!” Logan was the first to pop out. The two of them had been hiding behind the trash cans in the corner of the parking lot. Then Marcus jumped up, shrieking, ”Hey, you hairy monster, that’s not cool! That’s not cool at all! How could you sell out your teammate? Huh?”

Logan paid him no mind and trotted over. ”Haha, Bambi! What do you think? A work of genius, right? This idea was freaking brilliant!” Logan stood beside Lu Ke, admiring the results of his prank with utter satisfaction.

Marcus ran over, grumbling, ”Bro! Hey, show some brotherhood, will you?” He circled around to Lu Ke’s other side and, quick as a flash, grabbed Lu Ke’s right arm. Seizing the opportunity, Logan grabbed his left. The two of them frog-marched Lu Ke to the car door and gave him a hard shove.

Caught completely off guard, Lu Ke lost his balance and stumbled forward. Just then, he saw Logan yank open the car door—

WHOOSH! The condoms crammed into the cab cascaded down like a flood, instantly burying Lu Ke. Over the rustling, he heard Logan’s gleeful shout, ”Bro, welcome to the 49ers!”