American Football: King of the Bay Area

”This is the most important and most secret information. You do not want anything to go wrong with it.” Kip stared intently at Lu Ke, speaking slowly and deliberately, his piercing gaze making sure his meaning was perfectly clear.

Every one of the Alliance’s thirty-two teams was the same: the playbook was their greatest secret and their deadliest weapon. On the field, a quarterback had to call all sorts of plays. If the opponent figured out those calls, the offense and defense would be left completely exposed.

Teams changed and updated their playbooks every year. Furthermore, the play calls were readjusted before every single game. Even playbooks from previous years weren’t made public lightly. Generally, the retention period for a team’s playbook within the Alliance was ten years. In other words, here in 2011, a team’s 2001 playbook was only just now becoming available for outsiders to review.

The thick stack of playbooks was actually a series of small booklets, about thirty of them in total. Lu Ke packed them into his backpack, and the heavy weight settled onto his shoulders. He could feel it pressing down—a weight that was not just physical, but mental, too.

After four hours in the strategy room, Kip had given Lu Ke a brief overview of Jim Hubble’s tactical system. But the playbook was just the tip of the iceberg; a long and arduous journey lay ahead. No wonder they said it was never easy for a rookie to adapt to the professional stage, and for a rookie quarterback, it was exponentially harder.

”Bambi! Bambi!”

Kip patted Lu Ke’s shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. He gestured with his chin toward the glass door and said with a chuckle, ”You just joined the team and you’ve already made friends here. That’s a good start.”

Following his gaze, Lu Ke saw Logan and Marcus waving their arms frantically. The two were jumping up and down excitedly, trying to get his attention. Clearly, they had succeeded. In fact, they were a little *too* successful.

It was lunchtime, and players were bustling about, talking and laughing as they headed toward the facility’s cafeteria in lively groups. With Logan and Marcus shouting and jumping around, nearly everyone who walked by stopped to tease them for a moment before looking up with a laugh, searching for Lu Ke.

’Can I pretend I don’t know them?’ Lu Ke thought, covering his face. It seemed a little too late to distance himself now.

Kip burst out laughing. ”Go on, get to know your new teammates. First-years need to stay busy, and you look way too idle right now. Who knows, maybe after lunch, the rookies will be needed to help clear the tables.”

”See you in a bit.” Lu Ke waved goodbye, but Kip suddenly remembered something and called out again, ”After lunch, there’s a forty-five-minute strategy meeting, and then field training.”

Lu Ke gave him an ”OK” sign to show he understood and quickly left the lobby. Pushing open the main doors, he saw his San Francisco 49ers teammates for the first time—a sea of faces, some strange, some familiar, all crowded together. It was overwhelming. Even if he wanted to say hello, he had no idea where to begin.

The moment needed an icebreaker. It could be a veteran player or a coach stepping up to make introductions. Or it could be an outgoing, cheerful player starting a conversation to break the silence.

And then, the icebreaker came.

”Hey, Lu Ke!” A bright, cheerful shout rang out, sharp enough to cut through all the noise. Not just Lu Ke, but everyone else turned to look at the source of the sound.

It wasn’t Logan or Marcus. It was a complete stranger—an Asian man with short black hair, a dark blue shirt, black slacks, and a black briefcase. A camera was hanging around his neck.

’A reporter?’

This was obviously a reporter. For professional players, dealing with the media was part of the job. The Alliance had an official rule that players had to be available for interviews after every game or face a fine. Even the teams themselves had designated media days.

But today wasn’t a media day. For this reporter to be able to enter the training facility so openly, he clearly had official permission. So, what was going on?

The Asian reporter strode over, a huge smile on his face as he extended his right hand. ”Hello, I’m Lin Shuyuan, a reporter for the *World Daily*.”

This was Lu Ke’s first official day in the Professional Alliance. He was completely in the dark about team rules, interview protocols, training day restrictions, and the like. But his four years of college hadn’t been for nothing. He knew one thing for sure:

He was a nobody who had just signed his contract this morning. For a reporter to be visiting him before lunch... it would be absolutely impossible unless it was an official invitation from the team.

”Lu Ke,” he said politely, shaking the man’s hand and introducing himself simply.

At that moment, Lin Shuyuan couldn’t contain his elation. An enormous smile bloomed across his face, and his entire body trembled with excitement. ”I can’t believe it. You did it. You really did it.” He tried to hold it back but couldn’t, the words of awe tumbling out before he burst into a hearty laugh. ”Sorry, please forgive my lack of professionalism. But this... this all feels so unreal.”

As a reporter, Lin Shuyuan knew he had to remain objective and calm. But in the face of such a historic moment, it was hard not to lose his composure. Besides, he had been a reporter for less than a year; he still had a lot to learn about being a professional.

Six months ago, during the Rookie Training Camp, a Chinese-American quarterback had generated a ton of buzz and left a lasting impression, but then all news about him vanished without a trace. Now, six months later, that same rookie had joined the San Francisco 49ers, officially signed his contract, and made history as the Alliance’s first-ever Asian player.

When the *World Daily* got the tip, their first reaction was that it had to be a prank. But after confirming the identity of the caller—none other than San Francisco 49ers Team Manager Trent Balk—the entire editorial department erupted in excitement.

As people of Chinese Descent living in the United States, they knew better than anyone what this meant. Even if he was just a backup player, this was news that would shake the entire Alliance. If, one day, this player actually made it onto the field...

Lin Shuyuan became the obvious choice to cover the story. He rushed over immediately, was waved right through security into the training facility, and finally saw the Chinese-American quarterback. Overcome by a surge of powerful, passionate emotions, Lin Shuyuan had walked over and extended his hand before he even consciously realized what he was doing.

Lin Shuyuan’s ecstasy was infectious, and Lu Ke’s own spirits began to lift. But before he could respond, a sharp, grating voice cut in from the side. ”Well, well, well, everyone, take a look! We’ve got a superstar among the rookies! Let’s give a warm welcome to... Hanna Montana!”

*Hanna Montana* was a teen idol TV show that began airing on the Disney Channel in 2006, starring a sixteen-year-old pop star.

The sarcasm and contempt in comparing Lu Ke to Hanna Montana were obvious.

Colin Kaepernick threw his hands up high, hyping up the crowd. The other players started to hoot and holler. ”WOO! WOO!” Then someone else joined in, mimicking a little girl’s squeal, ”Hanna! Hanna!” The shrill cries sent everyone into uproarious laughter.

”Relax, relax, Lizzie McGuire,” Lu Ke called out, gesturing to his own cheek. ”Don’t make that ugly face, you’ll smudge your makeup.” He retorted with a sharp, mocking tone, not backing down an inch. The onlookers erupted in whistles and whoops.

Lizzie McGuire was the protagonist of a 1999 Disney Channel show of the same name, about an ordinary high school girl.

Colin’s face fell. He glanced around at his hooting teammates, then took a step forward, his voice thick with humiliation and anger. ”Hey, Bambi, how do you even know about these shows? What, are you a die-hard fan? Do you sit in front of the TV every week, waiting for your little idol to show up?”

Bambi. The same nickname, but this time, it was dripping with sarcasm.

”Awww, Bambi! Big-eyed Bambi, so cute and lovable!” Colin lifted his hands and pulled the corners of his eyes wide, doing a spot-on impression of the little deer. The clownish act earned a roar of approval from the crowd.

But Lu Ke remained unruffled. He simply lifted his chin and projected his voice. ”I know about them the same way you do. Or what, are you a die-hard *Little Deer Bambi* fan? ’Mommy, I love Little Deer Bambi so much! WAAAH! Bambi’s going to die! What will I do?’” Far from getting angry, Lu Ke perfectly mimicked Colin’s own taunting tone right back at him.

”Colin! Colin! Prince Charming!” someone in the crowd chanted. It was Logan, cupping his hands around his mouth and yelling at the top of his lungs.

His loud, cheerful voice successfully triggered another round of chanting from the onlookers. ”Prince Charming! Prince Charming!”

Colin and Lu Ke had no personal grudge against each other, but they were destined to be competitors.

In the short term, Colin’s starting spot wasn’t under threat; the team’s resources would be focused on him. But there was only one quarterback position. The very nature of being the starter and the backup meant they had to compete. In the end, only one of them would be on the field.

Although Jim Hubble had announced Colin as the starting quarterback, to the team’s veterans, both Colin and Lu Ke were ultimately just first-year rookies. So, if they were going to give Lu Ke a hard time, it was only fair to give Colin one, too.

This was the first showdown between Colin and Lu Ke.

In this battle of wits, Colin had once again come out on the losing end. He had clearly picked the wrong fight. Amid the chorus of jeers, Colin clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, stuck where he stood—unable to press forward, but refusing to back down.

In the end, it was Lu Ke who broke the standoff. He turned to Lin Shuyuan and said, ”I’m headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Care to join?” Then, motioning for Lin Shuyuan, Logan, and Marcus to follow, he started walking toward the cafeteria.