American Football: King of the Bay Area

”Touchdown!” The referee raised his hands. The San Francisco 49ers, on the very first offensive down of the game, their very first pass—a touchdown!

Mike Lupati rushed over, Anthony Davis rushed over, Anthony Dixon rushed over, and even Jonathan Goodwin came charging in, his massive, powerful frame lumbering forward.

”Bambi! Jesus Christ, Bambi! You’re a madman, a madman! Bloody Bambi! Bloody Bambi! Show them the power of Bloody Bambi!” Dixon remembered the mocking nickname from Marcus and started screaming wildly, venting his excitement with every ounce of his strength.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Logan also clenched his fists and roared at the fans in the stands, ”This is your quarterback! This is your goddamn quarterback!”

His angry roars, one after another, unleashed the emotions churning inside him. It was for Lu Ke, but even more so for Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning. Lu Ke deserved more respect and better treatment. A earth-shattering touchdown pass—this was Lu Ke’s answer to the doubters and his contribution to the team.

The roar of the San Francisco 49ers thundered over Candlestick Park for the first time!

At the same time, the commentary booth fell silent. The Fox Television studio fell silent too.

Teddy Williams’s jaw dropped involuntarily, wide enough to fit an orange. In his entire commentary career, he had rarely seen such a magnificent pass. For it to come from a first-year quarterback—a history-making Chinese-American quarterback at that—the shock and disbelief made his brain short-circuit.

Even Kirk Charleston was no exception. He was stunned for a moment before breaking into a wide smile. ”I think we are truly witnessing history. Not only is he the first Chinese-American quarterback in Alliance history to complete a pass, but it was a sixty-six-yard pass. This rookie quarterback, on the first pass of his professional career, for sixty-six yards, a touchdown.”

Taking a deep breath, Kirk exclaimed in awe, ”During that last first down, Lu Ke—number fourteen for the 49ers—made a sharp read of the defense before the play. He changed the play at the last second, and the Sea Eagle Team couldn’t adjust in time.”

Number fourteen. Kirk was still getting used to it; he’d almost said ”number eleven.” He had to bite his tongue at the last second to avoid the mistake.

”Let’s take another look at that absolutely mind-blowing play.” Kirk gradually took control, explaining fluently, ”A tactical mismatch between the offense and defense left the Sea Eagle Team completely on the back foot. They couldn’t put any effective pressure on the quarterback. Four seconds—a full four seconds of time and space to throw. More importantly, number eighty-eight for the 49ers, rookie Tight End Logan Newman, was in a hole in the defensive coverage. He didn’t face any contact or obstruction, made an easy catch, and then left everyone in the dust to complete the touchdown.”

”Teddy, what are your thoughts?” Kirk turned to his partner.

Teddy had also collected himself. ”Yes, number fourteen for the 49ers read the defense with remarkable accuracy. That last-second play change put the two sides in completely different positions. That offensive down was incredibly easy, with almost no challenge at all.”

After a moment’s pause, Teddy couldn’t help but praise, ”That long pass was precise, and both the power and the arc were outstanding. Number fourteen showed astonishing arm strength and precise control—truly an eye-opener. What I’m more curious about now is, did no one at the Rookie Training Camp notice this quarterback’s potential?”

It wasn’t just Teddy. All the other commentators and analysts in the booth were the same—stunned, amazed, awestruck. Amidst all the doubt and criticism, the San Francisco 49ers’ rookie quarterback had delivered a perfect answer—an answer that would shock the world and silence it.

Silence. That’s how the stands chose to express their shock. But the commentators didn’t have that luxury; they couldn’t just sit there speechless. In their haste, they stammered out their astonishment, all while the same question ran through their minds: What just happened?

Even seeing it with their own eyes, they still couldn’t believe it. It was like watching Harry Potter cast a spell, so magical it left the Muggles utterly bewildered.

The whole world was in an uproar, yet it was also frozen in place. This was just a Sunday day game, not a primetime night game. Only Fox Television and countless radio stations were broadcasting it, and the audience was likely limited to just San Francisco and Seattle. But, truly, the entire world was marveling at it!

A stunning debut—could anything be more exciting than this? Perhaps... the fact that this incredible feat was accomplished by an unknown Chinese-American quarterback?

September 11, 2011. The first starting appearance for a Chinese Descent player in NFL history. His first pass was a sixty-six-yard bomb that resulted in a touchdown. It was the very first pass of his professional career.

To be silent is one thing, but to speak is to astound. A longsword unsheathed, a single strike to the throat.

Such a debut was, without a doubt, absolutely world-shaking!

Jim Hubble blinked. A flash of joy, then calm. Immediately, he turned his head and snapped his fingers repeatedly. ”Special teams, special teams on the field!”

In four preseason games, the team had only managed a single passing touchdown. But now, in the first game of the new season, not even forty-six seconds in, they’d scored a touchdown on their very first pass? It all felt too unreal. Forget the crowd and the commentators; even the 49ers themselves were a bit dazed.

At Jim’s call, they finally snapped out of it. The players erupted in celebration while the special teams unit hurried onto the field to kick the extra point.

Turning his head, Jim watched quietly as Lu Ke came off the field. Every single player, without exception, rushed up to him for a celebratory high-five. It seemed like everyone was waiting to celebrate, even the coaching staff and support personnel. But there was only one Lu Ke, so everyone just laughed and shouted, patting him on the back to express their joy.

After the celebration died down, Jim waved Lu Ke over.

That first offensive down was brilliant, but it was just the first down of the game and the first of Lu Ke’s entire career. They still had a lot of work to do.

Jim Hubble’s mind was racing. At the last second of that first down, Lu Ke had chosen to change the offensive play, and it had worked wonders. That was a quarterback’s right, but also his responsibility. The problem was, Lu Ke was a rookie quarterback with a very thin resume.

’Should I give Lu Ke that much authority? Should I place that much trust in him? Or should I be like the head coaches of the other thirty-one teams in the Alliance and keep more of the offensive play-calling in the hands of the coaching staff? Just what is this rookie quarterback capable of?’

As he was thinking, Lu Ke’s footsteps arrived before him.

In a flash, Jim nodded, giving his approval. ”That was a well-executed down. I want you to keep it up. Let’s go!” After speaking, Jim didn’t linger on Lu Ke. He waved him away, signaling that he could go. He had to coach the next defensive series.

Jim had never been a conservative, timid type; otherwise, he never would have come to the San Francisco 49ers in the first place.

During their brief exchange, the San Francisco 49ers’ special teams unit kicked the extra point. Just forty-six seconds into the first game of the regular season, they had taken a 7-0 lead. A pretty good start to the 2011 season.

Next, the Seattle Seahawks’ offense took the field.

In the studio, Teddy and Kirk exchanged a glance, and Teddy joked, ”I’m not sure about the audience, but I can definitely say I haven’t even learned all the starters on the 49ers’ offense yet. But for now, we have to turn our attention to the Seattle Seahawks.”

The San Francisco 49ers’ first offensive drive was over. The offense came off the field, and the Defense Team went on.

But Lu Ke didn’t relax. He sat down on the sidelines and began flipping through the playbook. The whole game was four quarters, fifteen minutes each. It had only just begun, and the offense still had a lot of work to do.

Even if the rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks lacked a deep history, and even if Lu Ke’s grudge with the Sea Eagle Team was a personal matter, the two teams were still division rivals, direct competitors for a playoff spot. What’s more, the showdown between Jim Hubble and Pete Carroll was only just beginning; the real show was still a long way from starting.

The first pass, the first drive, an unexpected start, an unexpected finish. The San Francisco 49ers drew first blood with a touchdown, seizing the early advantage. Faced with this situation, the Seattle Seahawks’ offense showed no weakness, taking the stage united and determined!

Led by Travis Jackson, the Sea Eagle Team began their drive from their own twenty-yard line. On the first down, they opted for a running play. Quarterback Travis handed the ball to running back Marshawn Lynch, and against the 49ers’ tight defense, Marshawn activated ”Beast Mode”—

Amidst the layered blockade of the Defense Line, Marshawn brutally tore through, creating an opportunity where there was none with his own body and feet. He broke through the 49ers’ Defense Line despite being double-teamed by two players. Then, with nimble, light-footed steps, he dodged a tackle that seemed certain to connect and continued to push forward.

The 49ers’ outside linebacker, number ninety-nine, this year’s first-round pick, Aldon Smith, came over in time to help, wrapping up Marshawn with a perfect tackle. But even that couldn’t stop the running back’s forward progress. While being tackled by Aldon, Marshawn somehow unleashed an astonishing burst of energy, dragging Aldon’s powerful frame forward for another three tough yards.

It took two more players coming in for secondary support, a combined effort of three men, to finally swarm Marshawn and wrestle him to the ground, ending the run.

Even so, Marshawn had still gained thirteen yards.

Incredible. Just as incredible. In response, the Seattle Seahawks delivered a powerful answer of their own. The clash of titans had begun!