American Football: King of the Bay Area

”God, oh God! Lu Ke is getting up! Lu Ke is on his feet! He’s up!” Kirk frantically slammed his fist on the commentary desk, shouting with abandon. Words seemed to fail him as he just kept repeating, ”Lu Ke is on his feet!”

In that fervor, that excitement, Kirk shed his identity as a commentator and truly felt the surging passion of football.

”Lu Ke is turning to face the visiting fans in the stands! He’s raised his right hand and is giving them a thumbs-up to thank them for their support. God, he looks okay. This is just great!” As Kirk yelled, his voice choked up, and he suddenly realized his unprofessionalism. Not only had he jumped to his feet, but he was screaming like a crazed fan, and he didn’t even know why.

Perhaps it was because he saw in Lu Ke an unyielding, never-say-die, persevering spirit that had carried him from being an unknown practice squad player all the way to this point. In competitive sports, winning is everything; to the victor go the spoils. But sometimes, there is so much more than just victory. That is the fundamental reason why sports drive people to such passionate, all-consuming frenzy.

Inside Paul Brown Stadium, the excited and passionate cheers of the San Francisco 49ers fans rang out. Their numbers weren’t overwhelming, but their voices were resilient. They weren’t deafening, but they were full of passion. Each chant echoed through the stadium, gradually weaving together into a single, unified force, making one truly feel the team’s solidarity.

”Wow. This is a sight we haven’t seen from the 49ers since the season began. This Chinese-American quarterback has earned a group of loyal supporters with his performance and skill.” As the impassioned mood began to settle, Kirk couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement, his heart stirring as he watched the surging sea of red and gold.

Turning his head, Kirk saw Teddy smiling broadly. But instead of feeling embarrassed, he just shrugged and chuckled. ”I guess I got caught up in the moment.” His frank admission of his unprofessional behavior earned a laugh from Teddy, as well as applause from the viewers.

Then, slipping back into his commentator role, Kirk added, ”But the team doctor will have to make the final call. We don’t know Lu Ke’s actual condition or if he’ll be able to continue playing. Without a doubt, if he can’t, it would be a huge loss for the regular season.”

The team doctor, Walter Hudson, jogged onto the field. He could see Lu Ke back on his feet from a distance, but he didn’t slow his pace.

This was the second time Lu Ke had been knocked down in the game today, and Walter was very concerned about a possible concussion. Besides, Lu Ke’s physical build wasn’t exactly top-tier. He was still on the lighter side, and taking four sacks in a row would be tough on any quarterback. Walter immediately walked over and began to carefully assess Lu Ke’s condition.

”I’m fine, Doc,” Lu Ke said, flashing a wide grin.

Walter frowned. ”Whether you’re fine or not is my call, not yours.” If he had his way, he’d never have to set foot on the field all game. He’d much rather stay on the sidelines collecting dust while the players all remained healthy and injury-free.

The referees were watching from nearby, which meant Walter had limited time—otherwise, Lu Ke would have to leave the field for a full examination.

With swift, practiced movements, Walter began the concussion protocol again. Then, he quickly checked Lu Ke’s breathing and joint mobility, and finally, his muscle response. Only after confirming that Lu Ke had no serious issues did he let out a long sigh of relief.

Although Lu Ke was still on the lighter side, his flexibility and muscle resistance were excellent. It was truly remarkable that he hadn’t sustained any injuries after four sacks. This surprised Walter a little. ’Wait, is it because of the yoga?’

This was the first guess that popped into Walter’s head. It was no secret on the San Francisco 49ers that Lu Ke persistently practiced yoga as part of his daily training, and that the difficulty of his poses was gradually increasing.

However, this wasn’t the time to discuss it. Walter patted Lu Ke’s shoulder and instructed him again, ”If you feel any pain at all, tell me immediately. Don’t try to be a hero. Also, we’ll need to do a full check-up after the game.”

”Don’t worry, Doc!” Lu Ke made an ”OK” sign, then turned to his teammates. ”Told you I’m fine.”

The hit had looked brutal, but thankfully his flexibility had absorbed most of the impact. Muscle soreness was inevitable, but he wasn’t actually injured. More importantly, the accumulation of his base stat points had resulted in a qualitative improvement in his physical condition.

Lu Ke jumped in place a couple of times to loosen up. He then rotated his arms to relax his slightly tense muscles, but immediately felt a dull ache in his right arm and his left abdominal muscles, causing his brow to furrow.

’The body’s made of flesh and blood, after all.’ How could it not react after repeated impacts? It wasn’t just muscle soreness; muscles all over his body had tensed up, and it felt like every nerve was pulled taut. It wasn’t a localized pain, but more like every nerve was a rubber band stretched to its limit. The sensation was truly bizarre.

”Bambi, are you sure?” Logan noticed the conflicted look on Lu Ke’s face. Walter had made him take his helmet off to check if his nose was bleeding again, so his expression was completely exposed to his teammates. ”If you’re hurt, don’t try to tough it out!”

”If certain people weren’t slacking on the job, how could Bambi get hurt? Forget Bambi, even if you put Cam Newton back there, he’d be injured too after taking four sacks before the third quarter is even over!” Marcus was still fuming, grumbling under his breath and making pointed, indirect accusations.

The expressions of Rupati and Hachar, who were standing nearby, immediately soured. The other three players on the Offense Line, as well as the three Wide Receivers, didn’t look too happy either. The looks on their faces were a complex mix of emotions that was hard to describe.

”Marcus, leave the locker room issues in the locker room and on the practice field. We’re in the middle of a game right now. We’re one team.” Lu Ke spoke up to stop Marcus, but before he could finish, Marcus craned his neck defiantly. ”You treat them like teammates, but do they treat you like one? They—”

Marcus tried to keep going, but Lu Ke cut him off bluntly. ”I want to win. I want this win more than anything. I hope I’m not in this alone, because I need your help to win this game. All the off-field drama isn’t my concern right now. The only thing I’m concerned about is this: can you block Atkins?”

With that last question, Lu Ke looked directly at Rupati and Hachar.

Rupati opened his mouth to answer, but Lu Ke’s glare stopped him. ”Think before you answer. You’ve already given up four sacks! I don’t like it. I’ve done my job, and I expect you to do yours. I need to know that we’re on the same team now, because I have no intention of letting this win slip away!”

The simple words were powerful and resonant. His gaze was so sharp and determined that it was impossible to meet. Rupati couldn’t help but look away. Hachar met Lu Ke’s gaze head-on, refusing to back down, but ultimately, he couldn’t hold it, lowering his head in shame and breaking eye contact.

”Now, we need to focus. We are... on the five-yard line.” The last sack cost them four yards. Luckily, Lu Ke hadn’t fumbled the ball, though his mind had gone blank and he couldn’t even remember if he’d protected it. ”We still have two downs to get the touchdown. I think we can do it. Let’s go teach their Defense Team a lesson and show them who rules this field! So, who’s with me?”

With that, Lu Ke extended his right hand, holding it flat in the center of the huddle.

The offensive players looked at one another, and finally, all eyes landed on Lu Ke. The first one, Ted Ginn Jr., put his right hand on top of Lu Ke’s. Then came Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams, followed by their teammates on the Offense Line. Finally, Marcus and Logan reluctantly stacked their hands on top as well.

Lu Ke didn’t speak, but let his gaze fall on each of his teammates’ faces. ”When two foes meet on a narrow path, the braver one prevails! I firmly believe that today’s victory will be ours!” His powerful words made every player’s eyes light up. Their emotions began to surge and boil once more, making them eager to get the game started again.

It was the third week of the regular season, and the team was already on a two-game winning streak. But it wasn’t until today, until this very moment, that the San Francisco 49ers’ offense truly became one. Looking at Lu Ke before them, they seemed to find a new belief—a tenacious, fervent belief in victory.

”On three, we shout ’Touchdown!’ Let’s go get one! One, two, three!” Lu Ke raised his right hand high, and everyone shouted in unison, ”Touchdown!” Then they started yelling, roaring, and bellowing, their desire for victory erupting with incredible radiance!

Lu Ke remained in place, stretching his muscles once more. The soreness and tightness hadn’t completely subsided. He knew his body wasn’t in optimal condition, but he had no path of retreat. ’You play through minor injuries.’ Besides, this was hardly a minor injury. He had to stay on the field. He had to give it his all and seize this victory with his own two hands.

The faint, stinging pain kept his mind sharper than ever. In his line of sight, the Fierce Tiger Team’s Defense Team had already regained its composure. In a professional game, what had just happened was merely a minor incident. No one would care, and no one would go easy on him—except, perhaps, the person it happened to.

But Lu Ke felt not a hint of cowardice or hesitation. He was ready. Ready to get another touchdown.

’Read the defense. Read the defense. Read the defense.’

Lu Ke didn’t panic. He read the defense with unhurried focus, then slowly, slowly bent down, getting ready for the snap.