American Football: King of the Bay Area

Through the phone, Lu Ke could sense Jiang Youning’s panic. On one hand, sports agents were a field she was completely unfamiliar with. On the other, the sudden appearance of six agents all at once had caught her off guard. But most importantly, her anxiety was clouding her judgment.

Jiang Youning understood the importance of a top-tier agent. Although changing agents was commonplace in modern society, everyone hoped to find an outstanding one who could accompany a player through their long and arduous professional career, leaving the off-field drama and melodrama behind so the player could truly focus on the game.

”Mom, Mom, calm down,” Lu Ke soothed in a low voice. ”Just think of them as salesmen. If you don’t like them, just tell them to leave. After all, the person they’re here for isn’t even home.”

”How could I do that?” Jiang Youning shook her head repeatedly. ”You’ve officially entered the Alliance now. You have to pick a reliable agent. Let me tell you, those terrible, black-hearted agents… tricking you out of money is the least of it. The main thing is, they’re always egging players on to do all sorts of weird things, or they make unreasonable demands. Perfectly good players have their careers ruined just like that.”

”Mom, have you been reading the supermarket tabloids again?” Lu Ke couldn’t help but palm his forehead, letting out a soft chuckle.

Supermarket tabloids referred specifically to the free newspapers handed out in supermarkets in the United States. Their stories were bizarre and baseless—they could be read like fiction, even more exaggerated than a storybook. But for housewives, they were quite popular for lining vegetable baskets or just for passing a few moments.

These papers survived on ad revenue and couldn’t care less about the truthfulness of their stories. The more sensational, the better. They’d even caused quite a stir with headlines like ”Mummy Gets Pregnant” and ”Hillary Clinton Has an Affair with an Alien.”

”I have not,” Jiang Youning said, amused by Lu Ke. She chuckled despite her denial. ”You kid. I’m just worried about you. There’s no question how important a good agent is.”

Listening to Jiang Youning’s words, Lu Ke’s gaze couldn’t help but drift toward where Lech was sitting.

Lech sat on the bench, calm and composed, showing no sign of anxiety or impatience, nor any intention of rushing Lu Ke. Noticing Lu Ke’s gaze, he offered a smile before turning his eyes to the garden next to them. He didn’t pull out his phone to look busy; instead, he seemed almost excessively relaxed.

Lowering his head, Lu Ke looked at the hundred-dollar bill in his hand.

Suddenly, Lu Ke understood the meaning of the bill. It was that hundred dollars from the Washington Redskins, the one that had been taped to the back of the playbook. Lu Ke had put it in an envelope and sent it back to the Redskins to show his resolve.

Lu Ke had almost forgotten about the incident. Thinking back now, it felt like a lifetime ago. But Lu Ke was certain that Lech wouldn’t have just pulled out a hundred-dollar bill for no reason. It had to have a deeper meaning, and the Washington Redskins was the best explanation.

This meant that for the past two weeks, or even longer, Lech had been observing Lu Ke carefully and seriously. Today’s invitation wasn’t just a whim. It was just as his reputation suggested: from a sea of choices, he would only pick one.

”Mom, tell those agents that I already have one,” Lu Ke said, having made up his mind.

Jiang Youning was stunned. ”Huh? Since when? How come I don’t know? Does your dad know?”

”Just now,” Lu Ke chuckled. ”Mom, don’t worry. You know me, I’m not the impulsive type. This agent and I have actually been in touch for a while. It’s just that a moment ago, I decided that he might be the best choice.” Sensing Jiang Youning’s lingering worry and doubt, Lu Ke shrugged. ”He’s pretty famous, you know.”

Jiang Youning couldn’t help but laugh. ”How would we know if he’s famous or not? The important thing is, is he good? Will he take good care of you? Will he force you to do things you don’t want to do?”

Lu Ke thought for a moment. ”Mom, he’s an agent with a lot of personal warmth.”

Personal warmth. People in China always talk about ”personal warmth” because that’s how connections are built between people—among neighbors, friends, and family alike. Although people in the United States also value family and friends, that sense of ”personal warmth” is much less pronounced. They maintain their relationships in other ways.

As Lu Ke’s mother, Jiang Youning knew her son. Lu Ke was independent and smart. Growing up, he had never given them much to worry about. He was calm when faced with problems and composed in a crisis, sometimes even more so than she and her husband.

After all, young people adapted much faster than they did here in the United States, so Lu Ke also had a better understanding of how to handle life’s problems the American way.

It had been that way when he chose football, and later when he decided to become a professional player. Even more impressively, he hadn’t neglected his university studies and had graduated with excellent grades.

So, Jiang Youning mulled it over for a moment before simply asking, ”Have you thought it through?”

”Mhm. I have.” Lu Ke nodded firmly in affirmation.

Jiang Youning didn’t hesitate any longer. ”Alright, I understand. So, what do your dad and I need to do? Should we look into him?”

”If Dad is interested, he can ask around,” Lu Ke offered, knowing his parents were still worried. ”As for those agents, just tell them my agent is Lech Steineberg.”

”Lech Steineberg?” Jiang Youning repeated. ”Okay, that’s all for now then. Remember to eat on time, and don’t forget to get a massage and relax.” After one last reminder, she hung up.

Back in the living room, Jiang Youning called Lu Zhengze over. The couple murmured to each other for a moment before she faced the six agents and said politely, ”I’m sorry, but Lu Ke has officially signed with an agent, so I don’t think he needs any help in that regard for now.”

”Already signed?” One of the agents looked bewildered. He glanced at his colleagues, confirming they were all just as confused. Before today, there hadn’t been any news in the industry. How could Lu Ke have suddenly signed with someone? ”May I ask who Lu Ke’s agent is…?”

But he couldn’t think of any reason for Lu Ke to deceive them, so he could only try to confirm.

”Lech Steineberg.” Jiang Youning said the name, then watched as the six agents in front of her froze like wooden posts, stunned and speechless, with no reaction at all.

Jiang Youning looked at Lu Zhengze, confused, her eyes asking, ’What is it? Is something wrong?’

”Who?” one of the agents asked again.

”Lech Steineberg,” Jiang Youning repeated. ”What’s wrong? His name… have you not heard of him? But I’m certain Lu Ke has already signed.” ’At least, that’s what Lu Ke said,’ she added to herself.

”No, no, of course not.” The six agents waved their hands and shook their heads frantically. If Lech were a nobody, then there would be no big shots in the sports agent world. ”Congratulations to Lu Ke. Lech is a… a very outstanding agent. Well then, I’ll be taking my leave.”

The six agents scrambled to leave the house, one after another, in a complete panic. Their flustered backs as they fled left Jiang Youning and Lu Zhengze completely bewildered.

「Meanwhile, on the other side of North America.」

Lu Ke returned to the bench. After apologizing to Lech, he handed the hundred-dollar bill back, but Lech shook his head. ”Give it back to me after you win the Super Bowl.”

Indeed, Lech had asked the Washington Redskins.

A smile couldn’t help but lift the corners of Lu Ke’s mouth. The two exchanged a look, and though no words were spoken, a sense of mutual understanding and trust had already been established. It was a good start.

But before he formally agreed, Lu Ke had one more question. ”Excuse me, but do you believe in that 2009 report?”

”Yes, I do,” Lech said without hesitation or concealment, looking at Lu Ke frankly. That report was, at its core, concerned with the players’ health and future.

”So, do you have any advice?” Lu Ke pressed.

Lech shook his head honestly. ”No. Football is a sport of impact and collision. No sport can avoid injuries, and football is no exception. My only advice is this: don’t hide injuries. Even if it’s just a cold or a sore muscle, you must, absolutely must, tell me. And you must tell the team doctor. Take care of yourself, and we can discuss the rest as we go.”

At this, Lech raised his right hand, pointed his index finger, and gently tapped the air in front of Lu Ke’s forehead. ”If you become a player I represent, I have only one requirement: what happened today can never happen again. You can play through an injury, but that decision has to be made by me and the doctors. No lying, and no making decisions on your own. If necessary, I will hire a private doctor for you. That is my only requirement.”

Lu Ke pressed his lips together and gave a slight nod. ”That’s fair.”

Lech broke into a wide smile. ”Deal?”

”Deal.” Lu Ke returned the wide smile. He extended his right hand, and Lech extended his. The two shook hands firmly, officially sealing their partnership.

”Excellent. Now, the first thing we need to do is get lunch,” Lech said, smoothly taking charge of Lu Ke’s life. ”After lunch, we need to call a lawyer, go over the contract, and then sign it. Once that’s done, we can sort out all the work. How does that sound? Any problems?”

Lu Ke paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but smile. The feeling was a bit strange, a completely new experience. ”No, no problem.” The two of them stood up and walked toward the dining area. ”So, I guess we’re partners now?”

”Yes, partners.”

The movie *Mr. Sweetheart* was originally titled *Jerry Maguire* in English, which is the main character’s name. But when it was released in China, the movie’s title was translated as *Mr. Sweetheart* for a simple reason: in the modern business world, an agent like Jerry Maguire, who focuses solely on one player, is a true ”Mr. Sweetheart”—

aside from charity work, no one would do such a thing.

And now, Lu Ke had become the next football player chosen by the real-life inspiration for Mr. Sweetheart.