American Football: King of the Bay Area

”Parris! Parris! Parris!”

Deafening roars and cheers rose and fell, surging through the thick night air. A savage wind swept through, tearing the sounds to shreds, but it did nothing to dampen the feverish energy on the street. All the players were jumping around excitedly, howling and hooting as one.

With all eyes on them, Willis and the others promptly stripped off their clothes and boldly streaked up and down the street. All the other players pulled out their phones, recording and snapping pictures of this historic moment. The quiet street had turned into something of a red carpet premiere.

Now, only Parris was left. The crowd erupted in cheers, and the spotlight was squarely on him. His dawdling and hesitation only caused the attention to escalate, and the situation seemed to be getting out of hand.

Finally, Parris gritted his teeth, stripped off his clothes, and sprinted frantically down the street.

Justin Smith and Navorro Bowman, two of the Defense Team’s stalwarts, launched a surprise attack, yanking off Parris’s underwear. The entire street went wild. All sorts of howls filled the air, like a vast forest coming alive in spring, while a barrage of camera flashes went off, illuminating the scene as if it were day.

Swept up in the atmosphere, Michael Crabtree, Aldon Smith, and Reggie Smith also joined in on the fun, shedding their clothes and joining the ranks of the streakers. The party atmosphere had finally reached its peak. There was no distinction between rookies and veterans, no division between starters and backups; the entire team was in a state of pure revelry.

In the United States, aside from a handful of special 24-hour establishments, most bars have a last call and must close by 3 a.m. at the latest.

It was just a little past one in the morning, right when a party is at its liveliest, but there hadn’t been many drunks wandering the streets. However, after the San Francisco 49ers caused such a commotion, patrons from several nearby bars poured out to see what was happening. The entire area was suddenly buzzing with life—it was quite a spectacle.

”God, you guys are absolutely insane.” An exclamation sounded next to him. Lu Ke, who had been whistling in appreciation, lowered his fingers and turned to see Alex Smith, much to his surprise. Lu Ke chuckled and said, ”Don’t talk like you’re ancient. College kids these days are way crazier.”

The corners of Alex’s mouth lifted, but the smile quickly faded. He shrugged helplessly. ”I really am getting old.”

”Jesus Christ,” Lu Ke exclaimed dramatically. The alcohol seemed to be amplifying his emotions. He wasn’t even tipsy, but he could feel a pleasant warmth spreading through him. ”If I remember correctly, you’re twenty-seven? Or is it twenty-six?”

”Twenty-seven,” Alex replied. He paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh. ”When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound so old.”

”Of course. Twenty-seven is just getting started in the real world,” Lu Ke said matter-of-factly. ”For a quarterback, isn’t your prime supposed to be around thirty? You should watch Peyton Manning and Drew Brees play. God, sometimes I think they’re even younger than me.”

Alex froze, trailing off. The gloom, frustration, and disappointment from the night washed over him. Ever since seeing the fans’ support for Lu Ke at the airport, he’d been in an indescribably bleak mood that even alcohol couldn’t chase away. ”Have you ever worried about losing your starting spot?”

”Of course,” Lu Ke said frankly. ”And tonight is no exception. We lost the game, and while I have enough confidence in my own performance, as an undrafted player—and an undrafted player with no real track record—every step I take feels like I’m wobbling on a high wire. So, yes, I worry about losing my starting spot.”

Such an honest answer was not what Alex had expected. ”But…” ’But Lu Ke seemed completely unaffected tonight. That confident, composed demeanor of his was always so enviable.’

”But worrying doesn’t solve anything,” Lu Ke continued. ”If I lose the starting spot this week, it just means the coaching staff has a better option. What I need to do then is to pour everything into training, improve my skills, and earn the coaches’ approval again. I’m confident I can win the starting spot back.”

His confident words carried a powerful determination and vigor, but after a brief pause, Lu Ke added, ”Someday.” This apparent crack in his confidence made Alex laugh out loud.

The smile lingered on his lips for a moment as Alex became lost in his own thoughts.

’Twenty-seven. He was only twenty-seven. His career was only a third of the way through, maybe even just a quarter. There was still such a long road ahead of him.’

’Aaron Rodgers, from his same draft class, had already become one of the top elite quarterbacks and won a Super Bowl. But so what? He had his own career, his own path to walk, one steady step at a time. It was too early to sink into despair or give up. Far too early.’

’He had to pull himself together, get his feet back on the ground, and pour everything into training to win back the starting spot. He would earn the respect he deserved through his own skill. Even if it wasn’t with the San Francisco 49ers, there were thirty-one other teams in the Alliance. He still had plenty of opportunities.’

As he looked at Lu Ke again, his wavering, anxious frustration began to settle. Alex furrowed his brow slightly and asked with renewed interest, ”You know I’m going to compete for that starting job with everything I’ve got. I’m not just going to give up, right?”

”I know,” Lu Ke replied without a hint of hesitation, then flashed a confident smile. ”In fact, I’m looking forward to it.” Noticing Alex’s confused gaze, Lu Ke elaborated, ”I mean, you’re an experienced quarterback with a different understanding of the game and its tactics. Through this competition, I hope to keep improving myself. A healthy competition, of course.”

As a quarterback, Alex had a unique command of the game. Minimizing mistakes, controlling the tempo, and avoiding unnecessary risks—these were all his strengths. Beyond that, Alex possessed a wealth of experience and a seasoned maturity that Lu Ke still lacked.

Before the preseason, Jim Hubble had re-signed Alex. His intention was simple: he hoped Alex could use his experience to help Kaepernick develop quickly, acting as a bridge to help Kaepernick integrate into the team’s West Coast offense.

The playbook is a notorious challenge for every rookie quarterback. If a rookie can get guidance from a veteran, especially hands-on instruction, their development can be significantly accelerated.

Now, on the San Francisco 49ers roster, the three quarterbacks—Lu Ke, Scott Torsin, and Colin Kaepernick—were all rookies. They needed Alex’s experience and his guidance.

Unfortunately, Alex was injured before the preseason, so Kaepernick didn’t receive enough guidance, and his performance in the preseason was a disaster. After recovering, Alex had only officially rejoined team practices last week. Having been back for just two weeks, he hadn’t had much time to interact with the three rookies yet.

Alex could feel the vigor radiating from Lu Ke—it wasn’t just a desire for victory, but also a hunger for greater skill and growth. As an undrafted player, Lu Ke had put in more sweat and effort than anyone else. Alex had only seen his daily training, but that alone was enough to give him a sense of the whole picture. He couldn’t even imagine how much hard work Lu Ke must be putting in off the field.

”For practice on Wednesday, we could start together, if you’d like.” Alex extended an olive branch.

During team practices, the quarterbacks always trained together. This was partly because their drills were the same, and partly because they could partner up for specific, targeted exercises. It was through this process that knowledge was passed down and mentorship occurred between veteran and rookie quarterbacks.

Lu Ke’s eyes lit up. ”No problem.” For the past two months, his training partner had been Scott Torsin. Due to the significant gap in their skill levels, Lu Ke had mostly been studying and practicing on his own, with Torsin simply assisting in some of the specialized drills.

”What time’s your practice?” Lu Ke asked, cutting straight to the chase.

Alex chuckled. ”Not so fast, or I might regret this.” Lu Ke spread his hands in a gesture of innocence. Alex’s smile widened. ”Seven in the morning. I usually start practice at seven. But I know you have your own schedule and pace, so you can just stick to your routine. We can meet at the facility at seven.”

”Got it.” Lu Ke nodded. ”By the way, after recovery practice on Wednesday, Kip and I are planning to watch this week’s game film in the film room. Want to join us?”

”Heh, look at you two lunatics.” Before Alex could answer, a voice cut in, interrupting their conversation. And it wasn’t just one person; first Logan, then Marcus, followed by Vernon and Crabtree—a boisterous crowd rushed over.

”You guys can’t possibly be talking about the playbook out here, right? God, you two are so boring! It’s party night! A party! The party is peaking right now, come on, let’s drink! Let’s go, drink up! Or hey, how about another betting game? We can make the stakes bigger this time!”

The cacophony of voices all blended, making it impossible to tell who was saying what. Amid the noisy din, Lu Ke and Alex exchanged a look and followed the group back into the bar. The party was far from over.