American Football: King of the Bay Area

”God, you’re a lunatic. I can’t take it. No, I just can’t. Go easy, take it slow... Can’t you lighten up a bit? I never knew you were this kind of person! I feel like I’m meeting you for the first time! I need a new partner...”

As Logan pushed open the front door, his peripheral vision caught the crowd in the hall, and his words died abruptly. He stared blankly at the densely packed group of people, all of whom were giving him a strange, teasing look, sizing him up in an indescribable way.

Logan’s mind was full of questions. He spread his hands. ”What? Is there a problem? I just finished a day of strength training, so why is everyone looking like they’ve seen a ghost?”

”Oh.” Aldon Smith’s face showed sudden understanding. ”So, you guys were talking about strength training.” Then, he shrugged and nodded to his buddies next to him. ”So that’s what it was.” The others all nodded in agreement.

”If you guys are interested, you’re welcome to join. Training at the gym is always tedious. If we do strength training together and push each other, the results should be better.” Lu Ke was all smiles, extending a sincere invitation.

The next second, everyone’s faces paled in horror. They all forced awkward but friendly smiles and frantically waved their hands. ”No, we’re good.” ”Thanks for the invitation, but we’re fine.” ”I think our current training plan is already pretty good.” ”Yeah, yeah, but thanks anyway...”

’Train with that psycho, Lu Ke? That kind of inhuman torture? That ascetic monk-like daily routine?’ They would have to pass. Just the thought of it made their skin crawl.

Secretly, everyone gave Logan a thumbs-up, commending him for his courage and expressing their admiration. Their eyes were filled with pity and sympathy, but also with schadenfreude-filled snickers.

Today was Tuesday. On this day every week, the rookies would gather at Lu Ke’s house to watch game tapes, analyze the playbook, and work together to keep up with the team. Before they knew it, this habit had continued since the first week of the regular season, gradually evolving into a regular event for the rookies.

Since it was a weekday, Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning weren’t home. But they knew about the meetings and enthusiastically welcomed the players. Jiang Youning would always prepare drinks and snacks, while Lu Zhengze would set up the projector and a white screen beforehand, getting everything ready for the players’ hard work.

In just a few short weeks, a sense of rapport had formed among the rookies, and they had all grown familiar with Lu Ke. The first few weeks, they had all dutifully waited on the porch. This week, they just let themselves in—Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning had intentionally left the door unlocked when they left.

Looking at his teammates, who seemed desperate to avoid him, Lu Ke didn’t burst their bubble of lies. He chuckled and said, ”Weren’t you guys supposed to come over after lunch? That’s still a few hours away. Why is everyone here early?” He didn’t even need a watch; Lu Ke’s daily routine was so fixed that the time he finished his training rarely varied.

All the rookies looked at each other, and finally, Aldon spoke up. ”We lost a game. I think... maybe we need more time today. Maybe we have more work to do...”

After the bitter taste of defeat, the players’ desire for victory was truly ignited. Today, they were all proactive. Everyone loves winning, and everyone chases victory. Clearly, to taste victory again, they needed to put in more effort. This was true for Logan, and it was true for Aldon and the other rookies.

”I don’t know. This is all new to me, too. You know, this is the first loss of my professional career,” Lu Ke said with a deadpan, serious expression. It seemed arrogant, but it was actually a hidden joke, and all the rookies burst out laughing.

After the joke, Lu Ke became serious. ”Well then, I think you guys can get started. I’m going to take a shower and I’ll join you right after. Just make yourselves at home.”

In fact, after getting the ”beginner-level cheat,” Lu Ke had been using it since Sunday to repeatedly watch the tape of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles, learning from the loss to constantly improve.

However, as a quarterback, he needed a more comprehensive understanding of the game. Watching the tapes with the rookies was a different experience altogether; understanding the different perspectives from different positions could give Lu Ke more inspiration. Therefore, Lu Ke was also very much looking forward to today’s gathering.

Before diving into the meeting, Lu Ke first went back to his room to shower. Logan, meanwhile, navigated his way to the first-floor guest bathroom with practiced ease. The place was as familiar to him as his own home, and he couldn’t be bothered to cross the street to go back to his.

When he returned to the living room, everyone was sitting relaxed and casual in different corners, the air echoing with heated discussions. Aldon and Colin Jones were even arguing, red-faced, pulling in other members of the Defense Team to emphasize their points.

This was a good thing.

In the team’s official tactical meetings, due to the intimidating presence of the coaching staff and the dominance of the veteran players, the rookies—lacking in both experience and knowledge—had relatively few opportunities to participate in discussions. Most of the time, they just listened intently, passively absorbing information.

But at Lu Ke’s house, every rookie could freely express their opinions and debate. After clarifying their thoughts here, they could then cross-reference their ideas in the team meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. Subsequently, the rookies would further exchange what they’d learned, naturally accelerating their growth.

Any questions, any insights, any ideas—all could be freely discussed here. Every player benefited immensely.

Just as Lu Ke was about to join them, there was a knock at the door. He changed his course and walked toward the entrance, calling out with a grin to his buddies, ”Everyone, calm down a little. Anyone who didn’t know better would think a murder was about to happen in here.” As he spoke, he opened the door, and the smile froze on his lips. He was momentarily stunned.

”Hey, Lu Ke.” Standing at the door, Mike Rupati gave a shy smile. He looked left and right, then awkwardly raised his right hand and waved a greeting. His entire body radiated discomfort. He hesitated for a moment, seemingly unable to find something to say. Suddenly, realizing something, he took a step to the left. ”I have company. Anthony, aren’t you going to say hi?”

Anthony Davis, another towering, powerfully built man, forced a smile. ”Lu Ke, good morning. Uh... did we pick a bad time? Sorry, we came over without calling. We were just passing by, and I just thought... maybe, maybe we could come say hi.”

Mike Rupati and Anthony Davis were both sophomores, both players on the Offense Line, both guards, and both had joined the Alliance via the draft last year. Interestingly, both were first-round picks. The San Francisco 49ers had traded for another draft pick, landing two slots in the first round. Davis was the eleventh overall pick, and Rupati was the seventeenth.

On the Offense Line, the guards are the players on either side of the center—the interior linemen. Rupati was the left guard, responsible for protecting Lu Ke’s blind side. He was undoubtedly one of the strongest players on the entire team, standing at 6’4” (196 cm) and weighing 331 pounds (150 kg). Davis was the right guard, and his build was just as impressive.

As members of the same offense, Lu Ke was very familiar with Rupati and Davis. On the practice field, they ran most of their tactical drills together. But that familiarity was limited to the field. Outside of practice, they didn’t interact much, let alone in their personal lives—they hadn’t even exchanged phone numbers.

Lu Ke’s brow furrowed slightly. ”Uh, what I’m more curious about is, how did you guys find my address?”

That wary and distant ”strangers keep out” vibe made both Rupati and Davis freeze. They exchanged a look, flustered and at a loss for words, unable to say anything.

Seeing their expressions, Lu Ke burst out laughing. ”Guys, it was just a joke. Relax.” Rupati and Davis both let out a long sigh of relief, but they still couldn’t manage a smile. ”Are you sure you were just passing by?”

Rupati scratched his head and said in a rumbling voice, ”No, we knew... uh, that you guys have a private study group to go over tactics. Anthony and I were thinking... maybe, we could join in and discuss the plays.”

Rupati’s words were a bit clumsy. He scratched his head again. ”The team’s Offense Line has a lot of problems right now. If you want to be able to pass well, we need to work harder to give you solid pocket protection, so...”

”Oh.” Lu Ke was also a bit stunned. It was unexpected, but it made perfect sense. His expression immediately brightened. ”Of course, no problem. For me, this is the best thing that could happen. Welcome, a warm welcome.” Lu Ke quickly stepped aside, opening the door wide. ”Please, come in. You’re always welcome.”

Rupati and Davis walked into the house, one after the other, and saw the lively scene before them. Seeing their familiar teammates outside the context of the field felt strangely unfamiliar, making both of them feel a little self-conscious.

”Help yourselves. No need for special introductions, right?” Lu Ke closed the door and clapped his two Offense Line buddies on the back. ”Find a spot to sit, watch the tape, join the discussion, and speak freely. Those are all the rules. Oh, do you need any specific drinks? Coke? Beer? Or soda?”

Rupati was having a little trouble keeping up, but Davis was more proactive. ”We’ll have whatever everyone else is having. No need to go to any trouble.” Then, Davis said to Rupati, ”Come on, Mike. This is what we came for, isn’t it?”

On a Tuesday that was usually for rest and relaxation, a group of young men were diligently engrossed in their work.