Chapter 771: 770 closely connected
Praise, pursuit, affirmation—the bustling voices once again propelled Li Wei to a pinnacle.
In the Big Four leagues of North Arica, what people admire is confidence, strength, and positivity; humility doesn’t work in the NFL. However, everything has two sides. If you run your mouth off like Sherman or Ramsey, people also hope you can accurately recognize yourself and respect your opponents.
There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, humility and servility.
How to balance it, opinions vary.
Li Wei’s public image had always been confident and bright. Since transitioning into the football field, he had climbed to the peak in less than three years—NCAA champion, Super Bowl champion—his journey was brimming with honors, a ti when he surged ahead with the exuberance of youth and conquered the world.
Since entering the NFL, he had always displayed an upright and proper stance against any team and opponent.
But this ti, amidst widespread praise and adulation, Li Wei hit the brakes, offering applause to his rivals with a humble and objective attitude, instantly winning a round of applause from the dia and drawing a stark contrast to those young people who were arrogant and overbearing yet ca away empty-handed.
No wonder even Brees praised Li Wei as having beco a true leader.
Li Wei: ?Is this even possible?
Unexpected but reasonable, at the post-match press conference between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts, the New England Patriots beca the focus of questions. Whether one admits it or not, whether one likes it or not, this is the current status of the New England Patriots in the League.
However, not all questions were centered around the New England Patriots.
“Li Wei, you rested for a full two weeks during the seventeenth week of the regular season and the first week of the playoffs. Today, you’re back in the starting lineup. People are worried that you might not be able to imdiately adjust to your best condition, but obviously, that’s not the case. On the contrary, you showed a strong desire to win right from the beginning. Do you have any reasons for that?”
It was a routine question, and the other reporters collectively rolled their eyes: Such a boring question was not worth wasting ti on, as it was clearly a local Kansas City dia effort to regain focus.
However, unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise.
“Yes, this ga is slightly different. I’m not just fighting for myself and my team but also for the fans living in this city.”
“Annie…”
In front of the TV, Annie exclaid, “Ah!”
She clutched her mouth firmly, hardly believing what she had heard.
Jenna and Jeff were also stunned.
“Felix…”
Felix clenched his fists and cheered, “Fly!”
Karen hadn’t expected this either, her heart started pounding wildly, her mind roared, and she stared intently at the TV screen, not daring to move.
“The guys at the Old Oak Tavern…”
Whoa!
The Old Oak Tavern instantly rattled, every person raised their hands and glasses high, shouting loudly.
Anderson and West stood behind the bar, quietly watching this scene. Unintentionally, their eyes t in a casual glance, and both of them laughed together.
“And the down-to-earth and diligent residents living on this land.”
“They co to Arrowhead Stadium every Sunday to watch the gas, showing support with all their passion. We’ve beco a part of their lives.”
“Likewise, without them, we’re just a bunch of workers playing ball for a millionaire’s paycheck…”
Ha-ha.
In front of the TV wall in the supermarket, at the cashier counter of the coffee shop, in the checkout line of the convenience store, a cleaner hanging from the outside wall of an office building, watching the TV through the window as they wipe the glass, workers beside the factory assembly line getting ready to go back to work—all stopped what they were doing to watch a post-ga press conference, and then burst into collective laughter—
“A million-dollar salary for a worker doesn’t sound so bad after all.”
The journalists in the press room were no different; the laughter just kept coming.
“Without them, it’s just a ga, a sport, no more and no less.”
“It’s precisely their presence that makes everything different, we’re fighting for sothing more valuable and aningful. The outco of a match ans so much more than just win or loss—it might be what they’ve been looking forward to for a week, or perhaps a glimr of hope amidst endless busyness and fatigue.”
“A ga might be the only ti for a father and son to be alone together, football can be the sport that unites a family.”
“We need to feel the weight of the gas.”
“For us, it was a tough match, we were fighting against a great team, but in the end, we were fighting against another group of human beings, just like us. It shouldn’t be such a terrible test.”
“But for Annie, for Felix, for those kids around them, their opponents are cancer and the grim reaper themselves, now that’s a real tough battle, and frankly, I don’t know the way to win.”
“However, they haven’t given up; they are fighting with all their might, even though they have to face a daunting battle much before they have co of age, they still et the challenge with heads raised and chests out.”
“I admire them, and I respect them. I wish I could fight like them, so I step onto the field, do my utmost, hoping not to let this jersey down, not to let down the number twenty-three on my back.”
“And I will fight to the end, because we, the Chieftains, do not know how to give up or surrender.”
Clap, clap, clap.
Clap, clap, clap!
The applause roared like thunder.
Felix took a deep breath, and then took another, his nose feeling sour. He bowed his head to hide his emotion.
Karen patted Felix on the shoulder, wanting to say sothing but ultimately gave up. She straightened her back slightly, her gaze fixed firmly on the TV screen.
Annie grinned, slapping her hands together with feisty enthusiasm. Turning her head, she saw Jenna hurriedly pulling out a tissue to wipe away tears, her taste buds filled with a hint of bitterness, her eyes moistening.
She worried about her mother, how would she cope alone if she were to leave?
But Annie didn’t allow her emotions to collapse. Instead, her smile beca even more radiant. “Ha-ha, Dad, look, Mom is crying, Mom is crying!”
Jenna, in disbelief, looked at Annie, “I am not, you got it wrong.”
Jeff looked over as well, and Jenna’s slightly swollen eyes couldn’t hide the truth. He joined in the laughter heartily, despite Jenna sending him a warning glance. But Jeff quickly ducked behind Annie and joined his daughter in engaging their mockery skills.
Jenna opened her mouth slightly, looking at Annie and Jeff, and finally couldn’t help but smile. But unexpectedly, the tears that had stopped started to slide down once more. She couldn’t control them, crying and laughing at the sa ti, feeling like she might be a little out of her mind.
“Oh, God.” Jenna sighed to the heavens.
Anderson let out a long breath, having barely managed to compose himself, then turned to see West surreptitiously rubbing his eyes.
Realizing he was being watched, West quickly composed himself, pretending nothing had happened. Looking at the noisy applause in the bar, he covered up awkwardly, “This atmosphere.”
Anderson revealed a knowing smile and said, “I told you, he’s worth it.”
West was montarily taken aback, then couldn’t help but smile, nodding subtly, “Yeah.”
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