Chapter 974: 973 Magic Magic
Since the Super Bowl ended, the Kansas City Chiefs’ managent team has been holding etings non-stop to finalize this offseason’s task list—
Renewing Li Wei’s contract.
This is the very first item on the lengthy task list, and also the most important one.
Perhaps outsiders may find this unbelievable—a running back? Really?
Despite Li Wei’s undeniable excellence; despite his groundbreaking presence redefining the running back position within and beyond the league, thrusting it back into the spotlight.
However, for now, the overall league trend hasn’t been completely overturned—passing dominates, quarterbacks’ value remains higher than running backs, and wide receivers, offensive linen, and defensive linen have seen their market values rise as well.
To outsiders, losing linebacker Ford while signing defensive end Frank to an even larger contract seems unwise from a salary cap control perspective.
True professionals, however, wouldn’t see it that way. The rising value of defensive linen and declining value of linebackers were key considerations in the Chiefs’ transaction—they didn’t lose out but rather gained on this deal. Clearly, Brett Veach had a plan.
So yes, the quarterback position remains unshakable.
This is a fact Veach is acutely aware of, and he isn’t trying to challenge the league’s norms—trading Ford and bringing in Frank is direct evidence of that.
But within the Kansas City Chiefs, things are slightly different.
Li Wei’s value isn’t just confined to the field or the locker room; for the fan base, he’s also a coveted ace in the deck.
In a sense, Li Wei’s global influence demonstrated this offseason is just more bargaining power for contract negotiations.
Veach took a deep breath. “Coach, we’re dealing with smart people, but now it seems like we’ve underestimated them.”
Reed nodded lightly in agreent, his gaze still fixed on the field as he pondered deeply. “Maybe our judgnt wasn’t precise enough—the rookie has raised the stakes again.”
What does that an?
Veach took a small step forward, following Reed’s gaze toward the field.
The field was crowded—players, coaches, staff—easily over two hundred people. For a mont, it was hard to identify the focal point of attention.
Soon enough, following the direction of the crowd, Veach spotted Li Wei—and found the answer.
“Oh, God.”
He exclaid aloud—
Mahos!
Yes, it was Mahos!
Veach’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I thought he’d decided to skip spring training camp.”
And he’d even gone to great effort to weave an elaborate excuse!
Reed remained expressionless as he watched the field. “That’s what I thought too. But now it seems a certain magician has worked his magic again, bringing us a miracle.”
In his sights, Mahos jogged over to Li Wei with a bright smile, gave him a punch on the shoulder, and followed up with a cheerful fist bump.
Then, grinning ear to ear, he stuck by Li Wei without any fanfare, joining the training session.
No words needed—Reed’s reference to the magician’s identity couldn’t have been more obvious.
Veach still stared, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. “Wait, what does this an?”
Reed’s face remained calm, though his eyes revealed a trace of satisfaction—
He understood the implications.
If a player were to miss spring training camp to push for a contract renewal, Reed wouldn’t mind. He’d turn a blind eye and pretend not to see through Mahos’ deception, letting the player and managent wrestle for leverage.
As a coach, though, Reed preferred players to attend spring training camp—it allowed the coaching staff to better gauge their condition and prepare for the sumr training camp ahead.
This is part of what makes football so intricate. With over a hundred key players across various positions in the team, every role cos with its own set of interests. Knowing how to balance those interests and needs is crucial to unlocking the team’s potential.
And of course, every season presents new challenges.
Reed glanced at Veach, his inscrutable face making it difficult to discern his thoughts. “What this ans—that’s sothing for you to decide. You’re the team’s manager; you have the bigger picture in your hands.”
“However.”
“Brett, true superstars don’t erge in the league every day.”
Reed gently patted Veach’s shoulder, clasped his hands behind his back, and strolled away unhurriedly.
Veach froze montarily, turning to look at Reed.
“Coach, this isn’t just my responsibility. This is a team matter—you can’t dump everything on ; it shouldn’t work that way.”
“Wait, Coach, what’s with that expression? Are you gloating? No way, Coach, why do you look like you’re enjoying the drama?”
“Hey!”
Watching Reed’s leisurely retreating figure, Veach’s face turned gloomy:
“Damn it!”
Li Wei’s agent was exceptionally difficult to deal with. He wasn’t the aggressive, domineering type—it was more like a masterful tai chi practitioner, turning every move into an effortless redirect. The entire negotiation remained pleasant and amicable, but when it circled back, the bottom line never changed. He held the reins firmly in his grasp throughout.
Clearly, he understood Li Wei’s value.
He was the one who had gradually established Brady’s voice within the New England Patriots, to the point where Brady could now challenge Belichick directly—this agent was undeniably the unsung hero behind the scenes.
Patient, tenacious, and driven by conviction, he wasn’t one to be blinded by short-term gains; his mind held a long-term blueprint mapping out an entire career.
For outsiders chasing pure entertainnt, those cutthroat, authoritative agents who dominate negotiations with an iron fist are often the most fascinating—they command attention, executing deals with decisive force.
Take Ford, or Frank—their agents were of that ilk, ready to walk away if negotiations broke down, confident their players would never lack opportunities.
But at what cost?
Team managers would silently label them, shrinking their negotiating room for future contracts. Their careers often blood brightly but briefly, fading away like flowers after a fleeting season.
Even worse, these agents and their players might rake in profits but never taste the glory of a Super Bowl championship ring—the hirelings of the Los Angeles Rams were pri examples.
The truly challenging ones are agents like Donald Yee.
However, if you consider things from a different angle, the fact they’re still engaging in back-and-forth negotiating shows Li Wei wants to remain with the Kansas City Chiefs and hopes to carve out a long-term career with the team—
Look at Li Wei’s actions today: setting an example for rookies, opening up to accept troublemakers, voluntarily attending training camp despite the tense contract talks; and even convincing Mahos to attend:
The team’s undisputed central pillar who’s also in the middle of critical contract negotiations.
After the tumultuous offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs’ spring training camp kicked off smoothly and steadily.
So might say Li Wei is pandering to the team, comparing him to Antonio Brown’s efforts to defend the Pittsburgh Steelers last year—look how things turned out for Brown!
But Veach knows this is different.
In fact, it’s an entirely separate matter.
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