A cacophony of sound. The deafening drum corps in the center of the bowl-shaped stadium echoed like crashing waves under the sky. A bustling crowd surged along the main road, with vendors on both sides selling souvenirs, popcorn, hot dogs, and team rchandise. It was a lively scene. A long line of cars waiting to park snaked out of the parking lot, stretching endlessly.
Jiang You-ning stood outside the passenger door, looking at the spectacular scene. Her mouth was wide open. It was like a different world, a world separate from her daily life. For Jiang You-ning, who spent most of her ti in an office, the impact was even more pronounced. She heard Lu Zheng-ze's voice from nearby. "What's wrong? Are you in shock?"
Jiang You-ning chuckled lightly. "Don't act like you're used to it. This is your first ti watching a ga in person too." Having lived in San Francisco for over ten years, they still spoke Chinese in private. It was because of this environnt that Lu Ke hadn't lost his Chinese.
For most Chinese people, Arican football was a relatively unfamiliar sport, and Lu Zheng-ze and Jiang You-ning were no exception. When Lu Ke said he was going to play "football," they thought he ant soccer. The sa word, "football," specifically referred to Arican football in the US, but in other countries, it ant soccer. At the ti, the couple wasn't too surprised. But the first ti they went to watch Lu Ke's ga, they were both completely dumbfounded.
Over the years, because of their son, Lu Zheng-ze had beco a semi-avid Arican football fan. He could talk about teams and tactics in a very professional way. Even Jiang You-ning wasn't completely clueless about the rules anymore. However, they had never actually gone to a ga in person until today.
At the beginning of this season, Lu Ke beca a backup for the Bruins. His years of hard work had finally paid off, and Lu Zheng-ze and Jiang You-ning were both very happy. However, they both had jobs, and the drive between San Francisco and Los Angeles was seven or eight hours. It wasn't easy for them to go to a ga to show their support, even if they wanted to.
But the Rose Bowl was different. January 1st was a public holiday. Lu Zheng-ze and Jiang You-ning had driven all the way from San Francisco to Los Angeles yesterday to watch the ga. They knew Lu Ke was a backup and might not even get a chance to play. He would just be a tiny black dot on the sideline, but they still drove here without hesitation.
The two of them followed the flow of the crowd toward the stadium entrance. In the midst of the noisy crowd, they saw a young man jumping up and down in the distance. "Over here! Over here! Jack, I'm here!" Without waiting for a response, the young man ran over with a big smile and enthusiastically hugged Lu Zheng-ze and Jiang You-ning. "Welco back to Los Angeles! So, was everything smooth sailing coming here today?"
Jack was Lu Zheng-ze's English na. In 1997, Lu Zheng-ze and his family immigrated to the US. At the ti, to adapt to the local social environnt and daily communication, his Chinese na was a mouthful. He had to choose an English na, and since "Titanic" was a big hit at the ti, he chose "Jack" as his English na. He never expected that this na would stay with him for more than a decade in Arica.
"Everything's good, except for finding a parking spot, which took a while. But you know, we live in San Francisco..." Lu Zheng-ze's matter-of-fact expression made everyone laugh. San Francisco was a hilly city, and parking was even more difficult there. "Sorry for making you co all the way to pick us up. I told Lu Ke yesterday not to worry about us. There are clear signs here, we wouldn't get lost."
The person who ca to greet Lu Ke's parents was none other than Lu Ke's roommate, Jay. Over the past few years, Lu Zheng-ze and Jiang You-ning had visited their son in Los Angeles often and had beco very familiar with his two roommates, Jay and Logan. They were like old friends and spoke casually. Today, Lu Ke had to be with his teammates, so he couldn't host his parents, and he had asked Jay for help.
"I trust you wouldn't get lost. But to watch the Rose Bowl, you really need a little guidance," Jay said with a playful tone. He led the two of them toward the entrance. After their tickets were scanned, they saw staff mbers in bright yellow rain jackets guiding the audience to their corresponding seats. They walked through the packed hallway and up the steps to the stands. Suddenly, the view opened up to a breathtaking sight.
A massive crowd filled every corner of their vision, surging and swaying as if in a storm. A roaring noise echoed and reverberated inside the stadium like a hurricane passing through. A rush of air ca from all directions, pressing against their bodies and making it hard to breathe.
One hundred thousand people. One hundred thousand people had gathered in the stadium, like a vast ocean. Every individual was like a drop of water in that ocean, insignificant. The grandeur of the world and the insignificance of humans were never more vivid and profound than at this mont. The shock that ca from the depths of their souls made all words seem pale and weak. It felt like if they weren't careful, they would completely disappear in the waves.
"What do you think?" Jay said with a big smile. "Even though I've been here countless tis, the shock never lessens. Every ti, I'm so stunned I can't speak. It's especially true tonight. This is the biggest event of the year!" Jay also savored the scene, his heart swelling with excitent.
"This is truly magnificent!" Jiang You-ning couldn't help but exclaim. Then she joked, "The last ti I watched Lu Ke's ga was on a high school field. You know, with a bunch of bored moms and noisy kids. It was a chaotic scene."
This playful jab made Jay laugh heartily. "Annie, now I know where Lu Ke gets his sense of humor." Annie was Jiang You-ning's English na.
"What's in front of
is the most spectacular sight I've ever seen in my life!" Lu Zheng-ze's mouth was slightly agape, and he was a little dazed, feeling like his brain had stopped working.
Imagine standing in the center of the field, under the gaze of a hundred thousand people, showcasing your abilities and talent, with all the cheers surging toward you. What would that be like? But Lu Zheng-ze found that his imagination was too limited, and he couldn't even describe a tenth of the spectacle.
Jay couldn't help but sigh along. "Yeah, it's absolutely incredible!" He then patted Lu Zheng-ze on the shoulder and moved aside. "Co on, let's join the fans! The party is just getting started."
The surging crowd was like rolling magma, a volcanic eruption about to happen, ready to explode with all its energy at any mont. The stands were packed with people, and it seed like there were no empty seats in sight. But this was impossible, as a large number of people were still entering, looking for their seats, and sitting down. The illusion created by the eyes made the scene even more magnificent.
"Wow." Adam Klein couldn't help but sigh. As a scout who had been in the business for over thirty-five years, he had seen countless big events, including the Super Bowl. But every ti he attended the Rose Bowl, the shock factor never diminished.
That was because the Rose Bowl was the largest stadium in Arica, with a capacity of 100,000 people, which no other stadium could match. It was also one of the most fanatical areas for fans. The fans of UCLA, USC, and Stanford were passionate, obsessive, and incomparable.
What's more, the two teams in this year's Rose Bowl were returning to the bowl ga stage after ten and eleven years, respectively. And it was the Bruins' ho field. The frenzy on the field was even more out of control. There was still so ti before the ga started, but the tension was already palpable, almost suffocating.
"I hope tonight we get to see an offensive battle," Adam said with a sigh, expressing his wish.
The Badgers were one of the best offensive teams, no doubt. The Bruins were a bit inferior, but compared to their defense, they were also a team that relied on their offense to win gas. But, a more important reason was...
"Haha, what? Do you think there are so prospects worth watching on the offensive side of both teams?" Blake Simons, who was sitting next to him, joked. He was also a scout who had been in the league for eighteen years and now had gray hair and loose skin.
For scouts, observing players was the only purpose. Tonight was a bowl ga, which ant the long season was coming to an end. Every scout already had a plan in mind. During the ga, all they needed to do was observe the rookies they liked and further evaluate them.
However, there weren't many star players with outstanding abilities on both teams in this year's Rose Bowl, and the expectations were a little lower.
Adam chuckled. "The defense of both teams is nothing to write ho about. The Bruins' is a little better, but they rely on their overall strength. Chuck Broh's work this year has been outstanding. He's managed to turn a third-rate defense into a second-rate one. I think Chuck should try to apply for a job in the league. There's a real lack of good defensive coaches right now."
"Really? What about J.J. Watt? You don't have high hopes for him?" Blake asked curiously. The Badgers' defensive end, a junior, had made rapid progress. This season, he had 62 tackles and seven sacks and was nad to the Associated Press's All-Arican second team. He was definitely a player that many scouts were watching.
"Hasn't he had enough scout reports already?" Adam shrugged and said, as a matter of course, "Tonight, we'll see how many sacks he can get on the opposing quarterback."
"What about the quarterbacks?" Blake continued to ask.
NOTE:
New chapters drop three tis a day, every Monday through Saturday! Plus, you have the power to unlock more: we'll release three bonus chapters for every 100 votes! Let's get this story moving together.
Reviews
All reviews (0)