Another day of training was complete, bringing them one day closer to this week's game. After tidying up in the locker room, Lu Ke and his young teammates walked toward the parking lot, laughing and chatting.
Lu Ke was talking with Mike Iupati about the New York Giants' defensive line. They agreed that the Giants' pass rush wasn't particularly strong, as they didn't get many sacks. However, it was unique because it often put pressure on quarterbacks and caused many rushed throws.
"Hold on, hold on, can you two please stop for a minute?" Aldon Smith, walking ahead of them, rolled his eyes so far back it seemed they might pop out. His exaggerated expression made Marcus, Logan, and the others burst into laughter. "We've been talking about strategy all afternoon. I know the game is coming, but our brains need to rest! You guys can stop now."
Lu Ke and Iupati didn't argue. They exchanged a look and both started laughing.
Just then, a chime sounded in Lu Ke's mind, and his brows furrowed slightly. It wasn't a game day or a special occasion. Why would the system suddenly send a message? As he continued walking with Iupati and the others, he mentally called up the system and found a new message in his inbox. It was a special mission! Lu Ke was even more confused.
He opened the message, and it read, "Special Mission: Disdain from Charles Davis."
Charles Davis? Who's that? After a long day of mental activity, Lu Ke's mind was still focused on game film and the playbook, and his thoughts were a little slow. He couldn't remember the name "Charles Davis." His first reaction was to ask, "Mike, is there a Charles Davis on the New York Giants?"
"Who?" Iupati was also confused.
"Bambi, Bambi, look!" Aldon's loud and cheerful voice interrupted Lu Ke and Iupati's conversation. They both turned their heads and saw Aldon rushing over to stand next to Lu Ke, raising his chin to point ahead.
Lu Ke followed his gaze and was taken aback. The parking lot was filled with reporters. Each one had a camera around their neck and a briefcase on their shoulder, scattered around the parking lot and chatting amongst themselves. At a glance, there were at least 50 reporters, and probably more hiding in the corners.
It was Thursday, not Wednesday. For a team with no game, it was a regular Thursday. Everyone's attention should have been on the Thursday night game. So why were there so many reporters in the parking lot?
"Why are you calling me?" Lu Ke asked Aldon, confused. He thought they were fans or family, not reporters. He had no direct connection to them.
"Besides you, who else on our team do you think would attract reporters?" Logan, standing nearby, said mercilessly. He couldn't miss such a great opportunity to make a joke. "Even Patrick Willis doesn't get visited by reporters this often."
"So, does that mean Colin Kaepernick is a has-been internet celebrity?" Lu Ke rolled his eyes and shot back, causing his teammates to burst into laughter. In the past two weeks, many reporters had come to interview Kaepernick. As Lu Ke's starting position became more secure, and as long as the team kept winning, the coaching staff wouldn't change quarterbacks. As a rookie himself, Kaepernick was undoubtedly feeling the effects the most. As a second-round pick who was supposed to be the team's future, he could only watch from the sidelines. Reporters were also very curious about Kaepernick's reaction and were trying to find any signs of discord in the 49ers' locker room, with Kaepernick being the best entry point.
Before anyone else could respond to Lu Ke's joke, the reporters provided the answer. "Lu Ke! Lu Ke! Lu Ke!" Their calls were urgent and excited. All the reporters rushed toward them in an instant, a magnificent sight, like a tidal wave crashing down. In a flash, the reporters surrounded the players. However, everyone else scattered, successfully escaping before the circle was complete, leaving Lu Ke trapped alone.
With wide eyes, Lu Ke watched his teammates abandon him, even Logan and Marcus had run off. He could only lament his "poor choice of friends" but then composed himself and looked at the reporters in front of him, giving them a questioning look. He didn't see Jay Fox in the crowd. It seemed Jay hadn't kept up with this news story, which explained why Lu Ke hadn't received a heads-up.
"Lu Ke, Charles Davis said that if the 49ers beat the Giants this week, he will crawl from Hollywood to the Great Wall. What are your thoughts on that?"
Without a moment to breathe, the reporter's question seamlessly followed. Lu Ke's immediate reflex was to ask, "Who?" He swore he wasn't doing it on purpose.
"Charles Davis, a commentator on ESPN's 'Inside the League.' At the beginning of the season, he said he didn't think you were good enough to be a starting quarterback and that you might not even finish the first game." A reporter "kindly" explained, adding more fuel to the fire.
It was then that Lu Ke finally understood. "Oh, the commentator who tried to swallow a microphone, right? Is he doing okay?" His memory was coming back, and Lu Ke had just unintentionally taken another jab at Charles. This time, he did it on purpose. He wondered if that commentator had a screw loose. Why was he always looking for trouble? Lu Ke felt he was being unfairly targeted and was completely innocent!
"Based on your questions, I guess he's doing okay, so I'm relieved," Lu Ke said with a smile, looking genuinely relieved.
"So, what do you think about his bet? Also, another commentator on the show, Spencer Larson, said that if the Giants win, he will kneel and kiss Eli Manning's shoes." The reporters were practically adding gasoline to the fire, hoping to make the story even bigger. Lu Ke suddenly understood and tilted his head slightly. "So, is he choosing to crawl on his knees or lay on his stomach and wriggle like a worm?" As he spoke, Lu Ke raised his right hand and vividly mimicked the movement of a soft-bodied animal.
With a casual tone, he responded, mocking Charles mercilessly. The reporters immediately became excited. Lu Ke had taken the bait! Finally!
"Lu Ke, are you implying that Charles will definitely lose this bet and that the San Francisco 49ers will defeat the New York Giants this week?" The reporters continued to incite.
Lu Ke smiled and shrugged. "For me and the team, receiving such kind support from Mr. Larson is our biggest motivation to win. I once again express my sincere gratitude." With a clever shift in concept, Lu Ke didn't respond directly. Instead, he gave an indirect confirmation with a more relaxed attitude.
"As for Mr. Charles Davis, the Great Wall is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is definitely a bucket list item," Lu Ke continued, as if giving earnest travel advice. "But crossing the Pacific Ocean on your own two feet is obviously impossible. How about this: he can change the bet from Hollywood to the Great Wall to Hollywood to the Statue of Liberty. Route 66 carries the history of the North American continent."
Crossing the Pacific Ocean would mean Charles would have to travel by boat or plane. No human has been able to swim across it. In other words, Lu Ke was implying that the bet had no sincerity and was impossible to fulfill. However, crossing the North American continent on Route 66 is achievable. The subtext was clear: Charles was going to lose.
After speaking, Lu Ke deliberately gave a big smile, his eyes narrowing into slits as he said in a friendly voice, "Well, I wish Mr. Charles Davis good luck." Then, Lu Ke walked away from the circle of reporters. The reporters automatically parted, watching Lu Ke slowly leave, their excitement almost impossible to hide.
The news was a bomb!
As he walked to his car, Lu Ke once again brought up the system to review the special mission.
"Special Mission: Disdain from Charles Davis.
Mission Description: In the Week 10 regular season game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants, 'Inside the League' analyst Charles Davis believes the 49ers have no chance of winning and has shown his disdain and ridicule by proposing an impossible bet to show his determination. His comments have caused a huge stir in the league and further motivated the New York Giants, increasing the difficulty of the game. Will you rise to the challenge and push forward, or will you bow down and be defeated?
Mission Requirements: Lead the team to victory; have a higher quarterback rating and PFF rating than Eli Manning; no turnovers from interceptions or quarterback fumbles.
Mission Reward: One random attribute +10.
Failure Penalty: One random attribute -5; 'Resentful Reporter' skill on cooldown for three weeks; a 10% decrease in performance for next week's game."
After reading the special mission carefully from beginning to end, Lu Ke finally realized how important Charles's bet was, or rather, how serious the social impact of the bet was, as he could tell from the failure penalty. This was the first time Lu Ke had seen a penalty that directly decreased his attributes outside of an objective mission! And it wasn't a deduction of base points from an objective mission failure but a direct, random decrease in an attribute! This means this is a mission that he absolutely cannot fail.
Great. This week's game now has another reason to be a must-win!
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