Chapter 665: Failure Penalty
Fans, women, reporters... Wave after wave, after landing at Honolulu airport, there was no room to breathe. You could deeply feel the passion and craziness of the Pro Bowl from all sides, and you could also deeply feel the high level of professionalism and commercialization of the NFL.
A dizzying series of interviews came at him, and Lu Ke was a little overwhelmed.
However, Lu Ke couldn't pinpoint the exact reason. Was it because of the punishment after the "Special Mission: The Glory of the NFC Championship" failed—the "30% decrease in the 'Hating Paparazzi' skill index"? Or was it because his brain was filled with chaos right after landing?
The whole feeling was very strange. His thoughts seemed to be blocked, just like traffic jams during rush hour. His reflexes for rebutting and resenting slowed down. It always took him a beat too long to figure out how to answer the questions cleverly. This feeling of being restrained was truly exhausting.
Fortunately, the Pro Bowl was about to begin, and the party and celebration atmosphere was already intense. The reporters' questions weren't too difficult, which allowed Lu Ke to get out of trouble.
"Good luck!"
A reporter's voice came over. Lu Ke let out a sigh of relief. It was finally over. But before he could even take a step to leave, a voice shouted again, "Wait, one last question."
"Lu Ke, was Kyle Williams's dropped pass in the end zone the turning point of the team's loss in the Conference Championship game? Or was it Parys Haralson's missed tackle that was the direct cause of the team's loss?"
The person who asked the question was Harry Wayne, the ever-present Harry Wayne.
It's worth mentioning that Harry didn't mention Akers's missed field goal or Aldon's defensive mistake at the last minute. He only brought up Williams and Parys. The former was a wide receiver who became a backup in the second half of the season, and his fatal mistake at a crucial moment ruined the team's countless efforts. The latter had always had a bad relationship with Lu Ke, and there were rumors about it inside and outside the team.
Lu Ke's mind was a little slow right now. The words of resentment were stuck in his throat and couldn't come out. This feeling of being held back was something he couldn't swallow or spit out. His first thought was to raise his middle finger and push back hard, but his remaining rationality told him that this wouldn't solve the problem. Instead, it would only add fuel to the fire.
"This reporter, according to you, is a victory to be enjoyed by one player, and a loss to be borne by one player?" Lu Ke kept his smile, but the sarcasm and mockery on his face were not hidden at all. "We are a team. The victory is the result of our collective effort, and the loss is not the fault of any specific player. We lost to a better team, that's all."
The scene after that loss appeared in his mind again.
Williams's lonely figure kneeling on the ground, Logan's bewildered and helpless crying, Justin's heartbreaking sadness, Willis's bitter and helpless apology, Akers's unwillingness and lack of interest... and the increasingly surging and boiling red ocean. Everything was so vivid, yet so bitter and sad.
Even Parys was no exception.
After the game, Lu Ke unexpectedly saw Parys hiding in a corner of the stands, secretly wiping away tears, watching the New York Giants celebrating their victory, and was reluctant to leave. That anger and unwillingness didn't lie.
Lu Ke and Parys had never been friends. They could even be said to be sworn enemies. But on the team, they were teammates fighting side by side. For the Super Bowl, for their dreams, for their self-worth, and... for victory, they gave their all without holding anything back, but they ended their journey before the finish line. They all found it hard to accept.
Now, their hard work and struggle had become a gimmick for Harry to create news.
How cheap, and how ridiculous.
Lu Ke straightened his back and responded with dignity. His eyes showed contempt and ridicule. These reporters would never understand the true meaning of competitive sports. Besides victory, the friendship of fighting side by side was also irreplaceable. But for them, it was just a series of profits.
But Harry obviously wouldn't give up. Even when facing Lu Ke's gaze, he continued to press on relentlessly, like a ghost. "Are you saying that you won't blame Williams and Haralson for ruining the team's efforts for an entire season?"
In an instant, an expletive came to his lips.
All his arguments and logic, all his rationality and thoughts, turned into a mess. It was just a simple and crude reflexive, animalistic reaction. Lu Ke could clearly feel that the failure penalty for the special mission was taking effect now. This feeling was truly awful, and he didn't like it.
"No, I won't," Lu Ke answered simply and directly, with no clever rebuttal or extra explanation. Since he was being restrained, it was better to be simple and clear.
Then, Lu Ke raised his foot and was about to leave, but Harry's words came again, like a shadow that couldn't be shaken off. "Didn't you ever think, if Kyle Williams didn't have that drop..."
This time, Harry couldn't finish his sentence because Lu Ke raised his right hand high, holding up a single finger, and responded directly, like a loud slap in the face, cutting off all the subsequent words.
At the same time, without any pause, he dragged his suitcase, greeted Watt, and walked away from the interview area with the other players. But his raised right hand never came down, standing straight up like a green pine tree.
It was a middle finger.
Standing in place, Harry's face was a mix of emotions. He couldn't believe that Lu Ke had responded in such a simple and crude way.
He turned his head and saw his colleagues' gloating looks, which were like arrows, shooting at him from all directions and piercing his skin.
...
"Don't mind those guys." Watt tried to comfort Lu Ke, but his words were too clumsy, and he couldn't find the right words, so he could only say this dryly.
Lu Ke put his right hand down, looked at Watt, and showed a light smile. "You know what? A friend told me that reporters are actually like crows. They caw endlessly. If you pay attention to them, they will get even more excited and won't stop. The best way to deal with them is to ignore them."
Watt frowned, looking at Lu Ke's expression up and down. He wasn't sure if Lu Ke was joking or serious, and for a moment, he didn't know how to react. He held his breath honestly, not daring to speak recklessly. Then, he saw the smile in Lu Ke's eyes blossom little by little. Only then did he react a beat later and laugh awkwardly.
"I remember you were a journalism major, right?" Watt finally relaxed and asked with a smile.
Watt was indeed an honest person. He even took a made-up joke seriously.
Lu Ke nodded happily and said seriously, "Yes. What I just said was actually what my professor told us."
Watt actually nodded in understanding, which made Lu Ke's smile even brighter.
"Welcome! Welcome! JJ Watt, Lu Ke! Welcome!"
As they were talking, a passionate shout rang out in front of Lu Ke and Watt. The two of them looked up and saw a dark-skinned man. He wasn't tall and had a thin build, but he had a lot of tattoo designs on his arms outside his short-sleeved shirt, which made him look bold and cheerful. He came forward actively.
The man held out his hands, making a gesture for a handshake. "I'm Kai Tiew, an NFL staff member from the Hawaii office. I'll be in charge of receiving you today." He became familiar with them in just a few words of introduction. After shaking hands, they could see a bus with the NFL logo on it waiting by the bus stop.
"The flight from San Francisco had twelve players in total, right? You guys have arrived now, so all the players on this bus have arrived." Kai Tiew spoke very quickly, leaving almost no room to interject. He talked on and on.
While he was talking, Kai Tiew had already helped Lu Ke and Watt put their luggage in the luggage compartment under the bus, and then guided the two of them toward the front door of the bus.
"All the teams have sent your travel information to the league to arrange pick-up services as much as possible. The people of Hawaii sincerely welcome you to Honolulu! Everyone is looking forward to this Pro Bowl."
With a simple explanation, all their questions were answered in an instant: Why were the fans waiting at the door so early? Why did the Hawaiian women have a welcome ceremony? Why was there a dedicated team to pick them up at the airport? Why did the reporters know their private travel plans?
Clearly, the Pro Bowl was also an important collaborative project for Hawaii, and they must have done their best to cooperate with the league. It also showed that the entire NFL business model had matured. With a specialized division of labor, every aspect could be taken care of.
"There were three flights this time, with a total of thirty-two players. You two are the last ones, so we can go to Waikiki Beach now, and then you can have some free time," Kai Tiew said happily. "If you want, you can go surfing or sunbathe on the beach. Of course, if you want to train, we have also arranged a dedicated vehicle to shuttle between the training facility and the hotel."
During the well-rehearsed introduction, Lu Ke and Watt followed Kai Tiew onto the bus.
The players from the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans hadn't fully taken their seats yet, and they were chatting and joking. The scene was very lively and chaotic, but a sudden cold atmosphere spread, and all the sounds gradually disappeared. Then the entire bus fell into silence. Everyone's eyes began to go back and forth between two figures.
Cam Newton and Lu Ke.
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