Chapter 667: Tools for a Living
At the airport entrance, the frenzy of the fans, the fawning of the reporters, the crowd of women... almost from the first moment Lu Ke appeared, he became the center of attention and everyone's favorite. The other players were completely ignored. Although everyone knew about Lu Ke's unparalleled success in his rookie season, the stark difference was still confusing.
More importantly, Hawaii is a state with no professional NFL team. So, Lu Ke's popularity seemed even stranger.
"Exactly, exactly!" Marcus was not to be outdone and nodded repeatedly. But unlike Watt, his thoughts and intentions were clearly not pure. "More than half of the Hawaiian women swarmed to Bambi, and they all gave him flowers! What's going on? I'm a handsome guy, too! I'm much better looking than Bambi. I'm the most charming man, all right?"
His impure words drew jeers and laughter from everyone around, but Marcus pushed back without showing any weakness. "That's how it is. Don't you think I have a lot of charisma? Wait, you're all men, so you don't understand my charm. I'm the one who's most popular with women, okay?"
In the harmonious atmosphere, Kai Tiew also laughed happily. "Actually, Bambi is indeed more charming."
Marcus's mouth immediately dropped open. He looked stunned, as if his jaw had become dislocated. His face was filled with disbelief, and his eyes widened. He asked in surprise, "Are you sure?"
Lu Ke, who had been watching quietly, saw Marcus's reaction and immediately voiced his displeasure. "Hey, what's with that expression?"
Marcus spread his hands and expressed his protest innocently. "What, I'm not allowed to tell the truth?"
The surrounding people's comments poured in like a tide. There was no end to the complaints and discussions.
Watt was completely confused and didn't understand why everyone was so proactive. He just asked a curious question. Cam's face, on the other hand, was as black as a pot. The fancy clothes on him gradually started to feel uncomfortable, as if they were covered in thorns. The whole person shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
In the midst of the lively scene, Kai Tiew asked an interesting question. "Do you know which state in the U.S. has the highest proportion of Asian Americans?"
As everyone knows, the New York metropolitan area, the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and the San Francisco metropolitan area are the top three areas with the densest Asian American population in the United States. Big cities always attract more immigrants, and the racial composition is more diverse. But when it comes to the entire state, the population composition is a different story.
For example, Mississippi has the highest proportion of Black people among all states, at over 40%. For example, California's Hispanic population has surpassed its white population. For example, Maine is the state with the highest proportion of white people, with almost 98% of its population being white.
So, which state has the highest proportion of Asian Americans?
"The state of Hawaii." Kai Tiew smiled as he scanned the people around him. "We have a 40% Asian American population, while the white population is only 25%, and the native population is 8%."
There are a total of fifty states in the United States. Hawaii is not only the only state where the Asian American population exceeds 20%, but it is also one of the only two states where the white population is not the largest ethnic group—the other one being California. In other words, Hawaii is a paradise for Asian Americans.
This only refers to pure Asians, not including people of mixed heritage.
By the way, the proportion of people of mixed heritage in Hawaii is 20%.
This was definitely an obscure piece of knowledge. Unless you had specifically studied it, it would be difficult to know this information. So, when Kai Tiew said it, everyone's first reaction was: Is this a joke?
But it was clear that Kai Tiew wasn't joking. He looked at Lu Ke again. "Here, Bambi is a handsome guy!"
"Tsk. Can being handsome feed you?" Marcus immediately retorted with his neck stiff, complaining.
Kai Tiew nodded very seriously. "Yes, it can." Then he pointed to the airport lobby. "Didn't you see just now?" It seemed like he was reminding Marcus not to forget the objective facts.
This rebuttal immediately silenced Marcus. The leis overflowing from Lu Ke's neck were the best and most direct proof. This made Marcus give Lu Ke a resentful glance, then he lowered his head with a sad face and sat down without saying a word.
He looked like a young wife who had been wronged, and everyone else around him burst into laughter.
What Kai Tiew didn't say was that in Hawaii, the white population only accounted for a quarter of the total population. Therefore, for most Americans, going to Hawaii was like "going abroad." There had always been an invisible barrier between the North American mainland and the Hawaiian islands.
Mike Lupati from the San Francisco 49ers was a native of Hawaii, but his career in the league had also encountered many invisible obstacles. He wasn't exactly ostracized, but jokes and teasing were definitely inevitable. So, for Hawaii, Lu Ke had an innate affinity.
What's more, during the regular season, Lu Ke had used "Hawaii" and "Aloha" as signals multiple times in his pre-snap calls. Each time he shouted it, it added a sense of intimacy for the Hawaiian residents.
Because Hawaii didn't have its own professional NFL team, after the series of regular season games this season, the local residents became fans of the San Francisco 49ers for the sole reason of Lu Ke. They were more eager than anyone for Lu Ke to make a name for himself in the NFL.
After various reasons were added together, Lu Ke was able to enjoy the superstar treatment of a second home at the airport.
Logan stood up straight, spread his hands helplessly, and looked at Lu Ke teasingly. "Why don't you just rely on your looks to make a living from now on? Otherwise, we won't be able to survive."
In an instant, everyone started to join in the teasing.
"Bambi, give us a way to live! Does professional sports now also require good looks?"
"Bambi, Bambi, we'll be counting on you for the next few days."
"We'll follow you from now on. This is your home turf."
"Hey, hey, this isn't fair. Didn't we agree that the Pro Bowl isn't supposed to have a home team?"
"How can this be? I was planning to become popular in Honolulu."
...
They were laughing, chatting, and being lively. The teasing was endless.
They had expected Lu Ke to be shy, reserved, and even at a loss when faced with a group attack, but to their surprise, Lu Ke calmly spread his hands, accepting all the praise. Then, he said nonchalantly, "This is nothing to be surprised about. Don't you know? The entire West Coast is already my home turf. Now it's just spreading to the Pacific region."
It wasn't arrogance, but self-confidence.
His sarcastic humor instantly resonated with all the young players. What was originally a joke between the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans players now had other young players joining in on the fun. Amidst the laughter and banter, everyone became one big group.
Before today, "Lu Ke" was just a symbol in news reports. But now, Lu Ke had appeared in person, and in just a few words, he had created an energetic, cheerful, and approachable image. The barrier between the young people was quickly broken, and the atmosphere on the bus became harmonious.
Cam, who was sitting in the back row, was suffering.
Cam tried to act nonchalant and indifferent, but it was truly not an easy thing to do.
The fancy clothes on him gradually started to feel hot. The sight of Lu Ke's composed and relaxed demeanor made him feel like a complete joke. That sharp and stinging feeling couldn't be calmed down no matter what he did. After trying his best to suppress it, a nameless anger still burned fiercely in his chest.
Crowd-pleaser.
Ridiculous.
Clown.
Relying on his looks to make a living.
A person with a good appearance but no substance.
He took a deep breath, and then another deep breath. Cam calmed down again.
Cam had never considered Lu Ke a worthy opponent. To be more precise, he had never considered anyone his opponent. It was all about himself.
Among this group of rookies, Cam didn't think anyone could be compared to him. His goal was always the top-tier elite quarterbacks. He was confident that he would create a "Superman wave" in the league and start his own dynasty.
This was not a war between him and others, but a war between him and himself. He knew he had the potential, and the only thing he needed to do was to unleash and utilize it.
As for the other rookie competitors? They were just entertainment and objects of his pranks. That Chinese undrafted rookie was even more so.
Besides a seemingly good throwing technique, he had no ability to confront others head-on, just like all the other Asian players he had in mind. In competitions that tested technique, they could often stand out, but in competitions that required physical confrontation, they couldn't pose an effective threat.
Lu Ke? Cam had never taken him seriously.
Now, things were changing.
The insignificant and irrelevant person in his mind was now challenging his authority and dominance. So, since the other person had decided to come to him, he was more than happy to teach him a good lesson and let him know that this was the NFL, this was his territory, and not just anyone could easily gain a foothold.
If you want a war, then I'll give you a war!
Today, everything starts today! This war has just begun!
Cam was sure that he could make the other person lose face and be completely defeated. The winner of this battle could only be him. This was the only possible outcome! And he would make the other person admit defeat. Not just with strength and performance, but also with technique. He would defeat his opponent fair and square.
This skills challenge was the starting point.
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