"Bambi, there are pretty girls over here!"
"No, there are handsome guys too!"
"Bambi, looks like you're playing for both teams; you have a big appetite!"
...
The teasing and joking were endless. Lu Ke wasn't flustered at all. He just turned around and shouted to his teammates, "I think instead of worrying about others, you should worry about your own asses."
This response made everyone burst into laughter. Among the crowd, you could hear Logan's voice joining in the teasing. "Marcus, you have the best butt. Be careful!" This made the laughter explode completely. After winning the most important game of the year, everyone was joking, teasing, and celebrating.
Lu Ke left his teammates and walked to the side. Jay immediately gave him a heavy punch on the shoulder. "Buddy, what a great game! What a great pass! Wow! Amazing, this is all so amazing! You're the man, the man who led the Bruins to victory!"
Lu Ke looked at Jay seriously and said with a helpless expression, "Spill it. What do you want? Did you get into trouble again?" His words implied that he and Jay weren't close and that Jay only came to him when he was in trouble.
This was not the scene Jay had hoped for. He was stunned and stammered, "Hey... buddy, what... what's wrong? I just, uh, just came to interview you. You know, after all, um, you just, just..."
Seeing Jay's flustered and helpless look, Emily noticed the glint of amusement in Lu Ke's eyes and immediately understood. Their eyes met for a second, and a look of "I know, you know" flashed between them. Without realizing it, they both started laughing.
Jay was completely confused by their laughter. He looked at Emily, then at Lu Ke, and slowly realized that this was just a prank by Lu Ke. He had fallen for it completely and had become the butt of the joke. This left Jay speechless. He rolled his eyes. "Fine. You and Logan are in cahoots. Every time you see a pretty girl, you ditch your buddies." He even made a hurt expression on purpose.
But Emily didn't fall for it. She extended her right hand to Lu Ke. "Hi, I'm Emily, the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper."
Lu Ke also ignored Jay and shook her hand. "Hi, I'm Lu, a nobody."
"Haha. If you're a nobody, I'm afraid the whole Rose Bowl crowd would disagree." Emily gave a charming smile, looking at the young man in front of her.
He had a tall, slender build that was a bit thin for a quarterback but still very straight and tall, like a pine tree. He had wet, short black hair, clear eyebrows, and bright eyes like a clear lake where you could see stars falling.
Then Emily saw him shrug, his face showing a nonchalant expression. "Okay, so who am I?"
Emily's mouth opened slightly. She hadn't expected to be outsmarted as a reporter. This made her slightly lift her chin, her eyes flashing with a stubborn look, as if her competitive spirit had been piqued. But she had to admit that she had lost the first round, and she was not going to surrender.
"I know. You're number 11. You're the team's backup quarterback. In the game just now, you threw four touchdown passes, leading the Bruins to victory over the Trojans! I know you're the school's hero now! And you know, you're the second quarterback in the last ten years to do that."
Emily spoke nonstop, spilling all the information she knew, and then blinked. "Now, the entire campus is trying to figure out who this superhero is! What did he go through? Why did the team hide him until now? That's why Jay and I are here."
Lu Ke pursed his lips and slightly tucked in his chin. "So, you're saying I'm a nobody. Then my self-introduction was accurate." Lu Ke could see Emily's slightly furrowed brow, a glint of amusement in his eyes. Then Lu Ke slightly raised his eyebrows, as if he was deep in thought. "Wait, you don't even know my name, do you? I just introduced myself."
Emily could feel the teasing in Lu Ke's words. She opened her mouth, trying to say the answer and fire back, but she couldn't.
It seemed like a trick question. His introduction just now was "Lu," not a full name. So, even if she answered with his surname, it would still be a failed answer—because she really didn't remember number 11's name. She hadn't had time to prepare, which was a big no-no for a reporter.
But how did she get into this predicament? Emily couldn't quite remember. A smile involuntarily appeared on her face. "Sir, know when to quit. Don't push your luck, or you'll be single for life."
Lu Ke raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, putting away his smile, and said seriously, "Okay, then, feel free to ask your questions. I'm ready to answer."
Looking at Lu Ke, Emily had a strange feeling. Even though he had surrendered, she felt like she had lost. "Okay, first question..."
The interview began, but it only lasted for less than ten minutes. This was just a school newspaper article, not a special interview for ESPN or the Los Angeles Times. They needed a story, an introduction, and a miracle, and that was enough.
A Chinese-American quarterback. UCLA had never had an Asian quarterback before. A practice quarterback. After being passed over for two consecutive years, he was only able to join as a practice player in his third year. A backup quarterback. In the training camp before his fourth year, he was able to get a backup spot because two quarterbacks were unexpectedly absent. A firefighter quarterback. The starting quarterback was injured during the game, and the helpless coaching staff gambled on a long shot...
Any one of these keywords would be enough to shock the entire campus. Now, all these factors had come together in one person.
This was Lu Ke! This was the answer to everyone's question: Who is this person? The newcomer who appeared like a comet, the backup who threw four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to complete a comeback, the hero who defeated the school's archrival. His very existence was a legend, a myth, a miracle, like a story from One Thousand and One Nights!
Watching Lu Ke's back as he walked away, Emily couldn't help but sigh. "Who is he?" After saying that, Emily couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not talking about his name, his identity, or his experience, but... where did he come from? Jesus Christ, he's like a genie from Aladdin's lamp!"
Jay, who was standing nearby, grinned triumphantly. "Emily, remember? At the beginning of the season, you said that no one would care about that Chinese-American backup player, and no one would care about that news article."
"What?" Emily's eyes almost popped out. She grabbed Jay's collar and said fiercely and urgently, "He's that Chinese-American backup?"
She had completely forgotten about the news article from five months ago that had caused no stir. Now that she suddenly connected the dots, the shock in her heart was overwhelming. After Jay's affirmative reply, a curse word slipped out of her mouth without thinking. "God! God! God!"
Looking at the completely shocked Emily, Jay felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
It was the end of the semester, and it was foreseeable that starting tomorrow, the entire campus would be shocked by this game, and all the students would be excited by this game. And Lu Ke was at the center of this storm—the first Chinese-American quarterback in UCLA Bruins history, making a grand entrance!
Jay gave Emily a small smile and raised his chin. "I forgot to tell you, Lu Ke is also a journalism student." After saying that, Jay swayed and walked away.
After so many shocking blows, Emily was now laughing. At least one piece of the puzzle had been solved. Why was he so quick-witted? Why was he so articulate? Why was she outwitted by him?
The key was that Emily's memory had returned. The fragmented memories in her mind were pieced together. They were both seniors, and they had been in several classes together. He had left a deep impression on her. He was often late for some classes, and he even studied. He seemed like an unmotivated foreign student, but his end-of-semester report was outstanding and amazing. She had even asked for his name.
Lu Ke.
Now Emily finally remembered his name. At the time, she had marveled at how smart Chinese students were, seeming to be able to complete their studies effortlessly.
Karma. It all came back to her now. Emily couldn't help but laugh. The more she thought about it, the funnier it was. Finally, she burst into a brilliant laugh. Life was so interesting. Maybe this article wasn't the end. Maybe it could be a continuing story. But the NCAA season was over, and his four-year college football career was also temporarily at an end. If the story were to continue, it would have to be in the professional league!
Thinking of this, Emily's mood became cheerful. She had a feeling that maybe she would see that guy in the professional league in the future. Who knew?
Back in the locker room, all the teammates had gone into the shower. Lu Ke wasn't in a hurry to go in. He sat on a bench, savoring the hard-won victory. Then he summoned the system in his mind.
The game was over, the mission was complete, and now it was time for the rewards! As soon as the system was summoned, a continuous series of "ding ding ding" notifications sounded, like a beautiful and moving symphony. He loved winning, and he loved moments like these.
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