Daily training missions, game missions, special missions.
So far, there were three types of missions in the system. Lu Ke was very familiar with the daily training missions and game missions, but a special mission had never appeared until today.
What happened just now? What triggered the special mission? Lu Ke thought back but had no idea. He couldn't find any clues. The problem was that he hadn't done anything! However, there was a simpler way to find the answer: look at the special mission and complete it.
"Special Mission: The Hidden Future Superstar.
Mission description: During the rookie training camp, get to know future football superstars and increase your popularity, taking the first step on the road to becoming a superstar, beloved by everyone, and admired by all.
Mission requirement: Take photos with thirty potential superstars and post them on your personal photo wall (Instagram) (0/30).
Mission reward: Physical Fitness +1, Mental Fitness +2, Tactical Awareness +2, Unknown Quarterback Training Skill Pack +1, Unknown Special Skill Pack +1.
Failure penalty: Daily training duration doubles, and a three-second facial flush is triggered when making eye contact with others."
"..." Stunned. That was Lu Ke's first reaction. He almost thought he had misread it. After blinking a few times, he realized that these words were projected into his brain by the system. He didn't need his eyes to read it, so there was no way he could have misread it.
"Little Seven, is this a prank?" This was Lu Ke's only thought at the moment.
"No. This is a special mission from the system," Little Seven's calm voice came through.
Lu Ke was speechless. "Little Seven, honestly, are you enjoying this?" But Little Seven didn't answer, which was expected. Lu Ke was exasperated. "What kind of special mission is this? What does 'beloved by everyone, and admired by all' mean? What's this about taking pictures with future superstars? Wait, what's a 'photo wall'? I don't even have an account. How am I supposed to post?"
After rereading the entire special mission, Lu Ke was still confused. The whole mission seemed ridiculous and like a joke. "Also, the mission failure penalty. I can understand the daily training time doubling. But what's that second part? What does it mean to make eye contact with others and then a facial flush is triggered? Does that mean I'll blush shyly? Jesus Christ, Little Seven, don't you know I'm a journalist? Making eye contact with people and taking the initiative is my special skill. How can I be shy? This isn't a penalty; it's a humiliation! And you're telling me this is a special mission?"
"...Little Seven, be honest, is this a prank?" This was Lu Ke's only thought and the only logical explanation.
The previous daily training missions and game missions had been so normal, gradually progressing in an orderly manner. Why had the special mission's style changed so drastically? What was going on? The difference was so big that Lu Ke started to wonder if the system was malfunctioning.
"Please take note of the mission rewards," Little Seven replied, then said in a businesslike tone, "The system does not prank, nor does it joke around. This is a legitimate mission. The trigger conditions for special missions are very strict and random. The system advises the host not to treat this as a game and miss this opportunity."
"Lu Ke, please call me Lu Ke. Every time you call me 'host,' I feel like a robot," Lu Ke rolled his eyes and complained.
He looked at the mission rewards again. As Little Seven said, the rewards were very generous.
Unlike the base points awarded in daily training missions and game missions, the special mission's rewards were specific: Physical Fitness, Mental Fitness, and Tactical Awareness. The total of five points was essentially the same as five base points. More importantly, there were two unknown skill packs. He didn't know what kind of surprises they would bring, but since they were from the system, they shouldn't be too bad. It was truly tempting.
But why?
"Little Seven, did I offend you before and you're getting back at me now? Be honest, is that it?" This was Lu Ke's only guess. A facial flush as a penalty? The shy kind? If that happened during the rookie training camp, and he blushed every time he saw a big guy, he would never be able to clear his name.
If he wanted to avoid the penalty, it meant he had to complete the mission. But... Lu Ke imagined the scene of himself acting like a crazy fan, eagerly following others around, asking for a photo, and then posting it on social media, shyly and excitedly asking them to like it.
"Ugh." Just picturing the scene made Lu Ke shiver. He felt like he was going to throw up his dinner from last night. After thinking hard, the only reason Lu Ke could come up with was that Little Seven was definitely holding a grudge!
"Little Seven, I won't do it again. I promise I'll never flirt with you again!" Lu Ke was on the verge of tears, but... Little Seven remained silent, not intending to respond at all. This made Lu Ke's dramatic wailing feel awkward, so he just stood there with a sad face.
After thinking for a moment, Lu Ke changed his strategy. "Little Seven, can I abandon the mission?"
"Abandoning is the same as failing. Special missions are unique. They cannot be replaced, abandoned, or repeated," Little Seven said, not silently this time. He explained diligently, but Lu Ke couldn't shake the feeling that the calm tone was filled with schadenfreude.
But what could he do? He couldn't give up, and he definitely couldn't fail. That left only one option. Lu Ke wiped a tear. Why did he feel like this special mission was a trap?
After a long sigh, he finally calmed down and read the mission description and rewards again. Then he noticed some details in the mission description. "Little Seven, are you saying that this mission is meant to increase my popularity?"
"Yes, beloved by everyone, and admired by all," Little Seven's cool voice, saying such a ridiculous and funny phrase, made it even funnier. Lu Ke couldn't help but facepalm and laugh.
"What's wrong, man? You don't feel good?" A teasing voice came from behind him, filled with a chuckle but also a friendly concern.
Temporarily interrupting the thoughts in his mind, Lu Ke lowered his right hand, which had been rubbing his temples, and looked over to where the voice came from. Standing in front of him was a tall, well-built young Black man with a warm smile and raised eyebrows, as if he were making a face. His exaggerated expression made it hard not to laugh.
"No, I'm fine." Lu Ke, who was usually quick-witted, was a little lost for words. He thought back to the special mission in his mind and chuckled. "I was just... uh, just thinking about making some new friends here. But now it seems like a stupid idea."
"Why?" The Black man in front of him seemed a bit fidgety, constantly shifting his weight, and his shoulders and arms were also swaying. "Just because we're going to compete against each other on the field, we can't be friends? What about the saying, 'enemies on the field, friends off the field?' Julio Jones, wide receiver."
As he spoke, Julio extended his right hand and shook Lu Ke's. Then he pulled his elbow back and bumped their shoulders together, showing his friendliness.
"Lu Ke, quarterback," Lu Ke also introduced himself with a smile.
"Wow, man, this is a tough year," Julio said meaningfully. Another quarterback, and an Asian face at that, which made things even worse this year. Everyone thought it was a great year for quarterbacks, and the competition was fierce. There was very little room for Lu Ke to survive.
Lu Ke shrugged. "Believe me, it's tough for me everywhere, even in other years." Lu Ke gestured to himself. A Chinese-American professional football player would have a difficult time in any year, in any position.
This self-deprecating attitude made Julio appreciate him even more. He raised his fist and held it in front of him. Lu Ke was stunned for a moment and then raised his fist as well, and they bumped their fists together. Julio said, "This is the kind of spirit football needs. I'm rooting for you! Maybe one day, I'll catch a pass from you."
Such a kind gesture was truly rare, especially in Indianapolis, especially after the little incident in the bar, and especially at the rookie training camp. After just a few simple sentences, Lu Ke had decided that this was a friend worth having.
In sports, there were two types of people: those on the same team and those on the opposing team. It was that simple. But sometimes, there was a third type of person, one who could still be a friend even if they were an enemy. Because they were opponents, they were also kindred spirits who respected each other. The third type was the rarest and most precious.
Looking at Julio in front of him, Lu Ke smiled openly. "First, I need to get on the draft list." This self-deprecating remark successfully made Julio laugh and shake his head. Then Lu Ke took the opportunity to say, "Can we take a picture together? I'll post it on my photo wall to get some attention. Who knows, maybe a little bit of popularity will come in handy in the training camp."
"Of course!" Julio eagerly jumped to Lu Ke's side and made a classic peace sign. The problem was that Lu Ke hadn't even taken out his phone yet. This proactive attitude made Lu Ke laugh. Julio even urged him, "Bro, you're too slow. The pass will take too long, and the defense will be all over you."
Julio just threw out a football joke, and Lu Ke laughed heartily.
He took out his phone and held it up high, ready to take a selfie. But the next second, he realized that there were a few extra figures in the photo with him and Julio. They were like meerkats in a wildlife show, holding up their paws and quietly peeking out from behind the "humans." And there was more than one.
One, two, three... Each of them was making a different goofy face, each one more exaggerated than the last. They were also making strange "ho ho ho" sounds. The photo of just the two of them instantly turned into a group photo. And that wasn't the end of it. More and more people were coming over to join in the fun, and the situation seemed to be getting a little out of hand.
NOTE:
New chapters drop five times a day, every Monday through Saturday! Plus, you have the power to unlock more: we'll release five bonus chapters for every 100 votes! Let's get this story moving together.