Lu Ke had no choice but to wear the signed helmet for practice.
It didn't take a detective like Sherlock Holmes to find the culprits because they weren't even trying to hide it.
During practice, Parys talked endlessly about how Colin came up with the idea, how they hid Lu Ke's helmet, and how they used Kendall to trick Lu Ke.
Parys kept emphasizing, "We all knew that arrogant Ivy League kid would be on high alert. He probably wouldn't fall for it if we had told him, but that idiot Kendall? He definitely wouldn't be suspicious. And he fell for it!"
Colin, standing nearby, showed a long-lost smile. He was so smug he couldn't stand still. Every now and then, he would stop and do a little dance or mimic Lu Ke's stiff and awkward reaction when he got the helmet. Or he would act out the morning's prank to go along with Parys's story.
His performance was so vivid he looked like a strong contender for an Oscar.
With every discussion, all eyes were like daggers, shooting straight at Lu Ke, without hiding any of their emotions: teasing, ridicule, sarcasm, scorn, and disdain.
For the entire morning of practice, Lu Ke felt as if he were naked, exposed to everyone's stares and observations. Not only that, but he also had a ten-thousand-watt light bulb on his head, as if he were inviting the whole world to come and watch. Even the coaches couldn't help but chuckle when their eyes accidentally fell on him.
He couldn't hide, and he couldn't fight back. Lu Ke could only focus on his training, becoming more and more dedicated, more and more intense, and more and more competitive.
In the official practice, Lu Ke didn't let up. In fact, he became even more intense.
He played every offensive play as if it were the last play of the Super Bowl, catching the defense off guard. The players, led by Parys, were a mess and looked miserable. Then, Parys and the others got serious, fouling Lu Ke by crashing into him three times and making two brutal sacks. Lu Ke's slender frame was battered and bruised.
The practice started to become intermittent and fragmented.
It wasn't just between Lu Ke and the defense; the tension between Colin and Lu Ke was also starting to grow.
For every offensive play, Colin would stare at Lu Ke. After a bad pass, a clumsy run, or a brutal hit, Colin would incite his teammates to mock and ridicule him, saying that Lu Ke had no formal training, that his play was a mess, and that his weak physical condition made him look like a "stupid duck" on the field. That was Colin's exact words.
He later became more and more presumptuous, openly mocking Lu Ke's helmet. "What's wrong, big star? Were you so busy signing autographs that you forgot how to take a step back?" Or after a bad pass, they would all cheer, "Haha, you must love how pathetic you look right now. We're starting to love you, too."
The animosity wasn't hidden at all. But this was a part of competitive sports—it was raw and brutal, just like the primitive laws of nature where only the fittest survive.
Lu Ke avoided using his sharp wit, not only because the helmet on his head felt like a heavy mountain weighing him down, preventing him from standing tall, but also because he knew that conflicts on the field had to be resolved on the field. Winning an argument still wouldn't shut them up.
So, the more intense the attacks from his opponents, the more fierce Lu Ke's counterattacks were. He didn't hold back at all.
As a rookie, Lu Ke's learning ability was astonishing. In practice, he was so calm, collected, and steady, like a twelve-year veteran. He read the opposing defense's strategy, and if he made a mistake once, it was hard to catch him on it again.
After being hit, his next play was even more decisive. After being sacked, his next play was even more aggressive. The entire defense was completely defeated. After all, it was just practice. With Lu Ke playing at full force, the defense couldn't keep up and was left looking foolish.
Even more exaggerated was that after Colin completed a pass, Lu Ke would immediately complete an even better one. After Colin missed a pass, Lu Ke would calmly complete his.
Slap after slap, without any mercy. The more vicious the taunts off the field, the more overwhelming the counterattacks on the field.
Eventually, even Kip couldn't stand it anymore. During a break in practice, he called Lu Ke over. "This is practice. Take it easy. We're practicing plays, not winning or losing. Not for anyone else, but at least for yourself. If you get injured, it's not worth it."
Lu Ke nodded in agreement. But in the next practice, he continued to do things his own way.
By the end of the morning practice, the defense was so frustrated they had nothing left to say. Two hot-headed players clenched their fists, ready to charge at Lu Ke and teach the rookie a real lesson.
But Jim stopped them in time. "Practice is for adjusting your game and finding holes. Look at how you practiced just now. You were like a smelly rag. In a real game, the team would have lost their shirts. This is nothing to be proud of. If you know what's good for you, you'll start to reflect before I get angry! This is embarrassing."
The last sentence really made the players' cheeks burn. A rookie quarterback, a Chinese American quarterback, had completely defeated the defense in practice? This... this was simply inexcusable. What's more, that quarterback looked so skinny he looked like a gust of wind could knock him over, yet they couldn't beat him. It was embarrassing, truly embarrassing.
So, even though they were resentful, they all looked away and left the field dejectedly.
"Bambi, you were awesome!" Marcus came running over with stars in his eyes, looking at Lu Ke. "After every successful pass, everyone's eyes would be on your helmet. It felt like a slap in the face over and over again. Those old veterans were completely lost."
Logan, however, was shaking his head with a look of regret. "I think the team's condition is really concerning. Look at that defense. They couldn't even handle a tenth of Bambi's power. In the regular season, they'll probably get wiped out. And Colin, I think he's a running back, not a quarterback. His passing accuracy is terrible. Honestly, how did he get drafted in the second round? He's not even fit to carry Bambi's shoes."
Even Aldon came over to join in on the fun, his face full of helplessness. "Bambi, you could have at least given us a warning." Aldon was on the defense, and he had truly been given a rude awakening this morning.
Objectively speaking, in a passing drill, all the activities and content revolved around the quarterback. To a certain extent, the quarterback did have some advantages. On top of that, the defense wasn't playing at its full potential to avoid peaking too early before the preseason game tomorrow, so they were holding back today. The combination of these factors caused the scales to tip.
But even so, Lu Ke's ruthless, all-out performance was still too terrifying. It was like he was seeing red. Just as Logan said, Aldon also couldn't help but wonder who the second-round pick was and who the undrafted rookie was. Their roles seemed to be reversed.
Looking at the two jokers, with one more added to the mix, Lu Ke frowned and said seriously, "Aldon, I never would have guessed you were this kind of person!"
Aldon's eyes widened in disbelief. "What did I do? Tell me, what did I do? I'm innocent, truly innocent." His innocent expression, like snow falling in June, made Logan and Marcus chuckle.
"Hey, Lu Ke." Not far away, Kendall stood there looking awkward and embarrassed. He scratched his head hard, looking very uncomfortable. "In the locker room this morning, I'm sorry. I really had no idea. My apologies."
Lu Ke tapped the helmet on his head with his index finger and laughed softly. He said in a friendly voice, "Believe me, that's the least of my worries." The playbook, the playbook, the playbook—that was the most urgent matter.
Kendall let out a long sigh of relief. "Honestly, they're too much. The team needs to be united right now, and they're still worrying about these little things..." You could tell this guy was an honest person. He was so honest he couldn't even talk bad about people behind their backs. As he spoke, his voice faded, and he mumbled a few things in his throat, which was endearingly honest.
"Lu Ke, do you think there'll be any trouble for you after you fought back like that? They..." Kendall also followed them as they walked toward the locker room, asking with a worried look.
Lu Ke took off his helmet. He was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water. "The preseason game is tomorrow. The team has more important things to worry about than teaching a rookie a lesson. Believe me, they won't be that stupid."
With that one sentence, the rookies all laughed out loud, and the morning's gloom and frustration completely disappeared.
As Lu Ke said, there wasn't enough time, and there wasn't enough energy.
With the preseason officially starting, the team went into full preparation mode. Even if they wanted to teach Lu Ke and the other rookies a lesson, they would have plenty of time to do so in the future. There was no need to rush.
Strictly speaking, they didn't even have time to chat or eat lunch today. The morning practice ended thirty minutes earlier than usual. The players went back to the locker room, took a quick shower, changed into their everyday clothes, and then filed onto the team bus, heading to San Francisco International Airport.
In the afternoon, they flew to New Orleans for their first preseason game of 2011, an away game against the Saints.
Just a few hours later, all the players had checked into the team hotel in New Orleans and then went to the away team's training facility to warm up. The sound of the season was already here.
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