Chapter 692: A Professional Attitude
"Theoretically, we can have a match..."
"Well, I'd say, practically, it's not feasible at all."
"You'll know if it's a mule or a horse after you take it for a spin."
"You're not Zhao Benshan; why are you trying to sell a crutch here?"
"Wait, what are you guys talking about? Why don't I get it? What's selling a crutch? Is this a generation gap?"
The sounds of laughter and playful banter were endless. You could genuinely feel the joy and happiness on every person's face. They jostled and pushed each other into the Hongkou Football Stadium, feeling relaxed and carefree. It even made people want to hum, "The little scholar carries his satchel to school..."
In the morning, after leaving Pudong International Airport, Lei Qingkong and his group entered the city and met with members of the Shanghai Hawks, a local amateur football team. They chatted, joked, and even played a little football together. Because of Lu Ke's arrival, every football enthusiast and professional was in a state of unprecedented excitement. Even the usually quiet and introverted Zhang Sanfan became talkative.
After lunch, the Hawks players had to go back to training to prepare for the game tonight. After all, this was the first time a top professional player, and a Chinese one at that, was coming to watch them play. They had to be in their best shape to give their best performance.
As for Lei Qingkong and his group, they arrived at the Hongkou Football Stadium early to warm up for the fan interaction session in the afternoon.
Lei Qingkong was the first to notice something different on the field. On the huge soccer field, he could clearly see two people diligently performing the most basic training.
One player was quickly moving sideways between rope ladders. Another trainer was standing directly across from him, about five yards away. They were constantly throwing a medium-sized yoga ball back and forth. As the player's feet moved, the direction and angle changed constantly, but the passes and catches never failed.
Suddenly, the trainer threw the yoga ball hard and rushed forward like a tiger coming down a mountain, hitting the player with two consecutive waves of impact without any break.
The player didn't panic at all. He raised his hands and caught the yoga ball. He squatted slightly to absorb the impact of the yoga ball, then he suddenly accelerated sideways and moved quickly to the left. His steps remained stable, crisscrossing, crisscrossing, and crisscrossing again. The instantaneous explosive power allowed him to successfully shift his position and narrowly avoid the rushing trainer.
From a distance, the view was not very clear, but it gave people the illusion of displacement.
This wasn't the end. After the player adjusted his feet, he grabbed the yoga ball with his right hand and threw it toward the football goal ten yards away, just like a regular pass. The yoga ball wobbled as it fell into the goal.
Then, the player raised his hands high and waved to the trainer, as if saying, "Keep going, keep going."
That was...
"Bambi!" Zhou Yuxiang couldn't hold back his excitement and exclaimed. After he said it, he still couldn't believe his eyes. "Wait, did I see wrong? Or am I the only one who saw it?"
It was just before 2 PM, more than two hours away from the fan interaction session. Everyone assumed that the Hongkou Football Stadium would be empty. Even if there were people, they would be staff preparing for the event. But... why was Lu Ke here?
"I saw it too," Zhang Sanfan answered seriously.
Sun Tongfei also nodded in a daze, unable to say a word. He wasn't the only one. Everyone else gathered together, staring at the field with their mouths wide open, seemingly not knowing what to do.
Lei Qingkong sighed softly, revealing the truth. "Bambi is training."
Even though he said it and saw it with his own eyes, Lei Qingkong still found it unbelievable.
It had only been four hours since Lu Ke landed at Pudong International Airport. Not to mention the exhaustion from the long-haul flight, he had participated in a series of official events, and then, without any rest, relaxation, or fun, he was already back on the training field and had officially started his daily training.
More importantly, everyone knew that Lu Ke's trip was only two days and one night. Even so, Lu Ke didn't relax or slack off at all.
Zhang Sanfan honestly sighed. "So, this is what a real superstar is like?"
Sun Tongfei, however, was a little defiant and said proudly, "But we also train so hard every day and never relax easily."
Lei Qingkong didn't refute him. He just added, "The problem is that Bambi has already had a brilliant season. He's already standing on the shoulders of countless people."
This time, Sun Tongfei didn't say a word.
Zhang Sanfan brought up a very curious thought. "So, this is the intensity of a professional league?"
No one answered, but the meaning was clear: In the NFL, the high-intensity competition is truly unimaginable. This isn't just true for Chinese players but for all players in the league. There's not much room to breathe, and the slightest bit of complacency could leave you far behind your competitors.
As the first Chinese player in the history of the league, Lu Ke's efforts had to be a hundred times greater.
"What should we do now?" Sun Tongfei was a little lost. His mind couldn't keep up. He then turned to his companions, and they all looked a little stunned. "Zhou Yu, why aren't you saying anything? You've been quiet ever since we came in. What do you think?"
Zhou Yuxiang opened his mouth, but he couldn't make a sound.
In the end, Lei Qingkong spoke. "Let's go to the stands. Let's not disturb Bambi's training. Actually..." Lei Qingkong was still a little hesitant because some top superstars' private training sessions were not allowed to be watched. It might be because they were worried about leaks or a disturbance. Of course, it could also be a pure act of being a big name.
"Hey, guys?" a voice called out in English from a distance, then switched to Chinese. "Are you guys the fans who are coming to the event later? If you don't mind, you can come over and play ball with us."
It was Lu Ke.
Lu Ke temporarily put down his training and quickly ran over. His voice became clearer. Looking at the large group of people standing still like wooden dolls, he said with a bright smile, "Do you all play football? I just heard from the NFL China staff that many fans today are football players, and there are even some players from the amateur league. If you're interested, we can have a simple practice game."
Everyone's jaws almost dropped. They couldn't believe their ears.
Lu Ke wasn't bothered by the cold reception. He spread his hands. "Don't worry. The practice game is just for fun. It won't be too difficult. Even if you haven't really played football, you can come and try if you're interested."
In the end, Lei Qingkong was older and had more experience. He was the first to come back to his senses. "Of course, no problem. We play all the time. We can form an offense and a defense, and then we can play a practice game together. This is Sun Tongfei. He's also a quarterback. If he can learn from you up close, it would be a great opportunity."
While talking, Lei Qingkong pulled Sun Tongfei over.
Sun Tongfei also straightened his back and opened his chest to meet Lu Ke's gaze. He tried to show a smile, but the slightly stiff muscles on his face still betrayed his nervousness. "Theoretically, I'm a quarterback with a different style. In my team, I also play as a running back. So, when I can't find an open player to pass to, I can run with the ball myself. I think..."
"Theory is theory, and practice is practice," Lu Ke said with a smile, interrupting Sun Tongfei. "These are two different things. A mobile quarterback and a pocket quarterback both have their own playing styles. Instead of us standing here and talking, why don't we start the practice game now and try it out?"
"Exactly," Zhou Yuxiang could only nod repeatedly. At this moment, he had forgotten to be sarcastic.
Zhang Sanfan, who was usually as quiet as a gourd, suddenly stepped forward and said firmly, "Bambi, I play flag football, and I'm a linebacker. My biggest dream is to sack you once."
Lu Ke gave a thumbs-up in praise. "In that case, come and try it. Let's see who's better on the field."
He didn't put on any airs as a professional player. Instead, he stood on equal ground and accepted the challenge.
Zhang Sanfan immediately clenched his fists to cheer himself on, putting on an ambitious look, as if he truly believed he could get a sack in the practice game.
Lu Ke stepped back slightly and gestured for everyone to enter the field. He saw that the tall, muscular middle-aged man who had stepped forward earlier was still standing in place, not moving at all.
Lu Ke walked forward and extended his right hand. "I'm Lu Ke."
"I know," Lei Qingkong replied, then realized what he said and gave an embarrassed smile. He shook Lu Ke's right hand. "I'm Frederick. You can call me Fred."
"Nice to meet you, Fred," Lu Ke said. "What, aren't you going to play?"
"No, no need. I'm not young anymore," Lei Qingkong said, waving his hands and politely declining. "You guys just play."
Lu Ke didn't accept that answer. "More and more players in the league are over thirty now, and they're not in any worse shape than the young ones. Are you sure you don't want to play? There are many ways to participate in football, but the most exciting one is to be on the field and fight alongside your teammates. Are you sure?"
Lei Qingkong couldn't refuse.
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