Chapter 101: Chapter 81: The Center of the Controversy, Attention from All Sides

Li Wei wanted to hang up, but considering who she was, he just made some small talk and waited for her to end the call.

The moment he hung up on Elizabeth, Li Wei’s phone started vibrating again.

"Who is it now..." Li Wei grumbled. "Coach Miller? What’s up?"

"Li Wei, are you sure you want to turn down Ohio State and Alabama?" Coach Miller’s voice had a rhythmic, rap-like cadence. "Those two are the top football schools."

"But I’m not planning on playing in the NCAA anyway, right?" Li Wei said with a laugh, propping his feet up on a chair. "So it doesn’t matter how strong they are."

"Fair point..." Coach Miller said. "But since you’re not going to those two and want to be a suit-wearing, motherfucking vampire in the future, I reached out to Harvard and Yale for you. They’ve sent you interview invitations."

"Oh?" Li Wei sat up straight. "I was planning to apply through the academic track anyway, not through the NCAA. Are they willing to consider my early application?"

"Don’t be a fool. You’re at the center of a media storm right now," Coach Miller scoffed. "Plus, you’re Asian. Everyone knows Asians are the smartest. They’re not going to miss a chance to interview you."

"That’s a bit of a stereotype," Li Wei said, "but you’re not wrong. So, when are they?"

"Yale is Saturday at 2 PM, Harvard is Sunday at 10 AM," Coach Miller said. "By the way, your invitation to the All-American Bowl arrived at the school. Come get it from me tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah..." Li Wei mumbled in acknowledgment. "Got it. I’ll come by then."

He hung up, and the phone immediately started ringing again.

"Who now?" Li Wei muttered in annoyance, the calls coming one after another. "Is this ever going to end?"

A confused female voice greeted him.

"Hm?" Anya asked. "What’s never going to end?"

"Uh..." Li Wei cleared his throat. "It’s nothing, nothing. How have you been lately?"

’He’s thinking of me. He cares about me.’ The corners of Anya’s mouth lifted into a wide smile.

She closed her eyes as she spoke, imagining she was the heroine of some hopelessly romantic old film. She had a particular fondness for old movies.

The love scenes in those films were always so romantic and unforgettable, typically featuring long kisses, gorgeous dresses, and cool hairstyles.

"Hello?" Li Wei’s voice snapped her out of her daydream. "You there?"

"I’m here," Anya said, coughing to hide her embarrassment. "I’m doing great. I’ve just been preparing my early applications for college, and I wanted to ask what your plans are."

In the United States of America, undergraduate university applications are split into early and regular admissions. Early applications are submitted in November with decisions released in mid-December, whereas regular applications are submitted later, with decisions coming out by March of the following year.

"My plans?" Li Wei said after a moment of thought. "My original plan was to apply to Yale based on my academics, but both Yale and Harvard invited me for early admission interviews this weekend, so I think I’ll go talk with them."

"Oh, really?" Anya struggled to keep from breaking into a grin. "I have an interview at Yale, too."

Although her academics and extracurriculars didn’t quite meet Yale’s standards, her school and her college admissions counselor had both advised her to give it a shot—to get the experience and treat it as a practice run.

"That’s great! Congratulations!" Li Wei said. "If we both get in, we could be classmates in the future."

Anya was already lost in her imagination. In her fantasy, she and Li Wei would be living together in an off-campus apartment in New Haven. Then, Auntie Kaja and her father would no longer be able to keep them apart. She would learn to cook... ’What should I make for Li Wei?’

"What do you think of borscht?" she asked abruptly, out of nowhere.

"?" Li Wei was completely unable to follow Anya’s train of thought. "What?"

"It’s nothing," Anya said. "I was just talking to Auntie Kaja."

A brief silence followed.

"So, see you this weekend?" Li Wei was starting to figure Anya out—she wanted him to be the one to make the invitation. "See you in New Haven. I’ll give you a call when I’m there."

Satisfied, Anya hung up.

...

On the third day of the escalating media frenzy, Ohio State University and the University of Alabama formally announced they were no longer recruiting Li Wei to play in the NCAA.

The official announcement from two of the nation’s top football programs instantly fanned the flames, making Li Wei an even hotter topic.

No one understood. What exactly was Li Wei waiting for?

"To be honest, I just don’t get it," an ESPN commentator remarked. "Look at the case of Maurice. He’s two years older than Li Wei and already has a national championship under his belt. Is anyone really willing to give up a golden opportunity like this for some intangible, pie-in-the-sky chance?"

"I completely agree with you, Jimmy," another commentator added. "My take is that Li Wei might be trying to leverage the discourse around diversity and people of color to force the NFL’s hand. Judging by the buzz on TikTok, it’s getting a lot of traction, but I think it’s an incredibly risky move..."

Meanwhile, two black Cadillac Escalade ESVs had quietly pulled up in front of Don Quixote and Li Wei’s house on Bell Ridge.

"Is that the Russian girl again?" Don Quixote asked, eyeing the two iconic SUVs, each worth over 100,000 USD. "You know, if she’s really that rich and pretty, I think you should give her a chance."

"It’s not Anya this time," Li Wei said as he went to open the door. "This should be... the owner of the New York Giants."

He pulled the door open and saw a gaunt John Mara standing on the doorstep, flanked by two burly bodyguards.

"Good evening, Mr. Mara," Li Wei said, ushering him into the house. "It’s been a while."

"It has been a while, Mr. Li Wei," John Mara said as he stepped inside. "How have you been?"

His gait was steady. Cancer had left him gaunt, but he appeared to be in good Spirit.

After stepping inside, he shook hands with a somewhat surprised Don Quixote.

"John Mara," he said politely. "I’m the owner of the New York Giants."

"Don Quixote Cervantes," Don Quixote said, shaking Mara’s hand, clearly flattered. "I’m Li Wei’s uncle."

"You have a good nephew," John Mara said with a small smile. "A very good, very outstanding nephew."

He glanced around the living room, then sat down decisively on the sofa.

"Doesn’t look like you have women over," he said, turning to Li Wei. "Good. That’s a valuable quality. Self-discipline." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"I’ve been looking at the regular application process for Yale and Harvard," Li Wei said, pouring him a glass of water out of habit, a custom from the Celestial Dynasty. "Just checking if my grades would be good enough to apply normally."

"You’ve turned down the NCAA for the sake of this contract. Aren’t you anxious?" John Mara asked, looking at Li Wei, who seemed completely unfazed by the pressure. "You realize this could ruin your sports career, don’t you? You can’t train or play in official games, and you won’t be able to enter the draft as a free agent until after your junior year of college."

’You fool, I have a system,’ Li Wei thought. ’In another three years, I’ll basically be Superman. Why the hell would I still be playing football then?’

"I trust you wouldn’t deceive me," he said, offering a casual excuse. "That conviction is what has kept me so calm."

John Mara was taken aback for a moment, then he chuckled.

"Trust... Few people say that word to my face," he said, shaking his head. "But I appreciate your faith in me, son."

He snapped his fingers, and one of the bodyguards immediately stepped forward with a briefcase.