Chapter 58: Chapter 53: Sorry, I Was Too Loud Before

"Is this the best Franklin High School can do?" The hulking players from Tottenville High School spewed trash talk relentlessly on the field. "Go home and play hockey! Next time, I’ll twist that skinny neck of yours right off!"

Li Wei stood listlessly on the sidelines, a bench towel draped over his shoulders.

"Hey!" Daphne, pom-poms in hand, walked over and slapped Li Wei’s shoulder, her voice filled with dissatisfaction. "Why aren’t you playing? Those bastards from Tottenville High are pissing me off."

"We’re not a couple, so why are you so concerned about me?" Li Wei yawned and pointed to Coach Miller, who was jumping up and down in impotent rage not far away. "He won’t let me play."

"Fucking racist piece of shit..."

Annoyed at being taunted by the opposing cheerleaders, Daphne left in a huff.

Ever since Li Wei had turned down Coach Miller, he could clearly feel the man holding a grudge.

’A 220-pound black man with a mind narrower than a pinprick.’

Li Wei had felt pointedly ignored during practice all week, but he didn’t really care. After all, there were still several games left, and watching Coach Miller’s impotent rage was far more entertaining.

On the field, Franklin High School’s starting Quarterback, Craig, was on the verge of collapse. His jersey was stained with grass and dirt, and the hand holding the ball was trembling slightly.

Li Wei was his backup.

Third and 10.

Craig took a deep breath and called for the snap. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

However, the left tackle meant to protect him was beaten again. A defensive lineman from Tottenville High School, like an enraged bull, bypassed the offensive line and charged straight into Craig’s blind side.

"Watch your left!" Coach Miller’s shout hadn’t even left his lips.

CRACK! The sickening sound of pads colliding violently.

Instead of a legal tackle, the lineman, at the moment of impact, drove his shoulder hard into the knee of Craig’s planted leg. At the same time, he used his arms to flip Craig into the air, slamming him down hard onto the hardened artificial turf.

Craig let out a bloodcurdling scream, clutching his knee and writhing on the ground.

"Yellow flag! Ref! That’s a malicious foul!" Coach Miller yelled, rushing onto the field.

A few scattered boos came from the stands, but the Tottenville High players were high-fiving and whistling loudly in celebration.

[You have received a quest: Glory of the Dueling Court]

[Insolent commoners dare to provoke you, a nobleman. Show them what you’re made of.]

[Quest Reward: Constitution +0.1]

Watching this scene, the corner of Li Wei’s mouth twitched. ’Why am I a nobleman again? Isn’t being this aggressive a bit much?’

On the sideline, Craig was helped off the field.

Coach Miller had just received a tongue-lashing from the ashen-faced principal. He turned his head and saw Li Wei, fiddling boredly with his wristband.

"Li Wei," he said, wiping away sweat, his voice hoarse. "Craig can’t play. Get your helmet on. You’re in."

Li Wei acted as if he hadn’t heard, his head still down as he meticulously adjusted the tightness of his gloves.

"Li Wei! I’m talking to you!" Miller raised his voice, glaring at Li Wei.

"Oh? What did you say just now, Coach?" Li Wei finally looked up. "The cheerleaders in the stands are too loud. I didn’t... hear a thing."

"Sorry..." Miller took a deep breath. "Can you go in?"

*Sorry, I was too loud before. Can we call a truce now?*

Li Wei shrugged, smiled, fastened his helmet’s face mask, and unhurriedly walked onto the field.

And just like that, the tables turned.

Even without activating [Berserk], with Li Wei’s current physique, playing against a high school team was like playing against children.

When the lineman who had maliciously injured Craig collided with Li Wei, he went flying like a sack of potatoes hit by a speeding truck, soaring a good ten feet through the air.

In the eyes of the 200-plus spectators, the entire game turned into Li Wei’s personal playground, with him toying with Tottenville High.

He took the snap and ran it himself. No one could catch him. He shook off four or five defenders, touchdown. 6 points.

He broke through the line with the ball. A 300-pound tackle behind him had both arms wrapped around his waist but still couldn’t stop him. Touchdown. 6 points.

Three linemen ganged up on him. Right before everyone’s eyes, he just leaped into the air, flying right over one of their heads for an easy touchdown. 6 points.

Seeing Travis running around on the side, Li Wei even decided to give him a taste of the action when calling the play. With an ugly-looking throw, he launched the football a full 40 yards, straight into Travis’s arms, letting him carry it in for the touchdown. 6 points.

The Franklin High School side of the field erupted in screams, while the spectators, coaches, and parents from Tottenville High sank into deep despair.

Did they hire the current first-round draft pick from the NFL? Or was this that "Chinese kung fu" stuff?

Daphne, Samantha, and the other cheerleaders screamed along with the crowd, the resentment in their eyes replaced by near-fanatical adoration.

"Damn it..." Coach Miller’s feelings were incredibly complicated. After mulling it over, he finally managed a thought, ’...His technique is still so ugly.’

Travis clutched the ball and sprinted across the goal line, feeling more exhilarated than he ever had in his life. He felt like all he had to do was run hard, look back for the pass, and Li Wei would hurl a powerful, heavy spiral right into his arms. As long as he kept running, he could score a touchdown.

"You’re my goddamn hero!"

After the touchdown, he rushed over to give Li Wei a bear hug, only to be held at bay by a disgusted Li Wei, who planted a hand on his helmet.

[Quest: Glory of the Dueling Court has been completed]

[The honor of a Knight, a nobleman, cannot be provoked. You have achieved a great victory.]

[Quest Reward: Constitution +0.1]

An hour later, the Tottenville High School football team and their supporters dejectedly left the field, leaving a mess behind. The once-arrogant cheerleaders didn’t even finish their chants before hastily scrambling onto their bus and leaving Franklin High School.

...

「That night, in an apartment in New York Manhattan.」

Arthur Wens, a professional recruitment scout, was scrolling through Twitter when he happened upon a short, shaky video shot from a terrible angle.

With a professional’s curiosity, he clicked to watch:

In the video, a figure, facing a three-man tackle from the linemen, didn’t opt for any nimble change of direction. Instead, he simply leaped into the air, flew over one of the linemen’s heads, and scored a touchdown.

’That level of athleticism is definitely pro-level.’

"Terrible technique, but astonishing raw strength," Arthur muttered, stunned. A professional scout’s intuition was screaming at him. "Landing stability, core strength... which NFL pro is this, filming a video?"

He glanced at the post’s topics and hashtags:

"Franklin K. Lane High School?"