Chapter 83: Chapter 72: An Olive Branch from the Giants

Contrary to his net worth of several hundred million USD, John Mara just looked like a frail, plainly dressed old man.

A bottle of soda water sat in front of him, while opposite him was a bottle of fine Cabernet Sauvignon.

"I’m sorry, I’ve been fighting cancer recently," he said with a gentle smile, the wrinkles on his face crinkling together. "The doctor told me I can’t drink alcohol or eat red meat."

The waiter pulled out a chair for Li Wei.

"But this is a steakhouse, isn’t it?" Li Wei said, sitting down opposite him. "Since you can’t eat red meat..."

"Because the steak here is genuinely good," Mara said with a smile. "And I like the ambiance."

"For the past thirty years, I’ve come to this steakhouse to eat almost every single month. The head chef of this branch, Jeff, is my favorite," he said, raising his glass of soda water. "You have to try their ribeye. It’s really good."

Li Wei glanced at the Cabernet Sauvignon in front of him, then at the soda water in front of Mara, and politely pushed the wine bottle a little further away.

"Since you can’t have red wine," he said, "I’ll just have soda water as well."

Mara’s cloudy yet sharp eyes lingered on Li Wei for a moment, and a hint of approval appeared in them.

He waved his hand, signaling the waiter to replace Li Wei’s drink with soda water. At the same time, he ordered the largest, most well-done bone-in ribeye steak for Li Wei, while in front of himself was only a plate of thinly sliced, well-done, pan-fried lemon halibut.

"For a high school student, especially an Asian high school student," Mara said, "I have to say, young man, your stats are astounding."

"Thank you for the compliment," Li Wei said, cutting into a piece of the sizzling steak. Having barely eaten all afternoon, he felt like he could devour an entire American bison. "Maybe I’m just talented. But on the field, results are what matter. Winning is the most important thing."

"Well said. Victory," Mara said, putting down his fork. His expression grew serious. "Victory is the one thing the New York Giants lack most."

He put down the halibut after only two bites, wiped his mouth with his napkin, and then revealed the purpose of their meal. "I believe that young fellow, Arthur Wens, has already mentioned the proposal to you? For you to skip the NCAA and enter the NFL directly."

"He hinted at it," Li Wei said, also wiping his mouth. "But I’ve looked up the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, and it seems there’s no way for me to meet the age requirement, is there?"

"It’s an agreement, not a law," Mara shrugged. "I have a law doctorate, and I’m the Chairman of the NFL’s Management Council Executive Committee. And you have a doctor’s note certifying that you’re no longer suited to play in the NCAA. So, under the ’right’ circumstances, perhaps we can figure something out."

"Besides, there’s precedent. Maurice Clarett once sued the NFL, arguing that the rule violated the Sherman Antitrust Act," he said. "Although it was overturned on appeal, the argument itself isn’t without merit..."

"But what’s the catch?" Li Wei asked. "I don’t believe the Giants would go to such lengths just to get me into the league."

"Of course there are conditions. This is all a transaction," Mara said. "With the new Democratic Party administration in power, we need a diversity story to tell. We also need to expand into the market in Asia and secure more of the Asian-American vote."

"But in that case, wouldn’t it be enough for me to just join the NFL?" Li Wei asked. "Could I choose not to join the New York Giants?"

"Of course you can, kid. It’s your right," Mara said with a smile. "But I doubt you’d refuse the request of an old man with cancer who doesn’t have long to live. Besides, we’ll make you a very competitive offer."

"Just tell me straight, what’s the condition?" Li Wei shook his head, not falling for the act. "I don’t believe the owner of a team worth tens of billions of USD would do something out of pure charity."

"Don’t be so hasty, young man," Mara chuckled, starting to play games. "It’s still five months until the NFL draft and nine months until you graduate high school and officially become an adult. This is just our first meeting. It’s too early to start talking terms."

’So now he’s not mentioning his cancer or how he doesn’t have long to live?’

Li Wei would only believe about ten percent of what an old fox like him said.

After a pause, Mara raised his soda water. "So, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to deal with each other in the future, hm..."

Miming a toast with Li Wei, Mara snapped his fingers.

A driver walked in, holding a dark green, piano-lacquered wooden box.

"For our first meeting," Mara said. "A small welcome gift."

Li Wei opened the box. Inside was a Rolex, gleaming with a cold metallic luster. Its gold and green dial shimmered brilliantly under the light.

"This watch..." Li Wei started. "How much is it worth?"

John Mara was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and said with a laugh, "To be honest, I don’t know. After all, I didn’t buy it myself."

For a second, Li Wei wanted to ask if he could cash the watch in—he wasn’t yet rich enough to be wearing a Mercedes-Benz on his wrist.

But in the end, he kept the thought to himself. After all, saying that would be far too impolite.

The meal concluded on what could be considered a pleasant note for both host and guest. John Mara told Li Wei some celebrity gossip, including tales about big Hollywood stars and international sports icons, as well as some juicy secret histories and scandalous affairs.

Most of the stories revolved around a poor kid shooting to fame overnight, with money, prestige, and women inevitably following.

"I look forward to your performance in the All-American Bowl."

John Mara said to Li Wei as they parted.

"It takes time for the team and the league to make things happen. Perhaps by the time you win the All-American Bowl, we can start talking about the salary cap and your contract. By then, I can also persuade my colleagues to inject some new blood into their antiquated, fossilized minds."

On the way back, Li Wei kept thinking about what John Mara had said as he left. ’He really is an old fox,’ he thought, ’a master of making one empty promise after another.’

’That talk about the team and league needing time to work things out was just an excuse. He clearly wants to see how I perform in a real game before making a decision.’

Still, it was normal for John Mara to have such concerns.

It wasn’t just about the difference in physical ability; mentality was also a major factor.

The PSAL league games Li Wei was currently playing in only drew a few hundred spectators, mostly classmates or their parents. There were hardly any cheers or shouts.

The NFL, on the other hand, was the number one sport in America. The New York Giants hadn’t won a single Super Bowl in over a decade and had only made the playoffs twice in the last ten years. The players they spent a fortune on were nothing but paper tigers, choking the moment they hit the field.

But even for a team like the Giants, attendance at their New York home games remained incredibly high, averaging over 65,000 people. The average decibel level was over 110.

Especially during a touchdown, the sound of the fans cheering and jumping could even cause a minor earthquake!

In a 2011 playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints, a legendary touchdown run by Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch caused the fans in the stadium to erupt, generating a minor, magnitude 2.0 earthquake that lasted for thirty seconds!

Imagine someone with no experience in major competitions walking out of the locker room, flanked by beautiful, energetic cheerleaders dancing and cheering. You look out, and the entire stadium is packed, without a single empty seat. All eyes are on you.

On the sidelines, more than a hundred reporters and high-speed cameras are constantly tracking your every move, capturing every single mistake and expression with precision.

Many rookies are stat monsters who choke in big games. In professional sports circles, there’s even a special name for players like that: "Underwear Olympics champions."

Still, if he could really skip three years of the NCAA and enter the NFL Alliance directly, it would absolutely be a good thing for him.

Because besides selling their NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rights, players in the NCAA don’t actually get paid a salary!

’The All-American Bowl, huh?’ Li Wei thought. The All-American Bowl was the high school game with the largest crowd and highest attendance rate he could play in, averaging over 45,000 spectators. While not on the level of the NFL, a good performance there could still prove a lot.

It seemed that besides getting his first piece of "equipment," he now had another reason to play in the All-American Bowl.

After all, if he could go straight to the NFL, Quarterbacks were worth a fortune, and the buzz around him would skyrocket.

...

The next day, Sunday, the official 247Sports website updated its rankings for high school football players.