Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 985 - 984 Dumbfounded

No matter the rumors and turbulence in the outside world, the Kansas City Chiefs Training Facility always keeps its doors tightly shut, blocking all the inquisitive eyes outside.

Media outlets and internet users unequivocally assert and confirm: there’s no silver here.

The silence of the Kansas City Chiefs at this moment precisely proves the outside speculation that the team’s locker room atmosphere might have developed a crack due to Li Wei.

Above the reigning champions, a shadow looms.

Rumors are rampant, various insider informations are exploding across social networks, each seems self-assured, yet no one cares to calmly reflect and think about where so much insider information comes from, where so many team traitors come from, and where so many eyewitnesses come from.

The more rumors there are, often means more fake news.

However, this is the reality.

A statement labeled as a "rumor", without any verification, turns into "fact" on social media, and internet users don’t bother to think or discern, a like, a share, a harmless comment keeps stoking the fire, and the rumor evolves into sweeping "fact".

Some say that Kelsey, out of jealousy towards Li Wei, clashed with him at training camp. As a result, Kelsey couldn’t beat Li Wei, who has a mixed martial arts background, leaving him with a black eye, so he’s always seen wearing sunglasses lately.

Some say Mahomes and Li Wei have stopped speaking at training camp. Last season, both performed brilliantly, but Li Wei soared, while Mahomes remained hidden in the shadows, unable to accept this reality.

Some say Li Wei is being collectively excluded by the offensive group, currently training alone at camp, and he’s applying through his agent for the right to train solo, completely breaking off with the team.

Rumors, however outrageous they are, come forth; but the spreaders swear by them, as if they’ve seen them firsthand; and in the spreading process, they embellish the details, the story becomes more exaggerated—

The average "story club" contributors.

This farce is brewing a storm on social networks.

But, there are exceptions: Kansas City Chiefs fans.

This is Glenn Carter’s first time experiencing such an incident, amid the dazzling negative news, he can’t help but start to worry.

Is it really okay? The preseason debut is imminent, yet the team’s atmosphere is like this? Maybe some of the rumors are distorted, but is it possible they aren’t unfounded, maybe some things did happen in the locker room, should they really not be worried?

In the Old Oak Tavern, West looks at the youthful Carter, beaming, showing no trace whatsoever of concern.

"Kid, these past two years, no, three years, we’ve watched the rookie grow step by step, we’ve seen how the rookie struggled to unite the locker room, we’ve seen how the rookie led our players to mature then stand strong."

"It’s just a small matter; if we all don’t believe in the rookie, then we wouldn’t be worthy of being a part of Kansas City."

"Wait a moment, or Chris, do you have a different opinion?"

With one sentence, all eyes turned to Provo.

Provo, who was drinking, was suddenly caught off guard, "Hell, Charles, those were long ago, I’ve already turned over a new leaf."

Looking at the puzzled Carter, Provo scratched his head, "The rookie’s first year on the team, I hated him, I loathed everything about him, I didn’t believe he could become the team leader, I didn’t even believe he could last the first year."

"But the facts proved I was wrong, terribly wrong."

"And now?"

"Young man, let me tell you something, the rookie couldn’t have done those things."

"You can confirm and see that the haters online aren’t Chiefs fans, maybe one or two bad apples exist, but the vast majority wouldn’t be Kansas City living fans."

"We’ve been through too much with the rookie. Regarding such matters, we have an understanding, we trust him, and he trusts us."

"We don’t need to counter, we don’t even need to go to the training camp to show our support. Believe me, when the season begins, those haters will realize the foolishness of their actions."

Provo’s words were just finished when someone next to him raised a drink high, "We’ll make them kneel down trembling."

Roar, roar, roar.

A burst of cheering.

In the entire tavern, there’s celebration, not just West and Provo, everyone was relaxed and joyful, completely different from the storm on social networks—

Like two worlds.

For Carter, this was unfamiliar. He never knew there was such an evident chasm between the real world and the online world.

Open the social networks for a quick look, everyone would feel a crisis and anxiety as if the Kansas City Chiefs’ new season is already floundering in precarious danger, the locker room may already be a powder keg, players collectively collapsing.

Yet, leaving the internet and returning to reality, Kansas City remains calm, no, strictly speaking, it should be watching the clouds roll by; not only unaffected, but each one eagerly anticipates the new season.

Such contrast indeed leaves people a bit bewildered.

Carter expressed: he couldn’t understand.

The Kansas City Chiefs fans, seasoned through storms, completely relax, not engaging in tit-for-tat combat on social networks; such a reaction has its pros and cons.

The downside is those haters become more unrestrained, increasingly rampant, and the rumors naturally grow more outrageous.

The upside is, a single hand cannot clap alone, haters shout but receive no response, causing the zombie followers and bystanders to disperse.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ official response isn’t needed; the craze subsides in just two days since, in the network era where trending lasts mere minutes, a hotspot lasting over twenty-four hours is quite rare.

However, things soon heat up again—

The preseason kicks off.

On August 10th, the Kansas City Chiefs stationed at Arrowhead Stadium to face the Cincinnati Bengals.

Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals poised to unite their efforts while Kansas City Chiefs lost to the New England Patriots ending their winning streak, they were all confident, believing they could defeat the reigning champion.

As a result, they were devastated.

Worse still, after that defeat, the Cincinnati Bengals only achieved two wins and seven losses the rest of the season, directly burying playoff hopes.

Additionally, leading the Cincinnati Bengals to fire their entire coaching staff.

This time encountering again, although it’s preseason, the Cincinnati Bengals are still fired up, hoping to regain confidence at Arrowhead Stadium.

However, Cincinnati Bengals fans are set for disappointment:

Li Wei is absent.

Mahomes, Kelsey, Hill, all absent.

More precisely, three-quarters of the Kansas City Chiefs’ starters are seated on the bench watching, Reed competes with the team’s third and fourth lineup.

Strategy couldn’t be clearer—

Testing players, honing tactics, filtering out a fifty-three-man starting lineup before the preseason ends.

Cincinnati Bengals? Just a test subject.