"So, with this system, I can become a top Rugby Superstar in real life?"

It was all so dazzling and incredible, so outlandish and dream-like, that none of it felt real. If not for the dull ache in his muscles and bones—a constant reminder to Lu Ke that this was all really happening—he might have pinched himself hard to see if he could wake up from the dream.

"Yes," Qi’s voice came again. "On the condition that you complete all daily training and all missions."

"You mean to say that someone before me got the system but failed? They didn’t become a top superstar? Because... of laziness?" Lu Ke astutely picked up on the implication. His excitement had barely begun to build before it was doused with a bucket of cold water.

"Yes," Qi affirmed once more.

This prompted a sigh from Lu Ke. ’Sure enough, the one percent of inspiration is incredibly important, but the ninety-nine percent of perspiration is just as important, maybe even more so. There have always been people in every era who had the talent but wasted it away, never reaching their peak.’

"Host, please select your field position and jersey number."

"Can I change the system? Swap the Rugby Superstar System for... soccer, or something? I think soccer’s probably more popular. Or basketball would be great. I’ve always been a basketball guy." Lu Ke asked with a straight face. He was met with silence, but he didn’t mind, and a smile spread across his face as he chuckled to himself.

Lu Ke was a second-generation immigrant. He immigrated to San Francisco with his parents when he was eight. Even now, in the 21st century, racial discrimination is still a very serious problem in the United States. Although San Francisco is known as one of the most successfully integrated cities in the country, Lu Ke still faced ostracism and isolation from his classmates. For a long time, he couldn’t even make friends with the children of other immigrants.

Lu Ke had never been the type to just give up and resign himself to his fate. To change the situation, he chose sports—a universal language, especially for boys. On the field, you battled it out, either as comrades shoulder-to-shoulder or as opposing enemies. There were no schemes, no fancy tricks; skill was all that mattered.

Back in China, Lu Ke had been on his school’s basketball team, but his new school didn’t have a popular basketball scene, or even a team at all. So, Lu Ke chose American football—the number one sport in the United States. Here, football, baseball, ice hockey, and basketball are the four major sports, with football holding the undisputed top spot.

At first, it was just a way to fit in, but gradually, Lu Ke came to genuinely love the sport. To an outsider, football might seem like nothing but violence. In reality, it’s a sport that places a heavy emphasis on teamwork and tactical design. A pro football team’s playbook can be seven or eight hundred pages long, and players have even been cut for being unable to memorize it or keep up with tactical shifts—

It’s also worth noting that players must have their IQ tested before going pro.

On the field, every position is filled with strategy and skill, like a precision instrument. From the offense to the Defense Team, and on to the special teams and coaching staff, every part and every link must coordinate meticulously to achieve victory. It’s a sport that demands individual excellence, seamless teamwork, and most of all, intelligence. It was utterly captivating.

Lu Ke fell deeply in love with the sport. But unfortunately, his natural physical talent was limited. That, combined with the racial discrimination in football—to this day, not a single Asian player has ever officially played in a National Football League (NFL) game, nor has there even been one on the official roster as a backup—meant that while Lu Ke had used football to break the ice socially, he couldn’t take things any further.

After graduating high school, Lu Ke was accepted into UCLA and tried out for the football team.

But during the tryouts in his freshman and sophomore years, he was rejected both times. Physicality was his weakness, and that is an unavoidable part of football. He was tall enough, but his muscle mass was too low; he lacked explosive power and the resilience for physical confrontation. It simply wasn’t enough to make the college team.

It wasn’t until his junior year that his sincerity, persistence, and grit finally moved the coaching staff. They agreed to let him join the team—as a member of the practice squad. He wasn’t an official player, there were no guarantees, and he could be cut at any moment.

He persevered like that for a year. In the blink of an eye, the new semester of his senior year began, leaving him just one final year to go pro.

Precisely because he lacked natural talent and ability, he had to work harder and persevere more than anyone else. Every time he stepped onto the field could be his last. That was why every day, Lu Ke was the first to arrive at the practice facility and the last to leave. He was always the most committed, the one who pushed himself the hardest. Even during the most routine drills, he gave it his absolute all.