Chapter 804: A Pair of Mismatched Lovers
Facing Lu Ke's easygoing teasing, Harry felt a little annoyed.
From the perspective of the magazine, this was actually a good thing because when a player was willing to clash with a reporter, it was often a hot topic and a selling point, which was what they wanted. But from a personal perspective, Harry felt a sense of frustration every time. In the entire league, there was probably only one professional player, Lu Ke, who dared to challenge a reporter so openly and get away with it.
It wasn't just about intelligence, but more about emotional intelligence.
For over a year, Harry had never had the upper hand in his clashes with Lu Ke.
Even though the San Francisco 49ers' performance was constantly improving, which was the main reason, Harry still felt frustrated. Such a professional player was just too bad and too boring. Couldn't Lu Ke's private life have a few more scandals? If he was like Aldon who often hung out at bars and nightclubs, then Harry wouldn't be unable to find any dirt on him!
And now it was the same.
"Lu Ke, the league didn't schedule this game for a prime-time slot. What are your thoughts on that?"
"Oh... hey! I'm glad you're still here, Mr. Harry Waynes."
Facing Harry's trap question, Lu Ke's answer was once again unconventional. He responded with a teasing and joking tone, as if this wasn't a press conference but a harmonious discussion.
However, Harry was no pushover. He instantly suppressed his personal feelings and said loudly, "Are you saying you miss our clashes? Are you hoping to get more media exposure? You, who always claim to be dedicated to the game and practice, still have thoughts about fame and fortune, don't you?"
Harry was being aggressive.
Lu Ke was calm.
"The thirty minutes stipulated by the league should be up. To prove my integrity and innocence, I'll be leaving now." Lu Ke ended with a sarcastic remark, deflecting all of Harry's attacks and making them fall flat. Then he smiled and nodded to the reporters before walking away without any hesitation.
Harry was stunned.
All the other reporters collectively shot sharp, arrow-like glances at Harry. They couldn't believe that Harry had just let all their efforts go to waste. In an instant, Harry became a porcupine.
Just then, Lu Ke stopped, turned around, and added loudly, "By the way, I'm very happy that this game wasn't a night game. After all, everyone keeps emphasizing that my night game performance doesn't seem to be very good. I'm trying to avoid such occasions. I prefer winning over a night game."
Another self-deprecating remark, another sarcastic remark, another teasing remark.
Harry's schemes instantly fell apart.
If Lu Ke hadn't answered, the reporters could have written headlines like, "Lu Ke Expresses Dissatisfaction with League Schedule, Refuses to Answer Reporter's Questions." In that case, Lu Ke would have become a target. The prime-time slots for night games were highly sought after, and the owners of thirty-two teams were all fighting for them. What right did a second-year player like Lu Ke have to complain?
Unexpectedly, Lu Ke not only answered but also used humor to leave the reporters with nothing to work with.
In the end, everyone just watched as Lu Ke left, and they hadn't even started to ask questions about their rival in the next week.
The interview area was filled with resentment. Harry, the target of everyone's anger, was completely unaware. He was staring intently at Lu Ke's back. He knew what he was going to use for his headline this week.
It could be, "The San Francisco 49ers are in Amazing Form, and They've Found Their Secret to Winning!"
Or perhaps, "The San Francisco 49ers' Season Goal: The 2007 New England Patriots! The 2011 Green Bay Packers!"
Or even, "Lu Ke is Full of Confidence. The Six-Game Winning Streak is Just the Beginning."
Since they were always on the winning path and never showed any weaknesses, Harry would add fuel to the fire, allowing the burden and pressure of winning to continuously increase. And, he would slowly turn them into public enemies of the entire league. All the teams would start to launch powerful attacks, even using extreme methods, slowly, slowly crushing the entire team.
Even if Lu Ke didn't break down, a football team wasn't just one player, the quarterback. If it didn't work once, he would try twice, allowing the pressure to build up layer by layer. In the end, it would only take a light breeze to make it all collapse and turn to dust.
This was called "praise to kill!"
It could also be called an "open conspiracy!"
Harry didn't believe that he would be completely helpless in his clashes with a player. Even the four elite quarterbacks weren't flawless, let alone an opponent who was only a second-year player.
This season, they would see who was smarter! Would the San Francisco 49ers be able to hold on until the end, or would the media reporters have the last laugh? This battle had just begun!
Lu Ke, the person in question, was completely unaware. He returned to the locker room carefree and saw the tall and slender Sophie Brooks. She was wearing a pair of black high heels and a one-piece skirt suit that wrapped around her graceful curves. Her silky, shiny hair swayed gently as she walked.
"Bambi! Why are you back already?" The moment Sophie saw Lu Ke, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. It seemed like every time they met, their conversation started with a clash. This seemed to have become their way of getting along. "My God, this game was so important, and we won. This is the best time to be interviewed by reporters! How can you leave early?"
"Sophie," Lu Ke was about to explain.
But Sophie didn't give Lu Ke a chance. She continued to ramble, "Go back! Go back and accept the interviews! This is your job! We need to build a positive image in front of the media right now. You can't just end the interviews so casually! Today is the best time, don't you remember? We talked about it before the preseason began. You need to establish a positive image!"
Sophie kept nagging and finally realized that Lu Ke was uncharacteristically not interrupting or refuting her. Instead, he was looking at her with a smile, which made Sophie a little stunned. "What's wrong?"
"Are you done expressing your opinion? Am I allowed to speak now?" Lu Ke deliberately made an exaggerated expression, not hiding his sarcasm at all, which made Sophie grind her teeth. Then Lu Ke said seriously, "The interviews are over. What I mean is, there are opportunities for interviews every day, and they can't be avoided in every game. This is a cycle, and we always have a chance. As for today, the interviews are over."
"Lu Ke!" Sophie enunciated each word, as if she was chewing on Lu Ke's flesh.
Lu Ke didn't care at all. He gave Sophie a big, carefree, and brilliant smile, nodded slightly, then walked past Sophie and went straight into the locker room.
Sophie gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She firmly believed that the two of them must have conflicting auras. Every time they talked, she would get so angry. The flame burning in her chest just wouldn't stop! What a jerk!
Lu Ke walked into the locker room and realized that something was wrong. A group of guys near the door were staring at him with strange smiles on their faces. Their ambiguous expressions were hard to describe. "What's wrong? Are all of your faces cramping up? Why do you have such weird expressions?"
Even Randy Moss was among them.
Moss kept shaking his head and sighing. "Sigh, it's really hard for Sophie. Why did she fall for a puritan missionary? How unfortunate, so unfortunate."
"You're the missionary. Your whole family are missionaries," Lu Ke said with a mix of frustration and amusement. Then he pushed away Moss, who was grinning. "Sophie is just doing her job. Don't make random assumptions. We just have a pure colleague relationship, just like I do with all of you."
"No, no, don't include me. I fantasize about Sophie occasionally, but she never pays attention to me. Is it the same for you?" Aldon loved to stir up trouble and even started to whistle.
"Ho ho ho, Aldon! Nice!" Several other players high-fived Aldon, showing their agreement. The meaningful looks were something only men could understand.
Moss draped his arm over Lu Ke's shoulder. "If we're talking about the playbook, you're the expert. But when it comes to women, you're a rookie." After the game's emotional release, Moss was slowly opening up and integrating into the team. "Listen to this 'Doctor,' seize the opportunity, or you'll miss it and it won't come again."
"Doctor?" Lu Ke frowned and looked Moss up and down. Moss patted his chest proudly. Lu Ke then asked, "Dr. Strangelove?"
"Dr. Strangelove" was a classic masterpiece by Stanley Kubrick, but it had nothing to do with love. It was an absurd political comedy.
When Lu Ke said that, Moss was completely confused. He didn't understand what he meant and had never even heard of it. Then the other guys around them started to make fun of him. "Bambi, are you talking about a book like the Kama Sutra? You're such a naughty guy. You train so hard, and you still have time to read that. Are you preparing to do some in-depth research with Sophie?"
"Hey, hey, guys, did you forget about Candy?"
"How could we! We're just trying to make it a threesome!"
"Ooh, I think that's a good idea!"
"Sophie would be perfect for the queen style!"
"Then what about Bambi? Is he going to be..."
The bustling discussion became more and more outrageous. Suddenly, the ajar locker room door was pushed completely open. All eyes were on Sophie, who was standing at the door. In an instant, everyone shut up, turned their heads, and pretended that nothing had happened. That scene was truly spectacular.
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