Chapter 805: The Principle of Leverage
Sophie was different from Candice.
Because of her job, Sophie had to deal with a large number of professional players, and these players were often loose-lipped and only joking around. To ensure her work went smoothly, Sophie had to maintain her professional demeanor. In the team, she was more of an ice queen, keeping as much distance from the players as possible.
Within the team, both Aldon and Vernon had tried to flirt with Sophie, but both of them were rejected and came away embarrassed and defeated. After that, the players would try to keep their distance as much as possible, and some were even a little intimidated. As the assistant to the team's public relations officer, Sophie's job was very important, and if they weren't careful, they could be in big trouble.
So, when everyone saw Sophie appear at the locker room door with a frosty look on her face, they all moved their eyes away in unison and pretended that nothing had happened, as if their recent banter had never occurred.
Sophie's eyes scanned the room and finally landed on Lu Ke. She cleared her throat. "Can you come out for a second?"
Lu Ke could clearly feel all eyes on his back, a feeling that was hard to describe. He ignored it and followed Sophie outside the door. He could clearly feel a series of footsteps behind the door and could almost imagine the whole team eavesdropping.
Sophie was trying her best to suppress her inner frustration. "There's a group of Asian fans gathered at the entrance of the player tunnel. They came specifically for you. They didn't leave after the game and stayed at the entrance. They have a banner and many gifts, and they hope to give them to you in person."
"If you're willing, we can make a simple arrangement and select twenty fans to come in and meet you. But if it's not convenient right now, this was a very intense game, and you're probably physically and mentally exhausted, so just remember to slow down when you leave the stadium and greet them." Sophie tried her best to remain calm and professionally and objectively explained the situation.
After the game, it was normal for fans to stay at the stadium to cheer for the home team.
But what was special about today was that these were Asian fans.
This was not only a fan group that the San Francisco 49ers had been trying to win over, but also a major target for the league.
During the offseason, Lu Ke went to Shanghai for a fan event, which further attracted the attention of the Asian community. After the season officially started, more and more Asian fans were coming to Candlestick Park to watch games in person. This was a positive and proactive sign.
The team was also consciously hoping to get closer to the fans, and today seemed like a good opportunity.
This was an example of the principle of leverage. Archimedes once said that if he had a lever long and strong enough and a fulcrum, he could move the Earth.
For the NFL, the excitement of the games themselves was the "lever," and Asian fans were the "Earth." What was missing was a fulcrum.
The league had always believed that with this fulcrum, they could attract enough fans. The annual London Bowl was the best proof. Now there were a large number of American football fans in Europe. To open up the Asian market, all they needed was a fulcrum.
Roger Goodell believed that Lu Ke was that fulcrum.
Of course, opening up the entire market couldn't be rushed and would require time to brew and ferment. But judging from the current results, it was undoubtedly encouraging. This was true for both the league and the team. If this strategy proved to be effective for the San Francisco 49ers, other players would undoubtedly follow suit, just like in the NBA.
The historical and epochal significance of Lu Ke as the NFL's first Chinese-American starting quarterback was now becoming more and more obvious.
Lu Ke looked at Sophie meaningfully and didn't speak immediately, but his eyes said it all: first the reporters, and now the fans. There were a lot of activities today.
This time, Sophie was a little "agitated" and didn't want to get tangled up anymore. She said bluntly, "If you're too tired right now, we can do it another time."
Sophie's directness immediately made Lu Ke flustered. He said with a mix of frustration and amusement, "No, it's okay. Just let them come in. I can meet them."
"Not the reporters. The fans are fine," Sophie said, looking at Lu Ke with a speechless expression, obviously very unhappy about this.
Lu Ke, however, looked calm. "For me, that's just how it is."
His confident response left Sophie speechless. In the end, she didn't say anything and just turned around and left, leaving her voice echoing in the hallway. "In guest room number one. In ten minutes."
It was clear that all the gossip in the locker room had reached Sophie's ears. Even if not all of it, a part of it was enough to make her furious. Now she was extremely agitated, and the entire conversation was tense. Lu Ke could only rub his nose and didn't dare to light the fuse, or things would become incredibly tricky.
Sun Tongfei sat in the red velvet chair like a curious child, constantly looking around the room. Every corner was filled with the team's history.
For Asian fans, they didn't have a geographical connection to a team. Their support for a home team came from an opportunity, such as the Los Angeles Lakers because of Kobe Bryant, or the Houston Rockets because of Yao Ming. Now, the San Francisco 49ers were quickly becoming the number one home team for Asian fans. Everything was new and exciting.
This team, which used to be glorious, was like a gold mine, waiting for fans to slowly dig and explore.
The sound of his heart beating rapidly and the sound of his blood flowing. Every cell in his body could feel that burning excitement. Sun Tongfei was like a restless flea, constantly fidgeting, unable to suppress the surge of emotions in his heart. He kept turning his head to look at the person next to him, asking one question after another. "Which season was that?" "Was that the photo from the first Super Bowl win?" "Is that the wide receiver from 'The Catch'?"
The person sitting next to him was Li Monian, a veteran fan, who answered his questions one by one.
After the game ended, Sun Tongfei wanted to find an opportunity to give his gift to Lu Ke, but he had no idea where to go. He had no clue where the fans were waiting.
Luckily, Sun Tongfei met Li Monian and the entire Chinese-American fan group. He didn't need many words. A simple "Lu Ke" or a "number 14 jersey" was enough to be a bridge for communication.
Especially when they heard that Sun Tongfei was a football player who had come from China for a short course, all the fans instantly became excited. They surrounded Sun Tongfei, chattering away and sharing their passion and excitement.
Sun Tongfei had no idea that he would become a "star," and it was a rare experience.
Moments when like-minded people gathered were always joyful and happy. Today was no exception.
His emotions kept fluctuating between nervousness and excitement. Then, the door was pushed open, and Lu Ke, who hadn't had time to change his jersey, appeared with a big smile on his face. In an instant, everyone stood up in unison, unable to suppress their joy and excitement.
"Hey, everyone. I hope I didn't keep you waiting. I came as fast as I could." At this moment, Lu Ke looked like a normal young man. He had none of the dominance or calmness he had on the field. A sense of intimacy just washed over them, like a warm spring breeze.
A chorus of greetings rose and fell.
"Wait, we've met before, right? In Shanghai. You're... uh..." Lu Ke stopped in front of Sun Tongfei. Among a group of ordinary fans, it wasn't easy to ignore Sun Tongfei's muscular build. What's more, he was holding a giant human-sized doll, which was too conspicuous.
"That quarterback! The one who plays a little running back too!" Lu Ke's memory became vivid, and he correctly identified the other person's identity. But then he showed an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I don't remember your name."
"It's okay, it's okay!" Sun Tongfei waved his hands repeatedly. He was so happy that he became incoherent, and his tongue was all tied up. He had no idea that Lu Ke still remembered him! This was too unexpected! Even just remembering his position on the field was already a huge deal! After all, their last meeting was just a brief encounter. "I'm Sun Tongfei. I'm here to study at Michigan State University this time."
"The football training camp, right? Fred told me about your plan in detail," Lu Ke's memory came back to him. He then extended his right hand. "Welcome to the program. I hope you gain a lot and reach a higher level. How was it to watch the game in person today? I'm glad we won!"
"Of course! Today's game was really amazing!" Sun Tongfei couldn't wait to share his excitement. Just thinking about it in his mind made his blood boil again.
At the same time, the WeChat group in Shanghai was also incredibly lively.
Although it was early in the morning in the UTC+8 time zone and the city was just waking up to a new day, the fans who had stayed up all night were still emotional. After the game ended, they still couldn't calm down, and they were scrambling to discuss the most exciting moments in their minds.
Just as everyone was chattering about the game, someone in the group suddenly uploaded a video. It was particularly noticeable among the quickly refreshing messages. They quickly scrolled back to take a closer look, and it was from Sun Tongfei. But the video's thumbnail was... Lu Ke.
What was going on?
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