Chapter 941: Chapter 941: The Mark of a Leader

Chapter 941: The Mark of a Leader

Patrick Willis sat cross-legged on the floor, facing the emergency exit. His back was against the seat in front of him, so he didn’t block the exit—otherwise, a flight attendant would come over and warn him to leave the area to ensure the safety of the cabin.

Because the space was so small, Willis was forced to curl up in the corner, looking like a homeless man.

Lu Ke was slightly stunned, then he couldn’t help but chuckle.

But Lu Ke didn’t turn to leave. He had no intention of avoiding the defensive captain. On the contrary, he felt that he needed to have a heart-to-heart with him.

Lu Ke had seriously thought about whether he should personally go to the defense and apologize or at least communicate face-to-face with all his defensive teammates.

But the problem with that solution was that he didn’t know if his offensive teammates would feel betrayed by his actions. And he also didn’t know if the defensive teammates would accept it, how effective it would be, and if it would further escalate the conflict. These were all things he had to question.

Talking to Willis face-to-face was another solution. The issues with the offense would be left to the offensive captain to handle, and the issues with the defense would be left to the defensive captain to consider. At the very least, he could temporarily keep the problem within a predictable and manageable range.

Now, after unexpectedly seeing Willis, Lu Ke made a quick decision and sat down cross-legged next to him.

Willis clearly didn’t expect the unexpected visitor. He stared at Lu Ke, seemingly hesitating whether he should get up and leave or get angry. But in the end, he didn’t do anything. He just shook his head helplessly and then started giving Lu Ke instructions. "Move a little to the side. You might get in the way of the flight attendants’ meal cart."

Lu Ke adjusted his position slightly until he was sure his posture was fine. When he turned his head, he saw how cramped he and Willis were. Not only were they not more comfortable, but they were also more awkward. Their pathetic postures made them unable to hold back a laugh.

But afraid that their laughter would disturb other passengers, they both had to purse their lips tightly, holding back all their laughter. Inadvertently, their silly expressions eased the awkward atmosphere.

When their laughter finally subsided, Lu Ke said to Willis seriously, "I’m sorry."

There was no excuse or beating around the bush. Lu Ke sincerely and earnestly apologized.

Willis didn’t expect such a direct hit and subconsciously wanted to say, "It’s fine," out of politeness or habit. But before he could say it, Lu Ke continued.

"Don’t worry about it. I really should be the one apologizing," Lu Ke said, letting out a long breath. "I’m responsible for what happened in the locker room today. I should take the blame. No matter when or where, as a member of this team, I shouldn’t criticize a teammate’s poor performance. What’s more, my words and language were truly inappropriate."

"We’re a team, a group. We should stick together and fight side by side, not blame each other for our mistakes and flaws. The meaning of a teammate is to make up for each other’s mistakes and then charge toward the same goal together. Without the defense’s consistent outstanding performance, the offense would not have been able to win."

"I have no room for excuses for what happened in the locker room, and I don’t want to shirk responsibility. My mistake is my mistake. I need to apologize sincerely. Although this is not the perfect environment... I’m sorry."

Lu Ke’s words were not rushed or fast. It seemed like every word and every sentence had been carefully thought out as he sincerely expressed his apology.

Willis looked at Lu Ke seriously and sharply, as if he was scrutinizing him from above.

But Lu Ke didn’t back down. He just sat in front of him openly, with no escape, no evasion, and no excuses, just simply taking all the blame on his shoulders.

Suddenly, Willis’s gloomy mood brightened, but he still lowered his voice and asked, "Are you apologizing as an individual, or are you speaking as the offensive captain?"

"As an individual, and as the offensive captain," Lu Ke admitted honestly.

This was the responsibility and duty of a leader.

If it were Moss or Logan, they could have argued and defended their actions. They could have even turned around and blamed Willis. But as the offensive captain, he had to take responsibility for his teammates’ mistakes. A mistake was a mistake. Only when the leader truly realizes the problem can they create the conditions to solve it.

Willis couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief and chuckled. "You know, by saying that, you’ve left me with no room to do anything. Even if I wanted to be the bad guy and scold you to vent my anger, it would just make me look petty. You’re a clever fox."

Lu Ke’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but his expression didn’t completely relax. He still said sincerely, "If you want to get angry or vent your emotions, it’s fine. It’s not too late. I’m right here. I won’t run away."

Willis shook his head slightly and laughed. "Don’t worry. I get what you’re saying. No need to be so nervous. I’m not a hothead like Aldon. I still know what’s important." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Willis bumped Lu Ke’s shoulder with his, and then both of them smiled. The atmosphere had truly eased up.

"Just now, you could have easily pushed all the blame onto Randy and Logan. They started it. It had nothing to do with you. Things would have been much simpler," Willis said in a relaxed tone.

Lu Ke nodded. "I know. But no matter what, when I stand in front of you, I’m a member of the offense. The problem today is between the offense and the defense. I have to be clear about where I stand. Sometimes, it’s fine to just joke about things and move on. But other times, a responsibility is a responsibility, and you can’t just shirk it."

After saying that, Lu Ke also let out a chuckle. "You enjoy the glory when you have it, and you run away when you have to take responsibility. There’s no such thing in this world."

It was a serious topic, but Lu Ke’s explanation made it sound so humorous.

Willis laughed. Although the logic was sound, not everyone was willing to bear the weight of that responsibility when it came to doing it for real.

"Now, you finally look like a leader of the offense. Not just a captain, but a leader," Willis said with sincere emotion.

In fact, if Lu Ke hadn’t come to find him, Willis would have gone to find Lu Ke. The issues with the offense or defense could be handled within their respective groups, but as the defensive captain, Willis had to know the offense’s attitude. The defense’s performance was bad today, but the offense’s provocation was also unforgivable.

Now, with Lu Ke proactively coming to him, the conflict was defused, and Willis could also handle the situation by making a big deal out of nothing and a small deal out of something. This also proved that Lu Ke was growing and maturing. This was a good thing.

Willis then continued, "How’s the offense doing now?"

"Ugh, we still have a lot of problems. The wide receivers’ performance is still not good. Now, with the reporters’ flattery, they all think they’re the best in the league, as if the Super Bowl is already in our pockets. Even if there are problems, they don’t see them, or they don’t consider them problems. If it doesn’t explode, the problem will always be there. But now that it has exploded, I don’t know if everyone’s just going to explode together."

Lu Ke was still worried. He needed advice, and Patrick Willis and David Akers were the best people to ask on the team. They had the seniority and experience, and they had always taken care of Lu Ke. Now that he finally had the chance, he couldn’t help but pour out all his problems.

But after he finished, Lu Ke laughed. "Wait, this is an internal secret of our offense. I shouldn’t be saying so much, should I? Something feels a little off."

Willis rolled his eyes. "Don’t worry. In exchange, I’ll tell you the defense’s internal secrets. The defense is also getting cocky."

"Last year, our defense was ranked third in the league, but our performance during the season was very inconsistent, and our performance in the two playoff games was far from outstanding. Otherwise, Drew Brees and Eli Manning wouldn’t have scored so easily. We had many weaknesses. This year, we’re temporarily ranked number one in the league, but we still have many problems. They’re in a state where you can’t scold or train them."

Willis couldn’t help but shake his head. Thinking about it now, he didn’t know whether to be happy or worried about what happened in the locker room today. "Our performance in this game was truly terrible. Even if Randy didn’t provoke us, I would have given them a good scolding when we got back. I was just worrying about how to bring up the issue. Seriously, they’re harder to deal with than women."

"Do you need me to go over and apologize to them?" Lu Ke hesitated for a moment before asking.

Willis waved his hand dismissively. "No need. Just leave the defense’s problems to me. I’ll convey your message. The fact that you have this attitude is enough. If you go over and apologize directly, what about the offense? They’re also holding a grudge. Don’t let these guys’ big size fool you; they’re just a bunch of kids who haven’t grown up."

Willis’s description was so vivid that Lu Ke couldn’t help but laugh.

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