Chapter 942: Chapter 942: Being Impulsive

Chapter 942: Being Impulsive

Captain to captain, leader to leader, offense to defense. After Lu Ke and Willis laid everything on the table, things suddenly became a lot simpler.

Leading a team and being a leader was clearly not an easy thing to do. Lu Ke was inexperienced. He would make mistakes, be confused, and be lost. Now, he was still figuring out his own way.

"Oh, right, what did you say about the reporters?" After complaining, Willis still caught the key point in Lu Ke’s words and immediately went back to it.

Lu Ke was a little stunned, then he realized. But... should he say it? Or was he just worrying for no reason? After all, all the news media reported this way. When a team wins repeatedly, praise and compliments are inevitable, and it’s not even at the level of "excessive praise."

But after thinking about it, Lu Ke still said everything that was on his mind.

For the past few weeks, this was what Lu Ke had been thinking about. If the unexpected situation in the locker room today could be a way to solve it, that would be great. Although, it wouldn’t be easy.

Willis thought about it carefully. "I don’t know much about this ’excessive praise’ strategy. I wasn’t a good student, and I don’t really know how to deal with reporters. When it comes to this, you’re the professional, so you know more. If what you’re saying is all true, it’s not surprising. Isn’t that how the media is? The New England Patriots were a public enemy at first, and it’s no surprise that it’s our turn now."

There was no surprise and no rebuttal. Willis simply believed him and thought about it seriously. He wasn’t just treating Lu Ke as a teammate; he was treating him as an equal and as the offensive captain. This was truly rare for a second-year player.

"How about this: when we get back, let’s call David and... Ahmad. Since this happened today, we should all get together and figure out how to solve this. You and David will handle the offense, and Ahmad and I will handle the defense. We’ll figure something out."

Willis showed his calm and experienced side.

Lu Ke was still a young man. He raised his eyebrows at Willis, his expression relaxing a little, as if he had found a new motivation. "Why wait until we get back? There are still two hours left on this flight, and besides, when we land, are the offense and defense just going to continue being awkward?"

Without saying anything else, Lu Ke stood up and called over David Akers and Ahmad Brooks. The four of them gathered together.

But to their surprise, a flight attendant came over and told them that they were blocking the emergency exit, which was not safe for the flight. They had to disperse.

They looked at each other, and Lu Ke took the initiative to talk to the flight attendant, explaining the situation and their intentions. And then—

The four of them went to the flight attendants’ working area.

With four tall and strong professional football players crammed in, the already small space became even more cramped. It was like Snow White entering the Seven Dwarfs’ house. If they stretched, they would poke a hole in the roof. But they didn’t mind and started to discuss the problem seriously.

After a tough road victory over the New Orleans Saints, and an 11-game winning streak, the San Francisco 49ers’ locker room unexpectedly had a conflict. The offense and defense—no, not just them—but the entire locker room had an invisible barrier.

This was clearly a tricky problem that was not easy to solve, a problem that every team could face.

Although Lu Ke wanted to solve it as soon as possible, like a math problem where he would start calculating and solving as soon as he found it and not let it linger overnight, a locker room problem was not a math problem. Rushing would not solve it.

After they arrived at the San Francisco International Airport, Crabtree and Aldon almost got into another fight in the restroom. Lu Ke and the other captains weren’t there at the time. In the end, it was Rupalti and NaVorro who separated them, preventing the conflict from being exposed to the public.

Aldon stormed out of the airport without taking the team bus or even his luggage.

Crabtree, Vernon, and Justin also disappeared. He had seen them at the baggage claim, but in the bustling airport, when he went to look for them, he couldn’t find them.

Lu Ke, Akers, Willis, and the others exchanged helpless looks. They had originally planned to gather their teammates and go to a bar to solve the problem with some alcohol. But now, it seemed they didn’t even have a chance. The players had already scattered.

Thinking about it carefully, the locker room problem had just happened, and it was more serious than they had imagined. It was unrealistic to expect everyone to shake hands and make up that same night.

Now, Lu Ke was a little envious of basketball teams. Compared to a 53-man football roster, it was much easier to organize all the starting and bench players of a basketball team.

Even though it was helpless, the players had no choice but to disband. They would let everyone separate for a while to cool down and then find a solution.

The night passed without a word. Lu Ke’s sleep was not very good last night. He still had too much on his mind, but he woke up on time the next morning. His body clock seemed to have gotten used to it. Since he couldn’t sleep anyway, Lu Ke got up and started his morning run as usual.

His mind was a jumble of thoughts. It was so overwhelming that his running pace and breathing rhythm were a little out of sync. He was using up more energy than usual. This had not happened for a very long time. He felt a little frustrated and agitated.

Lu Ke could only run with his head down.

When his legs started to feel heavy, and his lungs started to hurt from his uneven breathing, as if countless sharp thorns were piercing them, Lu Ke was finally forced to stop. He knew that if he continued to run, he might injure himself.

At this moment, Lu Ke noticed his unfamiliar surroundings. This was not the path he usually ran on. In his mindless running, he must have missed a turn, and the road had completely changed. It was just like the current state of the 49ers.

Even though the team was still undefeated this season, just one wrong turn could lead to a completely different destination and ruin everyone’s efforts for the entire season.

San Francisco General Hospital.

Lu Ke noticed the familiar appearance of the hospital building, was slightly stunned, and then let out a self-deprecating laugh: In a huge city like San Francisco, how did he end up here? Was his subconscious mind guiding his footsteps?

The grand scene of the Golden Sea at Candlestick Park just two weeks ago was still fresh in his mind. The players and fans were united, fighting for the same goal. But now, they were falling apart. If Ryan Baldwin knew, would he be sad? Or would he be angry?

Involuntarily, Lu Ke had an urge to turn and run away. He couldn’t face Ryan right now. But his feet were stuck. After a moment of hesitation, he turned and walked toward the hospital.

The problem would always be there. It wouldn’t disappear just by running away or ignoring it. He had to face it and then solve it.

Lu Ke found Ryan in the rehabilitation room.

Ryan’s life had become predictable and boring. Every morning after he woke up, the doctor would do a simple checkup to confirm his muscle atrophy, nerve response, and other related conditions. Then he would go to the pharmacy to get his medication. After breakfast, he would take his medicine. The next step was to go to the rehabilitation room to start his therapy.

Day after day. And today was no different.

Lu Ke didn’t disturb Ryan. He just stood outside the rehabilitation room and waited quietly.

Many of the patients in the rehabilitation room were paralyzed due to car accidents, illnesses, or other accidents. Some were paralyzed from the waist down, some were fully paralyzed, and some were partially paralyzed. No matter their condition, they had to keep doing their therapy with the help of a therapist. Otherwise, their muscles might atrophy faster than expected, which was not good for the patients.

Ryan was very serious. Simple movements like lifting his legs, raising his arms, and twisting his body were nothing for a normal person, but he had to use all his energy and focus to complete them.

After 30 minutes of therapy, Ryan was soaked in sweat. He looked as if he had been exercising for more than ten hours, but it had only been 30 minutes, and all he had done was lift his arms and legs. But Ryan didn’t mind. He laughed happily and brightly. His sincere smile made it seem as if he had just completed a marathon.

"Hey, stranger," Lu Ke said, raising his right hand in greeting as Ryan left the rehabilitation room.

Ryan, sitting in his wheelchair, looked up, was slightly stunned, and then a look of surprise slowly bloomed on his face. Then he cheered, "Bambi!" The genuine and unreserved happiness in his expression made Lu Ke’s mood soar.

"How did you get here?" Ryan pushed his wheelchair forward and raised his right hand high. "You won a great game! We beat the Saints again! Haha, 11 straight wins, can you believe it? 11 straight wins!"

Yes, Lu Ke had almost forgotten that they had just won their 11th game of the season. This was supposed to be a time for celebration.

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