Chapter 985: Chapter 985: Red Carpet Debut

Chapter 985: Red Carpet Debut

The black Mercedes-Benz stretch sedan drove steadily through the bustling streets of Manhattan. Winter nights came early. It was still a little before the evening rush hour, but the city was already lit up. The colorful streetlights dotted the dark blue sky like a shimmering stream, flowing with a different kind of rhythm.

He turned his head slightly, trying to look at the color of the sky through the window, but he failed. He could only see a solemn and cold steel forest. The rigid and straight lines revealed an unapproachable distance, and he couldn’t even see a single star. The city skyline separated people from each other.

"How do you feel?" Leigh sat on the opposite sofa with his legs crossed, looking at him with a curious and probing expression.

He had a strange feeling, as if a parent was escorting their child to a prom. Maybe he should give Jack and Annie a call and tell them about tonight. Not about Candice, that was something Lu Ke and his parents had to talk about. It was about tonight’s fashion show, which was Lu Ke’s first time on a formal red carpet.

Lu Ke shrugged. "It feels a bit strange. I mean, about five hours ago, my teammates and I were at Gillette Stadium, braving the wind and rain, and we finally defeated our opponent in a very, very difficult game. And now, I’m wearing a shirt and a suit, sitting in a stretch sedan, on my way to a fashion show? And I’m supposed to walk the red carpet?"

As he spoke, Lu Ke’s eyes widened. "Is it too uncool if I feel a little sick to my stomach right now?"

"Relax. Bambi, you’ll do great. Think back to your first time on the field. Tonight’s scene and situation are nothing compared to that game." Leigh said with a chuckle. "I know this isn’t your area of expertise, but this really is nothing. The really difficult part ended five hours ago."

Lu Ke didn’t answer. He just tugged at his suit collar, but his tense muscles and stiff neck revealed his true emotions.

Tonight’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was still an annual event in New York City. The show was held at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue for the fourth consecutive year. This had been a popular venue in recent years, and many top fashion brands had chosen to hold their shows here.

Even though it wasn’t yet rush hour, traffic started to get congested as they got closer to their destination. From a distance, they could see a dense line of cars, neatly piled up on the wide road like LEGO toys. The wider the road, the more cars there were, and the narrower the space became. Was this... a paradox?

They were stuck in the traffic, slowly moving like snails for nearly twenty-five minutes before they gradually got closer to the red carpet at the entrance. The reporters, the fans, and the cheers blew over with the wind, slowly getting stronger. The sense of reality began to become clear bit by bit.

Leigh noticed that Lu Ke seemed to have calmed down. The unease and panic had quietly disappeared, and the familiar Lu Ke was back. At this time, the stretch sedan had started to pull over slowly. Looking at Lu Ke’s calm and composed expression, Leigh smiled again to comfort him. "Hey, I told you that you could do well."

Lu Ke’s eyes paused slightly, and then he understood what Leigh meant. He smiled and said, "I’m just thinking about the playbook. It helps me calm down." In fact, he was reviewing the data from the idle video function. The accumulated data still needed time to be slowly interpreted. Now might not be the best time, but it could indeed distract him.

Even the battle-hardened Leigh looked at Lu Ke in surprise. He then realized that Lu Ke was not joking, but after thinking about it, he didn’t find it strange. He nodded slightly in understanding. "It’s a good thing that you can calm down. In short, tonight won’t be that difficult. Just enjoy it."

As they spoke, the sedan slowly pulled up to the entrance of the armory.

Lu Ke let out a long breath and showed Leigh a smile. "Show time."

At this moment, a staff member standing next to the red carpet opened the door of the stretch sedan. Without hesitation or delay, Lu Ke left his seat and stepped onto the carpet. The slightly soft carpet caused his feet to sink in. His center of gravity seemed to be a little unstable. Lu Ke stomped his feet to make sure he was standing firmly. This feeling of being grounded made him feel at ease.

But then, an overwhelming flood of silver flashes poured down like the Niagara Falls. The brilliant and dazzling light waterfall came in continuously, instantly filling every corner of his pupils. Suddenly, his vision was plunged into darkness, and all his sight disappeared, leaving only an endless darkness, as if he had gone blind.

Flashes of light moved quickly in the velvety darkness, with no meaning, but they only made his eyes start to sting.

Now, Lu Ke finally understood why celebrities liked to wear sunglasses. Sometimes it might be to look cool, but sometimes it was indeed to protect their eyes.

This wasn’t the first time Lu Ke had faced a large number of reporters. He had experienced it once during the Rolex contract signing press conference at the Staples Center, but the scale of that event didn’t seem to be on the same level as today’s. Now, Lu Ke felt that the entire world was filled with flashes. Even the surface of his skin started to feel a little hot.

He could barely open his eyes.

The starlike flashes gradually became clear, outlining the silhouettes of heads in the darkness. Finally, after the flashes receded like a tide, the sea of people appeared. He couldn’t see the end or the height of the crowd. It was like a wave that was about to swallow him. In a trance, he could see thousands of people crowding both sides of the red carpet. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Was this the majesty of the entertainment industry?

Lu Ke stood still for a moment, and then he took a step forward.

This was not his stadium or his training field. Here, he was a nobody. No one should know him, and he didn’t expect anyone to know him. After all, the red carpet was full of people, but all eyes would be on a few top superstars or popular idols.

All he needed to do was walk down the red carpet, enter the main venue, and then enjoy the fashion show.

But unexpectedly, a voice called out from the crowd. "Bambi! Look here!"

Someone called out his nickname. Lu Ke instinctively turned his head to look, and the flashes lit up again, rushing toward him like a flood. Then, he heard a wave of calls from all directions. "Bambi!" "Hey, Lu Ke!" "Skywalker, Lu Ke Skywalker!"

Lu Ke didn’t hide his surprised expression. He had no idea that someone would recognize him at a fashion event. He thought he was just one of the countless ordinary attendees tonight, but now, the long lenses and short lenses were aiming at him. So, what was going on?

"Bambi, great win today!"

"Bambi, welcome to the Big Apple!"

"Bambi, what do you think of tonight’s fashion show?"

"Bambi, how does it feel to stand here?"

"Bambi, hey, Bambi! Look here! Over here!"

The curiosity and probing questions from all directions kept coming. Now, what Leigh had said was gradually becoming a reality. The attention and popularity from social media were all happening in real life. He could feel the heat, the shouts, and the crowd. Everything was incredibly real.

When hunters find prey, they track them down by scent. When reporters find a new face, they do the same.

This was the first time Lu Ke had appeared at an entertainment-related event. Leaving the football field and training ground, he came to a broader and more dazzling stage. The reporters were like a pack of hyenas that had found a new prey, and they all rushed toward him. More and more of them came. In the end, more than half of the reporters aimed their cameras at Lu Ke.

This was definitely the treatment of a crowd favorite!

With all eyes on him, bathed in the hot and intense gazes, Lu Ke took a deep breath, adjusted the hem of his suit, and then took a step forward.

Now, the thing he was most grateful for was that he had chosen a pair of sneakers instead of leather shoes. This made his feet feel more comfortable, and his steps became more steady. He told himself silently that this scene was nothing compared to the situation at Gillette Stadium today, and there was no need to be too nervous.

The entire red carpet wasn’t long. Lu Ke didn’t slow down his pace and reached the end in no time. He stood at the entrance and saw a familiar figure standing at the door, with one hand in his pants pocket and a faint smile on his face. His eyes were on Lu Ke. Obviously, he was waiting for him.

Lu Ke looked up and saw the other person. He caught the playful smile, and his steps slowly stopped in front of him. "Don’t! Don’t say anything. Right now, I feel like no matter what you say, it’s not going to be right."

But the other person still spoke on his own. "Didn’t anyone teach you? This is not how you walk the red carpet. You should stroll slowly, chat with reporters, take pictures with the audience, and interact with everyone. This is not a sprinting track. You’d better slow down a bit."

Lu Ke shrugged, turned around, and pointed at the beginning of the red carpet. "How about this? You and I go back to the beginning and walk it again together? Like models on a runway? How does that sound, Mr. DiCaprio?"

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