American Adventure: My Uncle is Don Quixote

Once the security access tunnel on the sidelines was opened, family and team members began to file onto the field.

Anya practically jogged as she ran through the players' tunnel, golden confetti landing on her short black hair like a loose crown.

The moment she saw Li Wei, she picked up her pace, weaving around several hugging players and their families and ducking past a filming camera before crashing right into his arms.

"What's the rush?" Li Wei said with a laugh, one arm around her waist.

A few seconds later, Don Quixote walked up to Li Wei. Anya let go and took half a step back.

The uncle and nephew looked at each other for a moment before embracing.

Don Quixote clapped Li Wei firmly on the back a couple of times.

After they broke apart, Elizabeth approached Li Wei, looking a little hesitant.

'She wasn't sure if it was appropriate for her to go up now, nor did she know what Anya would think—'

Before she could finish the thought, she felt a hand push her from the small of her back.

She glanced back to see Anya turning her head away.

"Just act natural," she said reluctantly.

Elizabeth froze for a second, then smiled and walked up to give Li Wei a warm hug without any hesitation.

Seeing this, Jin Heon's eyes lit up. "Me too, me too!" she clamored, giving Li Wei a quick hug before immediately letting go.

The Fox broadcast booth had a perfect view of the entire scene.

"I gotta say, Li Wei's luck with the ladies is something to be envious of," Joe Buck teased. "I just don't know which one is his girlfriend."

"The one with the black hair, I'd guess," Troy said after a moment's thought. "The others are probably staff and friends."

"Ah, it's good to be young," Joe Buck lamented. "We, on the other hand, are getting old."

"That we are, Joe. We've been partners for a good few years now."

Golden confetti continued to drift down from the dome of SoFi Stadium. The Giants players were celebrating wildly in the middle of the field, while the setup for the presentation stage was nearly complete.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Joe Buck took a deep breath and began his closing remarks. "I've been in sports broadcasting for over twenty-five years. I've witnessed countless great moments. But tonight, I can say without a shadow of a doubt—this is the single greatest night of my career."

He paused, turning to Troy Aikman.

"Troy, before we sign off, I have one last question for you," he said. "What is it, exactly, that you think we witnessed here tonight?"

Troy Aikman leaned back in his chair, giving the question serious thought.

"Joe," he answered, "I don't think what we saw tonight was just a football victory."

"What we saw was a nineteen-year-old kid who, in less than a year, went from a public high school field in Brooklyn all the way to the very center of this 5.5-billion-dollar stadium."

"He took a team that had been struggling at the bottom of the league for more than a decade and delivered the first perfect season in NFL history. Twenty-one games, not a single loss."

"The 2007 New England Patriots went 16–0, but they lost in the Super Bowl," Troy said. "But this year, under Li Wei's leadership, the Giants went all the way."

He looked into the camera, enunciating each word clearly.

"From this day forward, this record will be etched into NFL history forever. It can be tied, but it can never be broken. You can't get more perfect than undefeated."

"And the man who made it all happen is a young man from the Celestial Dynasty. His name is Li Wei."

Joe Buck nodded and turned back to the camera.

"To all our viewers, thank you. Thank you for being with us to witness this incredible night," he said. "Oh, and I guess now's a good time to give an update on my betting slip."

He suddenly broke into a grin. "I took all the prize money I won betting on the perfect regular season and put it all on them winning their way to the Super Bowl. The odds were 17-to-1, so..."

"Don't keep us in suspense, Joe," Troy said, looking at him. "How much did you win?"

"I won 850,000 USD," Joe Buck said, giving the camera a thumbs-up. "Thank you, Li Wei! You've made a humble sportscaster financially independent!"

"Only temporary financial independence," Troy added, twisting the knife. "Will you even get to keep half of that after taxes? I doubt it."

"Shut up, Troy!"

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Goodbye, ladies and gentlemen! We'll see you next season for more NFL action!"

As the commentators signed off, the presentation stage was finally ready.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took the stage to preside over the ceremony. The first award to be presented was the Lombardi Trophy, the championship trophy of the Super Bowl.

The stage was set up on the 50-yard line, with a perimeter cordoned off by security guards and NFL staff.

The entire Giants team stood at the foot of the stage.

Roger Goodell walked onto the stage in a dark suit, cradling the iconic sterling silver trophy in his hands. It was worth over 50,000 USD, handcrafted by Tiffany & Co., and topped with a silver football.

"Congratulations to the New York Giants," Goodell said with a smile. "You've made NFL history."

John Mara was the first to walk onto the stage. The face of the team's owner, now in his seventies, was a mask of relief and pride, his steps even a little slower than usual.

He took the Lombardi Trophy with both hands and hoisted it high above his head.

"I just want to say two words," he said, leaning into the microphone. "New York Giants!"

He passed the trophy to Head Coach Dabor, who was standing nearby, and Dabor, in turn, passed it to Li Wei.

Li Wei hoisted the trophy over his head, and hundreds of cameras instantly focused on him.

For the next year, the 70,000-plus people in the stadium and the 170 million watching on their screens would have this image seared into their memories.

"Next up," Goodell's voice rang out again, "is the award for this year's Super Bowl Most Valuable Player—the MVP."

He paused dramatically, but no one was in suspense. Even the 49ers fans had to admit it—

"The Most Valuable Player is... the New York Giants' number one, Quarterback Li Wei!"

It was a well-deserved honor, and SoFi Stadium erupted in deafening cheers for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

Li Wei walked to the microphone, the MVP trophy having already been thrust into his hands.

"First," he said, "I want to thank my uncle and agent, Don Quixote Cervantes. Without his advice, I never would have started down this path of playing football."

The camera cut to Don Quixote, who was smiling and applauding vigorously.

"I also want to thank my teammates, the coaching staff, and John Mara," Li Wei continued. "And thank you to all the fans who support the Giants."

'And my system,' he thought to himself.

Just then, the translucent system interface materialized before Li Wei's eyes the moment he lifted the trophy.

[Old soldiers never die, they just fade away. In the war against the neighboring legions, you fought with valor and courage, completing the martial tournament of Imperial Calendar 501 with a perfect record and achieving a legendary feat unseen in 500 years.]

[You have upheld one of the Eight Knightly Virtues: Valor]

[You have become the Martial Tournament Champion]

[Free Attribute Points +1.0]

[Quest Updated: World-Renowned (1)]

[You have set a new historical record. Your name will soon be known across the entire continent. Unlike before, where your renown was confined to the circles of knights and nobles, now even the fishermen in the port cities and the farmers on the frontier have begun to hear of your deeds.]

[Current Progress: 3/5]

Just then, Li Wei suddenly remembered that he still had the [Chattering Court Jester's Skull] in his inventory.

As soon as he took out the [Jester's Skull], its ruby-inlaid eye sockets flashed with red light as it flew up and down, surveying its surroundings.

A series of bolded dialogue boxes scrolled across Li Wei's vision like a stream of bullet comments.

[Hyeh hyeh hyeh! Am I... at the scene of the Kingdom's martial tournament?]

[My master,] its words oozed with sycophancy, [in my long, sealed-away existence, I have seen countless fools who proclaimed themselves heroes. They either died by their own arrogance or were sent to the grave by the betrayal of their own companions.]

[But you are different. You have the brute strength of a Knight, but also the cunning of a jester.]

[That... is what makes a true king.]

'So satisfying.'

'As expected of a professional jester.'

Completely satisfied, Li Wei stuffed it back into his inventory so its scrolling dialogue boxes wouldn't obstruct his vision.

After the presentation ceremony, the on-field celebration continued, but NFL staff had already begun to guide non-player personnel off the field in an orderly fashion.

Kaja took Anya by the arm and led her toward the VIP tunnel. Anya kept looking back over her shoulder, not tearing her eyes away until Li Wei was completely out of sight.

Elizabeth was right beside her.

Li Wei had just stepped off the stage, the MVP trophy barely warm in his hands, when a Fox sideline reporter intercepted him.

Leading the way was the same blonde reporter. From Media Day all the way to the Super Bowl, she and Li Wei had developed a familiar rapport over the course of their interviews.

"Li Wei! Congratulations!" she said, speaking rapidly as she shoved a microphone in front of him. The cameraman shouldered his equipment and kept pace right behind her. The red recording light was on, meaning they were live, and tens of millions of viewers were still watching.

"Thanks," Li Wei said, pausing.

"First off, as the Super Bowl MVP and the architect of a perfect season," she said, her own excitement palpable, "how are you feeling right now?"

"Feeling?" Li Wei thought for a moment. "I guess I feel... pretty calm."

"Calm?" The reporter was taken aback. "You just achieved something no one in NFL history has ever done—won a championship with a perfect season—and all you feel is calm?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly a surprise. I mean, the 49ers are a great team," Li Wei shrugged, "but I'm better. So everything was under my control."

"Though their defense was definitely the most disciplined I've faced all year, and they almost got the better of me," he said, making a pinching gesture that would be sure to trigger anyone from South Korea. "By just a little bit."

"But almost doesn't count," he added.

Such an incredible show-off. But Li Wei had the stats to back up the trash talk.

The reporter couldn't help but laugh.

"Last question," she said. "You're a Super Bowl champion, the MVP, the man who has broken countless records. Right now, 170 million people across America are watching you. What is the one thing you want to do more than anything else?"

This question was a classic staple of post-Super Bowl sideline interviews.

Historically, most Quarterbacks would answer, "I'm going to Disney World!" This was part of a sponsored tradition started by Disney in 1987; saying the line would net them a handsome endorsement fee.

But Li Wei apparently didn't know about this, and the PR department hadn't briefed him on it either.

"The thing I want to know most right now," Li Wei said in all seriousness, "is how my drinks are selling."