American Adventure: My Uncle is Don Quixote

After sending the private message, Jin Heon placed her phone on her desk and started working on other tasks.

Less than three minutes later, her phone screen lit up.

She ignored it, waiting until she had finished her work to pick up her phone again.

She replied, "Hello, Ms. Rachel. My name is Jin Heon, and I’m a staff member for Li Wei, number 1 on the New York Giants. I saw your post on Twitter and was hoping to confirm a few details with you."

On the other end of the line, Rachel froze for a moment.

Even though they weren’t on video, she still subconsciously straightened her clothes before replying:

"You’re one of Li Wei’s staff members?"

"I’m sorry, I’m just so excited."

Jin Heon smiled, typing as she pressed the elevator button. "It’s true. You can look up my verified profile. If it’s convenient, I’d like to learn more about your son’s situation. He’s a fan of Li Wei’s, correct? And he’s currently at the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles?"

Rachel replied quickly.

Ethan Horton, 7 years old, congenital ventricular septal defect. After waiting for half a year, he finally got scheduled for surgery. He’ll be under observation for three days post-op tomorrow afternoon, which means he won’t be able to watch the Super Bowl live, nor will he be able to find out the result right away.

She repeated what Nurse Kelly had told her to Jin Heon.

As Jin Heon stepped into the elevator, a plan began to form in her mind.

"Ms. Rachel," she typed, "I have an idea, but before that, I’d like to verify some information. I hope you understand."

"Of course!"

"I’ll need Ethan’s attending physician’s name and his patient ID number. None of this will be made public; it’s just for internal verification."

The reply was almost instantaneous.

Jin Heon forwarded the information to a freelance writer in Los Angeles.

She had worked with this person twice before. They specialized in information verification and background checks for brands and agencies.

After taking care of everything, Jin Heon went to the underground garage, got her car, and headed for MetLife Stadium.

A seven-year-old boy with a heart condition, a huge fan of Li Wei, unable to watch the Super Bowl because of surgery.

’This is a PR case dropped from the heavens.’

Jin Heon thought as she drove. The simplest approach would be to have Li Wei record a video for the kid, then authorize Rachel or the hospital to release it. The operational cost would be zero, but the promotional impact would be limited.

’My ideal plan would be to have Li Wei arrange a post-game visit, but would the timing be too tight...? Fortunately, this year’s Super Bowl is being held in Los Angeles...’

’First things first, I’ll get the information verified. If the story is true, we can probably stir up another wave of buzz after the Super Bowl.’

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, a thirty-minute drive away.

「MetLife Stadium.」

A dark green Cullinan smoothly descended the highway off-ramp. Chen Haisheng drove steadily while Don Quixote sat in the passenger seat, flipping through the media day schedule sent by the NFL.

"Your interview slot is from 2:00 to 3:15 PM. The flight to Los Angeles is scheduled for 7:00 PM, and then you go straight to the hotel to assemble and begin the media blackout," he said to Li Wei in the back seat. "You have the longest interview time of all the players."

"As expected," Li Wei said with a smile, picking up a bottle of water and twisting it open.

"Before that, at 1:00, there’s a full team photo, followed by fifteen minutes of free time on the field for fan interactions and what not. If you don’t want to interact, you can go straight to the media area."

"Got it."

"One more thing," Don Quixote said, putting down the schedule and turning around. "The PR department called me. They said there are a lot more international media here today than in previous years. A few groups of reporters from Eastern Europe and the Middle East are attending the NFL for the first time, and supposedly they’re here specifically for you."

"For me?" Li Wei raised his eyebrows. "Did Anya arrange this? She never mentioned it to me."

"Think about her dad," Don Quixote said, snapping the schedule shut with a THWAP and speaking gravely. "I’m guessing they’re KGB agents in disguise, here to rough you up a bit and put you in your place, to make sure you treat his daughter right."

"It can’t be that bad," Li Wei said, rubbing his nose, feeling a little guilty. "I’ve met Mr. Sergey. He seems like an okay guy."

With that, the two of them burst out laughing.

"Anyway, just be careful. Don’t say the wrong thing," Don Quixote shrugged. "NFL media days are always like this. Too many reporters, and they’ll ask anything and everything."

As he spoke, the Cullinan passed through the security gate and slowly drove into the stadium’s underground garage.

The private tunnel leading from the garage into the stadium was more than twice as busy as usual. It was filled with technicians carrying equipment and staff wearing vests printed with various media logos.

Li Wei changed into a commemorative conference champion sweatshirt provided by the Giants and put on a dark blue Giants baseball cap. He and Don Quixote then walked through the players’ tunnel.

The moment they pushed open the steel door leading to the field, light flooded in, and their view suddenly opened up.

On the turf of MetLife Stadium, the scene was completely different from any game day.

The stands were empty, devoid of the roars and cheers of fans. Instead, the field was filled with the clamor of over a thousand reporters, photographers, staff, and logistics personnel scattered across the turf.

The entire field had been temporarily divided into dozens of interview zones, each separated by blue barricades and white tape on the ground. Players’ names and numbers were printed on placards, making each zone look like a miniature stage.

Li Wei scanned the area and saw that his teammates, members of the equipment staff, and the coaching staff were already scattered about, giving interviews.

Some players sat on folding chairs, others stood in their zones chatting with reporters, and some were posing for official photos with photographers.

Veteran Dexter Lawrence was surrounded by seven or eight reporters, looking relaxed. When he said something interesting, he would slap his thigh, drawing peals of laughter.

Li Wei’s own interview area was set up in the very center of the field, and it was already packed with a dense crowd of reporters, the density at least seven or eight times higher than any other player’s.

And they weren’t just sports reporters.

Li Wei even spotted reporters from fashion magazines like Vogue and GQ, men in suits from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, and even some independent media bloggers from the tech sector.

In addition to the domestic media from the United States of America, there was a small group of reporters from Eastern Europe in suits, speaking with trilled Rs. There was also a South Korean team from KBS and faces from an Arabic television station Li Wei didn’t recognize.

"This is more than I expected," Li Wei remarked to Don Quixote.

"The whole world is watching you. Over 400 million people will be watching you play. This is the kind of reception you should get," Don Quixote said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Go on, I’ll be waiting back here for you."

Before Li Wei could reach his interview area, the Giants’ PR Director, Mike, quickly walked over.

"Li Wei!" Mike jogged over, a walkie-talkie in his hand and an earpiece in his ear. "Come, come, let me have a quick word with you."

He managed to find a less crowded corner and began instructing Li Wei:

"The tone for today’s media day can be summed up in one word: relaxed," Mike said quickly. "Don’t answer specific questions about your contract amount, don’t give personal opinions on the 49ers, no personal attacks, and don’t comment on any controversial topics regarding the referees or the league."

"Got it," Li Wei nodded.

"Also," Mike glanced at Li Wei’s interview area, "there are a lot of international media today, especially a group from Eastern Europe. They’re supposedly here for you and your girlfriend. If they ask about your private life, you can choose to answer or not, use your own judgment. But don’t get drawn into politics—Russia, the Middle East, and especially the recent allegations against Sergey in the international media. Try not to comment on any of it."

"What allegations?" Li Wei was taken aback. "I don’t know anything about that."

"Basically the same old stuff—mining in Africa, warlords, puppet governments, that kind of thing," Mike said, patting Li Wei’s arm. "Just be aware of it. Go on now. Your private jet takes off at 7, right? Just come straight to the hotel then."

Li Wei nodded, indicating he understood.

He continued toward the center of the field.

The moment he stepped into the interview zone, nearly every camera lens swiveled to face him simultaneously.

The sound of shutters was a constant roar, and flashes went off one after another.

"Li Wei! Over here! Look over here!"

"King! Give us a shot! Look at me like I’m trash!"

Li Wei ignored the latter’s strange request and sat down in the designated spot. The table in front of him held at least twenty microphones, including a few unfamiliar ones—one labeled RT, another KBS.

Once he was settled, the first person to stand up was an official NFL reporter.

"Li Wei, first of all," he said with a smile, "happy birthday!"

"Thank you," Li Wei smiled. "I’m 19 now. According to the tradition in the Celestial Dynasty, I’m already 20 in East Asian age reckoning, looking at 21, hoping for 22, and getting ready for 23."

The reporters from Asia chuckled knowingly.

"Alright, first question," the official reporter said, flipping through his cards. "The San Francisco 49ers. Their strength in the playoffs has been clear for all to see. They just eliminated the Detroit Lions, and tomorrow you’ll face them on the field. What are your thoughts on this opponent?"

"I haven’t studied them," Li Wei said with a smile. "My only job is to win. Studying tactics is my opponent’s job."

A chorus of whistles erupted from the crowd, and a few reporters who were also Li Wei’s fans even shouted, "King!"

A reporter from ESPN also stood up. "Li Wei, your 19th birthday was two days before Valentine’s Day, but you didn’t post anything on social media. Can you share with us how you spent it?"

"I had dinner with my family," Li Wei said. "I personally cooked braised beef short ribs, jumbo shrimp, and seasonal vegetables—all Celestial Dynasty cuisine."

"You can cook, too?"

"Of course. My cooking skills are even better than my football skills," Li Wei said earnestly. "But I’ll save the live cooking show for 400 million people for another time."

The reporters roared with laughter.

After he answered a few more routine questions about his preparation, training intensity, and mental state, a hand went up on the outskirts of the crowd.

It was a reporter from Eastern Europe with an RT press badge.

"Hello, Li Wei," he began, introducing himself. "I’m a reporter from RT (Russia Today). First off, throughout Russia and the CIS region, your popularity is rising rapidly. A lot of young people are following you."

"Thank you," Li Wei nodded, making a point to answer in both English and Russian. "I am honored to have the love of so many fans around the world. Thank you."

This display of skill, delivered in what sounded like native-level Russian, clearly energized the Eastern European reporters on the periphery, who began whispering among themselves.

The reporter who asked the question also looked invigorated, his expression softening visibly as he began to speak: