American Adventure: My Uncle is Don Quixote

"Really?" The little boy peeked out from over his father's shoulder. "Do you guys really know Li Wei?"

The father sized Craig up carefully.

"Wait, I recognize you," he said suddenly. "Aren't you from Syracuse University? The Quarterback, number 12."

Craig froze.

"I've seen your games on TV," the father said, having recognized him. "The one against Virginia Tech last month. You guys lost, but your two long passes were beautiful. You played well."

"You... you watched that game?" Now it was Craig's turn to get a little flustered.

"Of course I did!" the father said as he and his son queued up in the long line with them. "I have a high opinion of you."

He patted his son's leg. "Son, say hi to this guy. He's going to be as amazing as Li Wei someday."

The little boy's eyes lit up. "Whoa!" He held out a chubby fist. "Hello!"

Craig avoided the little boy's gaze, turning his head to the side as he bumped fists with him.

"Thanks," he said. "I'll work harder."

He felt much better.

The trio parted ways with the father and son, heading into different queues at the split.

The security line was hundreds of meters long and moving slowly, but no one was complaining. Everyone was enjoying the festival-like atmosphere.

Of course, it was also possible no one was complaining because there were armed guards stationed every ten meters.

Just as the fans were lining up to get in, a huge commotion on the main road outside the stadium caught everyone's attention.

A pink Rolls-Royce Cullinan drove past on the main road in an extremely flamboyant manner, glittering like a giant diamond under the California sun.

The car was moving slowly enough for everyone to get a clear look at the Mansory custom wide-body kit and the owner sitting by the rear window.

She was a black-haired girl with an exquisitely delicate profile, chewing bubblegum. She wore the same "1" Li Wei jersey, but she'd deliberately tied up the bottom of the oversized shirt to reveal a trim, toned waist.

She blew a pink bubble, which she then bit through with a POP, and casually glanced at the dense crowd.

The pink Cullinan made a turn and drove directly into the underground garage of SoFi Stadium's parking lot.

Following closely behind was an all-black Chevrolet Suburban with the darkest tinted windows. Judging by its low-slung body, it was likely an armored version, and it seemed to have quite a few people inside.

Before the bystanders could recover from the visual impact of the pink Cullinan, a deep brown Bentley Bentayga appeared behind the Suburban—a long-wheelbase Mulliner version.

This hand-customized Bentley had a presence and an aura—not to mention a price tag—that were in no way inferior to the pink Cullinan ahead of it.

Following the Bentley was a matte black Land Rover Range Rover SV.

The four vehicles drove into the underground garage one after another, disappearing from the sunlight.

The whole procession took no more than thirty seconds, but the ripples it left in the crowd lingered for a long time.

"Isn't that Li Wei's girlfriend in the first car?" Travis recalled. "I saw her at the high school graduation. She was driving a pink Bentley back then."

The people around were even more curious about the identities of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners.

You have to understand, this wasn't just any ordinary game; this was the Super Bowl.

It wasn't just security vehicles, media vans, and logistics teams arriving... Those vehicles alone would take up at least half the space in the underground garage.

Add to that the two teams' buses and their accompanying vehicles, and there were hardly any spots left.

Yet the owners of these two cars had not only managed to drive in themselves, but they had each brought a security vehicle as well!

'Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.'

The people in line averted their gaze and went back to waiting.

Meanwhile, in the underground parking garage, Anya stepped out of the back seat wearing a pair of RV buckle-embellished flats. Her butler, Kaja, who had been in the front passenger seat, was still in a suit set, holding a briefcase.

The Bentley Bentayga stopped a short distance behind her, and Elizabeth also stepped out from the back seat.

Unlike Anya, she hadn't chosen to wear Li Wei's jersey. Instead, she wore a deep blue silk shirt paired with lead-gray, high-waisted trousers, and blue sapphire studs in her ears.

Anya's and Elizabeth's security teams also got out of their cars, filing out and quickly establishing a loose security perimeter.

Today was a special day. Neither the Mellon Family nor Sergey would let them run around unprepared.

This was the first time the two women had met since the last time when a drunk Anya had cleared the air between them. They merely nodded at each other, and without either of them speaking first, they walked one after the other toward the security checkpoint for the VIP suites.

Anya had specifically requested an extra ticket for Kaja, while Elizabeth was alone.

After they passed through security, the women's bodyguards didn't follow them inside, but returned to their respective cars to wait.

Their only task today was to wait. Wait for the game to end, then escort the women back to their residences. This was the daily routine of a bodyguard.

Once through the security checkpoint, Kaja deliberately took a few steps back, letting Anya and Elizabeth walk in front.

The exclusive elevator to the VIP level was at the end of the corridor, only thirty meters away.

But for Anya and Elizabeth, this short, carpeted walk was not an easy one.

A subtle distance separated them—not too close, not too far.

They reached the elevator together, but neither of them pressed the button.

Because so many important people were visiting the VIP suites this time, there wasn't even an attendant stationed to press the elevator buttons, for privacy reasons.

Kaja watched this unusual scene, her brow furrowing slightly. But she just assumed it was a tiff between friends and had no intention of saying anything.

The stalemate lasted for a few seconds.

Anya and Elizabeth glanced at each other.

"You first."

"Go ahead."

They spoke at the same time, and then froze at the same time.

Then, as if they had planned it, they both reached for the elevator button at the same time.

Their hands almost touched again, and they both pulled back at the same time.

Then, both women burst out laughing at the same time.

Seeing this, Kaja knew it was time. She reached out and pressed the elevator button.

"Ladies, the elevator is here," she said, her expression neutral.

Elizabeth took the initiative and linked her arm through Anya's.

"Let's go," she said softly. "Let's see if there's any champagne in the suite later."

Anya, her arm now linked with Elizabeth's, gave a token tug to pull away but then let it be. The two of them entered the elevator, appearing as close as could be.

The moment the doors closed, Kaja's lips curved upward by a single millimeter as she savored the perfect timing she had seized.

The elevator went straight to the VIP level.

When the doors opened, there were already people milling about in the hallway: executives from sponsoring companies, celebrities' entourages, the super-rich with their wives, or mistresses, or girlfriends.

By the time the two women arrived at the suite door arm in arm, they happened to see Jin Heon just coming out.

She was holding a tablet and a cup of coffee.

"Miss Anya, Miss Elizabeth," Jin Heon nodded to them both. "Good morning."

"Heon!" Anya greeted her. "You're here so early?"

"It's the boss's game, after all," Jin Heon said, stepping aside to let them in first. "Mr. Don Quixote and Chen Haisheng are already inside. I have to excuse myself for a moment; I need to find Mr. John Mara's assistant."

She subtly glanced at their linked arms, her gossip-loving heart churning.

After the door closed, she walked quickly to a quiet corner of the VIP level's hallway and dialed the number for John Mara's primary assistant.

The reason she was calling him was because the visit from Ethan involved a change in the post-game schedule. For a PR matter like this involving a player, it was sometimes necessary to inform the team owner and the PR department. Action could only be taken after all three parties were on the same page.

"Tom, it's Jin Heon," she said once the call connected. "There's a post-game schedule adjustment I'd like to confirm with Mr. Mara—"

"Miss Jin," Tom's voice sounded strained. "Uh... now isn't a good time."

"What's wrong?" Jin Heon immediately picked up on the unusual tone in his voice.

"Um... the boss has a very busy schedule," Tom's voice dropped even lower. "I can't disclose the specific reason, but I'd suggest that if it's not a high-priority matter, it would be better to discuss it after the game."

His tone was a bit strange, but Jin Heon didn't press him.

"Alright, I understand," she said. "In that case, could I trouble you to pass on a message after the game? It's about an adjustment to Mr. Li Wei's post-game schedule in Los Angeles, which involves a charity visit."

"No problem, I've noted it down."

After hanging up, Jin Heon stood in the hallway, thinking.

'What's going on with Mr. Mara?'

But she had no time to dwell on it and turned to go back to the suite.

「...」

「SoFi Stadium.」

Viewed from the sky, the super-stadium, which cost over 5.5 billion USD to build, looked like a silver alien spaceship that had landed in Inglewood.

Its translucent membrane roof gleamed faintly in the sun, and the massive, ring-shaped LED screen inside was said to be the largest indoor video board in the world.

70,240 seats, and not one of them empty.

But rather than just being a full house, the place was more like a giant beehive, with every cell crammed full of humans about to explode with excitement.

The Fox broadcast fleet had already finished all equipment calibrations three hours earlier.

In the broadcast booth, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman sat at the commentary desk, facing an array of monitors displaying over a dozen different camera angles.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Super Bowl," Joe Buck's voice reached the ears of 170 million people via satellite signal. "I'm Joe Buck, and joining me to bring you this battle of the century is my longtime partner, Hall of Fame member Troy Aikman."

"Joe, are you nervous?" Troy asked. "Your million-dollar lottery prize is on the line with this game."

"I'm so nervous I could piss my pants," Joe Buck said. "Unfortunately, after our last broadcast, a lot of people bet on Li Wei winning out and taking the Super Bowl, just like I did, so the odds dropped."

"But we get to see a great game, don't we?" Troy brought the conversation back on track. "This isn't just a Super Bowl, Joe. This is a footnote for an era."

"You're right, Troy," Joe said, filled with emotion. "The New York Giants have come here with an undefeated record for the entire season. They have only one goal: a perfect season. If they win, they'll become the first, and possibly only, team in NFL history to win the championship with an undefeated season."

"And their opponents are the San Francisco 49ers, a team that has been unstoppable, cutting through every opponent in the playoffs," Troy said grimly. "I don't believe this will be a one-sided blowout. The 49ers' defense was the best defensive unit in the playoffs this season. They practically paralyzed the Detroit Lions' offense in the second half of the West Championship game."

"But on the other side," Joe Buck, as Li Wei's number one fan, continued to cheer him on, "we have a nineteen-year-old—twenty by the traditional counting method of his hometown—a living legend who went from a high school field in Brooklyn to the Super Bowl stage in less than a year. He has created countless miracles and broken countless records."

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you're watching from home, please fasten your seatbelts."

"If you're here in the stadium, be ready to jump out of your seats at any moment, because win or lose, today's game is the stuff of legend and will go down in history!"