American Football: King of the Bay Area

"His physicality has improved, but it's still not enough. A mere 187 pounds, Jesus Christ. One hit from an opponent and he'll go flying. He might even get injured and taken out before the first offensive drive is over. In the professional league, he doesn't stand a chance."

"Didn't you see his passing accuracy?"

"My point is, he'll be off the field before he even has a chance to throw the ball. The players on that field are all ravenous wolves who eat people alive and spit out the bones. They won't give him a single opening!"

"Are you saying the Offense Line is just for show? Then what's the point of having an Offense Line coach? We even have two members on the coaching staff for the Offense Line. Should we just fire Tim and Mike directly?"

"That's not the point. Even if the Offense Line is breached, he can still use his footwork to run out of the pocket and find an opportunity. That kind of trait is truly rare."

"That's exactly my point. In a real game, he won't have a chance to run out. Just look at his terrible footwork and awful evasion skills. Even Peyton Manning's footwork is one... no, three levels better than his. Three!"

"Then who won today's game? You tell me, who won? That final passing Touchdown—who made that happen?"

"...Today, today's opponent was just the practice squad."

"Ha! Then why did Colin Kaepernick look so pathetic against the practice squad? Explain that! The same practice squad, the same level of competition—why did Kaepernick lose the game while Lu Ke won?"

"Don't forget, he had a partner. Carson Palmer also had an excellent performance today. My point is, he can't adapt to the pace of a real game. He doesn't meet our requirements."

"I think we should be discussing tactics. In terms of tactical application, he's certainly shown versatility."

"Kip, stop, just stop. His performance in training camp was outstanding, but his performance in a real game is unpredictable. Don't forget, our sample size is too small. He never proved himself on the college field, so what makes you think he can prove himself in the pros?"

"To be objective, we can't ignore the physical traits of people from Asia. They have advantages in endurance, flexibility, and technique. And willpower. But physical confrontation is definitely a weakness. We lack a sufficient sample size to judge what strengths and weaknesses a physique like that would bring to a real game."

...

The entire conference room was filled with the incessant sound of chattering discussion. Wave after wave of furious arguments crashed against one another. Faces flushed red as people slammed their fists on the table, the white-hot debate refusing to yield a single inch. Veins bulged on their necks, looking as if they might burst at any moment.

This afternoon's practice game had ended. Matt and Scott were on one team; Carson and Lu Ke were on the other.

In the end, the latter team won. Among the four quarterbacks, Lu Ke's performance was the most outstanding: 196 passing yards, a 71 percent completion rate, and two Touchdowns. He was especially brilliant in the second half of the game, completing a stunning, heart-piercing forty-three-yard pass for a Touchdown.

Of course, Carson's performance was also impressive, with 111 passing yards, a 64 percent completion rate, and one Touchdown. The offense, led by him and Lu Ke, was unstoppable, performing exceptionally well in the practice game.

In comparison, Matt and Scott's performances were far from satisfactory. They ultimately lost the game by a lopsided score of "10-21." Scott managed one Touchdown, while Matt was in terrible form, only advancing the ball into field goal range to score three points.

They had anticipated such a result. Over the past three days of tryouts, Matt's form had indeed been worrying, while Lu Ke had successfully stood out from the pack. Aside from the hitting and evasion drills, his performance in all other exercises had been eye-opening. But when it actually happened, they were still surprised.

After the tryout camp concluded, the key members of the coaching staff gathered in the conference room to begin their discussion.

There was Offensive Coordinator Craig Roman, Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, Quarterback Coach Kip Kester, Director of Pro Personnel Joel Patten, Offensive Line coaches Tim Drevno and Mike Sorari, Defensive Line Coach Jim Tomsula, and so on.

In addition, General Manager Trent Balk was also present, as was, of course, Head Coach Jim Hubble.

Everyone was eagerly voicing their opinions—chattering nonstop, refusing to back down, and arguing their points forcefully. Everyone except for Jim Hubble, the one with the real power.

Jim remained silent. It was hard to tell whether he was listening intently or lost in thought. Trent rolled his office chair over to Jim's side and gently bumped his armrest against Jim's chair. "Aren't you going to offer an opinion?" he asked in a light tone. "I think if you don't step in and mediate, they might just end up killing each other."

But Jim was in no mood for jokes. He glanced at Trent. "What about you? What's your take?"

Trent had started out as a scout, beginning his career with the New York Jets, then moving to the Washington Redskins, and finally landing with the San Francisco 49ers.

After a decade-long scouting career, Trent's management and negotiation talents were discovered. After leaving his scouting position, he became the 49ers' Director of Player Personnel. Just three years later, he became the General Manager, holding the power to decide the team's direction and its life-or-death decisions.

So, Jim's question wasn't without reason.

Trent raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to care about my opinion?"

"How would you know if you don't share it?" Jim retorted.

Trent nodded lightly in agreement. "I'd sign him. Because he's good for the market. You know what a huge market the Chinese population is in San Francisco. As a backup, his skills might be lacking in some areas and strong in others, but overall, he's a qualified backup. So, I'm willing to sign him. In the entire Alliance, I can't think of a more suitable team than us to be the trailblazer that signs the first player of Chinese Descent."

Jim rolled his eyes, looking at Trent speechlessly.

But Trent wasn't bothered in the slightest. He spread his hands. "I told you you wouldn't care about my opinion." As the general manager, his starting point and perspective were already different, so it was only natural his opinion deviated from the coaches'. "So what about you? Are you sure you're not going to stop this? I think this conference room is about to see a bloodbath."

"Quiet! Everyone, be quiet!" Jim slammed his hands on the table and roared, "Out! All of you, get out." Everyone looked at each other, confused, and for a moment, no one moved. Jim had to shout again, "I know all your opinions. It's the same points over and over again. We've discussed this countless times over the past three days. Now, give me some personal space. I need to think this over carefully."

The coaches exchanged glances. Finally, Tim Drevno was the first to set an example, turning and leaving the conference room.

Tim and Jim had been colleagues at Stanford University. After Jim signed with the 49ers, the first person he recruited was Tim, bringing his right-hand man with him into the Alliance.

Tim knew Jim's way of doing things better than anyone. Jim wasn't the type to need others' opinions, nor did he need others' help. He would absorb their views and then come to his own conclusion. Jim didn't want anyone interfering with his decision. Decisive and resolute, he always followed his own path. It was true then, and it was true now.

The coaches filed out of the room, but Kip stayed behind. He hesitated for a moment, but couldn't hold back. He turned around, walked back, and said, "Jim, remember before the draft when I took two days off specifically to watch a player's workout? That was Lu Ke. I just want to tell you, I'm not at all surprised by the progress Lu Ke has made in these past few months. The sweat and effort he's put in is far beyond what we can imagine."

He thought for a moment, as if wanting to add something more, but it seemed there was nothing else to say. So he continued, "I just want to say, before you make your decision, put aside his race and read those scouting reports carefully." This time, Kip didn't hesitate. He nodded, then turned and walked straight out.

The entire conference room was now empty, leaving Jim all alone.

Every member of the coaching staff knew this was a gamble. Not because of Lu Ke's Chinese Descent, nor because of his physique, but because of the lack of sufficient game data to reference. There were too many uncertainties surrounding Lu Ke. Moreover, they had to consider the 49ers' current situation.

The rational decision was Carson Palmer. He was the right choice. But no one could ignore Lu Ke, and no one wanted to. It's just that if they were to actually make the final call, could they be sure it wasn't an impulsive one?

Jim opened the folder on the table. It was a scouting report from Adam Klein.

"Strengths: Outstanding passing accuracy, good decision-making on throws, light on his feet with strong body control, wide field of vision, very smart pre-snap reads, can quickly read the defense, suitable for a fast-paced offense, has enough arm strength for long passes, balanced on short and intermediate throws, sound tactical awareness, exceptionally decisive in critical moments.

Weaknesses: Thin build, lacks explosive muscle power, long and slender limbs, prone to injury, lacks ability in head-on contact, a classic pocket quarterback. Not afraid to run out of the pocket, but not skilled at scrambling, evading, or handling contact. Poor burst, slow top speed, terrible footwork, arm talent still needs to be proven, had almost no opportunity to play in college."

A laundry list of strengths, and a laundry list of weaknesses. But what was truly eye-catching was the final suggested player comparison: "NFL Comp: Peyton Manning."

This was undoubtedly the highest praise. Manning's career wasn't over yet, but he was already a lock for the Hall of Fame. Adam actually compared Lu Ke to Manning? It was truly absurd, even laughable.

'But thinking about it seriously, was it really that laughable?'

Jim's fingertips gently traced back and forth over the scouting report. This was undoubtedly the most comprehensive, insightful, and authoritative report. Then, Jim set the scouting report aside, turned on the video player next to him, and began to watch the game film—

The game film from this year's Rose Bowl on January 1st.