Chapter 184 182: After the Game
Standing at the door to the VIP suite, Sophie knocked politely. She glanced back, a captivating smile lighting up her face as her bright eyes twinkled. "Good luck, Mr. Bambi."
This was Lu Ke's first time visiting the top-floor VIP suite, and he had no sense of how long the journey would take. One second, he and Sophie were still talking; the next, the suite was right in front of them. Lu Ke's attention had shifted to the door, so his reaction was a beat slow, and he didn't manage to reply to Sophie right away.
By the time he processed what she'd said, the door to the suite was already open, and Sophie was turning to leave. All he caught in his peripheral vision was the faint curve of her smile and a delicate trace of her perfume. The next moment, a security guard in a black suit was standing before Lu Ke, gesturing for him to enter. "Please."
Lu Ke collected himself, pulled his gaze away, and stepped into the VIP suite.
The VIP suite, decorated in deep red and royal blue, had a vintage European style. Occasional gold accents further highlighted its opulence. Plush velvet sofas, a tall oak bar, a dazzling liquor cabinet, authentic famous paintings on display, and lush, fresh potted plants... everything was bursting with vitality. To the right, there was also a large pool table.
But his eyes merely swept across the room before landing on the floor-to-ceiling glass wall directly ahead. The scarlet curtains on either side were pulled back, revealing the entire stadium below. The powerful visual impact was overwhelming, and images of intense games instantly flooded his mind.
"Look, here's our star, the man who's dominated Candlestick Park for the last two weeks. Welcome, a warm welcome!" The enthusiastic greeting drew Lu Ke's attention. He saw a figure approaching him with friendly, open arms, who then gave Lu Ke a solid hug.
He then took two steps back and looked Lu Ke up and down, tucking his chin slightly. "You're taller and stronger than I imagined." He turned his head to Jim Hubble, who was standing beside them. "Why does everyone say he's too slightly built? Is it just because I'm too much of a layman?" he asked, full of curiosity and energy.
Lu Ke spread his arms, calmly accepting the scrutiny. "Likewise, you're younger than I imagined. I hope that's not my prejudice talking." Responding to humor with humor and curiosity with curiosity, Lu Ke remained perfectly poised—neither servile nor overbearing, calm and collected.
"I am indeed too young to own a team, but you are more than good enough to lead the team to two victories." The way young people communicated was certainly different.
The person standing before Lu Ke was not Mr. and Mrs. York, but their son, Jed York, who was only thirty-one this year. Three years ago, the Yorks had officially appointed Jed as the team's president, and he was now in charge of the team's daily affairs, including dealing with the media, watching the weekly games, and so on.
"Just two wins. Isn't that being a little too easily satisfied for this team?" Lu Ke replied with a chuckle.
Jed turned to Jim and said with a light laugh, "This rookie's ambition is no small thing. You have to remember, we only managed six wins all of last year, and we started the season with five straight losses." Jed then shrugged. "But I like it." He looked back and forth between Lu Ke and Jim. "So, can we look forward to the next few games then?"
Brimming with confidence, Jim said, "First, we need to do our job. That's the first step."
That calm assurance, as if victory was already in hand, successfully brought a smile to Jed's face.
The meeting ended quickly, lasting less than five minutes in total.
It wasn't that Jed held Lu Ke in particularly high regard or showed him special favor; he was simply a little curious:
A Chinese-American quarterback, an undrafted rookie—people could call it luck, a fluke, or a win by surprise tactics. But the fact remained that he had led the team to two straight wins. And this was after losing all four preseason games, which made it all the more commendable.
Once his curiosity was satisfied, Lu Ke and Jim left the VIP suite without lingering. In fact, it wasn't just Jed York; the entire Alliance, in the truest sense of the word, had its eyes fixed on the San Francisco 49ers and on Lu Ke.
The 2010 season ended with a meager 6-10 record. In the 2011 preseason, they couldn't buy a win. The offseason was marked by turmoil and a complete team overhaul. Their preparations were plagued by injuries, and an undrafted rookie quarterback was hastily thrust into the starting role... Who would have thought that once the season began, the San Francisco 49ers would start with two straight wins, making them one of only seven undefeated teams in the entire Alliance.
It was all just too incredible.
What was even more commendable was that this rookie quarterback had delivered another stunning performance for the second week in a row. From his decision to run the ball in critical situations to the reappearance of "The Catch," he had truly passed with flying colors. Unconsciously, the Alliance's attention and opinions were quietly beginning to shift.
In competitive sports, the difference between victory and defeat is always starkly obvious.
After the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys, another tidal wave of news and controversy swept in! The discussion and buzz surrounding "The Catch," in particular, became a massive center of attention.
The highly controversial, highly watched, and highly doubted Chinese-American quarterback, Lu Ke, had a somewhat uneven performance this week, but he still led his team to victory for the second consecutive week!
21 of 31 passing for 256 yards, three Touchdowns, one interception, one sack, a quarterback rating of 111.7, and a PFF score of 1.4.
Excellent, excellent, and still excellent! For the second week in a row, Lu Ke's quarterback rating and PFF score were both impressive, once again showcasing his potential as an outstanding quarterback and turning heads.
No one should forget that this was the same team that had only managed a single passing Touchdown in four preseason games, yet in two weeks of the regular season, Lu Ke had already thrown for eight passing Touchdowns.
Nor should anyone forget that Lu Ke was forced to take the field at a critical moment in the fourth week of the preseason. Before the regular season, the new starting quarterback and his team had only ten days to build chemistry, but now they had already secured two straight wins.
And no one should forget that in those two games, the San Francisco 49ers had 619 passing yards compared to just 112 rushing yards. The team had won entirely on the back of its passing offense.
As the team's starting quarterback, Lu Ke was, without a doubt, the main hero of their success!
Faced with such outstanding stats, Fox Television commentator Kirk Charleston remarked, "This Chinese-American quarterback reminds me of Big Ben."
"Big Ben" is the nickname for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Like Eli Manning and Philip Rivers, he entered the Alliance in the 2004 draft. That year's draft was considered the most important quarterback class in a decade. The first overall pick was the Manning family's youngest son, Eli, while Big Ben was selected with the eleventh pick in the first round.
In his rookie season, Big Ben started as the third-string quarterback, just getting a feel for the Alliance atmosphere. But during the preseason, an injury to the number two quarterback made him the backup. Then, in the second week of the regular season, an unexpected injury to the starter forced Big Ben's Alliance debut even earlier, thrusting him into the starting quarterback position.
Big Ben's first game was a nightmare. He had two Touchdowns but also threw two interceptions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers lost by a large margin to the Baltimore Ravens. But after that, shielded by what was the best Defense Team in the Alliance that year, Big Ben began his record-breaking journey.
He reeled off thirteen consecutive wins, setting the record for the best start by a rookie in Alliance history. In the eighth week of the season, he led his team to defeat the defending champion New England Patriots, ending their historic 21-game winning streak. In his rookie season, he achieved a 66.4% completion rate and a 98.1 quarterback rating, both of which broke the NFL historical records set by Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino in 1983. He was also unanimously voted the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Then, in the 2005 season, he led his team on a rocky path to the Super Bowl and won his first championship ring, surpassing Tom Brady to become the youngest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl in Alliance history. In the 2008 season, he reached the Super Bowl again, facing the "Alliance Cinderella" Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals. The two teams played out one of the most exciting Super Bowls in history, and he ultimately secured his second championship ring.
In summary, Big Ben currently holds most of the rookie quarterback records and is also the most successful of the new generation of quarterbacks. Eli Manning, the first overall pick from the same draft class, also won a Super Bowl ring, but his inconsistent, hot-and-cold style of play meant that major passing records would forever be out of his reach.
Now, Kirk was comparing Lu Ke to Big Ben. Obviously, it wasn't because of Big Ben's powerful 241-pound (109 kg) frame, but because of his masterful passing skills, as well as the sharp instincts and intuition for victory that Lu Ke had shown in games.
This time, the wave of opposition was at least cut in half, and voices of support began to emerge.
"Can Lu Ke break Big Ben's various rookie quarterback records? That's still a question mark! The season is long. But one thing is for sure: with two consecutive outstanding performances, this rookie quarterback has proven he is more than just a transitional quarterback. His exquisite passing technique, excellent reading of the game, superb judgment in key moments, and the heart of a warrior that never gives up—all of this gives him the potential to become an outstanding quarterback!"
This commentary came from Brian Westbrook, a football analyst for the San Francisco Chronicle, and it also represented the mainstream view in the Alliance. Many professional commentators and analysts expressed similar opinions. The season was long and the games were tough, but at the very least, Lu Ke had proven he was no mere transitional quarterback.