"God, you're a lunatic. I can't take it. No, I can't. Take it slow, take it slow... Can't you just ease up a bit? I never knew you were this kind of person! I'm finally getting to know you again! I need to find a new partner..."
Pushing open the door, Logan's peripheral vision caught sight of a crowd in the living room. His words came to a sudden halt as he stared dumbfounded at the people packed in front of him. Everyone was giving him a strange, amused look, sizing him up from head to toe. It was an indescribable feeling.
Logan was full of questions. He spread his hands. "What's wrong? Is there a problem? I just finished a day of strength training. Why is everyone looking at me like they've seen a ghost?"
"Oh," Aldon Smith said with a look of sudden realization. "So you were talking about strength training." Then, he shrugged and nodded to the people next to him. "I see." Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"If you're interested, feel free to join us. Training at the gym is always boring. It would be better if we all did strength training together and motivated each other," Lu Ke said with a smile, extending a sincere invitation.
The next second, everyone looked horrified and forced out an awkward but friendly smile, waving their hands repeatedly. "No, no thank you," "Thanks for the invitation, we're good," "I think our current training plan is already great," "Yeah, yeah, but thanks anyway"...
Training with a crazy monster like Lu Ke? That kind of inhuman torture? That kind of ascetic daily training? No, thank you. Just thinking about it gave them the creeps.
Secretly, everyone gave Logan a thumbs-up, commending and admiring his courage. Their eyes were full of pity and sympathy, but also with a hint of schadenfreude.
It was Tuesday. Every Tuesday, the rookie players would gather at Lu Ke's house to watch game film, analyze the playbook, and try to keep up with the team's progress. Unknowingly, this habit had continued since the first week of the regular season, gradually becoming a regular activity for the rookies.
Since it was a weekday, Lu Zhengze and Jiang Yuning were not home, but they were aware of it and enthusiastically welcomed them. Jiang Yuning would specifically prepare drinks and snacks, while Lu Zhengze would prepare the projector and a white screen beforehand for the players' hard work.
In just a few weeks, the rookies had gradually formed a rapport, and they had all become familiar with Lu Ke. In the first few weeks, they would wait politely at the front door. This week, they simply let themselves in after Lu Zhengze and Jiang Yuning intentionally left the door unlocked when they left.
Looking at his teammates who were trying to avoid him, Lu Ke didn't burst their bubble of lies. He said with a chuckle, "Didn't we agree to come over after lunch? It's still a few hours away. Why did you all come so early?" He didn't even need a watch. Lu Ke's lifestyle had already formed a fixed pattern, and after training, the time would not be too far off.
All the rookies looked at each other. Finally, Aldon spoke up. "We lost a game. I thought maybe we needed more time today, and maybe we have more work to do..."
After experiencing the bitterness of defeat, the players' desire for victory was truly ignited, and they all became proactive today. Everyone loves to win, and everyone pursues victory. Clearly, to win again, they need to work harder. This was true for Logan, and it was also true for Aldon and the other rookies.
"I don't know. For me, this is also new. You know, this is the first loss of my career," Lu Ke said with a serious, earnest expression. It seemed arrogant, but it was actually a subtle joke, and all the rookies burst into laughter.
After the joke, Lu Ke became serious again. "Well, I guess you can all get started. I'll go take a shower and join you right away. Feel free to make yourselves at home."
In fact, after getting the beginner's cheat, Lu Ke had already been using it since Sunday to watch the game film of the Philadelphia Eagles game over and over again, learning from his mistakes and constantly improving.
However, as a quarterback, he needed to have a more comprehensive understanding of the game. Watching game film with the rookie players was a different experience. Understanding the different perspectives of different positions could give Lu Ke more inspiration. Therefore, Lu Ke was also very much looking forward to today's get-together.
Before the meeting officially began, Lu Ke went back to his room to shower. Logan, who knew the house well, went to the guest bathroom on the first floor. For him, this place was as familiar as his own home, and he couldn't be bothered to go home across the street.
When Lu Ke returned to the living room, everyone was relaxed and sitting in different corners. The sound of their heated discussion echoed constantly. Aldon and Colin Jones were even arguing with red faces, pulling their other defensive teammates in to emphasize their points.
This was a good thing.
In team strategy meetings, due to the presence of the coaching staff and veteran players, rookies, who lacked both experience and knowledge, had limited opportunities to participate in discussions. Most of the time, they just listened attentively and passively absorbed information.
But at Lu Ke's house, every rookie player could freely express their opinions and debate. After they cleared up their thoughts, they could then verify them in the team meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. Afterward, the rookies would exchange their ideas again, and their growth would naturally accelerate.
Any doubts, any insights, any ideas could be freely discussed here. Every player benefited greatly.
Lu Ke was about to join them when he heard a knock on the door. He changed his route and walked toward the door, calling out to his teammates with a smile, "Calm down, everyone. Someone who doesn't know better would think there's a murder happening here." As he spoke, he opened the door, and his smile froze. He was stunned for a moment.
"Hey, Lu Ke." Mike Iupati, who was standing at the door, gave a shy smile. He looked left and right, awkwardly raised his right hand, waved, and said hello. He looked very uncomfortable and hesitated for a moment, unable to find anything else to say. Suddenly, he seemed to realize something and stepped aside. "I have a companion. Anthony, aren't you going to say hello?"
Anthony Davis, another tall and strong man, forced a smile. "Good morning, Lu Ke. Uh... did we come at a bad time? Sorry, we came without calling. We were just passing by. I just thought... maybe, maybe we could come say hello."
Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis were both second-year players. They were both offensive linemen and guards. They both entered the league through the draft last year. Interestingly, both were first-round picks. The San Francisco 49ers traded their draft picks and got two first-round picks. Davis was the eleventh overall pick, and Iupati was the seventeenth.
In the offensive line, guards are the players on either side of the center, which means they are the interior offensive linemen. Iupati was the left guard, responsible for protecting Lu Ke's blind side. He was undoubtedly one of the strongest players on the team, at 6'4" (196 cm) and 331 pounds (150 kg). Davis was the right guard, and he was also just as big.
As members of the same offense, Lu Ke was very familiar with Iupati and Davis. On the training field, most of their tactical drills were done together. But that familiarity was limited to the field. Outside of training, they didn't have much interaction, let alone in their daily lives. They hadn't even exchanged phone numbers.
Lu Ke's brow furrowed slightly. "Uh, I'm more curious about how you guys know my address?"
The wariness and unfamiliarity in his tone stunned both Iupati and Davis. They looked at each other, bewildered, and couldn't say a word.
Seeing their expressions, Lu Ke laughed heartily. "Guys, it was just a joke. Relax." Iupati and Davis both let out a long sigh of relief, but they still couldn't laugh. "Are you sure you were just passing by?"
Iupati scratched his head and said in a muffled voice, "No. We know, uh, you guys have a private tactical group where you get together to study tactics. Anthony and I thought maybe, maybe we could join you and discuss tactics together."
Iupati's words were a bit clumsy. He scratched his head again. "There are a lot of problems with the team's offensive line right now. If you want to throw well, we need to work harder to provide a solid pocket, so..."
"Oh." Lu Ke was also a little stunned. It was unexpected, but it made sense. His expression then brightened. "Of course, there's no problem. For me, that's even better. Welcome, a warm welcome." Lu Ke quickly stepped aside and opened the door wide. "Come on in. You're always welcome here."
Iupati and Davis walked into the house one after the other and saw the bustling scene. Seeing their familiar teammates outside of the stadium felt strange to them, and they were both a little reserved.
"Make yourselves at home. I don't need to introduce you, right?" Lu Ke closed the door and patted his two offensive lineman friends on the back. "Just find a place to sit, watch the film, join the discussion, and feel free to express your opinions. That's all there is to it. By the way, do you need any specific drinks? Coke? Beer? Or soda?"
Iupati couldn't keep up with the pace. Davis was more proactive. "We'll have whatever everyone else is having. No need to go out of your way." Then, Davis said to Iupati, "Come on, Mike. This is our goal, isn't it?"
On a Tuesday, a day for relaxation and rest, a group of young men were diligently putting in the work.
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