Chapter 753: Charity Event
Lu Ke, Candice, and Curry stood at the locker room entrance, chatting and laughing, having a great time, completely unfazed by the "fan meet-and-greet" in front of them. They were completely at ease.
Suddenly, the locker room door opened again. No one knew how many times it had opened and closed today. The locker room was like a revolving door with no time to rest. A gust of wind swept in from behind. The three of them, standing next to the door, felt the movement immediately.
When they turned around, they saw Roger Goodell's familiar face, followed by an even more familiar top superstar—
Leonardo DiCaprio!
"Hey, Bambi!" Goodell walked up and patted Lu Ke's arm, greeting him warmly. Then he saw the grand scene in the center of the locker room. "Oh, it looks like there's a special occasion here. Are there guests today?"
Goodell knew about the weekly charity events, but he only knew the general process, not the specific arrangements, let alone the guests. After all, he didn't need to be in control of these details. So, seeing Emma at this moment, Goodell was also a little surprised.
Without Lu Ke's introduction, Goodell, as a superior, took the initiative and walked over.
Sophie, who had been glancing at Lu Ke, also saw the league commissioner for the first time. She put on a professional smile and went to greet him.
"Leo?" Lu Ke saw another uninvited guest. After a moment of absurdity, he couldn't help but laugh. "Did you all plan this in advance but forgot to tell me? Are you all going to surprise me today?" Lu Ke walked up, shook Leonardo's right hand, and gently bumped shoulders with him to greet him. Then he became the introducer.
Candice and Leonardo knew each other. After all, Leonardo was a frequent guest at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. What's more, Candice was the unintentional reason why Lu Ke and Leonardo met in the first place.
As for Curry...
Before shaking hands, Leonardo deliberately pulled his right hand back and said with a serious expression, "I don't like the Warriors."
Curry had been happy that he got to meet the famous Leonardo, and he froze, unable to understand what was going on.
Lu Ke smiled and intervened, saving the confused Curry. "Yes, we all know you like the Lakers. But this is Candlestick Park, a no-basketball zone. There's only a distinction between football players and non-football players. So, I guess you're both non-football fans, right?"
"Yes, I am!"
Leonardo and Curry retorted in unison. The two who were just "awkward" now had a sense of camaraderie, and the atmosphere instantly became interesting.
Lu Ke spread his hands. "I guess you're both my fans?"
His proud and confident look was like a peacock flaunting its tail. Then, Leonardo and Curry exchanged a look again, along with Candice. All three said at the same time, "No, I'm not."
As soon as they said that, all three of them burst into laughter. Lu Ke, on the other hand, spread his hands, calmly facing their retort, and put on a "sacrificing myself for the greater good" look. Everyone laughed even more cheerfully.
Compared to the "circus" next to them, this small group was much more cheerful and relaxed.
Not only Sophie, who was always a little distracted, but even Emma, who was talking to Goodell, noticed. She took a quick glance and saw the bright and happy atmosphere like sunshine. She subconsciously gritted her teeth, then quickly looked away and focused on Goodell again.
The people inside were looking at the entrance, and the people at the entrance were also looking at the people inside.
After the laughter subsided, Leonardo's gaze fell on the bustling scene in front of him, and he joked with a smile, "What's going on? What's so special about today? Is it my imagination, or do I feel like half of the West Coast is at Candlestick Park?"
Faced with this teasing, Lu Ke spread his hands and said with a calm expression, "Shouldn't I be the one asking that question? What's wrong with all of you? You all collectively decided to come and watch this game? Is it because it's our first home game of the new season? Or is it because we've started winning?"
His playful words had a hint of disdain.
"It seems we should make an appointment next time we come to watch a game," Leonardo said, not to be outdone, looking at Curry and Candice and joking back.
Lu Ke not only didn't refute him but also nodded seriously in agreement.
Leonardo's attack immediately fell flat.
Candice winked playfully and joined in the fun. "Stephen, if we went to watch a Warriors game, we wouldn't need to make an appointment in advance, would we?"
Curry waved his hands repeatedly in denial, but before he could speak, the bustling "circus" next to them finally noticed the unusual situation near the locker room entrance.
"Leonardo!" Brooks was the first to notice the arrival of another top superstar. He couldn't hide his surprise and shouted out loud.
One after another, the other players around Brooks turned their heads and saw Leonardo in casual clothes. Although he was wearing a baseball cap, there was no doubt that he was the top superstar of Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio. The atmosphere in the entire locker room instantly became subtle.
Everyone's eyes went back and forth between the guests, trying to find a pattern or an answer, but they all ended up on Lu Ke, as if asking, "What in the world is going on?"
They had just explained Emma's appearance, and everyone seemed to have collective amnesia. As for Leonardo, it was clearly an unexpected coincidence.
As for Candice and Curry, Lu Ke was not surprised at all. Weren't friends helping out something that was expected?
This time, Lu Ke didn't explain. He turned to Leonardo. "Leo, we have a charity event today where we're hosting a group of children from a hospital to come and have fun at the stadium. What do you say, would you like to join?"
Leonardo gave a faint smile. "I'll pass on the public appearance. I'll just participate from the sidelines." Leonardo didn't plan to be in the spotlight when he came to Candlestick Park today. From his outfit to his makeup, everything was casual, even a little sloppy. If he were to appear in front of the camera like this, his publicist would probably call and yell at him.
Lu Ke nodded in understanding and didn't press the matter. He snapped his fingers. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go out and warm up now and welcome those adorable children to the field to relax. It's not a good idea for everyone to be standing in the locker room."
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
This situation was unavoidable, so he wouldn't deliberately address it. Instead, he would focus on the children and make this event meaningful.
This was Lu Ke's thought, and he acted on it.
Without giving special attention to Emma or Leonardo, or giving special instructions to Candice or Curry, and not even giving special treatment to Commissioner Goodell, Lu Ke gathered the San Francisco 49ers players and was the first to leave the locker room, heading for the field to warm up for today's game.
The other players looked at each other, hesitating whether they should take care of Emma. But then they realized, if they took care of Emma, what about Leonardo, Candice, Curry, or Goodell? What should they do?
In that moment of hesitation, Logan and Marcus had already followed closely behind, quickly coming to Lu Ke's side and asking in a low voice, "What do we do?"
What should they do in such a tricky situation?
Although this was their second season, this was the first time they had faced such a star-studded event. Even Goodell couldn't help but show a look of surprise. He knew Curry and Candice. Although their star power and status couldn't be compared to Emma's and Leonardo's, they represented influence in different fields.
This was truly interesting.
To be honest, Lu Ke also had a headache. He didn't hide his helplessness in front of his two friends and rolled his eyes. "What else can we do? We should focus on preparing for the game. Otherwise, if we perform poorly at home today, that would be truly embarrassing." Especially with so many special guests watching, it would be even more mortifying.
Logan and Marcus exchanged a look. Although they didn't think this was the right solution, they couldn't think of a better one at the moment. As professional athletes, showing their best on the field was the most timeless truth.
So, taking a deep breath, they followed Lu Ke's lead, trying to put Emma, Leonardo, and everyone else out of their minds, and started warming up.
The other players who remained in the locker room gradually came to their senses. They all greeted each other and followed suit, getting faster and faster until they were practically running away, leaving the locker room all at once.
The once-lively locker room became quiet in an instant. This time, Sophie finally took on her role as the assistant public relations officer. "Let's all go to the field to watch the practice and wait for the children to arrive."
Goodell put his hands behind his back and nodded in agreement. "Watching the warm-up practice up close is a unique experience. What do you say, would you be interested in joining me?" His eyes fell on Emma and Leonardo, and then he looked at them and extended a polite invitation.
At this point, things finally got back on track, and the charity event could officially begin. But who knew how this star-studded gathering would end? Or rather, how would it end?
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