Chapter 860: Social Call to Action
"Hi, Niners fans, this is Lu Ke.
We've just experienced a perfect first half of the season. Thank you for always being by our side and for walking this beautiful journey with us. But this is not the end. A more difficult and challenging schedule awaits us, and we look forward to continuing to march forward together and sprinting towards our greatest goal.
Niners fans have always been the most important part of this team. The existence of every single one of you is the greatest motivation for this team to set sail. We always warmly welcome more Niners to join us. We also always stand firmly side-by-side, providing the strongest and most unwavering support for each other.
Right now, one of our fellow Niners needs our company.
His name is Ryan Baldwin. Although he is only twenty-five years old, he is a loyal Niners fan who has dedicated his entire childhood and upbringing to this San Francisco football team. Since the age of five, he has been with the team for twenty years, witnessing its peaks and walking through its valleys, yet he has never given up.
Two years ago, just after Ryan graduated from college and was about to start a new chapter in his life, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. This is a disease that cannot be cured with current medical conditions, and there are no effective treatments to curb or alleviate it.
Even so, Ryan has not given up his passion for the team. He has done his best to attend every home game at Candlestick Park, pouring his heart and soul into it. Whether we won or lost, he always stood by the team. After the NFC Championship Game earlier this year, Ryan personally waited at the stadium entrance just to tell me, 'You did great. Don't be discouraged, we'll fight together again next season.'
But three weeks ago, after our game against the Buffalo Bills, Ryan's condition suddenly worsened. He had to be admitted to the hospital to deal with any potential emergencies. As a result, he missed the next two games at Candlestick Park and could only watch the live broadcast from his television.
'Never stop fighting.' This is Ryan's favorite motto, and it's also a motto he lives by. But now, Ryan is facing a losing battle. The ending has already been decided. He doesn't know if he should continue to fight, nor does he know how to continue the fight.
I don't know the answer either.
But I know that Niners never give up easily! Even if the end is already set, the process is still ours to write. We can choose to face the ending that God has set for us with our heads held high! We will fight until the last moment, until the last breath.
Ryan cannot fight this battle alone. It's just like every one of our games—the offense, the defense, the special teams, and everyone on the entire team, as well as the Niners fans who stand firmly behind us, are all comrades. Now, Ryan needs his comrades to stand up and show him with their actions:
He is not fighting alone.
This week, we'll return to Candlestick Park to face our divisional rival, the St. Louis Rams. Unfortunately, Ryan still won't be able to attend the game. But he's always with us.
I sincerely hope that every Niners fan who attends the game can wear something gold. It can be a hat, a handkerchief, an umbrella, or any item you can bring into the stadium. Let's stand with Ryan. We are the Niners, and we won't leave anyone behind.
Never stop fighting!
Sincerely,
Lu Ke."
Jeff Locke sat there quietly. It was a long, flowing article, but he had never been so patient before. He read the entire article carefully, and then he just sat there quietly. Before he realized it, his eyes were already blurry. A sense of subtle emotion and surging passion was welling up in his chest.
Ryan Baldwin.
That young man who was always in a wheelchair but always had a brilliant smile. He was only two years older than Jeff, yet he had already been through so much. His mature and wise words had always opened their eyes. Although they all knew that Ryan's health wasn't good, they never knew that he was always fighting with the Grim Reaper. The cruel truth was only revealed little by little when Ryan started to miss home games two weeks ago.
Jeff couldn't help but wonder what he would do if he were diagnosed with ALS.
He couldn't find an answer. Because it was all too distant and too unfamiliar. He tried his best to describe and imagine it, but he still couldn't truly grasp the reality of it.
"Never stop fighting."
"Never stop fighting! Never stop fighting! Never stop fighting!"
When his eyes fell on the long article again, Jeff clenched his fists, cheering himself on and cheering Ryan on.
This long article was posted on Lu Ke's personal social media without any warning.
Lu Ke had always been a focused and low-key player. Although he had social media accounts, he rarely updated them. His posts on Twitter and Instagram were about training and games. His Facebook page was even managed by a professional team hired by Leigh.
All Niners fans knew that if they wanted to get updates on Lu Ke, it was better to look at the accounts of other San Francisco 49ers players. For example, the offensive team's strategy meeting or the second-year players' basic training. They could find Lu Ke's presence more often on those accounts.
Even so, Lu Ke was still one of the hottest players in the league right now. His followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram had already exceeded sixty million. His Instagram followers alone had reached thirty million, ranking him in the top five among all players in the league.
It's worth noting that after the "Chicken Soup" battle a year ago, Lu Ke's social media accounts had shown a rapid increase, but his total followers at that time were less than five million.
Overall, compared to the highly active social media of the NBA, the overall interaction rate of the NFL was still significantly lacking. But now, Lu Ke's sudden rise was changing this situation. In just a season and a half, he had become one of the most followed professional football players on social media, and the discussion topics and public attention remained high.
Today, Lu Ke updated his Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts at the same time.
To be precise, it was a photo of a long article, written entirely by hand, like a formal invitation letter. After he finished writing it, he scanned it and uploaded it as a photo.
For all of Lu Ke's followers, this was an unexpected surprise, as his last update was three weeks ago—a photo of him with Eli Manning after the game.
In the internet world, a twenty-four-hour update cycle is already considered slow. So, imagine what "three weeks" means! It could be considered three centuries.
Jeff was scrolling through his Instagram when he saw this long article. From excitement to emotion, from elation to tears, from exhilaration to passion, all his emotions were boiling over.
Just a few days ago, a group of fans were discussing how to show their support and encouragement for Ryan. Jonathan Baldwin was already one of the passionate fans at "Joe's Bar," and Ryan Baldwin had quickly become one of them. Now that their friend was in trouble, they naturally had to step up.
But they were at a loss against an incurable disease. They hadn't come up with a plan yet, and then Lu Ke stepped up.
This was their quarterback. This was the leader they firmly followed. This was the hero who led them in sounding the horn of revival. This was the player who carried the weight of the San Francisco 49ers' soul. It made them want to raise their right hands and follow his every step, charging toward their bright future.
Thinking of this, Jeff immediately closed the Instagram app and called his friend Nate Chandler.
This was a battle for Ryan, and it was also a battle for the Niners. Even if the end was already set, did they want them to surrender? That was absolutely impossible!
First, Nate Chandler, and then Danny Rees.
Before Jeff could even inform his other friends, Cliff Hart had already called him excitedly. "Jeff! Jeff! Jeff! We have to cheer for Ryan! We all have to wear something gold! Oh, and Lu Ke updated his Instagram and Twitter, did you see it? Did you see it? Now is the time for all of us to unite! We need to support each other. We need to support the team. We need to support Lu Ke! Did you see it?"
He was incoherent because he was too excited. Cliff's words were jumbled. If you didn't know what was going on, you would be completely confused. But Jeff understood. He couldn't help but smile widely and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, I saw it. Yes, I know."
This was just the beginning. Lu Ke's long article was like a spark of hope, spreading widely among his sixty million followers.
When the bye week ended, the San Francisco 49ers returned to their regular schedule and were about to face their divisional rival, the St. Louis Rams, a team with the deepest historical ties to them, for the third consecutive week at Candlestick Park. This ordinary regular season game was given a more unique and profound meaning.
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