Dominate the Super Bowl

Bart's entire back and both knees were brimming with arrows; he might need to dive for a few days to recuperate properly. Slowly pulling them out one by one, the blood wouldn't stop flowing, and before he could even bind up with bandages, he saw the schadenfreude on Lawson's face—

Shit.

Even though this was a live broadcast, Bart could barely control the urge to curse.

So should he admit he was wrong?

A man could lose his head or bleed out, but his hair must never be messed up.

What mattered wasn't the hair, but face.
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Slapping his own face on a nationwide live broadcast was utterly humiliating.

But... but...

Imagine, with the whole league singing praises, he might be one of the few voices of dissent, and Bart's ambitious spirit was suddenly ignited:

The Buddha said, "If I do not go to hell, who will?"

He should speak out for other rookies; he should play the role of cooling the entire league down; he was the Iron Man—

To stop Thanos from snapping his fingers, he should sacrifice himself.

Taking a deep breath, under the scrutiny of the entire studio, Bart mustered the courage to fortify his face into a wall, "Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs."

"But,"

"The season has only just begun, we don't want to see another Robert Griffin III..."

Griffin: Why am I always the one getting hurt?

"We also don't want to see a 2007 New England Patriots..."

Brady: Weren't we supposed to never speak of that again?

In the 2007 season, the New England Patriots achieved a resplendent record of sixteen victories in the regular season and marched confidently towards the Super Bowl. Almost everyone believed the Patriots were unstoppable and would clinch the championship; however, Eli Manning and the New York Giants disagreed.

The New York Giants, barely making the playoffs, clumsily stumbled and faltered their way forward, nearly getting eliminated several times yet inexplicably managed to hang on tenaciously to life, and improbably broke into the Super Bowl. In the end, they pulled off a huge upset victory over the New England Patriots and became champions, creating the biggest upset of the season.

Bart's face shone with the light of faith, standing proud like a martyr.

"The season is still long; let's wait and see. We need to remain patient, there's no need to get carried away by two wins, continue observing, continue waiting, for the Kansas City Chiefs and Rookie No. 23 alike, whether it's a diamond or coal, the truth will reveal itself in the end, right?"

"Besides, our first and second overall picks haven't even debuted yet, discussing whether the third pick is the strongest rookie of the 2017 class is really too early."

The corners of his mouth lifted, revealing a set of teeth stained with nicotine.

Bart had his stubbornness and pride; the more people wanted to see him bow his head in defeat, the more he clenched his teeth, refusing to let those people have the last laugh.

It was just two games after all; if he yielded so quickly and easily, it would be too cheap. He had faith and determination, refusing to admit defeat.

The Kansas City Chiefs?

It's not that he looked down on Reed, but frankly, Bart didn't think Reed could win the Super Bowl with the current lineup, nowhere near enough.

A running back? A rookie?

Haha.

Even if quarterbacks like Goff or Wentz had phenomenal performances in their first couple of games—just hypothetically, of course—Bart wouldn't easily back down. Football isn't a sport where you can judge someone's level from just one or two games, especially for a running back. They're disposable assets that can be replaced at any time.

Just keep watching, just look closer, that rookie will soon lose his shine and reveal his true colors. The NFL is definitely not an easy league.

On one hand, Bart was exuding an air of "the truth is often in the hands of the few," as if he was staging a one-man battle against the whole world.

On the other hand, Pash didn't hesitate to lavish all his praise on Li Wei. He had been deeply impressed by this young man since his NCAA days.

"136 yards on the ground, two rushing touchdowns."

"Plus, one successful gamble kick to maintain possession."

"For the second consecutive game, Li Wei proved himself with a dominant and stable performance. He can play in the NFL, and he plays it well."

"In this game, the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive group was outstanding, showing enough strength on both the passing and running fronts, at one point deadlocking with the Kansas City Chiefs."

"But Li Wei remained patient and focused throughout, constantly maneuvering, constantly observing, until he finally found a gap and brought down the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive iron gate."

"In terms of intensity and difficulty, the second week of games was a step up from the first, but Li Wei continued his top-notch performance, drawing wide admiration. At the same time, he sidestepped the preseason rumors that his absence was due to a lack of fitness and subsequent fatigue. Clearly, Li Wei has carved out a place for himself in the league."

"Wow."

"From his current performance, there's no doubt that Li Wei is the strongest contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He's now set the target that all other rookies must surpass, setting the bar high early on."

"Not only that, he's the most charismatic player among the 2017 rookies."

"But what's truly interesting is that Li Wei has his sights set on a loftier goal. He's not just content with being the best of the 2017 rookies; his aim is to be the strongest rookie season in history. Judging by the data from the first two weeks, he's already in a strong position to challenge for that best-ever title."

Praise, amazement, an endless stream of accolades.

In the jubilation of Arrowhead Stadium, Pash freely expressed his opinion, incredibly pushing Li Wei into the limelight once again.

Before the season started, there was a swirling vortex of expectations, controversy, and focus around Li Wei. Now it's skyrocketing like a rocket, reaching new heights.

Unparalleled.

Last week, even Brady became a mere foil.

After this week, it's feared that the whole league will be talking about Li Wei, his popularity soaring at a rate that makes Odell Beckham Jr.'s breakout 2014 season seem pale by comparison.

Immediately, not just ESPN's New York studio erupted in heated debate, but the whole social network went into frenzy, with topics spreading far and wide.

Household names like Houston Texans star J.J. Watt, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller, and others all expressed their admiration for Li Wei's fantastic performance on social media.

The NBA also felt this heat wave.

Stars like Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard, Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James, and others retweeted the NFL's official account's video of Li Wei's second touchdown, expressing their admiration.

Universal astonishment, making a name for oneself.

Generally speaking, it's very difficult for a running back's rushing yards to be "exciting," usually they're quite mundane. Marshawn Lynch's "Beast Mode" is an exception, and that's a key reason why Lynch always stands out, it's more fan-friendly for the average passerby; and now, Li Wei is also repeatedly standing out.

From the first game to the second, his moments of fame weren't just once or twice.

If you say that before, it was all "hard advertising," relying on the rookie and Chinese heritage to spark discussions, then after the regular season began, it's his strength that speaks for him, the so-called "soft advertising." The fanbase didn't need the league's push to spontaneously start discussions that just won't stop.

And it's not just everyone else.

Li Wei watched as Wentz stood before him, hesitating to speak, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.