Dominate the Super Bowl

Chapter 782: 781 superhero
 

“Travis, you are my hero.”

“Thank you, thank you for saving my life.”

“Ah, ah, ah, I’m crazy for you! You are perfection!”

Time and again, voice after voice, fans surrounded him in a tight circle, incessantly repeating that he was their hero, that he had changed their lives.

Kelsey gradually started to believe that competitive sports weren’t simply about winning or losing, he was changing the world in his own way, just like a superhero.

However, the cruel reality lay before him, his powerlessness, his insignificance, his cowardice, were so trivial in the face of actual life-or-death situations.

If they wanted to change the world, it was far from enough.

Unwilling to continue watching, Kelsey closed his eyes, as the repressed and suppressed crying in the air cruelly tightened around his heart.

Suddenly, the peace was shattered by the roaring of an engine, followed almost immediately by the shrill sound of tires desperately gripping the road, and an emergency brake tearing through the night. The black SUV had not even come to a complete stop before a figure burst from the driver’s seat—

Karen Gray.

Karen sprinted at full speed, hurriedly scanning for a direction, but stopped abruptly when she saw Felix and Li Wei’s figures.

“Feli…”

Karen was about to move forward when her words and actions were suddenly cut off; she stood there gasping for air, a flicker of relief in her eyes. But that joy didn’t last long, quickly overwhelmed by pain and sorrow, she looked up to the sky and took repeated deep breaths.

Should she be grateful? Grateful that Felix was unharmed?

No, she couldn’t.

Because she knew what had happened to Annie that night could happen to Felix at any time.

In the recent past, each night before going to sleep, she was filled with anxiety; every morning upon waking, her first task was to check on Felix. Every day could be the end; every day could bring a farewell. Such torment visibly wore Karen down.

Until tonight.

When Jenna called to inform her of Annie’s death, Karen had to admit her selfishness.

Her first thought was that she couldn’t let Felix know the news.

Upon realizing her own thoughts, Karen was flooded with shame, guilt, and self-reproach. She couldn’t believe that upon receiving the terrible news from Jenna, she had such awful, selfish, narrow-minded, and ugly thoughts.

But worse still, she couldn’t control herself.

It was only after hanging up the phone that Karen realized Felix had left.

Felix must have overhead her conversation and had left the house without even taking his wheelchair, which threw Karen into a panic, flailing about like a headless fly.

Now that she had finally seen Felix, Karen’s tension, her chaotic thoughts, completely collapsed. She couldn’t even cry, just stood there taking deep breaths, using all her strength to gasp for air, still feeling oxygen-starved, her wildly racing heart almost exploding, and then she just stood there foolishly.

The world seemed to have hit the pause button at that moment.

No one moved, no one spoke, only the muffled sobbing heartbreakingly trembled in the biting wind, it wasn’t just sadness.

Eventually, Felix cried himself out.

Without a sound, without the strength, although Felix wanted to go upstairs and see Annie one more time, his current physical condition didn’t allow it.

Li Wei picked up Felix in his arms and escorted him to Karen’s car.

Karen stood by the car door, not knowing what to do, “I should go up and say hello to Jenna.”

Li Wei stopped Karen, “Go back first. You can still come to the hospital tomorrow, Jenna will understand.”

Karen stood there with mixed feelings, not even daring to look directly into Li Wei’s eyes. She quickly expressed her gratitude before turning to get into her car and driving off.

The three of them, including Li Wei, also returned to their car. Li Wei first dropped Kelsey off at his home, and then he and Mahomes went back to their place, all the while remaining silent throughout the trip.

The night passed without a word.

Early the next morning, Kelsey arrived at the training base early, only to find, to his unease, that Li Wei had arrived ahead of time and had already begun his warm-up exercises without any equipment.

Looking at Mahomes, but Mahomes just spread his hands and shrugged lightly, indicating that he had no idea either.

Li Wei seemed… exceptionally calm and composed, as if nothing had happened, methodically and flawlessly diving into training.

Just like any other day.

But it was precisely this behaviour that was disconcerting, because they all knew that today was not an ordinary day, something significant had happened.

Gradually, the players arrived at the training base, having already heard the news—

Clearly, Annie was not just an ordinary fan. Everyone in the locker room knew her and held the optimistic and cheerful girl in high regard, for she was no longer just a rumor, a symbol, a stranger’s name, but a real, flesh-and-blood person who had lived among them.

When the tragic news broke, words failed them as they all felt a profound sense of loss and lament.

A somber mood pervaded the entire locker room, casting a heavy atmosphere.

However, seeing Li Wei still focused and diligent was strangely unsettling. Houston and Hill inquired and expressed their concerns one after another, even Burns approached Li Wei privately, uneasy.

“This isn’t the end,”

Li Wei said.

Annie didn’t wish for their lives to come to a halt because of her departure; she wanted them to move forward, she wanted them to continue being happy.

More importantly, she wished for the Kansas City Chiefs to fight to the end.

Although Annie ultimately couldn’t make it to the Arrowhead Stadium to watch the conference finals, the battle that belonged to both her and the team would continue.

The best tribute was not to be mired in sorrow and pain, unable to escape, but to face the storm, difficulties, and challenges head-on with pride.

“I hope I can be well-prepared.”

The Kansas City Chiefs that day were slightly odd.

The mood was tense, the atmosphere oppressive, yet the team, in their silent dedication, threw themselves into training with all their heart, exceeding the usual training quality, not just in field training, but in tactical training as well.

Meanwhile, Kansas City was noisy with the influx of New England Patriots fans and other neutral fans, and the city was rife with minor conflicts, feeling the distinctive vibe of the approaching game. However, in the midst of the noise and hubbub, the Kansas City Chiefs rediscovered their focus.

Gradually, the team inwardly forged a steadfast spirit—

For Annie, and for themselves as well.

As the entire day of training came to an end, the atmosphere in the locker room was particularly oppressive.

There were no jokes, no laughter, no banter or roasting, and even the mere act of walking became tentative and gentle.

One by one, their gazes drifted towards Li Wei, prompting Kelsey to step forward and ask, but even Kelsey lacked the spirit to do so; he truly didn’t have the energy for it.

Even the typically jovial and carefree Mahomes seemed quiet and sorrowful, as if the boy who knew nothing of worries had grown up overnight.

In an exchange of glances, a figure finally broke the deadlock and walked towards Li Wei.

“Rookie, do you have a moment?”