San Francisco 49ers' half field, thirty-five-yard line, second and five.
The Kansas City Chiefs' offense rhythm and intensity totally escalated, continuously striking San Francisco 49ers in a combo, causing the defense group in front of them to react slightly sluggish.
Defensive coordinator Sally tried to keep pace and attempted to turn the tables; however, a lack of experience often led to dead ends when making live-game decisions.
A blitz pass. Discover more stories at empire
Subconsciously, Sally tried another blitz, forcefully disrupting the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive rhythm. For the 49ers' "4-3" defensive formation, this was indeed a feasible tactic, but the downside?
The downside was that rushing into a blitz pass without a firm footing often led to vulnerabilities.
Defensive End Thomas immediately stepped up, preying on the unprepared with intentional moves. With a swing of his arms, he brushed aside the opposing offensive lineman, and with a misstep, he already cut inside the pocket from the outside, his speed, power, and reaction all top-notch.
He needed to showcase himself and he needed to prove himself.
Clenching his teeth, he sprinted with all his might.
However, just as his steps brushed the edge of the pocket, Thomas startled, his pupils rapidly constricting, capturing the handoff between Mahomes and Li Wei—
Second and five, the Kansas City Chiefs actually chose to run the ball?
Just like a first down quick pass, for the second down run, Reed's tactic was all about "speed," not giving the 49ers' defense time to react but rather increasing the tempo, focusing on disrupting the defensive rhythm rather than simply advancing the ball.
Clearly, Reed was exploiting Sally's lack of experience and banking on his offensive group's explosive power.
In the coaches' strategic battle, Reed undoubtedly took the lead, but the execution depended on the players.
All eyes in the stadium were on Li Wei—
Noticing the 49ers' blitz, Li Wei adjusted his steps as he received the football from Mahomes, not rushing forward to avoid collision, but instead looking for gaps amidst the complex movements of the players in front of him.
Stomping with his right foot, he forcefully pushed off the ground, moving his body diagonally leftward.
Li Wei had noticed Thomas' movements and accurately assessed his surroundings. Realizing that dodging Thomas would result in a frontal tackle by the cornerback, followed by a three-way encirclement, he chose to break through head-on, disrupting the opponent's defensive circle.
With just two pushes off the ground, Li Wei had already plunged into Thomas' grasp.
Elated, seeing Li Wei walk right into his trap, his hands were ready to tackle, but as his arms were about to clasp, he felt a force coming from Li Wei's left shoulder, slamming into his chest like an overwhelming wave.
Thomas' breath was cut off momentarily, the world darkening before his eyes, then darkening yet again; his arms and body completely paralyzed and stiff.
In the next second, he felt that same force continue to charge forward, bluntly sliding off his own left shoulder, breaking his balance instantaneously.
Thomas' body began to spin counterclockwise, like a ballerina, the world spinning rapidly in his eyes, as the flesh on his cheeks whistled in the cold air.
The entire Arrowhead Stadium gasped, disbelieving their eyes—
Thomas was dancing a waltz, while Li Wei was performing a Riverdance.
Step, step, step, consecutive stomps, continuous high kicks, managing to maintain his center of gravity amidst the chaos, lightly sidestepping the cornerback's attempt at a tackle, weaving an "S" curve to dodge the left-side lineman's dive, moving freely and fluidly like flowing clouds and running water amidst a thorny jungle.
With a spin, a 360-degree clockwise turn freed him from the deadly triangle encirclement, inexplicably blazing a trail of blood through.
Then, the view ahead was wide open.
Pausing briefly, Li Wei neither rushed nor panicked; he took in the entire 180-degree view in front of him, making his judgment.
Push off, take off, sprint.
Thump thump, thump thump thump.
The speed, released in an instant, gets faster and faster, the strength of a forty-yard dash unreservedly displayed, like the finals of a 100-meter race at the Olympics, leaving a trail of afterimages that steadily ignites the fervor of Arrowhead Stadium.
One by one, they stare agape, too stunned from Li Wei's astonishing performance of breaking through three lines of defense to recollect themselves; their gaze already following his speeding figure.
Uncontrollably, hearts leap to throats, a mix of excitement and nerves, for Arrowhead Stadium truly hasn't seen such an explosive long dash in a very long time. A surging wave of Crimson Tide fans unbelievably freezes for a moment, unsure of how to react, yet they unwillfully rise to their feet.
Until at a certain moment, emotions burst forth like a volcanic eruption, a roar resounds over the eardrums, leaving them to only shout in a daze.
From silent prayers to guttural shouts, the sparse voices unbelievably twist together into a single chord, echoing in unison, purely instinctual.
Shouting, a chill shoots from the soles of the feet to the top of the head, because within their sight, they can see Li Wei looking leisurely from side to side, unpressured. No other player is near; thus, he slows down, evidently decelerating, casually and comfortably entering the end zone as if taking a stroll.
A gentle breeze passes, and that carefree figure simply plucks the touchdown with an ease like taking something out of a bag.
The brain buzzes in an instant, not sure who started it, but slowly, that wild wave whirls and hovers over the stadium.
"He's here, he's there, he's everywhere, he is the Edgerunner, Li Wei, Li Wei, Li Wei!"
And then again, sweeping over the entire stadium.
In the broadcast booth, there's utter astonishment, hardly believing the scene unfolding before them—
From NCAA to NFL, Li Wei brought his talent to Arrowhead Stadium and conquered the Kansas City Chiefs fans with an unparalleled performance.
And so, the Crimson Tide Storm, which originated from Bryant Denny Stadium, resumed once again at Arrowhead Stadium.
"Third gear offense, seventy-five yards, fifty-eight seconds, Kansas City Chiefs take a touchdown in one seamless move, completely dumbfounding the San Francisco 49ers."
"Even though the San Francisco 49ers are not known for their defense, what the Kansas City Chiefs demonstrated was an explosiveness not seen in recent seasons."
"So, is this the upgraded version of the Kansas City Chiefs?"
"So, is this how the Kansas City Chiefs respond to offseason moves that have been questioned?"
"We, shall wait and see."
The roar in the stadium simply cannot stop, over and over again, lingering long, and even the Old Oak Tavern falls into the frenzy without exception.
It's the pounding on tables, the jumping for joy, face after face exuding happiness and joy, celebrating as if they owned the whole world.
Including Anderson, who turns his gaze back to the TV screen:
In the end zone, Li Wei has no excessive celebration gestures, but the offensive group, including Mahomes, swarms him, surrounding Li Wei in a tight circle.
This moment, even more precious than the touchdown itself.