"Clap clap, Chieftain!"
"Clap clap, Chieftain!"
A storm was brewing over Arrowhead Stadium, layers of pressure emanating in all directions, and the nearly stagnant air seemed ready to explode the next second as a vast red surge burned.
The whole vibe was entirely different.
Even though this was already the sixth home game of the season, Arrowhead Stadium felt strange, bursting from within with an air of tragic grandeur and boundless fighting spirit, as if painting the world red in a desperate last stand.
Because this was a battle with no way out, because this was a battle after six consecutive losses, because the opponent was the Oakland Raiders, everything was different, and Arrowhead Stadium didn’t hold back any seats.
Not just Arrowhead Stadium, but the Old Oak Tavern was the same—
"Clap clap, Chieftain!"
Two claps, one shout, the uniform roar echoed with the grand scenes on the TV screen.
A figure pushed open the tavern’s door, and West noticed immediately, "Hey, Chris."
The newcomer was none other than Chris Provos, awkwardly standing at the entrance, trying to sneak in unnoticed, but West called him out directly.
"Roar roar roar, Chris."
"Didn’t you say you wouldn’t watch anymore?"
"What, can’t give it up?"
Amidst the laughter and teasing, Provos raised his middle finger in response, thrusting his neck out, "If we lose again, I won’t watch."
Immediately called out, "That’s what you said last week."
Haha, laughter erupted throughout.
Provos glared back, frustrated, "Even if we lose, I want to see it with my own eyes."
West stepped in to mediate, "Come on, come on, instead of poking fun at Chris, save some energy to curse at the Raiders, the enemy isn’t here."
West shouted, and the whole tavern responded in unison all at once.
Then West waved Provos over to the bar, placed a beer in front of him, "This one’s on me."
West didn’t pay Provos any more attention, turning back to his busyness.
Provos’s steps brought him to the bar where he hesitated at the sight of the golden beer in the glass, but ultimately couldn’t resist and took a big gulp.
He firmly put the beer glass back down and roared along with everyone else, "Chieftain!"
The whole tavern was boiling over.
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From Arrowhead Stadium to the Old Oak Tavern and across Kansas City, the streets were deserted, the entire city out in force, everyone’s eyes on the game.
Those gazes, bustling over the field, started to warm the air.
It was December, yet it felt like the height of summer.
Take a deep breath, another deep breath, yet Kelsey still couldn’t control the wildly thumping heart in his chest, a mix of nervousness and excitement intertwined.
But Kelsey noticed Li Wei’s tranquil gaze and calm demeanor, as if this was just another simple regular game; clearly, his mental state was unusual.
Kelsey glanced at Smith, and the two offensive team captains exchanged looks, coming to an understanding. Then Kelsey patted Li Wei on the shoulder and signaled with his eyes to the surroundings, not waiting for a response from Li Wei, he raised his voice and said.
"The rookie has something to say."
Li Wei: Me? Why don’t I know?
However, there’s no turning back, and all gazes gathered on Li Wei.
Li Wei, noticing Kelsey’s half-smiling, mischievous eyes, felt a touch of helplessness but relaxed.
"Travis, if you didn’t want to do the pre-game pep talk, we could have skipped it; there was no need to drag me into this."
His casual remark slightly eased the tense pressure, and those distracted gazes also converged, one after another looking at Kelsey, egging him on.
"Last time against Oakland, we lost."
"I don’t want to talk about a one-point loss or bad luck, a loss is a loss, it’s that simple and clear."
"A loss by one point is a defeat, and so is a loss by thirty points, different scores don’t make a defeat any easier to swallow. That’s competitive sports."
"Only by facing defeat squarely can we start to fight for victory again."
"Defeat is not because of any one person; we need to face it together. We win as a team and we lose as a team. Today is no different, we will fight as one team."
His gaze swept across the entire room.
Quietly, all attention focused.
"A few weeks ago, I made a bet with Eric that we would make it to the Super Bowl before he recovered from his injury, but now it seems, this is not something I can decide on my own."
Li Wei’s self-deprecating joke elicited light laughter from many.
"I cannot predict the outcome of the game."
"Although I would like to tell you all that we will surely win, that we will definitely advance to the Super Bowl, I can’t."
"We might win, or we might lose; our season might end in four hours—that’s the reality we face."
"All I can say is, we will give it our all, we will pour out everything. When the game is over, I can face the fans and face Eric with my head held high, and tell them guilt-free that I did my best, I have no regrets, no matter the outcome, victory or defeat."
Every word, every sentence.
Spoken lightly, yet they landed with weight,
Unnoticed, blood began to boil, one by one, heads started lifting, chests out, spines straightened, shoulders opened.
Finally, Li Wei said.
"Then let the battle begin, remember, you are not alone."
Kelsey felt a surge of emotion and raised his right fist high, shouting to the sky, "Fight!"
All the players clenched their fists and roared in unison, "Fight!"
Then, turning, they stepped onto the field.
By the time those figures appeared in front of the sea of red at Arrowhead Stadium, their demeanor was completely transformed.
The Oakland Raiders won the coin toss, Del Rio chose the field, and that meant the Kansas City Chiefs would attack first in the first half of the game.
"From the kick-off, you can tell Del Rio is bracing for a tough fight. A game against divisional rivals is full of uncertainty, especially here at Arrowhead Stadium. He’s made the right mental preparation; meanwhile, Del Rio is ready for a shootout, hoping to have the advantage of attacking first in the second half."
"Of course, that’s Del Rio’s calculation, but who knows how Reed will respond."
"The Kansas Chiefs Offense is taking the field, let’s see today’s starting lineup..."
The Raiders’ kick-off was conservative, no trick plays, just kicking the football straight out of the end zone, not even giving the Kansas City Chiefs the chance to return the kick, allowing Smith to lead the offense starting from the twenty-five-yard line.
Smith was slightly excited.
Despite having been through countless storms, the thrill and tension of the game still easily grabbed hold of his heart.
The first wave of offense was not a test of on-the-spot command but of pre-game preparation. The Kansas City Chiefs had anticipated such a scenario and had devised a strategy; now, it all depended on whether they could execute it accurately.
Smith looked at Li Wei, and through the helmet, Li Wei flashed a smile. Involuntarily, Smith’s own mouth curved up, relaxing his mind a bit.
Smith’s voice tore through the air; after receiving the ball, without hesitation or delay, he immediately turned and handed the football to Li Wei.
A ground game to start?