Chapter 517: Waking Moment at 5:16 Chapter 517: Waking Moment at 5:16 “Ah, the sun, it has risen.”
Ryder whispered in awe, while Li Wei reflexively looked over.
A chaotic and hazy orange halo, like a duck egg, concealed at the junction of the horizon, faint light diffusing and permeating into the darkness of the night, blending with it to create a shockingly beautiful blue, eerie yet magnificent.
In an instant, my heart stopped beating, utterly captivated by this moment.
The grandeur and mystery of nature were quietly yet loudly presented before our eyes.
“Oh, damn,” Li Wei muttered under his breath.
Ryder looked back, “What’s wrong?”
Li Wei tugged at the corner of his mouth, “We’ve returned to reality.
Alice’s dream has ended.”
Li Wei, “So, this kind of behavior isn’t quite appropriate anymore.”
Ryder followed Li Wei’s gaze, looked down, felt a scorching heat on her elbow, quickly withdrew it, straightened her body, and put some distance between them.
Li Wei laughed silently, “Originally, I came here just to wait for the sunrise, but now, I’ve started to hate the fact that the sun continues to rise as usual.”
“Ha.” Li Wei laughed again.
The world outside the window didn’t immediately become bright, as the sun remained hidden at the far end of the horizon, cautiously showing just a corner, without any rush to bounce out before the first ray of dawn fully fell, the night still had a brief time to linger.
“‘Time flies like the wind, and fruit flies like a banana.'” Li Wei blurted something nonsensically without warning.
Ryder raised an eyebrow, “What?”
Li Wei shook his head lightly, “Nothing.
I once heard Dylan Thomas recite a poem by W.H.
Auden, his voice was like a cello, deep and magnetic.”
“Just like, ‘All the clocks in the city, don’t let time deceive you, Oh you cannot conquer time, in headaches and in worry, vaguely life leaks away, and time will have its fancy, tomorrow or today’.”
Having said that, Li Wei himself felt somewhat embarrassed and turned his gaze away from the window.
But Ryder did not immediately speak, seemingly immersed in the sound of Li Wei’s voice.
This surprised Li Wei, who turned back to look at Ryder, “I thought you would joke that you never knew football players also read poetry.”
Ryder lifted her chin, “Don’t assume they lack souls just because they’re big, just as you shouldn’t assume I can’t speak a second language just because I’m American.”
“Hahaha.” Li Wei laughed heartily.
Ryder’s eyes were brimming with smiles, “So we should treasure the sunrise, after all, it is the start of a day, a brand new beginning.”
Li Wei nodded, “Right, it also means that the last season has officially ended.”
Ryder, “There’s no need to be so hasty, you still have the championship parade and party, you should enjoy this joy for a few more days, at least, let it prolong a bit.”
Li Wei slightly tilted his chin up, asking meaningfully, “So, specifically, how many days?”
Ryder started counting on her fingers, “One, two, three, four, just four days.”
“Four days?” Li Wei raised his eyebrows, which coincided perfectly with the “four soulmates” from earlier, was this a coincidence?
Ryder, serious-faced, “Right, just four days.”
However, her slightly curved lips betrayed her, and she hurriedly shifted her gaze, looking out the window once more.
In just that brief moment, the sun had escaped its bindings and climbed above the horizon, the transition from the first sprinkle of dawn to the full rise of the sun seeming to happen in the blink of an eye, unnoticeable, the sunlight was already fully cascading down.
Li Wei knew it was time for him to leave, or who knows whether the fans or the paparazzi would arrive first.
Looking at Ryder again, Li Wei politely extended his right hand, “Thalia…”
Li Wei, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Thalia Ryder.”
Ryder, “I’m thrilled to go on an adventure to the Rabbit Hole with you, ‘Mad Hatter’ Mr.
Li Wei, “Shh, that’s a secret.”
The girl placed her finger on her lips and winked at Li Wei.
When Li Wei turned to leave, his footsteps became light again, and the emptiness of a night of party revelry was quietly filled.
Three full days later, Kansas City held an official championship parade.
Never underestimate this championship parade, for the budget alone had already exceeded four million US dollars—
The city hall and the team jointly bore the cost.
For this once-in-forty-eight-year championship parade, not only Kansas City but the whole state of Missouri was abuzz.
Moreover, nearby states like Nebraska, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Li Wei’s alma mater in Alabama all mobilized as well, similar to the Super Bowl.
Countless fans flocked to Kansas City, joining the party with the utmost fervor and craze.
Despite the economic downturn in Missouri, the city and state governments showed their enthusiasm, joining hands with the team to meticulously plan the championship parade.
After all, the tourism revenue and job opportunities a parade might bring were significant, and it could even be an opportunity for them to turn the tide.
First, the city and the team mapped out a parade route that would cover the entire city while maintaining an appropriate length and without disrupting the normal functioning of the downtown area.
Because Kansas City straddles the border between Missouri and Kansas, the city government also received help from the state of Kansas, joining in the championship parade.
Next, once the parade route was determined, the whole city began to mobilize.
According to post-event statistics, Kansas City enlisted over eight hundred police officers, one hundred and fifty firefighters, and two hundred municipal engineering staff, a scale that was unparalleled by any major sports league in recent years.
Besides that, there were fundamental logistical services in place, including portable toilets, varieties of championship celebration contingents from different units and departments.
Additionally, there were drinking water and simple food, plus an array of logistical facilities such as ambulances, fire trucks, and riot police.
Finally, the Kansas City Chiefs themselves were fully prepared.
The team dispatched no fewer than six double-decker buses, thirty private cars, twenty celebration floats, and sixty motorcycles.
Everybody from the team was mobilized to join in the revelry.
According to official league statistics, the estimated number of people who arrived in Kansas City for the championship parade was around one and a half million—
In reality, the number that actually reached the site surpassed two million, setting a new record for attendance at a championship parade among North America’s four major sports leagues, breaking historical records.
Rivaling the Super Bowl!
Before this, the record for the largest championship parade was held by the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers.
As a densely populated area, Los Angeles once rallied one point three million people to participate in their championship parade.
With a resident population of fewer than five hundred thousand, Kansas City welcomed a massive championship parade exceeding two million people, fiercely smashing the record.
The fervor was evident.
There were two key reasons.
First, the state of Alabama.
Second, the Asian immigrant community.
In the past, the Asian community’s enthusiasm for participating in championship parades was ultimately limited, and even if they occasionally joined the fray, they never formed the core of the procession.
But in recent years, Asians from all over the North American continent swarmed towards Kansas City and became a visible main force in the parade crowd.
All because of Li Wei.